The Boundless: It’s
Boundless Entertainment
A Review By: Amelia
I love a good adventure story, but then again, who doesn’t?
The intrigue, the fast-paced action, the inevitable love plot strew somewhere
in there: it’s great. It’s especially great if it fills a specific niche.
That’s where Kenneth Oppel shines!
Kenneth Oppel has written a couple young adult trilogies and
a few stand alone novels, all of which are enthralling. He was born in British
Columbia and has lived in Nova Scotia and currently lives in Ontario: he’s had
a great Canadian experience and that’s where the niche comes in. With The Boundless he’s written an epic
Canadian adventure full of Canadian mythology.
Will Everett has always wished for an adventure and on The
Boundless, the longest, most glamorous locomotive in the world, he’ll find it.
After witnessing a murder during a station stop he must work his way from the
caboose forward to his father in first class - with the murderer and his
cronies on his tail. Luckily, a clever and nimble friend is perfecting her act
in The Boundless's circus car, and there the real thrill ride begins.
Like all of Oppel’s main protagonists, Will Everett and his
love interest (well, I suppose she’s more of friend/side kick) are young
adults. Will is waiting for his life to become full of adventure and worth
living all the while trying not to disappoint his father who wants him to
follow in his footsteps and be a railroad man. Will’s sidekick is Maren, an
acrobat and escape artist travelling across country on The Boundless with her
circus. Then there’s Mr. Dorian, the mysterious ringleader of the circus that’s
training Maren to perform a certain task he desperately needs done. Each of the
main characters have their own drives, quirks, and faults and are all very well
rounded. But that’s with any Oppel book really, his characters never leave you
wanting.
The characters are great but by far the most interesting
thing about this story is the location: a train equivalent to the Titanic in
size, luxury, and power. The Boundless is a train miles long with numerous
classes, freight, and people upon it. The cars are three stories tall in first
class with swimming pools and movie theatres and bars and anything else you
could imagine the rich and powerful wanting. Third class is grim and
overcrowded and supplies held in the grips of a profiteer’s hands. It’s a
subtle way to show the injustice in the class system. You can get around the
connected cars by doors but if you need to get around the miles of freight cars
it’s the roof or nothing. It’s all very intriguing! And that’s not even mentioning
the great Canadian landscapes the train travels through. There’s mountains and
snow and marshes full of bog hags–Oppel painted an amazing picture with this
one!
The Boundless has
got everything: Canadiana history, fantasy, a splattering of romance, a hint of
steampunk, and even a thoughtful examination of social injustice. It’s
imaginative and on par with swashbuckling pirate action! The whole book is an
action-packed love letter to the late 19th century True North!
My final thoughts on The Boundless are that it’s a thrilling
ride. Oppel’s writing is always on point and with this story, his Canadian
background makes for a great look into the Canadian landscape and legends
including Sasquatches, the bog hag, and even wendigos. It wasn’t my favourite
Oppel novel ever, but it’s a good addition to his catalogue and a good place to
start if you’re just getting into Oppel!