Cary Groner’s The Way imagines a grim (and scarily plausible) future. It’s 2048 with an avian flu having long since decimated the human race, and Will Collins ekes out a meagre existence at a desolate Buddhist retreat in Colarado. A message from an old friend, and the prospect of a cure, sets him on a journey across the wastelands of the United States, accompanied by a talking raven, a similarly chatty cat, and a troubled young girl. 

Groner’s novel is certainly accomplished. He writes with clarity and ease, and the road-trip conceit provides a sense of momentum that makes for a pacy and engaging post-apocalyptic riff off a traditional western. It’s unfortunate, then, that the story itself is plagued by a distinct lack of ingenuity. It does not help that the initial premise bears more than a passing resemblance to the wildly successful The Last Of Us. 

The most promising element (Will’s kinship with his anthropomorphic travelling companions) is quickly sidelined after the introduction of foul-mouthed, wise-cracking teen Sophie, who is more a hasty archetype than a fleshed-out character. After which, the narrative unfurls entirely as the reader expects, its twists and turns signposted miles ahead. Readers may forgive this lack of originality, particularly as The Way succeeds in being both fun and thoughtful in equal measure; a timely eco-dystopia for the post-covid world. And yet it’s hard to shake the feeling that this good novel is just a draft or two away from being a great one.

The Way is published by Canongate on Thursday 13 March.