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The Wanderers
When eighteen-year-old Sosie Friedman's mother dies in a horrific car crash, rumors around her small beach town swirl that the accident was really a suicide-plot gone awry. Desperate to prove the gossipers wrong, she digs into her mother’s past and uncovers clues that suggest her mother wasn’t who she pretended to be.
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, she connects with a school acquaintance, a quiet but thoughtful loner, who introduces her to his small group of friends. Swept into their curious world, she embarks on a road trip with them to escape Sandy’s destruction—and to discover a man who may hold clues to her mother's death. But like the shoreline under the lashing winds and rain, her reality starts disintegrating before her eyes the more she learns. When she wakes up in the aftermath of a car crash eerily reminiscent of her mother’s, her new friends are nowhere to be found.
Sosie must now piece together evidence to explain her mother’s death, or risk suffering a similar fate.
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, she connects with a school acquaintance, a quiet but thoughtful loner, who introduces her to his small group of friends. Swept into their curious world, she embarks on a road trip with them to escape Sandy’s destruction—and to discover a man who may hold clues to her mother's death. But like the shoreline under the lashing winds and rain, her reality starts disintegrating before her eyes the more she learns. When she wakes up in the aftermath of a car crash eerily reminiscent of her mother’s, her new friends are nowhere to be found.
Sosie must now piece together evidence to explain her mother’s death, or risk suffering a similar fate.
202 pages, Unknown Binding
Published June 21, 2019
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 17, 2019
I couldn’t put this book down! Sosie’s story is told in this vibrant, thrilling, and emotional novel by Sarah Barkoff. I Highly recommend The Wanderers!!
August 2, 2019
"We pursue that which retreats from us," —Martin Heidegger.
That quote from the existentialist philosopher pertains to desires, happiness or knowledge—and it also describes the protagonist's journey in The Wanderers, the fast-paced, eminently readable debut novel by Sarah Barkoff.
The novel kicks off in the unsettled world of a post-Hurricane Sandy Long Island, where Sosie Friedman, our unsettled, unreliable narrator, attempts to navigate the turbulent waters of high school while reconciling the death of her mother. Was it an accident? If so, why can't everyone around her accept that fact? If not, will she be able to unearth the truth of the events?
In her plight to find some answers, Sosie will end up nearly dying multiple times, stealing a car, meeting a cast of colorful characters, going on a road trip, brawling and bawling, while she stays rabidly on the trail of a man who may hold all the answers.
Though the concept of this book (a splendid tale that weaves mystery, macabre and mental illness) stands out among the throng of recent YA titles, Barkoff's execution is what makes The Wanderers worth reading. Her descriptions are the kind of spice that turns any prose delectable.
There's the bartender in a Podunk town, whose “tiny bee-stung breasts are pushed up in her strappy tank top,” and a Mcdonalds in Michigan that, “looks more like a Bavarian chalet than a fast food joint” and a boy, whose accent, "is thick and slow, like a dense milkshake that has to be eaten with a spoon instead of sipped from a straw." It's all enough to make you hungry for more.
As Sosie befriends (and crushes on) her broody, introspective and sensitive classmate Nolan, she meets his licentious wing-man Terry, and his girlfriend Casie, who is, “prettier up close with her golden brown eyes accentuated with a simple flick of black cat-eye liner and these adorable freckles that run along the bridge of her turned up nose,” the reader is plunged into a world full of uncertainty, and it’s all translated faithfully by Barkoff.
Much of the heated back and forth banter takes place within the cramped confines of a car, where none of the four can get away with being quiet— no matter how exhausted they are. Upon waking up and realizing his best bud has eschewed his advice and driven in another direction, we hear Terry exclaim—in an accent I imagined to be half Keanu Reeves, half Matthew Mcconaughey—“Nolan, what the hell,” his voice “ full of bro-code disgust.”
After bolting from the miasma of Long Island, these wayward characters—some seeking gnarly waves to surf, others, a quest for the truth— find peril at every corner. Our protagonist gets into more fisticuffs, takes ecstasy, and almost bleeds to death—all before we reach the jaw-dropping conclusion of the story.
Barkoff peppers her prose with vividness that burns bright off the page, but she delivers it judiciously, and so it’s obvious she trusts her readers. That, of course, is the bedrock of any genuine relationship—and is one of the many reasons why The Wanderers is a fantastic book.
That quote from the existentialist philosopher pertains to desires, happiness or knowledge—and it also describes the protagonist's journey in The Wanderers, the fast-paced, eminently readable debut novel by Sarah Barkoff.
The novel kicks off in the unsettled world of a post-Hurricane Sandy Long Island, where Sosie Friedman, our unsettled, unreliable narrator, attempts to navigate the turbulent waters of high school while reconciling the death of her mother. Was it an accident? If so, why can't everyone around her accept that fact? If not, will she be able to unearth the truth of the events?
In her plight to find some answers, Sosie will end up nearly dying multiple times, stealing a car, meeting a cast of colorful characters, going on a road trip, brawling and bawling, while she stays rabidly on the trail of a man who may hold all the answers.
Though the concept of this book (a splendid tale that weaves mystery, macabre and mental illness) stands out among the throng of recent YA titles, Barkoff's execution is what makes The Wanderers worth reading. Her descriptions are the kind of spice that turns any prose delectable.
There's the bartender in a Podunk town, whose “tiny bee-stung breasts are pushed up in her strappy tank top,” and a Mcdonalds in Michigan that, “looks more like a Bavarian chalet than a fast food joint” and a boy, whose accent, "is thick and slow, like a dense milkshake that has to be eaten with a spoon instead of sipped from a straw." It's all enough to make you hungry for more.
As Sosie befriends (and crushes on) her broody, introspective and sensitive classmate Nolan, she meets his licentious wing-man Terry, and his girlfriend Casie, who is, “prettier up close with her golden brown eyes accentuated with a simple flick of black cat-eye liner and these adorable freckles that run along the bridge of her turned up nose,” the reader is plunged into a world full of uncertainty, and it’s all translated faithfully by Barkoff.
Much of the heated back and forth banter takes place within the cramped confines of a car, where none of the four can get away with being quiet— no matter how exhausted they are. Upon waking up and realizing his best bud has eschewed his advice and driven in another direction, we hear Terry exclaim—in an accent I imagined to be half Keanu Reeves, half Matthew Mcconaughey—“Nolan, what the hell,” his voice “ full of bro-code disgust.”
After bolting from the miasma of Long Island, these wayward characters—some seeking gnarly waves to surf, others, a quest for the truth— find peril at every corner. Our protagonist gets into more fisticuffs, takes ecstasy, and almost bleeds to death—all before we reach the jaw-dropping conclusion of the story.
Barkoff peppers her prose with vividness that burns bright off the page, but she delivers it judiciously, and so it’s obvious she trusts her readers. That, of course, is the bedrock of any genuine relationship—and is one of the many reasons why The Wanderers is a fantastic book.
July 24, 2019
I received a digital arc in exchange for an honest review. This is simply my opinion on the book and is not influenced by any external factor.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: drug use, underage drinking, language, depression, attempted suicide and some mild descriptions of sexual activity (mature, but still at YA level as nothing is described in intense detail).
Sarah Barkoff is a genius. She has created a unique YA novel unlike ones I have ever seen or read! She has developed her characters so well you feel their emotions and pain, especially Sosie. I mean, this girl just lost her mother in a car accident, and video footage of the crash went viral. Word’s going around that her mom drove in the wrong lane purposely to commit suicide and killed passengers in the oncoming vehicle. Her actions and thoughts are completely appropriate in her situation. She clearly has had depressive episodes prior to this, but this was the cherry on the cake, so to speak. There were points when reading that tears came to my eyes, that I felt my heart being ripped out of my chest.
As well as an accurate description of living with mental illness, we also get a theme of friendship and being there for each other when you really need them. Although Terry, Casey and Nolan’s appearance in the story ultimately stems from a spoiler (which I will not mention for those who want to read this), they are there for her in her time of need. Yes, she travelled with them for a purpose, but without their help, she would have still stayed in the same cycle of depression and the story would not have progressed. Nolan especially was there for Sosie and when hearing his backstory, you start to realize how well developed these characters are.
Even the fact that it takes place around the time of Hurricane Sandy, it’s not a made up time, we can tell exactly when the story took place.
That plot twist about 70-80% in – I could not believe it!! I had to come to terms with it myself before continuing the story!
I would definitely recommend this upper YA novel to those looking for a good, unique read, those who want stories with captivating and creative characters and those who don’t mind the above triggers.
Overall: 4/5 – A great book!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: drug use, underage drinking, language, depression, attempted suicide and some mild descriptions of sexual activity (mature, but still at YA level as nothing is described in intense detail).
