Book Description
Fresh out of college, 26-year-old Santiago has always longed to see the world, but his anxiety gets in the way. How can he possibly travel abroad if he feels sometimes heart-pounding pressure by simply riding a bus? But one day, after years of saving, Santiago courageously buys a ticket around the world. His parents think he’s crazy, but he takes a leap of faith and sets out alone. However, the world he had imagined was far from reality.
Meanwhile, Santiago finds out his best friend Laura, who could not join him on the trip, battles a recently diagnosed autoimmune disease. Will he regret his decision to leave her behind? Will their friendship survive or blossom into something more? On his journeys from New York to Lisbon, Paris to Sarajevo, and Istanbul to Bali, Santiago must overcome his shyness and open up his heart despite facing challenges, such as scams, and confronting complex issues like human trafficking. Join Santiago on a journey of self-discovery and adventure like no other.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Santiago: Chronicles Of A Young Traveler' by Eduardo Rios Lasso.
Read and reviewed for Eduardo Rios Lasso, Zibarna Books and Melissa Amster.
Publication date 29th April 2022.
This is Eduardo's debut novel.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title.
This novel consists of 15 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is set in many different places from Panama 🇵🇦, New York 🇺🇸 to Lisbon 🇵🇹, Paris 🇫🇷 to Sarajevo 🇧🇦 and Istanbul 🇹🇷 to Bali 🇮🇩.
This book is written in third person perspective and main protagonist is Santiago. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that left me feeling the sand on my feet and the waves splashing over me. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.
Absolutely love, love, loved this amazing book that took me on the journey of a lifetime.
I will start by saying this isn't normally the sort of book I would give a second look at in a shop. However, after being recommended it I looked at the cover and description and became intrigued. I am so, so glad I picked it up now as I absolutely fell in love with it!!! The book is about a 26 year old male called Santiago who decides to finally fight his anxiety and go ahead with his trip of a lifetime. It takes the reader along with him to all the places mentioned above and more. The writing really absorbs the reader in and I was whisked away to see some gorgeous sights. I love that the whole time I was reading this book it felt like I was reading Santiago's diary. I was devastated when I came to the end and had to "unpack my suitcase" as while I was reading this book I was right by Santiago visiting some amazing places that I will probably never get a chance to in real life. However, it isnt all surfing and sight seeing and Santiago sadly experiences the darker sides of life when he gets taken on a ride by a few scam artists, visits the red light district in Amsterdam and invited to have sexual relations with minors.
The fact that Eduardo has done his research absolutely shines through the pages so a huge congratulations as one of my pet hates is when a book is littered with mistakes because the author didn't spend a few minutes fact checking. This isn't just a story about a young man living out his dreams it is also a book that brings awareness to the reader of mental health, scammers, the sex trade, people trafficking, child prostitution, sex trafficking and human exploitation. It makes the reader aware of what is sadly going on in the world around them, gives some ideas on how they could help but also does this in a way that the whole story isn't absorbed into the darkness of this Earth. It shows that there is both light and dark, good and evil, beauty and ugliness and its all mixed in to a fantastically written story that completely immerses the reader into a journey around the world. It made me want to drop everything and set off and discover the planet. Unfortunately this can't be don't at the moment but it definitely gave me the urge too!!
I loved the bond that Santiago not only had with his family but also with Laura and how he was constantly worried about her throughout. That is true friendship and love. It made me laugh when he called Laura to tell her he had booked the trip and it showed that although he had anxiety he had a wicked sense of humor. I absolutely loved watching how Santiago went from a shy boy who couldn't even speak to the same waitress who had worked at the cafe he got coffee for ten years to this man who explored the world starting alone but ending up making so many beautiful friendships along the way. Watching his confidence grow was amazing and I became really invested in him.
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Eduardo on what promises to be a massive best seller!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next explosive success 🥂!!!
Overall an absolutely addictive page turner that will take you on the journey of a lifetime.. An absolute must read!
Genres covered in this book include Coming-Of-Age Story, Travel and Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as anyone who struggles with anxiety, anyone who needs a nudge to do something or just anyone who wants to escape and disappear on a trip around the world for a few hours or days.
258 pages.
This book is just £8 to purchase on kindle or £10.98 to purchase in paperback via Amazon.
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@EduardoRiosLasso @MelissaAmster @ZibarnaBooks @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
Eduardo Rios Lasso emerged as a writer during his career as a medical doctor. Born and raised in Panama City, Panama, his journey has taken him around the globe to dozens of countries. Along the way, he found a passion for travel writing that seeks out positive life experiences while also sharing the common interests and challenges that bring different cultures together. Eduardo currently resides in Germany, where he is completing his training in Internal Medicine. SANTIAGO - Chronicles of a Young Traveler is his first book.
Website: http://www.zibarna.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/e.rioslasso
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Purchase Link
Amazon : https://amzn.to/3NTV3pk
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