The Road to Us

by Abby Adler

Genres: Romance

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 2, 2026

Reviews

[Elaina]

I absolutely adored this book! As a Jewish person myself, I connected with parts of this book such as Jewish and Israeli people fostering a sense of community. I am not as religious as Sophia, but I enjoyed learning more customs of observing Shabbat. I really liked her connection to Adin as they say opposites attract. It made me really want to go back to Israel and learn more Hebrew. I didn’t even know that Israelis backpack through South America! I liked the little anecdotes about Israelis and the added Hebrew words. I would love a second book and will definitely be reading other books by this author!

[Shirel Miller]

The story had me hooked from beginning to end, and I genuinely didn’t want to put it down. Such an easy, engaging read!

[Joanie Margulies]

What a stunning debut novel!

[Nimi]

I picked up The Road to Us expecting a fun travel story, but it delivered so much more than that. Abby Adler completely nailed the feeling of being 22, fresh out of college, and totally unsure of what’s next.

The backdrop of backpacking through Chilean Patagonia feels so vivid and real, but it’s the group dynamic that really carries the book. Sophia’s dynamic with Adin, Lior, and Tomer feels natural and chaotic in the best way possible, full of late night talks, great tension, and real depth. It captures that exact mix of freedom and uncertainty that comes with travel.

Oh and for a debut novel, Abby Adler writes like someone who’s been doing this for years. Her dialogue feels completely natural, the characters feel like real people you'd meet on the road, and she knows how to make you actually care about them. Definitely an author to keep on your radar!

[The Lit Collector]

ZERO STARS 🤮🤮🤮🤮

I’ve read some pretty bad books, but this takes the cake as the WORST book I have ever read.

I finished reading this book hating EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER.

Adin constantly making fun of Sophia’s Jewish observance PISSED me off to no END. Yet she STILL thought he was attractive?! 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

Camille and that whole nonsense with Trevor/Tomer was SO DUMB I’m IRRITATED the author had the AUDACITY to call Camille “the smart one” - ESPECIALLY after Trevor/Tomer KNOWINGLY put ALLL of yall in harms way just because he was “lonely” NEVERMIND the fact he JUST dumped his GIRLFRIEND in the middle of a foreign country and left HER (A WOMAN) alone 🙃🙃🙃

Lior is PATHETIC!!! What a STUPID insecure man who is a STUPID friend. Getting mad at a girl because she DOESN’T like you but she likes your friend is LOSER behavior and I hope he stays single and insecure FOREVER.

NEXT, the ABYSMAL writing.

The dialogue was so insanely UNbelievable, CRINGEY, and LONG for no reason. The Americans didn’t sound/speak like Americans and the Israelis didn’t sound/speak like Israelis. NO ONE in 2026 says “time to hit the hay” UNIRONICALLY when its time for bed 🙃🙃

The amount of exclamation points in this book were ATROCIOUS. I get it, Sophia is bubbly. How about instead of being lazy by describing her “bubbly” personality with an obscene amount of exclamation points, you actually take the time to FULLY DEVELOP your character.

Where was the editor? WHOOO told this author that randomly switching character perspectives MID SENTENCE was a good idea? WHOOO taught this author how to write dialogue for characters because they were SOOO wordy.

The constant mocking of keeping kosher and Jewish observance by Adin AND Lior AND Trevor/Tomer PISSED me off. Like this author expects US (the READERS) to believe that ISRAELIS are SHOCKED how a woman could be observant/modern orthodox but still wear shorts?! A non-observant American Jewish boy sure, but AN ISRAELI?! Even IF Israelis are not observant, there is ZERO way they (from a JEWISH country!!!) would bat an eye seeing observant women who wear shorts.

I hate this book. I hate this story. I hate the writing, and I hate these characters. The only thing I liked was the premise of the book but the author RUINED it by not taking the time to edit this story and make the plot cohesive and make sense.
I do not recommend.

[Becky]

Wow! I spent all night finishing this book. It just pulled me in. As a relig girl this was my most relatable read of the year. I felt like this would be me and my bestie on a trip though can’t say it would’ve been as dangerous as Sophia and Camille’s experience hehe. Def gave me ideas for my next trip, gotta find a Carretera crew like this one!

Sophia gave me major Cher from clueless vibes, she’s like a golden retriever, ditzy and fun. She was a ball of fluff yet still a complex character.
Loved the romance bw Aiden and Sophia ♥️

I demand a sequel!!

Anyways bestie and my bags are packed, we fly next week ✌️

[Nava Chameides]

I really enjoyed The Road to Us! This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down! I was really invested in the relatable characters and their journey. I loved how the story explored love, relationships, second chances, and all the messy emotions that come with finding your way through life.

Overall, this was a sweet, emotional, and engaging read that left me with a warm feeling when I finished. If you enjoy character-driven stories with romance, emotion, and a little bit of heartache along the way, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try! ❤️

[Elisha Pamensky]

Abby has a rare gift for making you feel like you're sitting across from a friend rather than reading a page. Her writing is so wonderfully open and vivid that you feel like you truly know her by the end. An absolute standout, can’t wait for whatever she writes next.

[Sami]

I couldn’t put this book down! As a nice jewish girl, it is incredibly difficult to find books where i can fully relate to the main character, but i found that in this book! For any njg who need a fun road trip story, this is the book for you!

[Orit Tordjman]

Easy read. The characters and story line were relatable. I wish it was longer- or maybe there is an opportunity to develop each characters history more in depth and what we learnt about them just scratched the surface

[David]

A captivating, heartfelt story with memorable characters and emotional depth that stays with you long after the last page.

[Abby]

Beautiful read!! Super recommend

[Lielle Barth]

one of my favorite things about this book was that every character was flawed. Nobody was perfect, nobody was the villain, and that made everyone feel incredibly real.

[Eran Anisfeld]

Made me want to book a ticket to South America.

[Shiela Eagle]

Really great read. Romance, adventure, self-discovery, set against the backdrop of an expedition in South America. I was mesmerized by this book. Highly recommended.

[Gabriel Adler]

This novel completely pulled me in and left me eager to keep reading as Sophia’s journey unfolds. An absolute page-turner and a great read!

[Ben Laufer]

Fun adventure. Couldn't put down the book til the very end. Highly recommend

[Orly Margulis]

V cute!

[Nathaniel Noy]

I enjoyed this book so much. The characters, the setting and the story all came together so beautifully I might have to read it again! Highly recommend😍🙌

[Reader]

The characters felt so real that I found myself thinking about them long after I finished the book. I genuinely didn’t want to say goodbye.

[Ally]

Such talented writing! It successfully captures the scene and really makes you feel like you're living the story

[Reader]

I found myself completely invested in Sophia’s journey. I wanted her to find happiness just as much as I wanted to know who she’d end up with!

[Dina Shilat]

Beautifully written, they felt like my real life friends. We laughed and cried together! Was truly amazing! Looking forward to more!

[Shawn]

The characters were too young, for me. it felt too creepy to read. The young adult was too young…