Bound To Stay Bound

View MARC Record
 

Full Text Reviews:

Booklist - 01/01/2014 *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. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 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 - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 04/01/2014 Will Everett and his father, a laborer on the developing Canadian Pacific Railroad, happen to be in just the right place at the right time to rescue the railroad developer, Mr. Van Horne, when an avalanche wipes out a section of newly laid track. As a result, Mr. Everett is promoted within the company and, a few years later, he and Will climb aboard the debut run of the Boundless, a seven-mile-long train that features accommodation ranging from luxury for the wealthy right down to the equivalent of steerage for the “colonists” venturing into Canada’s wild west. Also onboard are the remains of the now-deceased Van Horne, sealed with priceless belongings into a booby-trapped rail car, and two very different passengers-a brakeman and a circus ringmaster-who are determined to break into that car, even if it means deceiving or even murdering Will, who is in possession of a critical key. The theft tales chug forward with enough life-threatening twists to keep readers involved, but the real star is the Boundless itself, which functions as a rolling city of wonders and a clever encapsulation of classism in the mid-1800s. Several luminaries associated with the actual Canadian Pacific Railroad, as well as a few cryptids from North American lore, make guest appearances, and even The Picture of Dorian Gray gets a minor but significant nod. Will seems destined for a sequel, perhaps following his romantic interest, Maren, into her new life as a circus owner. If Oppel can make a train this wondrous, imagine what he will do with a circus. EB - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

View MARC Record
Loading...



  • Copyright © Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy