YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

From the New York Times bestselling co-author of It Devours! and Welcome to Night Vale comes a fast-paced thriller about a truck driver searching across America for the wife she had long assumed to be dead.

“This is not a story. It’s a road trip.”

Keisha Lewis lived a quiet life with her wife, Alice, until the day that Alice disappeared. After months of searching, presuming she was dead, Keisha held a funeral, mourned, and gradually tried to get on with her life. But that was before Keisha started to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America. Alice isn’t dead, and she is showing up at every major tragedy and accident in the country.

Following a line of clues, Keisha takes a job as a long-haul truck driver and begins searching for Alice. She eventually stumbles on an otherworldly conflict being waged in the quiet corners of our nation’s highway system—uncovering a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman.

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Date changed. Restarting October 2024. Happy Reading ☺

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Date changed. Restarting October 1st 2024. Happy Reading ☺

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(view spoiler)[i feel like the omelet part creeped me out a lot more when i listened to the audio drama the first time around but it was still a good introduction to the thistle man (hide spoiler)]

Zach wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ i dunno he seemed pretty creepy!! I definitely wouldnt want to have breakfast with him, especially if the breakfast was me!!

I think the creepiest part was how everyone just ignored him and his victim (hide spoiler)]

I just got to chapter 22

(view spoiler)[part 2 just started i feel like the book takes away a lot of the charm the podcast brought. i miss the music and how every week felt like a standalone destination and they really skip this in the book. doesnt feel as creepy. i like her friend sylvia though i like seeing keisha interact with someone that isnt trying to kill her /spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[ I was SO sure the last billboard would have said her own name or Alice's. But the NICKNAME alice called her? my heart (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 22
(view spoiler)[I really adore how the sorrow from loosing someone has been described. The beginning of the book was touching for that reason, even though this is a horror book. I really like that. But wow. Monsters who kill people and doesn't like that someone knows about them. It was horrid that they even killed her neighbours when she just tried to live in peace. And then she just killed one of them, haha. But this new monster, a female cop feels dangerous. I was surprised that Alice really was alive. I thought she would like a zombie or something similar, it was surprising that she was alive. And that she's working for some group who are after the monsters. (hide spoiler)]

Julianne wrote: "Zach wrote: "[spoilers removed]..."

(view spoiler)[Oh yes, they really make creepy sounds!! And I agree 100 % : how people just ignore, that's horrid. (hide spoiler)]

Julianne wrote: "Chapter 6 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[This was a chapter that got tears in my eyes: it was super touching. How no one suddenly use your nicknames anymore. That was heartbreaking to imagine (hide spoiler)]

Zach wrote: "I just got to chapter 22

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I had no idea that there was a podcast too. Now I am happy that I didn't, because I am really enjoying the book! But I can imagine how it can be disappointing after the podcast. I am super intrigued and I love this. I like Sylvia too, I am happy that she has a sidekick 😄 (hide spoiler)]

Johanna wrote: "Zach wrote: "I just got to chapter 22

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[youre in for a treat with the podcast! im enjoying the book too. i love how they go into how weird and random parts of the US can be while you drive through them (hide spoiler)]

Julianne wrote: "Chapter 6 [spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[ i do really enjoy how the book handles her loss and how she processes it as crazy as it seems sometimes/spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

chapter 22 (view spoiler)[ the chapter with the fake cop lady was so unnerving they did a great job with that. i love the horror and supernatural stuff in this book (hide spoiler)]

End of part one ,(view spoiler)[ so that leaves us with so many more questions than answers but its neat that the trucking company is some kind of weird front for a monster killing army!! (hide spoiler)]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 22
[spoilers removed]"


(view spoiler)[ i was surprised Keisha was able to just sort of beat one to death? I thought they might be harder to kill but maybe theyre just flesh and blood too (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 46
(view spoiler)[ i like that they've been switching the past and present with Alice and Keisha. She has every right to be upset with her too·. (hide spoiler)]

chapter 50
(view spoiler)[i cant believe being mean and racist makes you a thistle man. kinda silly. (hide spoiler)]

chapter 51
(view spoiler)[ i love everyone banding together to just casually beat and fend off a thistleman (hide spoiler)]

Julianne wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Chapter 22
[spoilers removed]"


[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree, it felt pretty easy 🤣🤣 I thought exactly the same. I don't know if that felt really believable (hide spoiler)]

Zach wrote: "Chapter 46
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yep, I agree! You shouldn't make choices for someone else (hide spoiler)]

Zach wrote: "chapter 50
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Haha 😄 This reminded me of a book where crimes created monsters (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I think I preferred the beginning 🤔 The rest of the book wasn't bad but the beginning felt creepier somehow. And at some point some events started to feel a bit much 😄 (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[ i know i keep comparing the book to the podcast but it was extremely different. I definitely enjoyed the podcast more. It had way better pacing and the weekly episodes has a lot of charm and some good horror elements. Lot of stories in the podcast besides the thistle stuff. The book was fine for a stand alone thing but it's definitely harder to enjoy after the podcast. The later end of the book got kind of whatever for me. Idk how i feel about them having a family and a happy life. I wanted more character for Alice and Sylvia but i didn't hate that there was a cool big battle at the end. They just kind of lived a peaceful life with no issue after which felt kind of lame. (hide spoiler)]

Zach wrote: "Finished

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I had same feelings about the last part of the book. I don't like endings like this, to be honest. And I agree some characters should have been more fleshed out. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 30 (view spoiler)[ i like how when Keisha called around about Sylvia that the person who finally got them in touch with each other didnt give out Sylvias number out right. I hope they figure out what ended up happening to Sylvias mom (hide spoiler)]

Julianne wrote: "Chapter 30 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ if a random lady called asking for you id be like idk maybe ill tell her you were asking for her (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 45(view spoiler)[ Lucy kind of bothers me. She should have let Alice know the truth and get out of the lifestyle instead of faking her death. I feel bad for keisha (hide spoiler)]

Zach wrote: "chapter 50
[spoilers removed]"
I thought this was a joke but thats literally the truth

Finished(view spoiler)[
I dont usully like when things have happy endings but i guess im happy that Keisha and Alice are back together. The ending was pretty anticlimatic and it felt super rushed by the end but i guess they had to wrap it up somehow!! (hide spoiler)]


Maybe ill try the podcast if its better than the book

Julianne wrote: "Finished
I dont usully like when things have happy endings but i guess im happy that Keisha and Alice are back together. The ending was pretty anticlimatic and it felt super rushed by the end but i..."

i promise you it is