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The Boundless
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2014)The Boundless , the greatest train ever built, is on its maiden voyage across the country, and first-class passenger Will Everett is about to embark on the adventure of his life!
When Will ends up in possession of the key to a train car containing priceless treasures, he becomes the target of sinister figures from his past.
In order to survive, Will must join a traveling circus, enlisting the aid of Mr. Dorian, the ringmaster and leader of the troupe, and Maren, a girl his age who is an expert escape artist. With villains fast on their heels, can Will and Maren reach Will’s father and save The Boundless before someone winds up dead?
“Canadian railway history, fantasy, a flutter of romance—and a thoughtful examination of social injustice—collide in this entertaining swashbuckler from the author of Printz Honor–winning Airborne” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
When Will ends up in possession of the key to a train car containing priceless treasures, he becomes the target of sinister figures from his past.
In order to survive, Will must join a traveling circus, enlisting the aid of Mr. Dorian, the ringmaster and leader of the troupe, and Maren, a girl his age who is an expert escape artist. With villains fast on their heels, can Will and Maren reach Will’s father and save The Boundless before someone winds up dead?
“Canadian railway history, fantasy, a flutter of romance—and a thoughtful examination of social injustice—collide in this entertaining swashbuckler from the author of Printz Honor–winning Airborne” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
217 people are currently reading
7308 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Oppel
84 books2,728 followersI was born in 1967 in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia but spent the bulk of my childhood in Victoria, B.C. and on the opposite coast, in Halifax, Nova Scotia...At around twelve I decided I wanted to be a writer (this came after deciding I wanted to be a scientist, and then an architect). I started out writing sci-fi epics (my Star Wars phase) then went on to swords and sorcery tales (my Dungeons and Dragons phase) and then, during the summer holiday when I was fourteen, started on a humorous story about a boy addicted to video games (written, of course, during my video game phase). It turned out to be quite a long story, really a short novel, and I rewrote it the next summer. We had a family friend who knew Roald Dahl - one of my favourite authors - and this friend offered to show Dahl my story. I was paralysed with excitement. I never heard back from Roald Dahl directly, but he read my story, and liked it enough to pass on to his own literary agent. I got a letter from them, saying they wanted to take me on, and try to sell my story. And they did.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,134 reviews
January 22, 2015
Here's a video with my thoughts on The Boundless: http://youtu.be/6nuH8l8MRkE
July 24, 2016
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!
December 24, 2016
1 STAR!
I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. It had trains, which I love, it took place in an alternate Victorian era, and it was an adventure. But alas I could not get past two very big things, the first it being so incredibly boring and slow. It took at least 200 pages to get going and it takes place on a train which you'd think would go by even quicker, but no. There's also a hint of romance in this which I wasn't for, you all know how I feel about MG books with romance in them. I don't like it. This could've been a favorite of mine, and that cover!! it's gorgeous but it just didn't work out for me. NOW! let's get to the second and most important to me, the usage of Blackface/Brownface as a disguise. I won't spoil it too much but Blackface/Brownface is used on the main character in this book and how the author didn't see that that was a gigantic no-no is beyond me. And what bothers me even more is that other reviews on Goodreads haven't mentioned this.
Lately I've been seeing a discussion going around on Twitter about authors who write historical fiction disregarding diversity because of the time period they write in and I think it's a load of bull. It's historical FICTION for a reason, you can do whatever you want with it. So using the time periods as an excuse needs to stop. And I feel like that is the argument that would be used in this book's case. But as I said above, this takes place in an alternate Victorian era, again ALTERNATE so this is the author's own creation of the Victorian era we are reading and maybe the usage of Blackface/Brownface was unintentional, but still, it doesn't mean it isn't WRONG.
All in all I'd say to pass on this. Something I would recommend better than this is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Now that is a Historical Fiction Middle-Grade book done right with lots of adventure and an amazing young protagonist. - Richard
I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. It had trains, which I love, it took place in an alternate Victorian era, and it was an adventure. But alas I could not get past two very big things, the first it being so incredibly boring and slow. It took at least 200 pages to get going and it takes place on a train which you'd think would go by even quicker, but no. There's also a hint of romance in this which I wasn't for, you all know how I feel about MG books with romance in them. I don't like it. This could've been a favorite of mine, and that cover!! it's gorgeous but it just didn't work out for me. NOW! let's get to the second and most important to me, the usage of Blackface/Brownface as a disguise. I won't spoil it too much but Blackface/Brownface is used on the main character in this book and how the author didn't see that that was a gigantic no-no is beyond me. And what bothers me even more is that other reviews on Goodreads haven't mentioned this.
Lately I've been seeing a discussion going around on Twitter about authors who write historical fiction disregarding diversity because of the time period they write in and I think it's a load of bull. It's historical FICTION for a reason, you can do whatever you want with it. So using the time periods as an excuse needs to stop. And I feel like that is the argument that would be used in this book's case. But as I said above, this takes place in an alternate Victorian era, again ALTERNATE so this is the author's own creation of the Victorian era we are reading and maybe the usage of Blackface/Brownface was unintentional, but still, it doesn't mean it isn't WRONG.
All in all I'd say to pass on this. Something I would recommend better than this is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Now that is a Historical Fiction Middle-Grade book done right with lots of adventure and an amazing young protagonist. - Richard
May 11, 2014
A truly great book that kept me up - reading - all in just one evening. An evening that flew by and very little laundry was folded and put away. This isn't the first Kenneth Oppel book that I've read (or read aloud to my kids) that made me think it would make a fantastic movie. We loved it. I'm always on the edge of my seat when I read that he'll publish something new but I almost felt like I'd won the lottery when I saw the blog post where he mentioned all of the research for this book. It's like a gift to parents when a popular author ties his suspenseful story telling to things that actually happened in our country's history (I know that some parts were fictional; but not the sasquatches, right?) I couldn't stop talking about this book when I had finished it but my kids just grabbed it right up when they saw the name on the front cover and stopped listening to my enthusiasms.
There really is something a bit magical about his writing. The sentences all seem to knit together in your mind and make the scenes come alive on an internal movie screen. We had a lot of fun talking about train that the novel is named after; would it actually be possible to have a steam engine that was several kilometres long? Would people choose to travel on it the same way they did in this book? Would Will Evrett's father really have risen so quickly in the railway organization? Some of the technical discussions we had about the train related to the way Oppel described the flying ships in the Airborn or the libraries of the mansion in Such Wicked Intent... and then we also started thinking about the trains that Katniss and Peeta travel on. We did agree it was a book for middle-grade kids and not an easy sell to teens, however some super fans will love reading it anyway. No risk here. Sasquatches and a windigo! Come on, it's Canadiana at it's very best.
This book has given us so much to talk about at home and I know families will love it. It is high on my list for gift giving (shhhh) but I will also pass it out to patrons at the library, much as I have with other fantastic books Kenneth Oppel has written. This guy always has a 100% success rate for me at work. Any patron or parent that takes home an Oppel book comes back happy and I know they'll feel the same way about this book. It's one of his best and I am so grateful (even though I woke up very tired the morning after I read it - too little sleep).
There really is something a bit magical about his writing. The sentences all seem to knit together in your mind and make the scenes come alive on an internal movie screen. We had a lot of fun talking about train that the novel is named after; would it actually be possible to have a steam engine that was several kilometres long? Would people choose to travel on it the same way they did in this book? Would Will Evrett's father really have risen so quickly in the railway organization? Some of the technical discussions we had about the train related to the way Oppel described the flying ships in the Airborn or the libraries of the mansion in Such Wicked Intent... and then we also started thinking about the trains that Katniss and Peeta travel on. We did agree it was a book for middle-grade kids and not an easy sell to teens, however some super fans will love reading it anyway. No risk here. Sasquatches and a windigo! Come on, it's Canadiana at it's very best.
This book has given us so much to talk about at home and I know families will love it. It is high on my list for gift giving (shhhh) but I will also pass it out to patrons at the library, much as I have with other fantastic books Kenneth Oppel has written. This guy always has a 100% success rate for me at work. Any patron or parent that takes home an Oppel book comes back happy and I know they'll feel the same way about this book. It's one of his best and I am so grateful (even though I woke up very tired the morning after I read it - too little sleep).
September 1, 2014
God, I'm such a sucker for a book with a beautiful cover. And my God, the cover of The Boundless is stunning. I really wish that the story was at least half as beautiful or stunning as the cover is. I wish that I would've found The Boundless even slightly interesting. But alas, it was not meant to be.
Here's my issue with The Boundless...it was boring. I'm talking coma-inducing boring. The beginning was meh, so I thought "Let me give it at least until the middle. I'm sure it'll pick up by then". But it didn't. And once I reached the end, I thought "good riddance". The Boundless is pretty much bland characters doing bland things that are masquerading as adventurous...only it wasn't. Not even a little bit.
Another thing that annoyed me about The Boundless was Will's characterization. This is someone who is about 17. Yet his actions and his thoughts are those of a little kid, not an almost adult. It seems as though the author dumbed him down to justify an older teenager being a protagonist of what is essentially a children's novel instead of just having it be YA.
So, overall, I found The Boundless to be blah. I just wasn't the least bit intrigued and literally had to force myself to finish it. Now that I have, I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I say, skip it.
Here's my issue with The Boundless...it was boring. I'm talking coma-inducing boring. The beginning was meh, so I thought "Let me give it at least until the middle. I'm sure it'll pick up by then". But it didn't. And once I reached the end, I thought "good riddance". The Boundless is pretty much bland characters doing bland things that are masquerading as adventurous...only it wasn't. Not even a little bit.
Another thing that annoyed me about The Boundless was Will's characterization. This is someone who is about 17. Yet his actions and his thoughts are those of a little kid, not an almost adult. It seems as though the author dumbed him down to justify an older teenager being a protagonist of what is essentially a children's novel instead of just having it be YA.
So, overall, I found The Boundless to be blah. I just wasn't the least bit intrigued and literally had to force myself to finish it. Now that I have, I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I say, skip it.
February 9, 2022
OCENA: 3,5 ⭐️ Jeśli najdzie Was ochota na książkę przygodową z motywem kolei i nieprzychylną naturą w tle - czytajcie „Bezkresnego”. 🚂
Dla mnie był to „comfort book” - siadając do lektury wiedziałem, że będę się dobrze bawił, jednak pomino luźnego podejścia zaangażowałem się w historię.
Willa nazwałbym bohaterem-gąbką. Bardzo podobała mi się próba wyrwania się ze złotej klatki. Chłopak był ciekawy świata i chłonął wszystkie doświadczenia, niestety czasem wykazując się naiwnością. Autor subtelnie wprowadził morały do powieści i w trakcie lektury nie czułem się pouczany. Na uwagę zasługuje interesujące porównanie klas społecznych bez podziału na lepsze i gorsze. ⚖️
W powieści działo się bardzo dużo, jednak schematyczne poskładanie wydarzeń pozwoliło uniknąć chaosu. Dostaliśmy wciągający wątek kryminalny, wyrazistych bohaterów i elementy fantastyczne - jak np. tytułowy pociąg. To, że w w ponad 900 wagonach zamknięto całe miasto (z barami, pocztą i basenem) było największym plusem książki, lecz tych mniejszych także nie brakowało. 😉
Dla mnie był to „comfort book” - siadając do lektury wiedziałem, że będę się dobrze bawił, jednak pomino luźnego podejścia zaangażowałem się w historię.
Willa nazwałbym bohaterem-gąbką. Bardzo podobała mi się próba wyrwania się ze złotej klatki. Chłopak był ciekawy świata i chłonął wszystkie doświadczenia, niestety czasem wykazując się naiwnością. Autor subtelnie wprowadził morały do powieści i w trakcie lektury nie czułem się pouczany. Na uwagę zasługuje interesujące porównanie klas społecznych bez podziału na lepsze i gorsze. ⚖️
W powieści działo się bardzo dużo, jednak schematyczne poskładanie wydarzeń pozwoliło uniknąć chaosu. Dostaliśmy wciągający wątek kryminalny, wyrazistych bohaterów i elementy fantastyczne - jak np. tytułowy pociąg. To, że w w ponad 900 wagonach zamknięto całe miasto (z barami, pocztą i basenem) było największym plusem książki, lecz tych mniejszych także nie brakowało. 😉
February 4, 2014
This review is based on an ARC. I found "The Boundless" entertaining, but not as gripping as Oppel's other books. The narration style took me a while to settle into, though I was never completely comfortable with his voice; it seemed choppy. I liked that the book was set in Canada and tried to portray light and dark parts of Canada's history (i.e. the last spike ceremony, CNR, treatment of aboriginal peoples, colonials and whites). The antagonists seemed a bit one-dimensional: they were thugs looking for gold they thought was owed to them. Maybe I've been reading "A Song of Ice and Fire" too much, but I expected the Brogan character to have more depth. Overall, a good story with the twists you expect from Oppel, but not the same punch.
June 6, 2014
I was privileged to attend a Kenneth Oppel launch of this book and hear a lot about the genesis of this idea. He's taken an interesting approach with this book. By mythologizing Canadian history, he takes us on a journey across Canada, from Halifax to Victoria, via a Titanic-inspired train that is populated with famous personalities such as Sam Steele and creatures such as a Sasquatch. Personally, I enjoyed the use of present tense, which really serves to ground the reader in the moment (an interesting tactic for a book that takes place in the past).
The hardcover edition has a nice bonus at the back . . . a ticket for The Boundless, and another one for the Zirkus Dante.
The hardcover edition has a nice bonus at the back . . . a ticket for The Boundless, and another one for the Zirkus Dante.
January 6, 2015
This review was posted on granitemedia.org: http://www.granitemedia.org/2014/11/t...
A cross-continental Canadian steampunk circus train con job adventure, plus sasquatch to boot.
Through a classic rags-to-riches turn of events our young man Will Everett finds himself traveling first class on The Boundless, the largest steam engine train ever built, for its maiden transcontinental voyage. However, when Will witnesses a murder and becomes a target himself, he must literally join the circus on-board the immense train in order to save himself, his friend the mysterious escape artist Maren, his father the railroad magnate and head engineer, and possibly the entire train.
Like many Americans, I know perilously little about Canadian history and geography. The Boundless is an unapologetically Canadian book, and it’s all the better for it, but it is also a book that plays fast and loose with reality. Sasquatches and other mythical creatures are accounted as real, so being an ignorant American it is hard to know just where the historical realities end and the fantasies begin. Poking around on the Internet after finishing this book I was almost surprised to find that William Cornelius Van Horne was in fact a real railroad president who actually did manage the colossal construction of a transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railroad. But was his body actually interred in an electrified railcar tomb filled with treasure? Did the mighty Boundless engine actually exist and pull 900-plus cars in one cross-country trip? Who knows? Who cares? This is just a fun adventure and its historical Canadian setting only makes it all the more fantastic for American readers, while giving Canadian readers a great national children’s novel to get behind.
Content note: this book portrays violence, some minor swearing of the damn and hell variety from the bad guys, brandy-clinking and cigar-smoking Robber Barrons with impeccable facial hair, a creepy animatronic severed hand, scenes of sustained tightrope walking, and more.
A few possible read-alikes: The Lost Kingdom by Matthew J. Kirby, The P.K. Pinkerton Western Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence, and The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson, anything by Jules Verne.
A cross-continental Canadian steampunk circus train con job adventure, plus sasquatch to boot.
Through a classic rags-to-riches turn of events our young man Will Everett finds himself traveling first class on The Boundless, the largest steam engine train ever built, for its maiden transcontinental voyage. However, when Will witnesses a murder and becomes a target himself, he must literally join the circus on-board the immense train in order to save himself, his friend the mysterious escape artist Maren, his father the railroad magnate and head engineer, and possibly the entire train.
Like many Americans, I know perilously little about Canadian history and geography. The Boundless is an unapologetically Canadian book, and it’s all the better for it, but it is also a book that plays fast and loose with reality. Sasquatches and other mythical creatures are accounted as real, so being an ignorant American it is hard to know just where the historical realities end and the fantasies begin. Poking around on the Internet after finishing this book I was almost surprised to find that William Cornelius Van Horne was in fact a real railroad president who actually did manage the colossal construction of a transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railroad. But was his body actually interred in an electrified railcar tomb filled with treasure? Did the mighty Boundless engine actually exist and pull 900-plus cars in one cross-country trip? Who knows? Who cares? This is just a fun adventure and its historical Canadian setting only makes it all the more fantastic for American readers, while giving Canadian readers a great national children’s novel to get behind.
Content note: this book portrays violence, some minor swearing of the damn and hell variety from the bad guys, brandy-clinking and cigar-smoking Robber Barrons with impeccable facial hair, a creepy animatronic severed hand, scenes of sustained tightrope walking, and more.
A few possible read-alikes: The Lost Kingdom by Matthew J. Kirby, The P.K. Pinkerton Western Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence, and The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson, anything by Jules Verne.
December 13, 2015
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
I highly recommend this book to those who love thrillers and want a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book is full of mystery, wonder, and packed with action. A touch of fantasy here, a touch of history there, and tons of action and suspense will intrigue and make anyone want to read this book. The Boundless is not your typical book about good versus evil, it shows the other side of stories and that maybe good can be bad and that bad can be good. Will Everett is a curious adventurous boy, desiring excitement and adventure aboard the Boundless, the longest train known to man. Everything goes smoothly on the ride until Will wanders off at one of the stops, then everything takes a turn for the worst. He eventually finds himself between a rock and a hard place, debating on what he thinks right and wrong. And when a murderer is after him fueled by greed and rage, he must pick a side. The consequence is his life, or even worse, the lives of everyone he knows and loves on the train. From fights on top of a train alongside a circus to discovering sasquatches within the Rockies, this book is sure to keep you turning pages for hours.
I highly recommend this book to those who love thrillers and want a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book is full of mystery, wonder, and packed with action. A touch of fantasy here, a touch of history there, and tons of action and suspense will intrigue and make anyone want to read this book. The Boundless is not your typical book about good versus evil, it shows the other side of stories and that maybe good can be bad and that bad can be good. Will Everett is a curious adventurous boy, desiring excitement and adventure aboard the Boundless, the longest train known to man. Everything goes smoothly on the ride until Will wanders off at one of the stops, then everything takes a turn for the worst. He eventually finds himself between a rock and a hard place, debating on what he thinks right and wrong. And when a murderer is after him fueled by greed and rage, he must pick a side. The consequence is his life, or even worse, the lives of everyone he knows and loves on the train. From fights on top of a train alongside a circus to discovering sasquatches within the Rockies, this book is sure to keep you turning pages for hours.
December 18, 2013
This is not a book I would have picked up on my own (it was given to me to review). So I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it once I got into it. For this reason, five stars!
October 12, 2019
Taking a train trip?
How long is the train?
What's the track like?
Do you believe in Sasquatch?
Boundless, starts at a slowish pace, the trans-Canadian line is just being finished with the golden spike being driven in, but NOT by the person who would normally drive the spike in the last rail, but by young William Everett, his father is one of the many workers who have labored on the construction of the line. An avalanche causes major confusion after the spike is driven in..... William and his father survive the event. Their lives are changed dramatically as William's father is promoted up the ladder in the organization.
The Boundless is a train of immense proportions ---- 7 miles in length, with 3 distinct classes for those taking the maiden journey - oh by the way, the man who had built the railroad has since died, and his coffin is on the train, and NOT just any coffin!!! Oh no, this is not a good thing, as there are armed guards protecting the coffin, as it is rumored that there is a golden spike in the coffin as well.
Will does a very stupid thing, even though his father told him to be mindful of the amount of time, he wanders off at the first stop, and doesn't get back to the First Class section before the train starts back on its way... He has a really nasty encounter with some very awful folks, who are intent on stealing the golden spike. A murder occurs and it's "all downhill" for William. A circus group assists William trying to make his way back to his father, BUT...………..
Oh, we have Sasquatch, circus animals, scores of bison, and a runaway train 7 miles long gaining speed. That is nothing to take lightly...…...
Will William ever make it to First Class again to warn his father?
How long is the train?
What's the track like?
Do you believe in Sasquatch?
Boundless, starts at a slowish pace, the trans-Canadian line is just being finished with the golden spike being driven in, but NOT by the person who would normally drive the spike in the last rail, but by young William Everett, his father is one of the many workers who have labored on the construction of the line. An avalanche causes major confusion after the spike is driven in..... William and his father survive the event. Their lives are changed dramatically as William's father is promoted up the ladder in the organization.
The Boundless is a train of immense proportions ---- 7 miles in length, with 3 distinct classes for those taking the maiden journey - oh by the way, the man who had built the railroad has since died, and his coffin is on the train, and NOT just any coffin!!! Oh no, this is not a good thing, as there are armed guards protecting the coffin, as it is rumored that there is a golden spike in the coffin as well.
Will does a very stupid thing, even though his father told him to be mindful of the amount of time, he wanders off at the first stop, and doesn't get back to the First Class section before the train starts back on its way... He has a really nasty encounter with some very awful folks, who are intent on stealing the golden spike. A murder occurs and it's "all downhill" for William. A circus group assists William trying to make his way back to his father, BUT...………..
Oh, we have Sasquatch, circus animals, scores of bison, and a runaway train 7 miles long gaining speed. That is nothing to take lightly...…...
Will William ever make it to First Class again to warn his father?
March 5, 2015
I feel kind of guilty for not loving this book more, because there is really nothing technically wrong with it -- at least not that jumped out at me while I was reading it. But for some reason I just didn't love the characters or the story enough to get excited. Pity, because there are a lot of great ideas here -- but for whatever reason, I was just not the right reader for this particular story.
That wouldn't keep me from recommending this book to others who might find it more to their interest, though. Oppel is a solid writer with some clever ideas and plenty of action in his stories, and I think readers who are looking primarily for those qualities should really enjoy it.
That wouldn't keep me from recommending this book to others who might find it more to their interest, though. Oppel is a solid writer with some clever ideas and plenty of action in his stories, and I think readers who are looking primarily for those qualities should really enjoy it.
May 8, 2014
2.5 rounded up. A fun YA adventure, but having it from Will's POV negated any awesomeness the single (1! No other females were main or secondary characters, nor did any have more than a bit part in small scenes) female character may have had. It's a good yarn for the age group it's aimed at.
The train's pretty cool too, though I could only think of Snowpiercer (graphic novel turned film with the same premise, but dystopian/post-apocalyptic) as I read the descriptions of the various cars and class separation.
The train's pretty cool too, though I could only think of Snowpiercer (graphic novel turned film with the same premise, but dystopian/post-apocalyptic) as I read the descriptions of the various cars and class separation.
November 12, 2020
Middle grade train caper mixed with Canadian history and lore. I wanted to love this more than I did. I still had a good time reading but nothing really dazzled me about the story or characters. Kenneth Oppel is still a Canadian staple.
July 2, 2014
This book is too amazing to write about. Highly recommended!!
September 27, 2018
This book was hecka dope!! My friend recommended it for book club and I'm so glad she did!! This book has action that's perfectly paced throughout the book. The events of the first chapter really just grab you and take you along for the ride! I DEFINITELY recommend reading this book!! You certainly won't regret it!!
September 17, 2016
Did not finish at 80%
I am genuinely disappointed. I wanted to read this book for such a long time and honestly, I usually love middle grade things. There is some sort of magic in them, this genuine joy for all the spooky and wonderful things. They are also often handle things in a very delicate and subtle way, which leaves room for the kids to take them at their own pace and just keep some of the childlike wonder.
This, though. Oh, god. This book did the very same thing that I dislike with many of the popular, trendy YA reads; it tried to send its messages with the subtlety of a rail spike being hammered into the back of your skull (see how witty I am????).
Up until about half way things just happened. Then suddenly in a few pages we get a lecture on how being a girl is the most horrible, because men whistle at you. How minorities can only ever be victims and white people are the worst. Also, how the only white people who are not automatically horrible are poor. If you are rich, you are default dick.
It felt like the author just got a message that he really needs to insert these messages NOW, with the least possible delicate touch known to mankind, even making the characters say things like "Oh, no, fucking over poor people is indeed a bad thing". Really? REALLY? You don't say.
Here is how the story goes, which will only make things make less sense. A poor boy's (Will) father works on building the train tracks, so he goes to meet him. It ends in a mess, but results in the family's luck picking up and with them ending up rich, the dad being a boss with the railway company. Years later, on the first ride of the biggest train ever, the boy ends up separated from his father, being targeted by evil murderers preparing for a big burglary. His only helpers are a circus crew, with a wonderful and gorgeous girl (Maren) and a mysterious boss, who has his own secrets.
Here comes one of my issues. A child who grew up poor would not be so sheltered. He is about 16-17 during the train ride, so up until puberty or so he was part of the lower class. Don't freaking tell me he had absolutely no idea that life wasn't just super easy. Why make him poor THEN rich when you still play him as this clueless little moron who only knows first class train cars and good education?
Also, he is almost considered a man during the time period. He still acts like a small child. I understand shy and late bloomer characters existing, but it feels like the author didn't understand that back in he day teenage years weren't exactly what they are now. I remember praising Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist for avoiding this exact thing, but that one was a much darker book.
The love in this was ridiculous as well. For some reason Will falls in love with Maren after 3 minutes of talking and her stealing his Sasquatch tooth. After years of not forgetting about her, they meet on the train and she is just ridiculously perfect. It's not real. It's just so arbitrary and I felt like it had absolutely no foundation, you just have to take the author's word for it, which is something I genuinely dislike. Sell it to me!
This book just lost the exact thing that I love in middle grade. It wasn't charming. It wasn't delicately made. Somehow it was almost like the author couldn't decide to tone down and go for middle grade or to take it up a notch and turn it YA.
It went from ladida, sweet, adorable and innocent into genocide territory without anything in between or even building up some gigantic shock and impact. It just happened, because the author realised that whoopsies, he probably should go heavily didactic.
I could have probably given in 2 stars. I even intended to do so, but the story just didn't push me to finish. It wasn't really there. Sure, Will was being pursued by people wanting to kill him for seeing too much, but... Here comes the middle grade-YA stuff again. I didn't feel the pressure. I didn't feel that I had to be afraid for real, because it just wasn't edgy enough like that.
I don't think the author had thought this through good enough. His target audience, his goals with this story. It was all a mishmash, disjointed mess. The sentence structures simple, the characters naive, the didactic parts extremely serious and just right to the face with force. I don't even know.
All aboard the disappointment train... leaving for WTF-just-happened town.
I am genuinely disappointed. I wanted to read this book for such a long time and honestly, I usually love middle grade things. There is some sort of magic in them, this genuine joy for all the spooky and wonderful things. They are also often handle things in a very delicate and subtle way, which leaves room for the kids to take them at their own pace and just keep some of the childlike wonder.
This, though. Oh, god. This book did the very same thing that I dislike with many of the popular, trendy YA reads; it tried to send its messages with the subtlety of a rail spike being hammered into the back of your skull (see how witty I am????).
Up until about half way things just happened. Then suddenly in a few pages we get a lecture on how being a girl is the most horrible, because men whistle at you. How minorities can only ever be victims and white people are the worst. Also, how the only white people who are not automatically horrible are poor. If you are rich, you are default dick.
It felt like the author just got a message that he really needs to insert these messages NOW, with the least possible delicate touch known to mankind, even making the characters say things like "Oh, no, fucking over poor people is indeed a bad thing". Really? REALLY? You don't say.
Here is how the story goes, which will only make things make less sense. A poor boy's (Will) father works on building the train tracks, so he goes to meet him. It ends in a mess, but results in the family's luck picking up and with them ending up rich, the dad being a boss with the railway company. Years later, on the first ride of the biggest train ever, the boy ends up separated from his father, being targeted by evil murderers preparing for a big burglary. His only helpers are a circus crew, with a wonderful and gorgeous girl (Maren) and a mysterious boss, who has his own secrets.
Here comes one of my issues. A child who grew up poor would not be so sheltered. He is about 16-17 during the train ride, so up until puberty or so he was part of the lower class. Don't freaking tell me he had absolutely no idea that life wasn't just super easy. Why make him poor THEN rich when you still play him as this clueless little moron who only knows first class train cars and good education?
Also, he is almost considered a man during the time period. He still acts like a small child. I understand shy and late bloomer characters existing, but it feels like the author didn't understand that back in he day teenage years weren't exactly what they are now. I remember praising Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist for avoiding this exact thing, but that one was a much darker book.
The love in this was ridiculous as well. For some reason Will falls in love with Maren after 3 minutes of talking and her stealing his Sasquatch tooth. After years of not forgetting about her, they meet on the train and she is just ridiculously perfect. It's not real. It's just so arbitrary and I felt like it had absolutely no foundation, you just have to take the author's word for it, which is something I genuinely dislike. Sell it to me!
This book just lost the exact thing that I love in middle grade. It wasn't charming. It wasn't delicately made. Somehow it was almost like the author couldn't decide to tone down and go for middle grade or to take it up a notch and turn it YA.
It went from ladida, sweet, adorable and innocent into genocide territory without anything in between or even building up some gigantic shock and impact. It just happened, because the author realised that whoopsies, he probably should go heavily didactic.
I could have probably given in 2 stars. I even intended to do so, but the story just didn't push me to finish. It wasn't really there. Sure, Will was being pursued by people wanting to kill him for seeing too much, but... Here comes the middle grade-YA stuff again. I didn't feel the pressure. I didn't feel that I had to be afraid for real, because it just wasn't edgy enough like that.
I don't think the author had thought this through good enough. His target audience, his goals with this story. It was all a mishmash, disjointed mess. The sentence structures simple, the characters naive, the didactic parts extremely serious and just right to the face with force. I don't even know.
All aboard the disappointment train... leaving for WTF-just-happened town.
April 25, 2023
ถ้าราชาแห่งผืนน้ำคือไททานิก จักรพรรดิแห่งผืนดินก็คงเป็นเดอะบาวนด์เลส
วิลเลียมได้มีโอกาสโดยสารรถไฟเดอะบาวนด์เลส ซึ่งเป็นรถไฟที่มีขนาดใหญ่ที่สุดในโลก วิ่งเชื่อมระหว่างมหาสมุทรแอตแลนติก และมหาสมุทรแปซิฟิก
เมื่อรถไฟแวะพักที่จุดจอดแห่งหนึ่ง วิลล์ได้เป็นพยายานรู้เห็นเหตุฆาตกรรมพนักงานรถไฟ ในที่เกิดเหตุเขาเก็บกุญแจไขห้องสมบัติได้ เขาจึงหยิบกุญแจนั้นวิ่งหนีกลับขึ้นรถไฟ
ฆาตกรรู้ว่าวิลล์เป็นคนเก็บกุญแจดอกนั้นไป เขาจึงตามไล่ล่าเด็กชายเพื่อจะเอากุญแจดอกนั้นกลับคืนมาให้ได้
วิลล์ได้หนีไปซ่อนตัวกับคณะละครสัตว์ และช่วยหัวหน้าคณะปฏิบัติภารกิจบางอย่างเพื่อแลกกับการกลับไปหาครอบครัวอย่างปลอดภัย
เล่มนี้ทางสำนักพิมพ์บอกให้อ่านช้าๆ เพราะทีมงานตั้งใจทำ��ป็นอย่างมากกว่าจะออกมาเป็นรูปเล่มสวยๆ แบบนี้ แต่พอเริ่มอ่านแล้วมันก็สนุกจนยากที่จะหยุดได้ เผลอแป๊บเดียวก็จบเล่มแล้ว ... (シ_ _)シ
ชอบฉากที่ต่อสู้กันบนรถไฟ ตื่นเต้นจนต้องหยุดงานการที่ทำอยู่มานั่งอ่านให้จบบทเลยทีเดียว
เล่มนี้ปกสวยมากจนอยากเห็นผลงานอื่นๆ ของนักออกแบบเลย สำนวนการแปลก็ดี อ่านลื่นไม่มีคำผิดให้สะกิดใจ
Goodreads ให้ 3.8 เราให้ 4.7
วิลเลียมได้มีโอกาสโดยสารรถไฟเดอะบาวนด์เลส ซึ่งเป็นรถไฟที่มีขนาดใหญ่ที่สุดในโลก วิ่งเชื่อมระหว่างมหาสมุทรแอตแลนติก และมหาสมุทรแปซิฟิก
เมื่อรถไฟแวะพักที่จุดจอดแห่งหนึ่ง วิลล์ได้เป็นพยายานรู้เห็นเหตุฆาตกรรมพนักงานรถไฟ ในที่เกิดเหตุเขาเก็บกุญแจไขห้องสมบัติได้ เขาจึงหยิบกุญแจนั้นวิ่งหนีกลับขึ้นรถไฟ
ฆาตกรรู้ว่าวิลล์เป็นคนเก็บกุญแจดอกนั้นไป เขาจึงตามไล่ล่าเด็กชายเพื่อจะเอากุญแจดอกนั้นกลับคืนมาให้ได้
วิลล์ได้หนีไปซ่อนตัวกับคณะละครสัตว์ และช่วยหัวหน้าคณะปฏิบัติภารกิจบางอย่างเพื่อแลกกับการกลับไปหาครอบครัวอย่างปลอดภัย
เล่มนี้ทางสำนักพิมพ์บอกให้อ่านช้าๆ เพราะทีมงานตั้งใจทำ��ป็นอย่างมากกว่าจะออกมาเป็นรูปเล่มสวยๆ แบบนี้ แต่พอเริ่มอ่านแล้วมันก็สนุกจนยากที่จะหยุดได้ เผลอแป๊บเดียวก็จบเล่มแล้ว ... (シ_ _)シ
ชอบฉากที่ต่อสู้กันบนรถไฟ ตื่นเต้นจนต้องหยุดงานการที่ทำอยู่มานั่งอ่านให้จบบทเลยทีเดียว
เล่มนี้ปกสวยมากจนอยากเห็นผลงานอื่นๆ ของนักออกแบบเลย สำนวนการแปลก็ดี อ่านลื่นไม่มีคำผิดให้สะกิดใจ
Goodreads ให้ 3.8 เราให้ 4.7
July 6, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It's about a boy traveling with his father - a railroad executive - across the continent in the longest train ever built. The boy, Will, has a passion for drawing and a secret longing for a tightrope walker he met three years before. Along the way he discovers the girl, Maren, is also aboard having joined the circus which performs for passengers going west. Will witnesses a murder and must join the circus to hide from the murderer who pursues him. He faces new challenges and adventures, including magical ones, and begins to realize what is important to him as he gains confidence in himself and his abilities apart from the influence of his father. This book has wide appeal to upper elementary and young middle graders - lovers of trains, magical creatures, the circus, danger, adventure, and growing up... I think the appeal would extend to both boys and girls.
August 3, 2016
I am officially a Kenneth Oppel fan.
If you like younger feeling YA and middle grade, he is a sure bet. Also, if you're Canadian, most of his books will give you at least a small amount of patriotic affection for them. If you're not Canadian, you probably won't notice, so don't be afraid! It's like little Canadian easter eggs. Kenneth Oppel is so good at fun allusion - which is exactly why I think adult can appreciate his novels just as much as a 12 year old. In this book we have nods to The Picture of Dorian Grey.
The Boundless takes place aboard a train that's eleven kilometres long and has over 900 cars. It houses everything from diplomats to 80 cars of, what else? A circus! We get to see Sasquatch and Bog Hags, experience reliving The Last Spike, and spend the book being hunted by evil brakemen while being accused of murder.
This book is exceptionally fun (and that cover though), so I totally recommend you check it out!
If you like younger feeling YA and middle grade, he is a sure bet. Also, if you're Canadian, most of his books will give you at least a small amount of patriotic affection for them. If you're not Canadian, you probably won't notice, so don't be afraid! It's like little Canadian easter eggs. Kenneth Oppel is so good at fun allusion - which is exactly why I think adult can appreciate his novels just as much as a 12 year old. In this book we have nods to The Picture of Dorian Grey.
The Boundless takes place aboard a train that's eleven kilometres long and has over 900 cars. It houses everything from diplomats to 80 cars of, what else? A circus! We get to see Sasquatch and Bog Hags, experience reliving The Last Spike, and spend the book being hunted by evil brakemen while being accused of murder.
This book is exceptionally fun (and that cover though), so I totally recommend you check it out!
May 29, 2019
This was an easy book to read and a tough one to review. It has a lot of red herrings and things that seem like they should have had more significance in the plot but then are forgotten. I wouldn't even class it as a mystery. The mystery is lost in the action.
Reading this I felt that although an average 10 year old could read it, the story is overcomplicated in places without a good plot reason why. It did remind me of certain other books and series involving trains at times too. There is one plot point that is directly lifted from a classic which is the biggest red herring in the book.
I would recommend this book as an alternative to a lot of more famous novels in a similar genre and theme. It is a new reader and young adult low fantasy that can be enjoyed. It just never felt fantastic enough or something that I expect to see a massive series made out of. It would make an interesting children's action movie in the right hands but possibly not a successful franchise one.
Reading this I felt that although an average 10 year old could read it, the story is overcomplicated in places without a good plot reason why. It did remind me of certain other books and series involving trains at times too. There is one plot point that is directly lifted from a classic which is the biggest red herring in the book.
I would recommend this book as an alternative to a lot of more famous novels in a similar genre and theme. It is a new reader and young adult low fantasy that can be enjoyed. It just never felt fantastic enough or something that I expect to see a massive series made out of. It would make an interesting children's action movie in the right hands but possibly not a successful franchise one.
November 24, 2019
traaaaaains.
not enough fantasy.
traaaaains
these are my reasons for giving the book 3 stars, the given stars are for the train and the ungiven ones are for unsatisfying whimsy...oh and also the circus, i loved that too. also didn't care for present tense of the third person telling the story. i prefer the past tense .
a good, fast and boundless read overall.
not enough fantasy.
traaaaains
these are my reasons for giving the book 3 stars, the given stars are for the train and the ungiven ones are for unsatisfying whimsy...oh and also the circus, i loved that too. also didn't care for present tense of the third person telling the story. i prefer the past tense .
a good, fast and boundless read overall.
July 7, 2014
I really liked this book! What an exciting read! Nonstop action almost from beginning to end featuring avalanches, sasquatches, murder, gigantic people and trains! I think kids would like it... will test it on a few to find out!
March 19, 2020
I had a great time reading this! It felt like it flew by quicker than most books I read. I wasn't expecting all the supernatural and outlandish aspects it had. Like, I was cool with bigfoot but the old hag was a bit much for me to believe. But they kept driving it home that she was real, so I eventually went with it😅 All the weird stuff so far did pay off though, because it made me believe in the fountain of youth. When the Ringleader explained that he had to have a portrait done of him on the special canvas to save his life, I remembered how Will had talked about how he wasn't good at portraits, and could just see all the small elements of the story coming together and I loved it!
I was disappointed when it was revealed that it was all a lie. That It wasn't really a fountain of youth soaked canvas. And he just dies. All that work to set up the fantastical, and they had me too. To just decide "Nope. Not this time reader."
I never liked it when the book would change pov's to Brogan. The dialogue between him and his henchmen always felt cliche'. Now at least he doesn't take up much of the book. I found myseld was just wanting to get back to Will.
And I'm sorry I know Brogan was a bad guy for sure. He was a murderer and a thief. But in no way, shape, or form did he deserve to have a sasquatch rip off his head and spike it on a branch. That was WAY too far. At least for me.
It's a tad predictable, but the good far out ways the bad. All the conversations with Will and his dad felt uncomfortable and genuine in the best way. I've had those conversations and that's what they feel like😅
The Boundless is also just a really fun time. I highly recommend it!
I was disappointed when it was revealed that it was all a lie. That It wasn't really a fountain of youth soaked canvas. And he just dies. All that work to set up the fantastical, and they had me too. To just decide "Nope. Not this time reader."
I never liked it when the book would change pov's to Brogan. The dialogue between him and his henchmen always felt cliche'. Now at least he doesn't take up much of the book. I found myseld was just wanting to get back to Will.
And I'm sorry I know Brogan was a bad guy for sure. He was a murderer and a thief. But in no way, shape, or form did he deserve to have a sasquatch rip off his head and spike it on a branch. That was WAY too far. At least for me.
It's a tad predictable, but the good far out ways the bad. All the conversations with Will and his dad felt uncomfortable and genuine in the best way. I've had those conversations and that's what they feel like😅
The Boundless is also just a really fun time. I highly recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2021
A fun adventure book. Great characters. A fun adventure setting (mostly takes place on a GIANT [ http://kennethoppel.blogspot.com/2014... ], and long [5 miles] moving train) going from one coast of Canada, to the other.
If you're new to Kenneth Oppel, I would suggest starting off with the Matt Cruise series, which is his flagship series for young adults. I feel that fans of the series would like this book, as it feels pretty similar in a few ways. They're both an adventure, coming of age tale, with steampunk and mild sci-fi elements. It doesn't come together quite as well as Airborn, but pretty fun read.
If you're new to Kenneth Oppel, I would suggest starting off with the Matt Cruise series, which is his flagship series for young adults. I feel that fans of the series would like this book, as it feels pretty similar in a few ways. They're both an adventure, coming of age tale, with steampunk and mild sci-fi elements. It doesn't come together quite as well as Airborn, but pretty fun read.
February 19, 2021
The book is about William Everett and his story. The book starts off 3 years ago but I won't say what happens then but I will say he meets a girl his age. After that its the first trip of The Boundless, the biggest train ever, but there lies a treasure that someone wants to steal from the funeral car. After some unfortunate events, Will ends up all on his own. Before the unfortunate events, Will gets a key to the funeral car. With some help, Will hides out until he is safe. To help him be safer, he gets disguised, and gets hired into the circus to draw. He meets lots of people in the circus including a tightrope walker, Clowns, and Swordsman. I Really like the book, and it was very creative with the ideas it put in it. If you are into Adventure novels this is the book for you. Heck even is you aren't a big adventure guy you will still love it.
May 23, 2020
This is a thrilling, pacey book. The narrative is really compelling and the fact that the majority of the story is set on a moving train really pushes the plot along. Lots of danger, lots of intrigue. I really liked that there were difficult themes around colonialism, migration and class brought up in this book. It would be great for examining those themes in more depth through a historical lens.
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