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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
An exciting adventure story with great characters. There are some steampunk/weird west/alternative history elements though I'm hesitant to label it as such because I could see this book having wide appeal outside of that rather niche genre and these elements are all quite fresh (no dirigibles and excessive use of gears here, just the Titanic of trains steaming through a wilderness populated by yeti and bog witches.)
This is one of those books my son suggested I read. It's a curious bit of world building, more Wolves of Willoughby Chase with a tiny bit of the supernatural at the edges than Leviathan but that restraint and the limits set by the titular seven mile long train work in its favour. The ending was somehow a little flat. But I liked the willingness to add a little grey into the black hearted villains and the magic show scenes are carried off splendidly.
It was an interesting read but not what I was expecting. There were many confusing parts and contradictions but the characters were enjoyable.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There have been moments—and Will remembers each one—when he has sensed his life shift. He felt it that day in the mountains when he met Maren for the first time. And he feels it again now. The entire world seems much larger and stranger than he could ever have imagined.
General Thoughts
I went to the library looking for book recommendations and this was one of the librarian's picks for me based on what I've liked to read in the past. He described this novel as similar to Murder on the Orient Express, and I think I'd have to agree. The middle-grade level and fast-paced nature of this novel makes for an easy read for even the pickiest of readers.
Favorite Moments
Plot & Pacing
This is a fast-paced novel with a pretty straight-forward plot. The plot contains a minor budding romance between Will and Maren as they avoid murderous thieves and venture through the train. There aren't many surprises, but that does not detract from the intensity of the story. Overall, it was a fun read that is quick and easy to finish.
Setting & Worldbuilding
This novel takes place on The Boundless, a train with over 900 cars on its first trip. The train exists in a fantasy world with Sasquatches and Wendigos roaming the forests. The fantastical elements do not push the plot forward but rather provide a backdrop for the story. The train itself establishes a class system and uses this device to critique classism at a rudimentary level. As Will encounters each class, he and the reader are both confronted by the stark difference in quality of life, which I think provides a good introduction to this sort of socio-political commentary to middle school readers.
Characters
I found the characters in this novel to be average at best, and standard tropes at best. We follow Will, a shy kid that lacks confidence and looks up to his father. Will has some strong character development throughout the novel, stepping out of his shell as he is chased by thieves that want to murder him. We see him struggle with his father's expectations of him and what he wants to do with his future. We also see the train through his eyes as he experiences each section of the train, from the Caboose back to first class. Will meets Maren, a circus member helping to keep him safe, along the way. A budding romance sparks between them, but the novel ends before it truly develops into something deeper. Maren is a fun character to follow and acts as a guide through the circus. Mr. Dorian is the circus leader, who acts as a guide through the fantasy world Oppel established. With seemingly unlimited knowledge, we learn much about the fantasy world from Mr. Dorian, who is your standard fantasy mentor or guide through the novel.
Originality & Writing Style
A lot of the writing is very simple and easy to read, which is expected for a middle-grade novel. However, I wish the writer did more showing instead of telling. There were several points where it felt like the obvious was stated, which slightly took me out of the novel.
Overall Enjoyment & Emotional Impact
I'm rating this novel a 3.5 because it kept me turning the page, however I prefer a slightly higher level of writing. I don't think that my critiques should deter people from reading this novel! It was easy, and great for someone getting out of a reading slump. This was only the second book I finished after one of the longest reading slumps of my life, and I finished this in one day. It’s a fun story with good themes and critiques, but it wasn’t necessarily my favorite book ever.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A rather interesting tale about a young man whose father helped build one of the transcontinental railroads, this time in Canada, on a mythical maiden voyage of a several miles long train, which includes a set of circus cars.
There's lots of adventure and misadventure throughout the story. Will is on a journey to independence as well, to forge his own path as an artist. Oppel has included in the train's layout a reference to Dante's Inferno, The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as class distinction. His descriptions of each level of passenger is extremely descriptive. Readers will learn a little bit about how the railroad was built, and about the railroad tycoons and their quest for riches and profit, which is not very different from today's income disparity between CEOs and workers. There's a quest for gold, sasquatches, 19th century belief in spirits and the paranormal, avalanches, and more.
The target audience will be most attracted to the sasquatches, the chases on top of the train, and the avalanches. They might even enjoy the automatons as they figure into the action. And Mr. Dorian's card trick is amazing. But I don't think most will pick up on Dante, labor relations, and all of the other components.
One thing I found disturbing was the presentation of the worker abuse that was part and parcel of the building of the railroads, and yet the character of Brogan is the villain of the tale. Is his fate justified? Oppel does contrast Brogan with Will's father, but then just leaves it, doesn't present anything for a young reader to notice the conundrum. Will's father inherits riches galore by being the complacent and loyal worker, yet Brogan's complaints and resentment are valid, as history has shown. It would take an adult to tease this out in discussion. And a 10 year old kid is not going to be all that interested in that part of the story, but it's an important part in terms of character motivation, what drove Brogan to do what he did.
There's lots of adventure and misadventure throughout the story. Will is on a journey to independence as well, to forge his own path as an artist. Oppel has included in the train's layout a reference to Dante's Inferno, The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as class distinction. His descriptions of each level of passenger is extremely descriptive. Readers will learn a little bit about how the railroad was built, and about the railroad tycoons and their quest for riches and profit, which is not very different from today's income disparity between CEOs and workers. There's a quest for gold, sasquatches, 19th century belief in spirits and the paranormal, avalanches, and more.
The target audience will be most attracted to the sasquatches, the chases on top of the train, and the avalanches. They might even enjoy the automatons as they figure into the action. And Mr. Dorian's card trick is amazing. But I don't think most will pick up on Dante, labor relations, and all of the other components.
One thing I found disturbing was the presentation of the worker abuse that was part and parcel of the building of the railroads, and yet the character of Brogan is the villain of the tale. Is his fate justified? Oppel does contrast Brogan with Will's father, but then just leaves it, doesn't present anything for a young reader to notice the conundrum. Will's father inherits riches galore by being the complacent and loyal worker, yet Brogan's complaints and resentment are valid, as history has shown. It would take an adult to tease this out in discussion. And a 10 year old kid is not going to be all that interested in that part of the story, but it's an important part in terms of character motivation, what drove Brogan to do what he did.
Oppel offers young readers a fascinating adventure story strung together with dangerous events and suspicious characters. Truly an enticing read.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A wild romp of an adventure story, this was an entertaining listen. Recommend the audiobook.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On paper this book has everything that I theoretically love: historical fiction, a long train journey, a traveling circus, , and a sprinkle of magic. It does deliver on all of those things for me personally, but it fell a little short in other places. One of my biggest complaints is the romance between . The constant pining and cheeks flushing and hands brushing was incredibly annoying and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes many times . Maybe I wouldn’t have cared if I had read it when I was part of the target age range for this book, but I think the story would have been better if they were just friends, which is what I usually expect from middle grade books and part of the reason I like them. Overall still a great and compelling story, solid 4 star read for me.