I've previously read and loved Sara Barnard's work A quiet kind of thunder has alway stuck with me and I think always will so when I seen she has a new book release I jumped on the chance to read it.

Peyton King has no friends. For a brief time she's hopeful in sixth form she'll find some. That didn’t work out. Determined to outrun the bullying to 'find herself' seventeen-year-old Peyton buys a plane ticket with her dad’s credit card (unknown to him) and flown across the world to Vancouver, Canada, where she plans to see the whole country.

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me, the writing was defiantly still great quality but I think I'm just not a fan of traveling books especially when it follows a seventeen year old who travels alone without issue because ironically that caused me to come up with loads of issues. It was hard for me to suspend my disbelief that it was just this easy to steal a credit card, book a flight and fly to Canada and live as a teenager alone there. I like books with people going somewhere but not when it includes to many issues I couldn't seem to shake reading this story. Maybe that's a me problem and not the books problem.

I wish the characters had more development, Sara Barnard has written great characters I've read in the past but Peyton to me was just a little lack lustre. I wanted more growth from the friends and more evolvement of the adult characters because of the plot it seems to me they should have played a much bigger role in this book.

Overall I enjoyed the writing enough I was a little disappointed just because the two previous books I've read from this author have been such big hits. Again this could be a me problem I maybe should read more books involving travel to see how I really feel about this plot. If you looking for something fast paced, entertaining with a little heaviness I would recommend this book.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

I am a big fan of Sara Barnard and she's pretty much an auto buy author for me nowadays. Destination Anywhere takes a different approach to her previous. books. Where Beautiful Broken Things and A Quiet Kind of Thunder focused on friendship and relationships, this book focuses on the relationship you have with yourself.

I'm a bit older than the intended audience, but I still very much enjoyed Destination Anywhere. I'm certain I would have been obsessed with the book as a teen - the descriptions of the Canadian landscape were dreamy!

I eagerly await her next book, as I know it will be another enjoyable read.

Sara Barnard is one of my favourite authors, I have loved everything I have read from her, and her 2021 release sounded perfect for me. Destination Anywhere follows Peyton, who has spent her whole life just trying to fit in and find friends. When she starts sixth form college and finds a friendship group of her own, she thinks all of her problems are finally over. However, after an incident with her friends group, she finds herself booking a one-way ticket to Canada for an adventure of a lifetime. I am of the firm belief that Sara Barnard can do no wrong and I will never not love her books. I was uncertain at the beginning, Peyton took a bit of getting used to as a character and I did have to suspend my disbelief for some of the plot points at the beginning, but as soon as the story got going I was hooked. It is told in alternating present day and flashback chapters, which I think worked really well for this story. Both timelines kept my attention and I was never skimming through one to get to the other. The flashback chapters, detailing Peyton's horrendous bullying during her school life and introducing her sixth form friends, were heartbreaking and very difficult to read. The present day chapters following her adventures around Canada were my favourite, I absolutely loved going on this journey with Peyton and all the incredible people she meets along the way. I had a great time exploring Canada through this book, especially as we can't travel at the moment, but also enjoyed seeing Peyton grow as a person during her trip. I just really loved this story, and I'm not planning my own trip to Canada for when we're finally able to travel again.

Thank you for providing access to this book. I'll be reviewing/featuring this book separately from NetGalley as I have purchased a copy.

Sara barnard is one of my favourite authors and this book lived up to expectations! I enjoyed the travelling aspect and Peyton was another character who you connected with on a deep level as a reader going on her rollercoaster of emotions with her.

Sara Barnard is one of the absolute stars of UKYA and her long-awaited new novel, which was delayed by the pandemic, does not disappoint. If you’re craving a road trip right now, this story of a lost teen trying to find herself will be right up your street.

The book begins with seventeen-year-old Peyton running away from her life in the South of England, dropping out of college and flying to Canada. Peyton struggles with loneliness and has had difficult friendships and relationships. Bullying throughout her school years leads her to start college absolutely determined to make friends, but she finds herself falling in with a group she doesn’t even like that much. Despite this, she desperately wants to impress and be accepted by them.

Once in Canada, however, Peyton meets a group of travellers from around the world in the hostel she stays in. This leads to some true friendships, but also to her starting to find herself and figuring out who she wants to be and what she wants to do. We see the development from stepping off the plane in Canada with no plans at all, to having her next steps in life figured out.

The story is told in two timelines – one that reveals exactly what happened with her college friendship group that led her to run away, and the other in the present day as she travels around Canada. I love that this allowed for a full dive into friendship in all its forms – the good, the bad and the complex. I also loved the blossoming slow-burn relationship in the book, which felt realistic and was a great portrayal of a healthy teen relationship that is so often missing from YA stories.

Another highlight for me (potentially a result of having been in the same square mile of London for over a year now!) was the brilliant descriptions of the landscapes and food in Canada (poutine, anyone?) I love the opportunity to travel via the pages of a book!

My one critique is that the Canada crew could have benefited from being two or three people smaller – I did get a few of them mixed up at points! However, the main characters were well-developed and are now freely running around in my imagination. It would be great to see spinoffs from this book, focusing on some of the other characters’ stories and future adventures. I’d also love to read the story of the older timeline told from Flick’s perspective, the friend that Peyton pins all her friendship hopes and dreams on when she starts college. She’s a fascinating character – I’d love to know what is going on in her mind!

On the whole, another brilliant novel from Sara Barnard. If you enjoy Destination Anywhere, be sure to also try Goodbye, Perfect and A Quiet Kind of Thunder. I loved them both!

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I found Peyton quite a hard main character, but it’s hard not to empathise with her as the book progresses. While I don’t necessarily agree that dropping everything to fly to Canada is the best solution, I do see her logic.

I loved everything about the roadtrip, and the fact she visits places I have been made me both nostalgic and bitten by the travel bug! The friendships she eventually makes there are so lovely, and it’s really nice to see Peyton learn to open up.

The parts of the story set while she is at school are much harder - not just because of the epic bullying and loneliness and poor decisions, but because they really are soaked in misery and you feel it as you read. I liked these less, but they are buoyed by the sense of hope in the Canadian sections. They do however have the unfortunate side effect of making Peyton less likeable.

Overall the emotions and sense of hope and healing swing this through for me, just beware if you read it - have tissues!

I always look forward to a new Sara Barnard book and I’m delighted that this one is finally coming into the world. She is definitely one of my favourite UK YA authors and her latest didn’t disappoint.

Peyton has never really had any friends but she is determined to change that when she starts college. Before long, she finds herself in the midst of a whole gang of seriously cool friends and she even has a boyfriend. Her dream has come true. But then, one terrible night, Peyton realises that perhaps these friends aren’t really her friends at all. So, she does the only logical thing she can think of -board a plane across the world with nothing but a backpack full of clothes and her beloved sketchbook.

Everyone who has ever been lonely as a teenager will see themselves in Peyton. She feels so real as a British teen who constantly finds herself on the outskirts of life, longing to slot into the heart of it. Hearing Peyton’s voice in the first few chapters actually made me appreciate my school friends even more. Like a lot of nerdy kids, I struggled to fit in too but unlike Peyton, I was lucky enough to find my tribe. I imagine if I hadn’t, I’d feel a lot like Peyton does.

Peyton has an idea of what she thinks a friendship should look like, shaped by books and films. So, when a version of this presents itself in the form of Flick’s friendship, Peyton finally feels like her dreams have come true. This causes her to somewhat idolise Flick and do anything she can to keep her. Those of us with more experience of friendships -particularly teenage female friendships- may already notice some red flags right there.

One thing that Sara Barnard does really well is depict realistic inner turmoil surrounding teen sex. I know of girls who lost their virginities to boys they didn’t even really like because at the time, they just wanted to feel desired or wanted to experience sex. Sex isn’t often talked about in this way within YA novels, so it’s always really refreshing to read a different, authentic viewpoint.

Much to the horror of her parents, Peyton finds herself travelling across Canada alone. I have actually done quite a lot of international travel on my own and I can fully account for it being incredibly lonely and boring after a few days, when the novelty and excitement has worn off. Much like Peyton actually, I tend to flee to foreign countries in order to try and ‘clear my head’ of problems but of course, I am still me and stepping onto different soil doesn’t erase any issues that live in my head. I can’t imagine doing something like this at 17 though! Peyton is much braver and more self-sufficient than I was at her age.

Peyton is lucky enough to bump into a group of international fellow young travellers at a hostel in Vancouver. There is this kind of magical buzz that runs through travellers’ hostels that is bursting with a sense of anticipation and excitement. Of course, nomadic and adventurous souls tend to have similar stories and reasons for being on the road. Seeking something more from life and the world is possibly the most common reason for extensive travel and it’s this that bonds Peyton to this wonderful cast of characters.

Of course, Peyton’s travelling friends are all older than her but not by much. Most of them have been through a lot in their young lives, which has gifted them with a unique level of maturity and so they seem to be a lot older than they are. Peyton learns so much from them and it’s these invaluable lessons that she takes with her into the rest of her life.

Destination Anywhere is a heartwrenching, honest story of a teenage girl who is just trying to figure out everything. Set against the beautiful backdrop of mostly Western Canada, Peyton learns who she really is and finds the strength to be that version of herself. It explores both the beauty and ugliness of young friendships, the difficulty of harboring different dreams for yourself than those that your parents have for you and the gloriously freeing nature and power of travel. It’s a sprawling YA adventure that I know a lot of readers will get so much from.

I haven't read a book by Sara Barnard in a couple of years now and I had almost forgot how much I love her writing but 'Destination Anywhere' brought it all back. Peyton is flawed and healing from a series of traumatic experiences that have occurred over her school life. The book takes you on that journey of healing with her by interjecting these flashbacks with Peyton's hindsight narration. It is so clever how it is put together!

I really resonated with the part where they refer to school as being a really artificial environment - you are never going to be forced to spend 8 hours a day with 30 different children for five full years again. It is mind blowing to look at it like that!

I absolutely love Sara Barnard's books. She has a brilliant way with words and a serious skill at getting into the heads of teenage girls. Our protagonist here is Peyton who, after a horrible experience with some 'friends', needs to get away, and does so by flying to Canada. With no plan, not much money, and a serious lack of contacts in Canada, Peyton is on the journey of a lifetime - to discover Canada, and herself. As she travels across the country, taking in new experiences and processing old ones, Peyton really unfurls as a character.
This is quite an internal book - a lot of Peyton's growth is introspective, and her past plays out as she reconsiders it, so we have the advantage of her hindsight and insight as she explains. Barnard does a great job of this, though. Sensitive and nuanced, the publication of Destination Anywhere was delayed due to global events, but it's another stunner, and a pleasingly strong addition to Barnard's already impressive back catalogue.

Finding the courage to be yourself is never easy and running away doesn't always seem like such a good idea, especially when you're a teenage girl but sometimes running away is the only way to really find yourself and facing up to your mistakes.

Definitely going to be reading more by this author

I really had no idea what to expect from this book, it was almost certainly an impulse request from Netgalley, due to the cover grabbing my attention, as anything with a plane on it, while in lockdowns is extra appealing as I need to be able to constantly dream of escape.

And well that is what Peyton is trying to do, she is only 17, yet more or less overnight decides to drop out of college and get on a plane to Canada without much of plan. It is clear she is unhappy with her life back in England, but until you start getting the alternating chapters set in the past, and seeing how her first year of college panned out, plus other key background, you don't realise just to what extent the desire to get away is.

In fact even as she was describing the toxic friendship and relationship she was in, after having done five years of secondary school being bullied and having no friends at all, I still wouldn't have guessed what would act as the ultimate trigger for her to try to flee her life.

While we are getting all this background, we also get to see Peyton's travels across Canada, her lack of plan, the other backpackers she meets and forms some sort of friendships with.