Sarah Barkoff is a genius. She has created a unique YA novel unlike ones I have ever seen or read! She has developed her characters so well you feel their emotions and pain, especially Sosie. I mean, this girl just lost her mother in a car accident, and video footage of the crash went viral. Word’s going around that her mom drove in the wrong lane purposely to commit suicide and killed passengers in the oncoming vehicle. Her actions and thoughts are completely appropriate in her situation. She clearly has had depressive episodes prior to this, but this was the cherry on the cake, so to speak. There were points when reading that tears came to my eyes, that I felt my heart being ripped out of my chest.
As well as an accurate description of living with mental illness, we also get a theme of friendship and being there for each other when you really need them. Although Terry, Casey and Nolan’s appearance in the story ultimately stems from a spoiler (which I will not mention for those who want to read this), they are there for her in her time of need. Yes, she travelled with them for a purpose, but without their help, she would have still stayed in the same cycle of depression and the story would not have progressed. Nolan especially was there for Sosie and when hearing his backstory, you start to realize how well developed these characters are.
Even the fact that it takes place around the time of Hurricane Sandy, it’s not a made up time, we can tell exactly when the story took place.
That plot twist about 70-80% in – I could not believe it!! I had to come to terms with it myself before continuing the story!
I would definitely recommend this upper YA novel to those looking for a good, unique read, those who want stories with captivating and creative characters and those who don’t mind the above triggers.
Overall: 4/5 – A great book!
August 14, 2019
i used to read all the time but with kids and work, i never seem to find the time. the second i started reading The Wanderers, i put everything else aside - i couldn't put it down! i finished the book in two days. Sarah's attention to detail is unmatched. I felt like i truly got to know the characters through Sarah's descriptions of them. The way Sarah described each scenario made me feel like I was actually there.
I came to love Sosie the more i read. She was complicated but endearing. Sarah made you feel like you were right there with Sosie on her journey. Sarah made you feel her pain and feel her emotions through her writing. The book is incredibly well written - I can't wait to read the next one!!
I came to love Sosie the more i read. She was complicated but endearing. Sarah made you feel like you were right there with Sosie on her journey. Sarah made you feel her pain and feel her emotions through her writing. The book is incredibly well written - I can't wait to read the next one!!
June 27, 2019
I read all the time, like a book a week, and it’s pretty hard to catch me off guard. But the twist in this book was amazing. Through Sarah’s writing you never see it coming. It’s a heart wrenching, beautifully written, young adult novel that tackles very real issues in the young adult (and adult) community. Once I started this book I didn’t want to put it down.
June 25, 2019
This is a fantastic read. The read grabbed me right from the beginning until the end its a real page turner. I love how the Author brought out the Characters. And surrounding. So you could see the scenes in your minds eye perfectly. Sosie has been through the ringer and is trying to find out secrets about her family. During the time that terrible weather has affected the area. This is right up there with Divergent. This is definitely a must read.
Shauna Joesten
Shauna Joesten
June 26, 2019
The Wanderers is truly a book about understanding mental illnesses or to me it was. It was an eye opener for me because I guess I never really though about the struggle someone goes through that has a mental illness. My heart bled for Sosie and what she went through. This is a great read! Definitely would recommend it!
June 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I’m definitely going to hand it down to my daughter. Crazy plot twist at the end blew me away!!!
June 21, 2019
The Wanderers follows Sosie Friedman's life and her struggles after her mother passes away in a car accident. She uses alcohol and drugs as a way to numb the pain and block the rumors surrounding her mothers death. When Sosie finds a photo of her mother with a mysterious man that's not her father, she sets out to find out who he is with the help of her new friends. But things take a drastic change after Sosie gets into a car accident and the cops start asking questions.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. It focuses on friends, family, and the importance of mental health.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. It focuses on friends, family, and the importance of mental health.
July 9, 2019
Okay, so in the interest of full disclosure, The Wanderers is the book I mentored in the WriteMentor program.
Honestly the take-away from the disclosure above is that I knew this book was a winner even from reading an earlier draft. Sarah Barkoff is a master storyteller that intricately weaves together plot lines and sprinkles them with "little clues" about the coming plot twist that YOU WILL MISS until the twist hits and then BAM! it suddenly clicks and let's just say your mind will be blown.
Really....Mind. Blown.
I don't like to give away spoilers in my positive critiques b/c honestly, I don't want to ruin this experience for you, so I'll just say this:
The MC Sosie is struggling, as she should be with an absentee father and a mother whose mysterious death has rocked her world. Throw in the gossip from the town and the demons in Sosie's memories of her mother, add a dash of family secrets and a sprinkle of new-found friends (one of whom has that thick Southern accent that makes me swoon), and you have the recipe for a book that you won't soon forget. A book that will floor you (and shock you at times) and then ball up your emotions in a tight wad.
