Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous by Cheaney, J.B. (2014) Hardcover

by J.B. Cheaney

Nine ordinary kids ride the same yellow school bus every day-but only one of them is about to be famous.Each of the nine students on Mrs. B's school bus holds a clue to the mystery of the empty bus stop. Spencer's the smart kid. Shellly's the diva. Matthew's just average (so far). In fact, there's nothing about any of the nine middle-schoolers on Mrs. B's bus route that screams "fame," but before the end of the school year, somebody on this bus is going to be famous.Part detective story, part tale of self-discovery, this funny and touching novel told from nine very different points of view is destined to be a modern classic.

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Contemporary

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

J. B. Cheaney’s The Playmaker was named one of Booklist’s Top Ten First Novels for Teens. She and her husband live in the Ozarks of Missouri.

Reviews

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody knows more than he or she should. That’s the link they’re missing, but they may have a way to find it.

The elementary school bus that serves Hidden Acres Subdivision has a motley assortment of students: the celebrity, bully, talker, innovator, the brain, adapter, jock, pleaser, and the new kid. Today was the start of the school year, but their driver took an expected turn onto Farm Road 152 and pulled alongside an empty bench. No one was waiting and no one boarded, yet day after day the bus took this same route to the same empty bench. And then things began appearing at the stop. Things that held a specific connection to certain kids on the bus. As questions about the mysterious stop lead to events that happened many years ago, unlikely alliances form to reveal answers that will surprise everyone…and make somebody on the bus famous.

Not since Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game have I taken so many notes on a book (ten journal pages in case you’re wondering). With nine central characters and story lines to keep track of, not including the bus driver, it’s a lot to keep straight and remember. Luckily, Cheaney does an excellent job of giving each character their turn in the spotlight as we are introduced to their homelife and get to understand a little about what makes them tick. What the author eventually shows us is that you can’t always judge a book by its cover as these multi-dimensional characters are dealing with some very complex and complicated family issues—most of which seem to stem from absentee, apathetic, or annoying fathers. This book did have a surprising amount of daddy issues, although a lot of the moms don’t come across much better.

This book has a recommended reading age of 10 to 13 years, which is appropriate for the content. There are multiple innuendos regarding profanity; however, one character’s grandparent is suffering from dementia so some statements made are mildly lewd and inappropriate. While the subject matter is sobering, Cheaney handles it compassionately and realistically. And although there are a lot of moving parts to this story, it is an exhilarating ride that really picks up speed during the last fifty pages where all the dots begin to connect. Add to that a harrowing bus accident (which is where our story began) and you have non-stop action and suspense. The only complaint I had is at the very end of the book the author mentions a bonus chapter and provides two different URLs to visit in order to see what happened to our gang of nine. When I accessed the links (I like closure), neither worked so let this be a warning to all authors: forego the marketing gimmicks and just put whatever you have to say in print. Technology is a fickle beast.

American television host and author Fred Rogers once said, “Fame is a four-letter word; and like tape or zoom or face or pain or life or love, what ultimately matters is what we do with it.” And although I won’t ever know what came next for the celebrity, bully, talker, innovator, the brain, adapter, jock, pleaser, and the new kid, I’d like to think that they each realized their own value and worth because to me that’s much better than being famous.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A middle grade mystery and character study with multiple story lines that all come together in the end. I am a J.B. Cheaney fan and really love all of her books. She is a talented writer with a kingdom perspective that I really appreciate. Be sure to go online and read the extra chapter! The book is complete without it, but that last bit of narrative really caps everything off in a beautiful way.

[Pop Bop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual, Interesting and Strangely Compelling

From the cover and the blurbs you might conclude that this a fun tale about nine fifth graders, their wacky school adventures, their school bus antics and the goofy event that launched one of them to fame. You would be wrong.

There are nine fifth graders. Each comes with a detailed back story. The nine represent nine separate but readily recognizable types - the brain, the jock, the rebel, the actress, the writer, the outcast, the strange girl, the mousy girl, and the regular guy. After a few chapters, once I'd recognized what was going on, I was tempted to bail out. But there was enough mystery and enough depth that I was, to my surprise, hooked.

Each character's story has an element of darkness to it. Each kid has challenges at home, and personal issues, that move beyond the cliches. Not way beyond the cliches, but still far enough that the book does not just read like an anthology of middle grade drama and angst. This is not one of those Manhattan private school mean girls bits of froth built on dropping designer label references. It is also not a raw slice-of-life grimfest exploring drugs, or abuse or the gritty side of life. It's somewhere in between; it is about a bunch of kids with drama in their lives, who could be the kids who live next door to you. That's why I described it as unusual; there are other middle grade books around like it, but not that many. (Maybe some Gantos or Spinelli, or Patterson's Gilly Hopkins, or Giff's Hollis Woods?)

It's compelling mostly because at least three mysteries are developed during the course of the story. POSSIBLE MAJOR SPOILER: The matter of who becomes famous is the least interesting of the mysteries. END SPOILER. It's also compelling because you know as you are reading that at least some of the kids' stories will resolve or suffer a twist or two, so in a way each of the nine kids also presents as a mystery, or at least a puzzle.

The writing is interesting. Sometimes the dialogue seems authentic and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the kids are too wise for their years or too insightful. Lots of developments, character reactions, coincidences, and the like are implausible but I forgive all of that because, hey, we're trying to have an entertaining book here, not a documentary.

I honestly don't have a clue whether kid readers would take to this book. It has drama, humor, relatable characters, and mystery. It's not "high literary" but it's not schlock. It's a well written social drama populated by kids. It certainly seems like the kind of book a young reader should try.

So there you have it. Unusual and strangely compelling. (Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Judi Paradis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging story concerning the daily ride told by the middle school riders (and without much knowledge of "the littles"--the elementary school kids who share the ride). As each student presents his/her story and the school year goes along, we get increasing insight into their motives, their family lives, and how their community has been shaped over time--think View from Saturday; Mr. Terupt; etc.). We also get clues about an odd and mysterious bus stop that plays a huge role in the story. The students are appealing, and the book is a good page turner leading up to a pretty exciting conclusion (hinted at in the prologue). I suspect most kids in grades 4 and up will enjoy this one.

[Nancy Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Had me guessing all the way until the end.

[Tena Edlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but I just felt like the book didn't know what it wanted to be. The cover is whimsical and gives an impression of light humor. The first chapter is dark and a little scary. There were lots of characters and I felt like I never got to know any of them well, so when the mystery started to reveal itself, I just didn't care that much. The last 10% of the book was action-packed and kept my attention, but I really had to force myself to get that far.

[Madilynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting but not very good, it didnt have much detail in it.

[MrsK Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a prologue describing the storm of a decade, the "stage" is set for a wild ride on a Mrs. B's school bus. So much happens on any school bus, yet on Mrs. B's bus there are nine students that will tell their story leading up to the storm. You must appreciate Mrs. B, she is alone with these students every day, twice a day, with every bit of their energy provoking behaviors that would distract any adult. Parents see their children with prospective futures just waiting for them to "grow into." Students see only what is in front of them, or possibly behind them, and they definitely have their own dreams for their futures (which is usually no more than a week away.)

Who do you know on your school bus? Or for some of us, it might be more like who do you remember on your school bus? Do you remember looking for that special seat? Searching for your friend in order to escape the "taunting" jabs by the bullies? Did you watch the world passing by as you stared out of the windows? Was there ever a certain location that gave you the feeling that there was a story happening just beyond its walls? Every detail of this bus ride will resonate with you... the sounds, the discussions, the smells, the moments of joy or fear.

One of the best things about a new school year is discovering what everyone did over the summer.
"Kaitlynn had a fabulous two weeks at Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks...
Bender claims he had to change his name and go into a witness protection program...
Jay took a road trip to North Carolina... followed by a week at Pop Warner football camp...
Spencer was at a physics camp in St. Louis...
Shelly is already planning next summer's Hollywood camp...
Igor went to Disney World...
Miranda wonders who will be her friend...
Matthew, well he will win this year's science fair project..."

Typical beginnings, that is until the bus turns down Farm Road 152. There sits a "little three-sided shed, with a peaked shingled roof and a bench inside..." But no one is waiting there! Is there a new kid on the route? What is up with this stop?

Each one of the kids have their own theory about the mysterious bus stop. Each one will have a moment to add some unknown information about the family who is living beyond the shed. Who will be the one to make the final discovery? Will Shelly's discovery of the pom-pom hanging outside of the shack be the clue that "gets" everyone's attention? Could it be Kaitlynn's story "The Mystery of the Empty Shelter," which by the way is a great title. Will it be Bender's letter to who ever should be waiting at the shed or is it the stranger he meets when he is lost in the fog? Could Miranda have a clue in her mother's old journalism notes and articles (sometimes keeping your middle school-high school things can be so illuminating). Alice's secret about her father, their reasons for moving so often, and the stolen wheel chair might just be the glue for the whole puzzle. What about the "Class of 85" reunion notice in the paper, could Matthew's mother have information about "He Who Shall Remain Nameless?" Then there is the mysterious conversation that Jay overhears while taking refuge in the shed. Add in the letter that Igor finds in the garbage disposal. All of these pieces will fit together... will you discover the "Who" that will be famous before the end of the book?

Through the year, life just keeps moving... until that day in May. With "tornado" like symptoms, the kids are off to school... and then...
"bouncing as the bus slams on its side in the churning ground,
sliding fast and then slow until it shudders to a stop,
and everything is quiet."

An engaging page turner... be prepared to read late into the night,
MrsK http://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is told from multiple viewpoints, with serious moments as the nine 5th and 6th graders tell their stories and relate a mystery surrounding the bus stop at which no one gets on the school bus. Overlapping stories give the reader a greater view and hints of how the individual lives and the mystery will come together. The ending is a little serious with the school bus crashing and some students seriously injured, but all ends happily.
About the ending--there is the beginning of an epilogue and then the reader is referred to a website. This is a little annoying, as the author advertises educational material and what kid will care about that. The taunt of an epilogue will be even more annoying when the website no longer exists. Just put the epilogue in the printed book.
Read alike for Gordon Korman, Mr. Terupt

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of wacky middle reader mystery that reluctant readers have been waiting for. Every morning, the bus has started stopping at a new place, even though there's never a kid there to pick up. The other students on the bus are varying levels of curious about why they keep stopping there, but they're also dealing with things in their own lives. This book has a large cast of characters, but you get to know each of them in their own chunk of book, so it's not confusing. Each of them have their own dreams and obstacles, and I feel like it had a little something for every possible reader. It also read incredibly quickly, so it's won't be daunting to someone with less reading practice. It's perfect for fans of Chomp or The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy.

[LauraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly compelling to read. It is a slice of life story about some kids who ride the school bus every day, but there are also intertwining mysteries connected with each of the children and, indeed, with loads of other people in the community. The main problem I have with the book is that there were so many characters and such complicated interactions in the various mysteries that at some point, I kind of lost it about who was who. It does add to the depth and complexity, but I almost feel like I need to go back and read it again, making an interaction web as I go along. In the end, my take is that everyone has a story and we are often connected in ways we don't expect.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the depth and diversity of the characters here, and the way their stories are woven together is clever and well executed. The writing is great and the voices are all so distinct and authentic. I like the cover and the title, and I like the story, but for me, there was a little bit of a disconnect between the two. The book itself is much more serious and deals with darker themes than I had expected based on the playful tone of the cover and title. (Not that a book can't be both!)

[7HillsLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted on behalf of 6th grade Book Taster Sonya: This book was very exciting, I loved how each chapter talked about another character. There was a lot of risk taken in this book. Every time I started reading this book I could never put it down. It brought me to the edge of my seat.

This book would be perfect for 5th and 6th graders because the chapters alternate on all the characters in the book. It also really funny to see the characters trying to solve the mystery of the bus stop.

[Aimee Massey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a Wednesday morning in May in the small town of Centerview, and the rain is falling harder than anyone can remember. Roads have become rushing rivers, and the sound of rain and wind makes it very hard for a police officer to make out what his dispatcher is saying over the static-filled radio. When he is finally able to understand the message, the news is not good: a schoolbus full of kids has gone off the road and flipped over.
So begins "Somebody On This Bus Is Going to Be Famous." We start with the climax, and then we go into flashback mode, and month by month, we meet nine of the schoolbus passengers and learn their stories. Along the way a mystery develops: why does Mrs. B, the bus driver, stop each morning at a bus shed at Farm Road 152, waiting for a passenger who never shows? Why will she not explain? And what's up with their parents' 20-year high school reunion, and what was the prank pulled at the 1985 graduation that went too far, and why will no one talk about it? And who was responsible for the prank, and how does that long-ago incident tie in with the deserted bus stop?
The mystery is actually less interesting than the kids' own backstories, and the solution is a bit anticlimactic and implausible, but the book is still an extremely compelling read, especially when we're all the way up to May, where we first began, and the lives of so many people we've come to care about hang in the balance.
The nine fifth- and sixth-graders whose stories are told in the nine months leading up to the accident are recognizable yet unique, and very believable:
Shelly Alvarez: Shelly is a talented singer whose ambition and talent are matched only by her colossal ego. She is absolutely confident that she is destined to become a star like her favorite singer, Claire, and works hard perfecting her routines and performing at fairs and contests. Her heart is set on attending the prestigious Shooting Star Camp in California come summer, but as the school year opens, her plans have been knocked into a cocked hat. Shelly's mother is pregnant, and baby expenses are going to take precedence over Shelly's Shooting Star ambitions. She quickly revises her plans and announces that she will apply for a camp scholarship, which will pay half her camp fee, and raise the rest of the money herself, at the same time working to build her resume so as to impress the scholarship committee.
Shelly's certainly ambitious, but her loyal friend Miranda comes in for most of the heavy lifting. It never occurs to Shelly to thank Miranda for her help, and she has apparently never heard of the straw that broke the camel's back.
Miranda Scott: Miranda is the only child of divorced parents, and she enjoys helping others, whether it's babysitting or baking dozens of cupcakes for Shelly to sell to raise money for her Shooting Star camp. Miranda's a sweet, caring girl, but she has terrible trouble saying no. So when Shelly demands to be allowed to turn in a poem Miranda, a talented writer, had composed as her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees and continues helping Shelly with her fundraising and resume-building efforts ... until the day Shelly announces she has reached her monetary goal, and never thinks to thank Miranda for her help. Just like that, Miranda learns the power of no.
Charles Bender Thompson: Called Bender, he's a wise-cracking, somewhat defiant boy who has always felt he could never measure up to his older brother Thorn, who seemes gifted at everything he tries. Bender is considered something of a bully, though there is actually very little meanness in him. He's a keen observer, and is first to seriously investigate the mystery of Farm Road 152. Along the way he learns that his brother is just as capable of disappointing their parents as he is, and that other people can like him if he will just give them the chance.
Matthew tupper: Matthew is the only black kid on Mrs. B's bus, and he's new in town. He has nothing much to say to the others, because all his life he has retreated into whatever subject has fascinated him at the moment, be it insects or his current favorite, astrophysics and black holes. His single mother urges him to enter a project in the science fair, hoping to bring him out of his shell, and that's when Matthew discovers Bender's talent for math. Bender becomes Matthew's first real friend, much to the delight of Matthew's feisty grandmother and the skepticism of his mother.
Spencer Haggerty: Spencer showed promise from the day he was born, and his mother is convinced he is a genius. She gets no arguments, least of all from Spencer, who though he is under a great deal of pressure to achieve, mostly enjoys his status as the smartest kid in school and the special camps and programs he participates in. But this year, as he tries to think of an amazing science fair project, he finds himself beginning to doubt his own genius. His chosen project, a mouse maze, is more aggravation than he expects, and he vows, to himself as much as to his pushy mother, that he is done with science. But when Matthew wins first prize with his black-hole project, Spencer is furious and lashes out, astonishing everyone, especially himself.
Kaitlynn Killibrew: Kaitlynn is an idealistic, big-dreaming girl who is also a big talker, which annoys even her own family at times. At Christmastime she insists on carrying a kettle onto the bus and ringing a string of jingle bells, planning to raise money for needy families; her plan is to cut out the stories and pictures of the families featured twice a week in the local newspaper and, once she has collected enough money, have her fellow bus passengers vote on the family to receive the donations. Even Mrs. B gets on board with the idea, but she puts her foot down when Kaitlynn says she wants the money to go to whoever lives in the house adjacent to the empty bus shed on Farm Road 152.
Jay Pasternak: Jay is Spencer's best friend, though they are very different personalities. Jay loves football and hopes to play in the NFL someday. His biggest fan is his beloved grandfather, Poppy, who played football in college and was disappointed that his son, Jay's dad, never had an interest in the sport. But Poppy is slipping away into dementia, and Jay feels helpless and confused, and furious when his parents and grandmother make the difficult decision to put Poppy in the nursing home. Poppy's not the only member of the Pasternak family to be put into Sunset Hills: Jay's uncle Troy lives there too, brain-damaged and wheelchair-bound ever since that fateful high school graduation ceremony 20 years ago, the one where the senior prank went so horribly wrong.
Igor Sanderson: Though his real name is Robert James Sanderson, nobody has called him anything other than Igor since a kindergarten teacher thought his pale skin and dark widow's peak gave him the look of a horror movie character; even his mother calls him Igor now. Igor does poorly in school and has had to repeat a grade or two, but he is a bright, sociable boy who is full of fun and mischief and is liked by everyone. But things aren't so easy at home. When Igor was a toddler, his father kidnapped him at gunpoint from his day-care and was on the lam for two days. Even after his father was caught and imprisoned, Igor's mother has been nervous and emotionally fragile. She married again and had three more children, whom Igor adores, and her second husband is a good father, but she lives in fear that Igor's biological father will make parole and come to find them, and her fears seem to be coming to fruition when she receives a letter from prison, a letter Igor fishes out of the garbage disposal and deciphers, with the help of Miranda. And Igor, against his better judgment, dashes off a letter of his own ...
Alice: No one knows much about Alice. She's a new kid on the bus, who lives with her grandmother, and she never talks to anyone, just hides behind a book. Alice has rarely stayed in one place long enough to make friends, because her free-wheeling father likes to live off the grid and go where the next temporary job will take them. But all that changed last year when Alice's little brother Ricardo was badly hurt in a car wreck caused by their father's recklessness, and so Alice stays with her father's mother while her mother and Ricardo stay in seclusion on property owned by the kids' maternal grandmother. Both grandmothers dislike each other, and Alice's father is not allowed on either of their properties ... but he comes anyway. And one weekend in May he announces they are leaving for Minnesota next week. Alice surprises them both by insisting she wants to stay and go to school, but her father dismisses what he thinks of as her desire to go to a "government school for government drones" and have a "cookie cutter best friend." So it is arranged; Alice's dad will catch a ride with a trucker Wendsday morning, and will send for Alice, her mother and brother in a few days.
But on that Wednesday morning, the rain is pelting down, and as the bus heads onto the highway, Bender's mother, impatient as always, foolishly tries to pass them in her SUV, causing both vehicles to wreck.
Who will survive? Who will be a hero? And how is the mystery finally solved? And who will be famous?

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every day the kids on Mrs. B's bus school bus route talk, fight, make friends, fight, mess with each other...but one day something unthinkable will happen that will change them forever.

The middle grade answer to One of is Lying--we have an accident, and several mysteries and one big clue... one of these people will be famous? Could it be aspiring pop star Shelly? Brainy Spencer? Science star Matthew? Super jock Jay? Do-gooder Kaitlynn? BFF Miranda? Time will tell and as we learn more about the characters we draw ever nearer to the catastrophic accident that kicks off the book.

Lots of drama, the writing around the accident itself is pretty thrilling and legitimately scary. Definitely interesting plut twists.

All in all I'd like to extend another star for the good that's thereo but I have to take *something* off for the appalling body shaming/fat representation. Am I oversensitive? You tell me: The language used to describe heavier characters (even filtered through perspectives of people who are supposed to be friends of theirs) is...not great. The girl gets the brunt of it. Multiple times a joke(?)/reference is made about the fat girl having a good appetite (har har). Miranda's eyes are described as "cow-like" and she describes herself as "ugly." She mostly exists to be the prop/sidekick/doormat to a more popular girl and never gets full satisfaction in that plotline, though just about every character gets some form of redemption or moment if success in the book. When she gets a brief moment at a kind of heroic turn it goes unacknowledged by the others and she gets no credit. Worst of all, one of her last speaking lines in the book is " at least I'm a good pillow." Nope nope nope.

Neurodivergent rep isn't much better. Igor's plotline is one of the most interesting but gets included as almost an afterthought and gets brutally shortchanged. He gets treated like a little kid or a clown by most everyone besides Miranda, which is kind of telling too.

I'm not even going to touch Matthew and his family's treatment because I'm far less qualified to evaluate Black representation. You can bet I'm skeptical though. Even though this wasn't written that long ago I guarantee it was before diversity readers were as much of a thing and given that this is a book which likes to point out the fat girl eats I can guarantee no one one was taking any extra passes over any of this for thoughtful and accurate representation.

So you see the quandary. I get that some indignant people are going to be like, "why are you letting that get in the way of a good story?" but representation matters. When you throw in these snipes or poor treatments it takes you out of it and it feels icky. While I don't think authors should only write characters that look like them, if they're not going to put in the work to do it respectfully , that's not going to help anything.

Also, the ending? Not a fan. You build up a mystery, like this and you really have to deliver on the payoff and this particular framing the author goes with (no spoilers) is one of my least favorite plot devices of all time.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous is a great read, but not in the way that you expect. From the cover and the summary, I assumed this was a quick, light-hearted read. Perhaps it would be a comedic mystery of sorts, but nothing too heavy. That is not at all what plays out, and one chapter in I even had to check back to make sure I knew which book I was reading. The storyline is a bit dark, the characters are quite complex, and the action, when it comes, is intense. The story revolves around a group of students that all ride the same bus to school. They seem on the surface to be a group of kids who grew up together but don't have much in common. Soon it's obvious that there are friendships and alliances to be built and that all the children have a lot more in common than they realize. Each of them gets their own chapter to really dig into their backstory, thought process, and home life. Soon the mystery begins to piece itself together, each family having a part in it. Along the way, the children learn, and grow, and experience successes and heartaches, and basically have a mostly normal school year peppered with family drama, school projects, and a town mystery 20 years in the making.

The story is fantastic and the characters are very relatable. I do think the title, cover, and summary are misleading, there is a dark side to the story and some of the characters that are misrepresented in that way. Cheaney particularly focuses on how families can look perfect from the outside and inside be anything but. I really empathized with these children, all at a vulnerable age and dealing with some heartbreaking issues. I did love the friendships that were built, and I was rooting for them all (the children, not the parents) in the end. I was disappointed with the end of the book, so make sure to read the bonus chapter online because it gives a more satisfactory wrap-up to all the character arcs.

[Once Upon a Wandering Road · Rating 2 out of 5]

I very much liked the story as it was progressing. Interestingly laid out, each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character in the story, and progresses the timeline through the school year. It shows how the same situations can be viewed differently by different people because of their life experiences and values. The stories blend together well because they are told with a similar “voice”. Enjoyable and compelling - until the end....

Where there should be a concluding chapter... It feels like the author and editor stop talking to each other, so an ending was slapped on, from down upon a soap box, to get it to the publisher in time.

It’s a slap dash wrap up that doesn’t conclude the story well, it’s in a completely different “voice”, and force feeds you pithy wisdom and complaints about the career of a writer. The real ending you have to go searching the internet for and since it’s not a new book, that’s not as easy as it should be (the links listed in the book no longer work). It could have had a great proper ending but it’s so frustrating, that it leaves me nothing but irritated.

[Mary Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book, but the format really left me wanting to know more about each character. They were featured for a chapter, then I didn’t learn too much more about their individual thoughts. I wish there were a sequel! I also didn’t like that I had to go online and search through dead links to find the “bonus chapter,” which was actually an epilogue without which the book leaves the reader with no resolution. I didn’t enjoy how the author became self-referential toward the end of the book, either, saying that she tricked the reader and that none of the kids turned out to be famous, just the bus driver. Some kids might not understand that, and I thought it was a cheap way to end the book since the title of it is based on the premise that someone will be famous. The author barely wrote about Mrs. B’s eventual fame. I would read this again, but only to try to find out more that I felt I missed the first time around. I don’t think I would end up finding much, though. A little longer of an ending/explanation of what happened to the characters would have made this a much more worthwhile read.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book may have had the weirdest ending to a book that I've ever read. The story starts out with a bus accident. Then the story flashes back to several weeks before the wreck. A large group of characters who ride the bus is introduced, and then each chapter that follows explains why each one of the characters might become famous. I did like each character and the problems that are introduced about each one, but just as I would get interested in that character and his or her problems, the chapter would end and we would move on to another character.
Without giving too much away, I will say that the ending was a bit of a let down, especially when we find out that there is another chapter of the book that has to be read online. The last chapter does sum up what happens to each character, and the ending has a nice twist, but still pretty odd.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this since it was written by a woman who runs one of my favourite websites, Redeemed Reader, but sadly I can't rate it higher than three stars. It took me nearly two weeks to finish, which is telling.

I did like it actually, just not as much as I wanted to. It reminded me a little of The Westing Game and Harriet the Spy. Not sure why -- something about the feel of the writing. Although I'd have to say that I like both The Westing Game and Harriet the Spy better.

All the characters were unique and interesting, and I enjoyed reading their different perspectives. My favourite character was Bender (least favourite was Shelly), and I related most to Miranda.

I would read it again, but not for a while. Sorry, Janie!

[Tim Karr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I like a good "shoot 'em up and get the bad guys" book like those written by John Sandford, Gregg Hurwitz, or Andrew Bridgeman. My wife, a retired teacher, handed me this book and said, "Give this a try. I think you'll like it."

She was right. This book is essentially a sixth grade soap opera, only without much in the way of romance. It's about kids who are thrown together to ride the school bus each day and who shape each other during the school year through their arguments, secrets, rivalries, and attempts to solve a mystery.

I would say this is a book primarily for children 10-15 years old, even though I enjoyed it as an older adult. This book reminded me of a half century ago when I was one of the kids on the bus trying to figure out what really matters.

[RoseAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with my 11- and 13-year old grandsons. I enjoyed how the characters were developed and each of the kids on the bus appeared to have a clue to help solve the mystery of the bus shed on Farm Road 152.

I was disappointed, however, that the ending didn’t really bring all the pieces together. And the gimmick of offering a bonus chapter online fell flat when neither website offered the actual bonus chapter. One was a complete dead-end; the other was just a link to buy a copy of the book I just finished!

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somebody on This Bus is Going to Be Famous! was surprisingly compelling to read. It is a slice of life story about some kids who ride the school bus every day mixed with intertwining mysteries related to each of the characters. The main problem I have with the book is that there were so many characters and such complicated interactions that it made it a bit difficult at times to keep track of all the different plots and how they connected.

ARC-Edelweiss

[Carolyn Jeziorski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It starts with a bus crash; then it backtracks time the start of the school year. Each chapter focuses on a different older kid on the bus, all of whom have their own individual issues they are working on. I know many students in my library enjoy this style of storytelling.

Not exactly a spoiler, but I will admit that I didn’t like the ending. I didn’t think the author really wrapped up the story.

[Clara Galant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty bad book. It did not interest me at all, and I had to force myself to finish reading it. I stopped reading it for a few months. It was so boring. It got a little better towards the end when there began to be action. There was really no story, and the author tried to make the book interesting but failed.

[Jessa Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I was really loving it until the ending. I feel like it would have been better to just let the kids be famous for their rescue than have the driver write a book. Especially when the author of the book hadn't ridden a school bus until she was in her 20s. Kinda ruins the fun of it.

[Stephanie Prysock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun read and not at all what I was expecting! The mystery throughout the book kept me completely engaged and I had a hard time putting it down. I'm excited for my kiddos to be old enough to read this one!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not care for the ending.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it until the end. The "famous" person and reason were awful. I really did enjoy all the kids stories and how they were all effected by the bus stop.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.