Destination anywhere

After a traumatic incident, an aspiring artist flees from England to Canada. Peyton King is on a plane to Vancouver without a plan. The 17-year-old Brit has had a year that started out promisingly enough--a new school offers a fresh start after 5 years of bullying and brings, for the first time in her life, a group of friends and a boyfriend--then slowly but surely ended in chaos. Leaving only a short note for her parents, Peyton flees halfway across the world and shortly thereafter connects with a motley crew of 20-something travelers from various parts of Europe. As the group takes a road trip through Canada in an RV they dub Justin, Peyton documents the journey in her beloved sketchbook--and contemplates kissing her adorable fellow explorer Beasey. She also slowly regains the trust in other people that she'd lost. The story alternates chapters between Peyton's past and present, slowly leading up to the tragic event that prompted her flight. Barnard has crafted a page-turner that's both adventurous and reflective, and Peyton is a thoughtful, nuanced heroine who eventually understands her past roles as both victim and enabler. Excepting Scottish traveling companion Khalil, whose name cues him as a person of color, main characters are presumed White. There is some diversity in sexual orientation. Illustrations not seen. A lovely coming-of-age tale set amid breathtaking scenery. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

1. NowNOW THE PLANE "Boarding complete." This is it. I'm out of time. I stare at the send icon on my phone screen, willing myself to press it. My heartbeat--already way faster than usual--thunders harder in anticipation of that one tiny moment, the final step in setting this all in motion. Despite myself, my thumb swishes downward, my eyes flicking to the start of the email I've been drafting since I walked out of my house, got on a bus, went through departures, boarded, found my seat, and buckled up. Mum and Dad, Don't freak out. I know you will anyway, but don't. (There's no point. By the time you read this, I'll be in the air. You always say how safe flying is, Dad. So you don't need to worry, because when you read this, I'll be the safest I've ever been.) I'm doing this because I have to go. I just have to go. I tried to tell you about how I have nothing left and I HAVE TO GO, but you weren't listening. Now I think you'll have to, because right now I'm on a plane. I'm on flight BA037 from Gatwick to Vancouver. You'll be able to look it up, see? I'm not trying to lie or hide anything. You know exactly where I am. I just had to go, so I'm going. If you've been paying any attention, you know why. I'll call you when I land. I love you. P.S. I'm sorry about using your credit card, Dad. P.P.S. I'll pay you back. The captain is cheerfully talking about our estimated flight time, how sunny it is in Vancouver, how he expects there may be "a few small bumps" over Greenland. He asks for all electronic equipment to be put into flight mode. I swallow. Steel myself. Send. There. It's done. I put my phone into flight mode and settle back against my seat, watching the terminal slide slowly by as we taxi to the runway. In a few minutes I'll be airborne. England will drop away underneath me, getting smaller and smaller and farther away, and all my problems and heartaches and regrets and mistakes will shrink along with it. The next time I set foot on this soil--who knows when that will be--I'll be someone different; someone changed. Not someone new, exactly, but maybe the person I was always meant to be. We're on the runway. The engines roar, the plane pushes forward. Beside me, a woman in a green jumpsuit whispers, "Off we go." I close my eyes. I finally smile. Off I go. Excerpted from Destination Anywhere by Sara Barnard All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.