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A review by jennygr4
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
2.0
*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.