The Wayside by Caroline Wolff: Book Review
| Pub Date | August 13, 2024 |
| Publisher | Blackstone Publishing |
| Page Count | 320 pages |
| Genre | Adult, Contemporary, Mystery |
| Goodreads Star Rating | 3.17 |
| My Star Rating | 4 |
The Wayside Book Summary
The Wayside by Caroline Wolf is a blend of mystery and literary fiction that follows Kate, a grieving mother whose son died by suicide, as she looks for the reason why it happened. Through her research, she finds many clues, all of them leading her in possibly dangerous directions.
The Wayside Book Review
I rarely read thrillers, but this one captured my attention thanks to its dark academia setting and a very interesting premise. And surprisingly — or perhaps not — it delivered. I truly enjoyed my time with this book, despite its heavy themes.
Kate is an immediately relatable character. She has a strong voice, but even beyond that, it was interesting to learn about Jake from her perspective. After all, she’s learning about him for the first time too (through his diaries and possessions) and trying to slot the new information in with what she already knows.
And true, she makes some mistakes and questionable decisions, but they felt justified because of her grief. I don’t know a single person who could be normal in that situation. Her bad decisions sometimes bring her closer to answers, but sometimes cloud her judgment too.
The prose is atmospheric and descriptive without being too much. There is an occasional strange description like “the doors were shut like mouths” (not verbatim), and sometimes unnecessary details with perhaps too many brand names. But overall, this story is told well, with tender, yet crisp language.
It gets started quickly as well, which I appreciated. Authors sometimes make you go through grueling chapters of funerals and grieving for people you don’t yet care about. But not in this case. The story begins with Kate already on a mission to find out the truth behind her son’s death. She’s grieving, yes, but you slowly get to know both her and Jake and you end up grieving with her by the end.
The Wayside keeps its pace throughout. There are a few more introspective sections, where you learn about Kate’s or Jake’s past, but this is not overwhelming. Something that did confuse me were the chapters from Jake’s POV. They weren’t diary entries and seemed to be pretty immediate, so I’m not sure how they’re there, logistically. At the same time, I’m sort of glad that they are since you get a clearer picture of his mental state as well as of what happened to him.
There is also a slight romantic aspect of this, which I didn’t like mostly because I don’t think it fit in well with the themes of the book.
Also, I have to say that while I didn’t quite believe the reason why Jake decided to die, I do think that the final twist made it all the more plausible and terrifying. Sickening, too. And even though this is fiction (and Jake’s death is the inciting incident), I do wish he had someone else, someone kinder to talk to.
And I liked where Kate ended up, at the end. Yes, the story is sad and Kate will never not be sad, but at least she’s in a more hopeful, warm place both mentally and physically,
Overall, The Wayside blends mystery, lit fic and dark academia seamlessly while delivering a heart-breaking portrait of a grieving mother. It’s fast paced and yet emotional, with some truly atmospheric and stunning scenes. I highly recommend checking it out!
Trigger warnings for suicide, depression, alcohol and drug consumption, blood and injuries, stalking, and death.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and Blackstone Publishing.