As a travel fiend I absolutely loved all the descriptions of Canada, especially of its breath-taking beauty, stunning scenery and some of its wildlife too. I loved the idea of backpacking across such a Canada although personally October is probably too cold for me, but it does add to the atmosphere.

But this is more than just a book featuring a fabulous bit of travelling across a country that I rarely see featured in the books I read, This is a coming of age, journey of self discovery for Peyton, of learning all manner of lessons about herself, as well as with hindsight realising just where the previous year went wrong for her.

She's also a talented artist and I couldn't help but be annoyed that her family didn't seem to support her that much, or listen to how she is really feeling at any point which would have attributed to the possibly rash decision to book a flight elsewhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and also found myself thinking about Peyton even when I wasn't reading it, which is a sure fire sign of a book getting under my skin. And it even made me feel quite emotional too!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.,

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Full review to come nearer publication.

My go-to UKYA author Sara Barnard never fails to blow me away with her books; they're just so real, the characters are vivid and wonderful, and the stories just come to life. That said, I didn't expect to enjoy Destination Anywhere half as much as I did! It didn't have the most exciting blurb for me compared to Sara's other books, but I finished it in one sitting and was left wanting more! I'd love to read a novella following on from this book; the characters were some of my favourite ones I've ever read about.

Thank you NetGalley & MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book.

I have been a big fan of Sara's previous books, and this was no different. Although I'm now in my late twenties, this would definitely be relatable for those in their late teens. It was heart-warming and well paced, and it really did make me want to go back to Canada!

This book is, put simply, a warm hug.

After dealing with bullying and fake friends for her entire adolescence, 17 year old Peyton has had enough. She needs to get away. So she does just that. She books a one way ticket to Vancouver and hops on a plane to the other side of the globe.

Alone and trying to work out how her life went wrong, she stumbles across some other soul searchers and ends up with the adventure of a lifetime. On a road trip across Canada she experiences all sorts of wonders and beauty. Perhaps most importantly she discovers what real friendship is and starts to find herself in the process.

Sara Bernard's writing was so easy to fall into that I devoured this book in a single sitting. I loved that the narrative switched between the road trip and Peyton reflecting on her life. Peyton is one of my favourite YA protagonists I have read in a long time. She is flawed but she is able to admit that, which goes a long way to helping her put herself back together. It was refreshing to see a character deal with her problems in this way and I loved it. All of the other characters was so likeable and wholesome and wonderful I just wanted to pluck them out of the pages so I could join their little roadtrip family.

Bonus points:

The slow burn romance was everything.
Friends that are a family give me life.
Khalil and Beasey have my heart.

I loved this book and will definitely be re-reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for the e-Arc.

A book of two halves. The 'now' sections are, for the most part, much more engaging than the 'then' part but they do converge about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through. If this book had been linear, I don't think it would have worked because I would have got fed up of the 'before' parts before getting to the 'now' parts which I enjoyed most. The last third/quarter of this book is definitely the strongest which is what bumped my rating up. It has an open-ended yet hopefully satisfying conclusion.

[Slight spoilers/TW] I was very worried that this was going to be a story of recovering from rape or sexual abuse which is why I think I didn't enjoy the 'then' parts as much because I was on edge for a lot of it. Thankfully it is not that so if that's a trigger for you then hopefully knowing that beforehand will make it a less anxious read for you. It does still deal with hard-hitting topics such as drug use and toxic friendships but there's a lot of modelling of good friendships to balance that out.

I really enjoyed this - as in her other books, Sara Barnard creates incredibly real and relatable teenage characters. Though there is some romance, I liked that the focus is on friendship and Peyton's desire to find where she fits, something that I'm sure will resonate with lots of young readers. It also really made me want to go back to Canada. A great read.

I absolutely adored this book; Barnard has created another piece of YA contemporary which is a true masterpiece. I could so easily relate to Peyton and how she was feeling about herself and her family. I've never been to Canada but this book really made me want to go!