Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
3.5/5 stars
BOOKTUBEATHON BOOK #5 DONE BLESS UP.
I enjoyed this a lot! It was more exciting than I thought it would be. I loved the story, but the characters didn't have a lot of growth, or at least growth that made sense. It was mostly all about the plot, which in this case was good, so not a total loss! I loved the descriptions of the cars on the boundless because that seriously sounds like a train I want to be on. Overall enjoyable though not incredible!
BOOKTUBEATHON BOOK #5 DONE BLESS UP.
I enjoyed this a lot! It was more exciting than I thought it would be. I loved the story, but the characters didn't have a lot of growth, or at least growth that made sense. It was mostly all about the plot, which in this case was good, so not a total loss! I loved the descriptions of the cars on the boundless because that seriously sounds like a train I want to be on. Overall enjoyable though not incredible!
Kenneth Oppel's brand of storytelling is captivating. I was enthralled by his Airborn series and was pleased to find this newest adventure just as thrilling. Warm, likable, interesting characters in a fascinating world of frontier trains, circus marvels, and intrigue. Also, I listened to the audio book version of this; it was tremendously well done. So many dialects!
Not my favorite book by Mr. Oppel, but still a very fun, fast-paced read. I enjoyed it very much. Worth the read if you like adventure stories with a hint of romance. 4 out of 5 stars. Very good.
*I'd more likely give this book 2 1/2 stars, but not quite three.
Will needs to get to the front of a train that has almost 1,000 cars. He has a key that urgently needs to be returned to his father, who is conducting the massive train. He manages to get help from some circus members who are also aboard the train. Along the way, his progress is impeded by a Sasquatch, gun fights, and plenty of villainous brakemen. Will receives quite a surprise about his mission, though, and has to make some tough choices. When he finally reaches the front of the train, nothing is as he thought it was.
One of my major hangups about this book is that it had a lot of parallels to the "Snowpiercer" graphic novel/movie. It didn't follow the "Snowpiercer" plot outright, but there were enough similarities that it was distracting to me.
I was also initially confused about the character of Will. His thoughts and actions made me think that he might be young, between 10-13, when it turns out that he's actually 17. Will wasn't really a character I connected with. He seemed very flat for a main character. The story is told in present tense, which is always a little unsettling for me, and I never really seemed to pick up the flow of the story.
Part of my dislike might not be entirely because of the book. I found "The Boundless" in the children's section of my local bookstore, and when I picked it up, I had my fourth graders in mind. I even found that Amazon suggested it for ages 8-12. I would definitely NOT recommend this book for young readers. The language borders inappropriate at times, with characters using "feck" and "Jaysus" as cuss words. There's even a part where a Sasquatch tears off a man's head and puts it on a spike. I think this book is inappropriate for young readers, but it seems like older readers would find it boring.
Will needs to get to the front of a train that has almost 1,000 cars. He has a key that urgently needs to be returned to his father, who is conducting the massive train. He manages to get help from some circus members who are also aboard the train. Along the way, his progress is impeded by a Sasquatch, gun fights, and plenty of villainous brakemen. Will receives quite a surprise about his mission, though, and has to make some tough choices. When he finally reaches the front of the train, nothing is as he thought it was.
One of my major hangups about this book is that it had a lot of parallels to the "Snowpiercer" graphic novel/movie. It didn't follow the "Snowpiercer" plot outright, but there were enough similarities that it was distracting to me.
I was also initially confused about the character of Will. His thoughts and actions made me think that he might be young, between 10-13, when it turns out that he's actually 17. Will wasn't really a character I connected with. He seemed very flat for a main character. The story is told in present tense, which is always a little unsettling for me, and I never really seemed to pick up the flow of the story.
Part of my dislike might not be entirely because of the book. I found "The Boundless" in the children's section of my local bookstore, and when I picked it up, I had my fourth graders in mind. I even found that Amazon suggested it for ages 8-12. I would definitely NOT recommend this book for young readers. The language borders inappropriate at times, with characters using "feck" and "Jaysus" as cuss words. There's even a part where a Sasquatch tears off a man's head and puts it on a spike. I think this book is inappropriate for young readers, but it seems like older readers would find it boring.
3.5.
An enjoyable story with a lot of additional fun for Canadians/those familiar with Canadian history.
An enjoyable story with a lot of additional fun for Canadians/those familiar with Canadian history.
3.5 and rounded up - A fun adventure story that kept me reading.
Oppel's latest is a solid adventure story with a classic feel that's a perfect fit for middle schoolers. The world-building is effortless, blending folklore and fantasy with historical fiction, and the Boundless itself is such a fascinating and well-realized setting. As the classic boy character who has effectively run away to join the circus, Will is a realistic protagonist and relatable despite the historical setting, though perhaps a bit lacking in personality. Oppel is particularly skilled at creating suspense and a sense of breathless pursuit that moves this adventure forward quickly, drawing readers into Will's drive to survive. The circus and the train itself provide a rich and entertaining cast of secondary characters, but this is ultimately an adventure story and the focus remains squarely on Will, what he has, and who's after him. Fluidly written and action packed, it's a high-quality read for middle graders looking for plenty of excitement and a truly unique setting.
I loved this book, but after reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, I caught the mystery pretty fast. Will and Maren were entirely rootable, though, and I loved both of them!
Title- The Boundless
Author- Kenneth Oppel
Publisher- David Fickling
Date of this Publication- 2015
Genre- Fantasy, Steampunk, Adventure, YA
My Rating- 4/5 stars
Will Everett boards the Boundless- a frontier train trekking across the Canadian wilderness with his father- senior executive and engineer of the train, alongside Maren a tightrope water and Mr Dorian the ringmaster of Zirkus Dante. Also aboard the train is Brogan, a treacherous brakeman who will stop at nothing to sabotage the train and steal a gold rail spike from the corpse of its designer Cornelius Van Horne, interned within a funeral carriage just behind the engine.
Aboard the train, Will witnesses a murder and realises Brogan, a brakeman who kills for gold is after the gold rail spike supposedly interred within the deceased Van Horne’s funeral car. Will must travel along all 9,000 carriages of the train, with the help or Zirkus Dante’s tightrope walker Maren and its ringmaster Mr Dorian from class to class under the disguise of circus performer to warn his father of the impending sabotage.
However, certain elements did not appeal to me. For example, Will’s character could possible benefit from being younger as I found him to be a bit too old. Will’s character and personality seem too childlike and so naive at times to the point I found it hard to believe he was 17. Oppel should have avoided turning it into a YA novel and should have kept the main protagonist at age 12 as this book would have lots of appeal to ages 12+. Another element was the treatment of the Native Canadian tribes and the prejudices held against them. I found this did nothing for the plot and its addition simply did not appeal to me. What I did like were the characters of Maren and Mr Dorian who has a believable and sympathetic back-story and even the minor characters such as the conjoined twins Li and Zhang were memorable and likeable to me.
The Boundless has everything; adventure, a travelling circus, sabotage, wild sasquatches, fights aboard the train’s roof, a titanic inspired maiden voyage and a blend of fantasy, and reality into a clever steampunk novel. It also deals with strong themes such as conforming, being yourself and doing what you truly love as opposed to the will of society or a parent etc.
This book is very suitable for ages 12+ and also for fans of steampunk, adventure and fantasy.
And Sasquatches.