There was a moment this week, where I was franctically searching the house for my book, The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel.
"WHERE IS MY BOOK! The one about the kid and the circus and the largest train in the world that travels through the Pacific Northwest and gets attacked by Sasquatch(es)! Where is it?"
After that nugget of a description, everyone's curiousity was piqued. Even Patrick said, "That sounds like a great idea for a book!"
But wait...there's more!
There's a funeral car containing a dead railroad magnate and his amassed treasure. There are only two keys to the funeral car, and it's electrified to further deter thieves.
There are plenty of people with motives to rob the funeral car, but none more desperate than ringmaster, Mr. Dorian (seeking a specific painting - remember your Oscar Wilde?) and the murderous brakeman, Brogan.
Our hero, the artistic young Will and his childhood sweetheart, the escape-artist/wire-walking Maren, are charged with either assisting Mr. Dorian or falling victim to Brogan, all in an effort to save Will's father, driver of this Titanic on rails, and the keeper of one of the keys.
Don't forget! There are sasquatch!
And a treacherous muskeg that houses a hag who can hypnotize you with her eyes.
And a whole circus on board.
And the occasional avalanche.
There is one small scene that I would like to mention. In the chapter entitled In the Saloon, Oppel writes, "Doors lead into small rooms, and Will spots a man being led into one by a woman with bare shoulders. He catches Maren looking at him and blushes." But later in the chapter, the virtuous Mountie Sam Steele makes an appearance and announces, "Comport yourselves in an orderly manner. Any damage to person or property will be dealt with very severely. Also any low moral behavior." Oppel then writes, "His eyes stray to the gallery where painted women smile down at him angelically." After this chapter, the main players in this drama never return to the saloon car, or encounter this sort of "low moral behavior" again.
Way back in 2007, I devoured and reviewed Oppel's other epic adventure, Airborn. I found both books, Airborn and The Boundless to be captivating and imaginative adventure stories, appropriate for middle-school and up.
Please check out my other link-up, running until June 22nd: One Pot Wonders, where you share your easiest meal ideas with a harried Housewifespice. My family thanks you!
Sounds awesome! My boys would have loved it (may love it still). My dad's nickname is "Bigfoot" (it's what all his grandkids call him). I may have to get him a copy.
ReplyDeleteI tried to link up today, but I must have done something wrong. In case it doesn't show up: Nancy Carabio Belanger's The Gate (YA fiction, but I loved it) is fantastic!
Thanks, Laura. For some reason, the inlinkz code doesn't always show thumbnails at first. I think I've fixed it though.
DeleteI think I've gotten too spoiled by how fast computers tend to work these days--and when I don't see instantaneous results, I assume something went wrong. :)
DeleteThat sounds like an appropriate title for a book with "boundless" adventures!
ReplyDeleteHoly cow, that book sounds exciting. Ohohoho, just checked and it's available at my library. Now, to pay the fines so I can scoop this one up.
ReplyDelete