5.0 (1 rating)
Waypoints
Ten years after high school, Zae Richardson is stuck. He's delivering food, suffering from depression, and living with an abusive, drug-addicted father. One night, he sees the girl who once made his life Hell: Janiyah Jones. She's walking down the street in the lower districts, dressed in glitter and heels, bruises painted onto her skin. After discovering her in a traumatic, compromising situation, Zae makes a choice that will change everything for both of them.
He takes her home.
He takes her home.
Published: June 23, 2025
Pages: 255
ISBN: 9798519879460
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Available in: Paperback
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5.0
1 rating
Aaliyah .
Mar 19, 2026
Waypoints was a deeply emotional read for me as Mariah wrote about tough and thought-provoking themes like abuse, rape, trafficking, etc. There were poignant moments between Janiyah and Zae as they dealt with their respective traumas but the bond that built between them and the way that they cared for each other had me in tears and smiling at the beautiful relationship.
I liked how well each characters was fleshed out. From Zae's absolutely horrendous father and the trauma in that situation to Janiyah's losses that led to the harsh life that she found herself in. It was hard to read about how the characters felt or talked about themselves but also shockingly real. I think most of us have days where we insult ourselves or let our pasts make us feel crappy. The mental breakdowns and panic attacks suffered by the main characters got to me; I was emotionally invested in the story and sympathized with them.
The spicy moments were on a different level than most of the other books I read. Zae's insistence on receiving consent from Janiyah was sexy and how patient he was with her?! Swoon. There was such an intimate and trusting vibe between them in those moments and I blushed when reading it.
Waypoints should be on your summer reading list immediately!
*Huge thanks to Mariah for the ARC!
I liked how well each characters was fleshed out. From Zae's absolutely horrendous father and the trauma in that situation to Janiyah's losses that led to the harsh life that she found herself in. It was hard to read about how the characters felt or talked about themselves but also shockingly real. I think most of us have days where we insult ourselves or let our pasts make us feel crappy. The mental breakdowns and panic attacks suffered by the main characters got to me; I was emotionally invested in the story and sympathized with them.
The spicy moments were on a different level than most of the other books I read. Zae's insistence on receiving consent from Janiyah was sexy and how patient he was with her?! Swoon. There was such an intimate and trusting vibe between them in those moments and I blushed when reading it.
Waypoints should be on your summer reading list immediately!
*Huge thanks to Mariah for the ARC!