This was a completely random find for my family. We had just finished A Series of Unfortunate Events and were looking for an audio book to tide us through a trip. I found this in the children’s section of the library, so without knowing the ages of the intended audience, I went for it. I was anticipating something along the lines of Polar Express or The Phantom Tollbooth, but this was a bit more realistic, harsh, and murderous than those.

The story is unique—I’ll give Oppel that—the entire thing taking place aboard a seven-mile long train heading west. This moving city is organized by class, the first class with their barbershops and pools and whatnot up front, the middle-class in the middle, the immigrants in the back before the baggage, and the circus folk moving amongst them all. When young Will gets separated from his dad in first class, he must make his way through the lower classes with the help of the circus troupe, all the while fleeing a murderer and protecting a long-kept secret.

Will the protagonist is a young teen, and as such, there’s a bit of romance involved with the high-wire girl from the circus, Maren. Inclusions like this helped me realize that the book was a bit too old for my 8-and-10-year-olds, and I think the book is better suited for the Tweens section rather than the children’s. In fact, the book even contains some coarse language like hell, damn, and “fecking,” all of which quite surprised me. When I heard “Jesus” as a curse word later on, I was about ready to shut her down.

The book also contains a bit of inexplicable magic, the use of hypnotism, and the existence of sasquatches. Readers must dispel belief for a while when reading this, and if the foul language doesn’t distract you too much, it’s an interesting enough tale.

I’m not about to recommend it, honestly, though if you’ve ever read The Picture of Dorian Grey and have an interest in trains, youth fiction, or mysteries, this book might be up your alley. It’s just not up ours.

©2021 E.T.