Starred review from February 10, 2014
Will Everett’s father is just a poor man laying track for the Canadian Pacific Railway until, on the day when the last spike is driven home somewhere in the Rockies, James Everett saves the railroad’s president from an avalanche. Three years later, James is a railroad executive, and he and Will have been invited on the maiden intercontinental trip of the Boundless, the largest train ever assembled at nearly 1,000 cars. This purposefully melodramatic tale is set in a slightly alternate 19th-century North America, where monsters like the mighty sasquatch roam the Canadian wilderness. Will becomes embroiled in a plot to break into a palatial funeral car, along with Maren—the beautiful wire walker of the Zirkus Dante, whose cars are part of the train—and the circus’s mysterious Métis ringmaster, Mr. Dorian. Dangers both natural and supernatural abound, as well as a certain amount of social commentary regarding class and ethnicity. Oppel’s (Such Wicked Intent) imagination and sense of adventure never disappoint, and readers should thrill to this rousing tale as it barrels ahead at full speed. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.
May 1, 2014
Will Everett's father has risen high in the railroad company. He'll be driving the Boundless, the longest train ever, on her maiden voyage, and among its 987 cars is the heavily guarded funeral car of railroad baron Cornelius Van Horne. Naturally, it draws nefarious villain Brogan (disguised as a brakeman), who is bent on stealing the gold spike from Van Horne's coffin, and he's willing to murder anyone who stands in his way. Coincidentally, a cute tightrope walker, Maren, is also aboard as part of a circus. After a series of adventures (involving a sasquatch and a murder), Will finds himself stranded in the caboose, more than seven miles from his stateroom, where he must dodge Brogan and his henchmen with the help of Maren and her circus family. The ringmaster, Mr. Dorian, has his own plan: to steal a painting, one whose canvas has been soaked in the last dregs of the Fountain of Youth and now has the properties of the painting in The Picture of Dorian Gray. While the story starts slowly, it gradually picks up steam, and the urgent third-person present-tense narrative creates a palpable sense of suspense as these well-drawn characters travel through an alternate-universe Canadian wilderness toward a climactic confrontation. Once again, Oppel proves himself to be one of the premier writers of action and adventure for a middle-grade audience, and since the ending hints at a sequel, that audience can look forward to more from Will, Maren, and Brogan. jonathan hunt
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from March 15, 2014
William Everett is proud of his rags-to-riches father, manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, but he wants to forge his own destiny. Will's first chance comes when real-life 19th-century rail baron Cornelius Van Horne invites him on a train ride to greet his years-absent, track-laying dad at a nearby mountain camp. After surviving an avalanche and a terrifying sasquatch attack, Will gets to hammer in the last spike, a diamond-encrusted gold railway spike worth a fortune. The story resumes three years later, as a taller, more fancified Will embarks with his now-high-ranking father on the maiden voyage of the Boundless, an opulent, 987-car train--a "rolling city" complete with automaton bartender and traveling circus, 7 miles from locomotive to caboose. Untold treasure is locked up in Van Horne's booby-trapped funeral car, and a motley crew of hungry souls wants to get their hands on it no matter whom they have to kill to get it. The suspenseful shenanigans that follow shape this wild, cinematic ride, but the underlying narrative track is Will's dogged determination to follow his own bliss--perhaps as an artist--despite his father's strict opposition. 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 Airborn (2005). (Historical fantasy. 9-14)
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July 1, 2014
Will's father is driving the Boundless, the longest train ever, on her maiden voyage. After a series of adventures (involving a sasquatch and a murder), Will finds himself stranded in the caboose, where, with the help of a cute tightrope walker, he dodges a nefarious villain. The third-person present-tense narrative creates suspense as the well-drawn characters travel through an alternate-universe Canadian wilderness.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from January 1, 2014
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Will's quiet life changes when he travels westward and takes part in the golden-spike ceremony completing the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. True, he's nearly killed by an avalanche and a sasquatch, but he also meets Maren, the young circus performer he can't forget. Three years later, Will joins his father for the inaugural journey of the Boundless, a mammoth train hauling 947 cars and 6,495 passengers across the continent. Along the way, Will learns that two groups plan to steal priceless treasures (including the golden spike) from a vaultlike mausoleum car. Hunted by a villainous gang, Will must rely on his wits, his courage, and his friends, including Maren and her circus community. Best known for his Printz Honor Book, Airborn (2004), and the Silverwing series, Oppel offers a grand adventure story that is firmly rooted in Canadian history but which is never limited by mere recorded facts. This vividly imagined, present-tense narrative features a series of heart-stopping action scenes involving dozens of memorable characters, many of them introduced in the 1885 segment and revealing themselves more fully aboard the Boundless. An epic journey novel with a distinctive setting, a powerful sense of adventure, and just a whiff of steampunk. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Oppel's Silverwings trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide and Airborn received a Printz Honor. Expect hoards of passengers aboard The Boundless.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
Starred review from March 1, 2014
Gr 5-8-All aboard for an exciting tale of steam-powered automatons, a bloodthirsty sasquatch, colorful circuses, and magical paintings. Aspiring artist Will Everett knows he's not cut out to follow in the footsteps of his railroad manager father, but his pampered life leaves little opportunity for adventure. Then he boards The Boundless, the world's largest and most luxurious train. After acquiring the key to the railway owner's funeral car, Will is running for his life, pursued by deadly enemies who will do anything to possess the car's valuable contents. He is rescued by Mr. Dorian, ringmaster of the famed Zircus Dante, and an escape artist called The Miraculous Maren. These two performers, however, have their own secret agenda for helping Will. As The Boundless thunders toward its destination, Will must decide who to trust, if anyone. Along the way, Will is on the adventure of a lifetime. With its imaginative plot, cast of colorful, well-rounded characters, and nonstop action, Oppel's latest is a delight to read from the first page right through the satisfying conclusion. Take note: This book will be popular!-Alissa J. Bach, Oxford Public Library, MI
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