W = Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

 

"Your assumptions are windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in."

Nessie gets up one day and leaves her house in a walking coma, seemingly impervious to all external stimuli. Soon Nessie is joined by others like her, as they begin their journey to God knows where. They are the flock. Shana, Nessie's sister, gives up everything to care for her sister and is soon joined by other devoted friends and relatives of the flock. These are the shepherds. Both shepherds and flock are closely monitored by Benji Ray and his coworkers from the CDC as a secondary outbreak occurs, more deadly and insidious than the first.

I loved certain things about this book. The mystery of the flock: what happened to them and where are they going and why are they going there. The shepherds' dedication and sacrifice, the forging of bonds in the time of mass hysteria, as the caravan travels in blind faith. Equal parts suspense and cautionary tale, it needed all 800 pages to create a modern epic journey to rival Frodo's walk to Mordor.

Except.

Except Chuck Wendig pulls heavily from current events to write this book. Inspired undeniably by current events: coronavirus, climate change, radical white supremists manipulating conservative viewpoints as justifications for hate, Presidential campaigns that spew vitriol and the possibilities of AI... Everything down to the nasal swab that itches your brain. Its hard to hide spoilers in a book built on today's reality. The author's views are undeniably liberal and left me wishing he'd kept politics out of it even though I don't entirely disagree. Bare minimum I wish he'd picked fewer themes to make the book a little more focused.

There also comes a point in the story where the answers are revealed...And its not going down hill exactly, it just begins to read like a sequel to the story instead of part of the same book. The ending is left open enough to make way for an actual sequel but closed enough you don't have to continue the journey if you are tired of it...which isn't a bad way to end 800 page novel.