Vagabond Paperback – May 7, 2014

What I liked most is the writing, it pulls you in and you firmly believe the context of this near future world without having it forced upon you in exposition, and so you relate to the travails of this vagabond heroine.The story happens after a disaster nearly destroys the human race, leaving the world with little human genetic diversity. Genetic propriety becomes the new source of social order rather than moral or religious norms. The hard science of this world seems entirely plausible, especially because the story doesn't try to force a conclusion on us or work fancy technology into every scene. I think this will make a very enjoyable series. When science is the people's religion, whence come the gods and demons?I gave it four stars instead of five just because I didn't feel the satisfaction of a climax in the action, it felt more like a climax of the heroine learning the truth of her situation, which seemed to be all she wanted as she is pulled into the larger drama though her kind of love triangle. As an intro or first act to a series I am excited to follow it; reminds me of later Ursula Leguin or the Beggars in Spain series of Nancy Kress. Confident and intriguing writing from this author.

This story is really about the characters and the bonds we need and create in life for survival. Each character teaches us and Niko something, and I love the depth that the characters show. It is a good mix of a bit predictable (that keeps a reader feeling smart and like a good mystery-solver), but with a few earth-shattering twists. I love a strong female heroine, and an ending that takes me by enough surprise that I wish I already had the second book to read. It's an interesting twist on the dystopian future. It has enough of the familiar to keep us connected and to also see how some of what we value could create a world that exists in Vagabond. I really loved the story and got invested in what happened to the people in this book. I would recommend this book to teenagers and up, who need a new female heroine to love and root for to the end.

For a first book, Brewer does an excellent job of creating a believable and intriguing world. While her writing style gives away the fact that this is her first book, it is not hard to imagine she will continue to improve and mature as a writer (I am looking forward to reading her newest book, Intrepid). The way the story pieces together the background and current action does a great job of stringing readers along. There always seemed to be some nugget of new information revealed that compels readers to keep going. Brewer also does a fantastic job of weaving in the philosophical and ethical dilemmas into the action while not sacrificing pacing or entertainment. Hopefully she will come back to this world she has created, expand it, and give her readers even more Vagabonds and Rebels to ride along with.

In Vagabond, J.D. Brewer artfully tells the story where the past runs hand in hand with the present. No other Young Adult Dystopian/Sci-Fi that I have read is written in this style, but it allows the story to start right in the middle of the action and avoid that slow introduction most Dystopians have to suffer through. Instead of J.D. Brewer telling you about Niko’s world, she shows you. She unfolds Niko’s society and beliefs in manageable bites while allowing the action to take the front seat. It’s easy to love Niko, but to be honest, I loved the characters she meets along the way more. Through the flashbacks, we’re allowed to see the people who teach her how to survive out in the wild, and these characters are vivid and strong, even in their brief cameos. I want to be Celeste, the kick-butt girl from the Tracks who teaches Niko what it’s like to be a woman on the Tracks. I highly suggest you pick it up and start reading this very instant!

An original story!A future is being written by the Genetic Engineering Guild and the Republic. They want to create a perfect race and tell people who they are to pair with in order to ensure that. Niko is a young girl and a vagabond on the run. She avoids the Republic at all costs. And then she hops onto a train. Moments later a young man rushes toward her and says she had to jump. Soon after leaving the train the boy follows the girl. And everything changes after that and nothing is quite what it seems about the boy.An enjoyable read. I highly recommend for the Hunger Games crowd. Great writing!

JDB has written a novel that brought back many memories. We lived near the tracks and my GM always has a walking bag for a hobo. This novel is different because the trains moved much slower than the futuristic ones. The characters here were more polite than the early riders. As I grew up the injured hobos were many. This maybe a SyFy Novel but JDB has good insight or a family member who rode the rails. This is an excellent example of mode of travel used by many Americans, but updated to the Future.....ER

Action.It’s how Vagabond starts and how it ends. There are plot twists and cliff hangers throughout every turn in the book, and the characters are put in so many nail-biting situations. Between challenges of the heart and challenges of survival, Vagabond sets its main characters against the elements.When Niko’s world is destroyed, she is forced to learn to survive out in the wild. After she meets Xavi, she discovers that there is an entire underground society traveling on the trains. They go where they wish. They do what they want. They live how they desire. And all kinds of chaos happens in between. If you want a good pool-side read this summer, this is the book for you! Can’t wait for more from this author!

I got this not sure what I would think of it, Im glad I took the chance. I thought it was really interesting and I liked most of the characters enough that I wanted to see them make it. It was good enough that I went on to read the next one. A different twist on the way the world ends, or is suppose to.

I noticed the front cover first and as I'm a keen walker it drew my attention straight away! Read it in a couple of days on Kindle and really enjoyed it. This is a brilliant example of an Indie author with a drive to write good, original fiction with a distinct style. J.D Brewer didn't hit us with the tired cliches but told a story that kept defying expectations right to the end which is rare these days. Characters were real and dynamic. Story line was plausible and did a great job of blending Utopia with Dystopia.Criticisms? Only a tiny few - a couple of typos that would be hard to spot. I also have a pet hate for the 'two boys fighting over one girl' scenario which I'd love to discuss with the author as it appears to be a recurring theme in women's literature. Neither detracted from the story in any way.Get it, read it, share it with your friends. I have.

I read the blurb wrong,sci fi not the type of thing i usually go for,i read a few chapters it confused me greatly,re read blurb and gave it a chance as i was hooked from the start.As i said i don't usually go for this type of book but apart from the out there sci fi stuff it's also about love and loyalty and who to trust and not to when you are living in a very dangerous world.Will be buying the sequel when it's out.