I'll leave you with this: THE PLOT TWIST. OMG, the plot twist. Here's my hint: pay attention to all the little signs along the way and see if you can figure it out. I bet you can't! :)
Enjoy reading this awesome book--I give it 5 out of 5 emotional and gut-wrenching stars. You won't want to put it down!
Honestly the take-away from the disclosure above is that I knew this book was a winner even from reading an earlier draft. Sarah Barkoff is a master storyteller that intricately weaves together plot lines and sprinkles them with "little clues" about the coming plot twist that YOU WILL MISS until the twist hits and then BAM! it suddenly clicks and let's just say your mind will be blown.
Really....Mind. Blown.
I don't like to give away spoilers in my positive critiques b/c honestly, I don't want to ruin this experience for you, so I'll just say this:
The MC Sosie is struggling, as she should be with an absentee father and a mother whose mysterious death has rocked her world. Throw in the gossip from the town and the demons in Sosie's memories of her mother, add a dash of family secrets and a sprinkle of new-found friends (one of whom has that thick Southern accent that makes me swoon), and you have the recipe for a book that you won't soon forget. A book that will floor you (and shock you at times) and then ball up your emotions in a tight wad.
I'll leave you with this: THE PLOT TWIST. OMG, the plot twist. Here's my hint: pay attention to all the little signs along the way and see if you can figure it out. I bet you can't! :)
Enjoy reading this awesome book--I give it 5 out of 5 emotional and gut-wrenching stars. You won't want to put it down!
June 23, 2019
I finished this book in a day! Holy twist I didn't see coming! Sosie, you will stay with me for a long time.
July 5, 2019
Wow.
I don't even know where to start with this review.
I guess I'll start with trigger warnings: excessive drug/alcohol use, illegal activities, suicide, death, and mental illness.
I thought this was going to be a typical girl is sad, girl meets boy, happily ever after sort of book. But boy was I wrong.
Sosie mother dies it a terrible car accident. Everyone thinks it's suicide, but Sosie is convinced it's nothing but a tragic accident. Then Sosie finds out about a secret her mother was hiding. To get the answers Sosie needs about her mother's death she and her friends must take a road trip from New York to Michigan in search of a man who has the answers. But things go very awry during the trip and the twist will leave you stunned.
This is a good book if you want a story that steps outside of the usual narrative and takes a honest and sometimes uncomfortable look at mental illness.
I don't even know where to start with this review.
I guess I'll start with trigger warnings: excessive drug/alcohol use, illegal activities, suicide, death, and mental illness.
I thought this was going to be a typical girl is sad, girl meets boy, happily ever after sort of book. But boy was I wrong.
Sosie mother dies it a terrible car accident. Everyone thinks it's suicide, but Sosie is convinced it's nothing but a tragic accident. Then Sosie finds out about a secret her mother was hiding. To get the answers Sosie needs about her mother's death she and her friends must take a road trip from New York to Michigan in search of a man who has the answers. But things go very awry during the trip and the twist will leave you stunned.
This is a good book if you want a story that steps outside of the usual narrative and takes a honest and sometimes uncomfortable look at mental illness.
June 29, 2019
Sarah is one of the most talented writers in the game, for sure. I loved this book from the very first chapter, and the fact that I did not see the ending coming IN THE LEAST, made me love it even more. I feel like in this day and age, plot twists are easy to spot and barely original. That is NOT the case here. This book is smart, thrilling, and perfectly executed. I cannot recommend it enough. If you like YA and are tired of the same old stories, read this book. You won’t regret it. It tackles very real and delicate issues without pandering to the reader, giving them a sort of dignity in their own way. Just read it.
February 10, 2023
The Wanderers was such an addicting read, I finished it in an easy 3 days! The story feels truthful, and keeps you wondering what’s coming up. It’s that kind of book you can’t stop thinking about if after putting it down. Kudos to Sarah, for her talents and ability to really surprise you. Get this book!!!
July 24, 2019
A wonderfully written novel about the realities of mental illness with a surprising twist. There came a point when I couldn’t put it down! Looking forward to more titles by Sarah Barkoff!
September 26, 2019
Great book
Loved it! This book was hard to put down. Kept me interested the entire way through. Different turns and twists made it very enjoyable and easy to follow yet exciting.
Loved it! This book was hard to put down. Kept me interested the entire way through. Different turns and twists made it very enjoyable and easy to follow yet exciting.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews