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Ticket to Ride™ : An Unexpected Journey
All aboard the journey of a lifetime! Ticket to Ride is an immensely popular board game where players test their skills in teamwork, strategy, and luck. This new, 100% official, and high stakesTicket to Ride book will whisk readers all throughout the North America, is perfect for fans of all ages, with black-and-white illustrations by artist David Miles and chilling, pulse-pounding prose by bestselling author Adrienne Kress.
To say twelve-year-old Teddy loves trains is an understatement. He is obsessed. He knows everything there is to know about them, has the most amazing model train setup in the basement, and he carries around a classic caboose, a small model of a caboose of a 19th century steam engine that he received as a birthday gift. It’s his good luck charm! So when Teddy wins a Ticket To Ride the Excelsior Express in a writing contest, he can't wait. The Excelsior Express is a train that's modeled to look like it's from the 1920's but is outfitted with a high-tech locomotive system. This will be the train's flagship journey, and it's a dream come true for Teddy. Plus, he'll get to see his grandparents in Los Angeles, and travel all across North America from his hometown of Toronto, Canada.
Wait . . . dream come true?
Or maybe a nightmare.
When the train gets rerouted from Omaha to Pittsburgh, at first, Teddy doesn't think anything of it. Trains get rerouted all of the time. But then the train gets rerouted again. What's more, his lucky caboose is missing.
As it turns out, this ticket to ride takes Teddy, his new friend Olivia, a woman always dressed in yellow named Mina, two traveling musicians named Allie and Dex, and their fellow passengers on an unexpected journey and through some pretty hefty corporate corruption.
Based on the hit board game, Ticket to Ride, author Adrienne Kress weaves fascinating story with adventure in this book that's full of mystery, adventure, and friendship, in a style reminiscent of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. Illustrator David Miles's spot art leaps off the page . . . and onto a train track. Fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Adrienne's own Bendy and the Ink Machine novels will love this series.
"With a crisp, engaging voice and sharp wit, Adrienne Kress is always a treat to read." - Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
To say twelve-year-old Teddy loves trains is an understatement. He is obsessed. He knows everything there is to know about them, has the most amazing model train setup in the basement, and he carries around a classic caboose, a small model of a caboose of a 19th century steam engine that he received as a birthday gift. It’s his good luck charm! So when Teddy wins a Ticket To Ride the Excelsior Express in a writing contest, he can't wait. The Excelsior Express is a train that's modeled to look like it's from the 1920's but is outfitted with a high-tech locomotive system. This will be the train's flagship journey, and it's a dream come true for Teddy. Plus, he'll get to see his grandparents in Los Angeles, and travel all across North America from his hometown of Toronto, Canada.
Wait . . . dream come true?
Or maybe a nightmare.
When the train gets rerouted from Omaha to Pittsburgh, at first, Teddy doesn't think anything of it. Trains get rerouted all of the time. But then the train gets rerouted again. What's more, his lucky caboose is missing.
As it turns out, this ticket to ride takes Teddy, his new friend Olivia, a woman always dressed in yellow named Mina, two traveling musicians named Allie and Dex, and their fellow passengers on an unexpected journey and through some pretty hefty corporate corruption.
Based on the hit board game, Ticket to Ride, author Adrienne Kress weaves fascinating story with adventure in this book that's full of mystery, adventure, and friendship, in a style reminiscent of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. Illustrator David Miles's spot art leaps off the page . . . and onto a train track. Fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Adrienne's own Bendy and the Ink Machine novels will love this series.
"With a crisp, engaging voice and sharp wit, Adrienne Kress is always a treat to read." - Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
208 pages, Hardcover
Published March 11, 2025
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Kress
32 books448 followersAdrienne Kress is a Toronto born actor and author who loves to play make-believe. She also loves hot chocolate. And cheese. Not necessarily together.
2016 saw the release of HATTER MADIGAN: Ghost in the H.A.T.B.O.X., an exciting collaboration with NY Times bestselling author Frank Beddor (set in the same world as his Looking Glass Wars YA books). And April 2017 she releases the first book in her new Middle Grade series: THE EXPLORERS - The Door in the Alley (Delacorte, Random House).
October 2016 her essay appeared alongside work by the likes of Margaret Atwood and Mariko Tamaki in the non-fiction anthology THE SECRET LOVES OF GEEK GIRLS (Dark Horse).
She is also the author of two other children's novels: ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN and TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE (Scholastic). And also the YA novels, THE FRIDAY SOCIETY (Steampunk Adventure from Dial Penguin, 2012) and OUTCAST (a quirky YA paranormal romance from Diversion Books, 2013).
Some more info about Adrienne: she is a theatre graduate of the Univeristy of Toronto and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the UK. Published around the world, ALEX was featured in the New York Post as a "Post Potter Pick," as well as on the CBS early show. It won the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award in the UK and was nominated for the Red Cedar. The sequel, TIMOTHY, was nominated for the Audie, Red Cedar and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards, and was recently optioned for film. THE FRIDAY SOCIETY was nominated for a Quill Award, and has been optioned for television.
Oh, and the German title for ALEX is:
DIE HALSUBERKOPFUNDKRAGENDRAMATISCHABENTEUERLICHE KATASTROPHENEXPEDITION DER ALEX MORNINGSIDE.
No.
Seriously.
Find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrienneKress
On Instagram:
https://instagram.com/AdrienneKress
And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrien...
2016 saw the release of HATTER MADIGAN: Ghost in the H.A.T.B.O.X., an exciting collaboration with NY Times bestselling author Frank Beddor (set in the same world as his Looking Glass Wars YA books). And April 2017 she releases the first book in her new Middle Grade series: THE EXPLORERS - The Door in the Alley (Delacorte, Random House).
October 2016 her essay appeared alongside work by the likes of Margaret Atwood and Mariko Tamaki in the non-fiction anthology THE SECRET LOVES OF GEEK GIRLS (Dark Horse).
She is also the author of two other children's novels: ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN and TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE (Scholastic). And also the YA novels, THE FRIDAY SOCIETY (Steampunk Adventure from Dial Penguin, 2012) and OUTCAST (a quirky YA paranormal romance from Diversion Books, 2013).
Some more info about Adrienne: she is a theatre graduate of the Univeristy of Toronto and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the UK. Published around the world, ALEX was featured in the New York Post as a "Post Potter Pick," as well as on the CBS early show. It won the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award in the UK and was nominated for the Red Cedar. The sequel, TIMOTHY, was nominated for the Audie, Red Cedar and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards, and was recently optioned for film. THE FRIDAY SOCIETY was nominated for a Quill Award, and has been optioned for television.
Oh, and the German title for ALEX is:
DIE HALSUBERKOPFUNDKRAGENDRAMATISCHABENTEUERLICHE KATASTROPHENEXPEDITION DER ALEX MORNINGSIDE.
No.
Seriously.
Find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrienneKress
On Instagram:
https://instagram.com/AdrienneKress
And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrien...
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 17, 2025
Definitely not super connected to the board game, but train-loving kids will enjoy it!
November 9, 2025
Fun little Junior fiction. Perfect for train loving kiddos.
December 7, 2024
With a mix somewhat reminding of Murder on the Orient Express meets A Series of Unfortunate Events, this fast-paced read engages and has readers wondering until the end.
Teddy loves nothing more than trains. His obsession is really extreme, so when he has the chance to enter an essay contest to win a ticket for a trip on the Excelsior Express, he's more than onboard. Upon winning, he can barely contain his excitement, and every minute on the train is like a dream. Since he was the only one to win the ticket, he's taking the journey alone, which soon has him eager to find a friend in one of the other passengers. The amazing trip is ever more riddle with slightly odd occurrences, but none of these throw him off-balance...until his favorite toy caboose goes missing. What at first seems to be a little mishap soon evolves into a huge mystery with very powerful players and high stakes.
This read, obviously, was inspired by the game, Ticket to Ride, which already puts a high bar on the expectations. Starting with a heavy narrative style (reminding of Lemony Snicket's works), the reader is first introduced to Teddy with the beginning moments kept at an arm's length away from a more personal connection to the tale. The narration tone holds humor and snark with a touch of wandering thoughts to create a lighter atmosphere. This style holds on for the first couple chapters or so. Just as it borders on lasting too long (I did yawn once or twice), the style switches gears and slowly slides over to Teddy and lets the adventure take flight. Bouts of narration still pop in here and there, but the story speeds ahead with one grabbing moment after the next.
Once the story gets going, it doesn't stop. Something is always happening as Teddy meets various passengers, runs into curious situations, and the clues start mounting up. The author makes sure to express certain tiny details with emphasis, even before the mystery really gets going. This was a lovely way to spark readers' attentions without giving but a whisper of a hint at what the importance of these details might be. It's a fun way to ease mystery fans into the 'pay attention' mode.
There are detailed and well-done illustrations sprinkled through-out the read, which help readers visual the setting and scenes. These work hand in hand with the story and bring the amazement of the train and characters to life.
The writing works well for the younger end of the middle grade age range. Even slightly younger readers, who are very sure of their words, will feel at home in these pages. The writing feels a lean toward chapter books, but the length and slightly heavier amount of text root it to the 7-9 age range. It does take a bit for the tale to grab, but even then, the playful tone is enjoyable. Especially mystery fans are sure to enjoy the webbed plot and find most aspects very hard to guess until the last pages.
Teddy loves nothing more than trains. His obsession is really extreme, so when he has the chance to enter an essay contest to win a ticket for a trip on the Excelsior Express, he's more than onboard. Upon winning, he can barely contain his excitement, and every minute on the train is like a dream. Since he was the only one to win the ticket, he's taking the journey alone, which soon has him eager to find a friend in one of the other passengers. The amazing trip is ever more riddle with slightly odd occurrences, but none of these throw him off-balance...until his favorite toy caboose goes missing. What at first seems to be a little mishap soon evolves into a huge mystery with very powerful players and high stakes.
This read, obviously, was inspired by the game, Ticket to Ride, which already puts a high bar on the expectations. Starting with a heavy narrative style (reminding of Lemony Snicket's works), the reader is first introduced to Teddy with the beginning moments kept at an arm's length away from a more personal connection to the tale. The narration tone holds humor and snark with a touch of wandering thoughts to create a lighter atmosphere. This style holds on for the first couple chapters or so. Just as it borders on lasting too long (I did yawn once or twice), the style switches gears and slowly slides over to Teddy and lets the adventure take flight. Bouts of narration still pop in here and there, but the story speeds ahead with one grabbing moment after the next.
Once the story gets going, it doesn't stop. Something is always happening as Teddy meets various passengers, runs into curious situations, and the clues start mounting up. The author makes sure to express certain tiny details with emphasis, even before the mystery really gets going. This was a lovely way to spark readers' attentions without giving but a whisper of a hint at what the importance of these details might be. It's a fun way to ease mystery fans into the 'pay attention' mode.
There are detailed and well-done illustrations sprinkled through-out the read, which help readers visual the setting and scenes. These work hand in hand with the story and bring the amazement of the train and characters to life.
The writing works well for the younger end of the middle grade age range. Even slightly younger readers, who are very sure of their words, will feel at home in these pages. The writing feels a lean toward chapter books, but the length and slightly heavier amount of text root it to the 7-9 age range. It does take a bit for the tale to grab, but even then, the playful tone is enjoyable. Especially mystery fans are sure to enjoy the webbed plot and find most aspects very hard to guess until the last pages.
August 3, 2025
I really wanted to like this book. Ticket to Ride: An Unexpected Journey had so much promise—especially since I love the board game it shares a name with. But this book ended up being one of the most disappointing reads I’ve had in a long time.
The premise had potential: a young boy obsessed with trains wins a ticket for a luxury cross-country journey from Toronto to Los Angeles. But the execution? Painful. The plot is meandering, weighed down by endless tangents and narrative asides that constantly distract from the story. I’m not exaggerating when I say the book could have been half as long without them—and significantly better.
Teddy, the 12-year-old protagonist, acts much younger and while I appreciated the attempt to portray a neurodivergent point of view, the constant detours in his thinking made it hard to stay engaged. The style may resonate with readers who love trains and don’t mind a stream-of-consciousness format, but for most of my 4th-grade students, it would be a struggle.
Let's just talk about the setup: a one-way ticket for a 12-year-old to ride an unchaperoned train—one that changes routes mid-journey—felt wildly unsafe and unrealistic. And then there’s the narrator who breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader—a stylistic choice I personally disliked in this book.
The plot finally picks up near the end with some action and a mystery. But even that wasn’t enough to redeem the long, winding journey it took to get there.
And don’t expect a satisfying ending—this is book one of a series, and it stops rather than concludes. You have to read the sequel to even find out if Teddy makes it home. I won’t be sticking around to find out.
I had hoped to use this in my classroom, but unless I have a student who is truly obsessed with trains and enjoys spectrum-style narration, I won’t be recommending it. Disappointing all around.
The premise had potential: a young boy obsessed with trains wins a ticket for a luxury cross-country journey from Toronto to Los Angeles. But the execution? Painful. The plot is meandering, weighed down by endless tangents and narrative asides that constantly distract from the story. I’m not exaggerating when I say the book could have been half as long without them—and significantly better.
Teddy, the 12-year-old protagonist, acts much younger and while I appreciated the attempt to portray a neurodivergent point of view, the constant detours in his thinking made it hard to stay engaged. The style may resonate with readers who love trains and don’t mind a stream-of-consciousness format, but for most of my 4th-grade students, it would be a struggle.
Let's just talk about the setup: a one-way ticket for a 12-year-old to ride an unchaperoned train—one that changes routes mid-journey—felt wildly unsafe and unrealistic. And then there’s the narrator who breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader—a stylistic choice I personally disliked in this book.
The plot finally picks up near the end with some action and a mystery. But even that wasn’t enough to redeem the long, winding journey it took to get there.
And don’t expect a satisfying ending—this is book one of a series, and it stops rather than concludes. You have to read the sequel to even find out if Teddy makes it home. I won’t be sticking around to find out.
I had hoped to use this in my classroom, but unless I have a student who is truly obsessed with trains and enjoys spectrum-style narration, I won’t be recommending it. Disappointing all around.
July 12, 2025
12yo Teddy is easily distracted and has a hard time keeping his train of thought. But an electric model train received as a birthday gift changes everything. Soon Teddy can focus, as long as it's about trains. When he enters an essay contest he wins a cross country train ride from Toronto to Los Angeles. Along the route, he meets Olivia, and together they try to figure out why a set of blueprints of the special train are so very important to a grumpy old man and a strange woman.
I was super uncomfortable that 12yo Teddy (who seems like he's actually 9) would be offered a 1 way ticket, with no accompanying adult on a train that shifts routes along the way. The fact that his grandparents live in LA did not make this journey any less crazy. Also, the narrator talks directly to the reader which I hate. I love the game "Ticket to Ride" and while some of the illustrations, like his ticket, mirror the game, it wasn't really connected. Also, this is book 1 and it doesn't end, you've got to read book 2 to find out if Teddy gets home. I'm just barely this side of not recommending, as the action does pick up at the end. Teddy is white.
I was super uncomfortable that 12yo Teddy (who seems like he's actually 9) would be offered a 1 way ticket, with no accompanying adult on a train that shifts routes along the way. The fact that his grandparents live in LA did not make this journey any less crazy. Also, the narrator talks directly to the reader which I hate. I love the game "Ticket to Ride" and while some of the illustrations, like his ticket, mirror the game, it wasn't really connected. Also, this is book 1 and it doesn't end, you've got to read book 2 to find out if Teddy gets home. I'm just barely this side of not recommending, as the action does pick up at the end. Teddy is white.
October 9, 2024
I chose this book because of the name, and it's connection to the game Ticket to Ride which I love!! I also know that kids love trains, so I gave it a shot.
From the start you know that Teddy is a kid obsessed with trains. His obsessions leads him to winning a contest to ride a brand new state of the art train. He will be crossing the country from Toronto to Lost Angeles where his grandparents will meet him.
Once the newness of the train wears off, Teddy starts to realize that things aren't quite right. He and his new friend Olivia find themselves in a "Murder on the Orient Express" type situation-except without the murder....so far.
With some high speed adventure, plenty of twists and turns, your younger middle grade readers will enjoy this story. If you have a train lover in your midst, they will be sure to love this one. I recommend for 3rd-5th graders.
From the start you know that Teddy is a kid obsessed with trains. His obsessions leads him to winning a contest to ride a brand new state of the art train. He will be crossing the country from Toronto to Lost Angeles where his grandparents will meet him.
Once the newness of the train wears off, Teddy starts to realize that things aren't quite right. He and his new friend Olivia find themselves in a "Murder on the Orient Express" type situation-except without the murder....so far.
With some high speed adventure, plenty of twists and turns, your younger middle grade readers will enjoy this story. If you have a train lover in your midst, they will be sure to love this one. I recommend for 3rd-5th graders.
stopped-may-or-may-not-continue
April 18, 2025DNF. I was excited for this one and figured it would be a little more fast-paced than it actually was. I love the game and so it was intriguing for me. I really tried to get into it, but I just couldn’t. I liked Teddy, but I felt like this was a history book on trains. I would recommend it to someone really into trains! :) It was cool, but just not for me.
Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Days 35-37 and 39
Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Days 35-37 and 39
November 10, 2025
First half ⭐️⭐️
Second half ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you aren’t fascinated by trains, you’ll find the first half to be a slog..
It felt like the author was trying to meet a word count, as evidenced by the lengthy description of “if you picked up this book you must like trains” and explaining how a train gets you from point A to B and (yes!) all the way to Z, followed by pages and pages of description of the train.
But it’s a fun ending, which gives me some hope for book 2.
Second half ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you aren’t fascinated by trains, you’ll find the first half to be a slog..
It felt like the author was trying to meet a word count, as evidenced by the lengthy description of “if you picked up this book you must like trains” and explaining how a train gets you from point A to B and (yes!) all the way to Z, followed by pages and pages of description of the train.
But it’s a fun ending, which gives me some hope for book 2.
January 4, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
I've always enjoyed Kress' work, but unless I have a lot of students asking for this because they play the board game, I may pass on purchase. Interesting tale, but presupposes a good bit of knowledge from the game.
I've always enjoyed Kress' work, but unless I have a lot of students asking for this because they play the board game, I may pass on purchase. Interesting tale, but presupposes a good bit of knowledge from the game.
April 23, 2025
Oh my, what fun! Teddy wins a ride on a brand-new train with unexpected adventures. Based on the board game of the same name, this story is delightful. Teddy is easily distracted and looking at the story through his eyes was enlightening.
March 5, 2025
Didn't know this was going to be adapted into book form. Fun if fan of trains and...one can tell by the pacing and illustration style, the boardgame origins.
June 9, 2025
This doesn't mimic the boardgame at all. It's more of a history/trivia book about trains mixed with Christie's Orient Express. It's ok but nothing like I expected.
Read
July 11, 2025LGB
July 29, 2025
Great kid book. Can’t wait for the sequel!
November 17, 2025
Love the board game. This is a fun, high-action book interpretation for middle-grades.
March 25, 2025
Eh. It was an ok read. The last third of the book finally started getting interesting, but it quickly turned from a slow paced school-age book to a high stakes potential death situation that my son wasn't prepared for. He liked it more than I did.
November 2, 2025
Audiobook
This was such a great start to a new series! I can't wait for the next one.
This was such a great start to a new series! I can't wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews