Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Will They Ever Go Back Home?


 “You have to wait for good things to happen—wait and wait and work so hard—but bad things occur out of the blue, like fire alarms triggered in the dead of night, blaring randomly, a shock of sound, a chatter of current from which there is no turning back." ~Gennifer Choldenko



Siblings, Finn, India, and Mouse are devastated when they learn they must move out of their home because it's being foreclosed upon. They are moving to Colorado to live with their Uncle Red, which means they will also be far away from their mom (a teacher) until the school year ends, and she can move out there. The kids have to take a plane by themselves in order to get to their new home. Along the way, smart Mouse, socially concerned India, and rule abiding Finn, struggle to get along with each other. When their plane drops them off in a strange place they're surprised their uncle isn’t waiting for them. They take a taxi driven by a guy named Chuck, who looks way too young to be driving. None of them can figure out what is going on. Everyone around them is cheering for them, treating them like celebrities. Even stranger, they are each given a clock with a set amount of time on it, but no one will tell them what it means. They each go to a new home with a new mom or dad, and it's just like they've always imagined their perfect life would be. The homes seem tailored to their preferences, but something seems off to Finn and Mouse. They struggle through the new surroundings, fighting against time. The amount of time is different for the three siblings, and when they find out they each have to make a critical decision, they will be put to the test, and so will their family. Once they make their decision will they be able to face the challenge? Where exactly are they? Will they ever seen Uncle Red or their mom again? You have to read this far out tale to find out what happens!

No Passengers Beyond This Point is a book that I wanted to read for a long time based on the very cool cover. The book did not disappoint! Each chapter was told from a different point of view. I enjoyed this because India was such a typical teenager, Finn was so much the brother who wants to help everybody, and Mouse was a little girl who knew a ton of facts, but had some social struggles. I felt terrible for them when they lost their home and had to move. I felt even worse when they had to struggle through their new home and strange land. No one would give them any answers, and they had so much to figure out! I kept thinking about it and wondering if I had it all correct, but I wasn't really sure until the end. And even then, there is a little mystery (I don’t want to give anything away). This is a book that will make you think. It made me realize that it's our will to live and our will to survive that gets us to where we are. I recommend this book to kids in fourth grade and up, and to people who have a sense of adventure. What would you do if you were in a new place and had to decide if you should stay or go?

Has anyone else read No Passengers Beyond This Point? Or have you read another book by Gennifer Choldenko? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

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49 comments:

  1. I haven't read this book but is does sound like a book my youngest would enjoy... I am encouraging her to read a little more like my oldest did, of course she would learn this better if I made more time for it like I used to... :) Have a great week xox

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    1. Launna- Maybe your youngest would enjoy reading along with an audio book. I know a lot of kids enjoy reading a bit more when the story is being read aloud to them. Good luck encouraging her to read! :) ~L

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  2. What an intriguing idea for a story!

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  3. Loving the quote you share - so true. This sounds like a wonderfully thought provoking read, the multiple points of view well done.

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  4. That will to live can get us out of the toughest spots indeed. Sounds like another great one

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    1. Tracy- The different POV were well done and part of the reason I wanted to keep reading. :) Glad you enjoyed the quote. ~L

      Pat- It is amazing what the will to live can do! :) ~L

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  5. Looks like an interesting book to read. Must add to my list.

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    1. SuperLux- It is definitely interesting! :) ~L

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  6. Sweet!!! I love a good book review!! And you did not disappoint!

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  7. What a cool premise and I am most curious as to what is really going on. Adding this to Risa's future list. Thanks.

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    1. Heidi- I was most curious about what was going on too! I had my predictions and it was interesting to see it all unfold. :) ~L

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  8. I have not, but thanks for introducing me to the author. I'll check out her author page at Amazon.

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    1. Stephen- Glad to introduce you to a new author. :) ~L

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  9. It sounds fascinating. And I love that the differences between the siblings are such a key part of their story.

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    1. Elephant's Child- It is a great book and the different siblings added a lot to the plot! :) ~L

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  10. That's interesting, with the rotating POV's. I love when an author successfully weaves multiple perspectives into a single work!

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    1. Crystal- I like when it is successfully done too! :) ~L

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  11. I like books that make me think.

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  12. I haven't read this book by Gennifer Choldenko, but I have read Al Capone Does My Homework, which I liked very much. This one sounds good. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the review.

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    1. Rosi- I read Al Capone Does My Homework too and I really enjoyed it. I have to read the rest of that series. Thanks for the reminder! :) ~L

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  13. I haven't, but I saw her speak at the Midsouth SCBWI conference. She was a great speaker...and she makes very good money doing school visits. Of course, it doesn't hurt that her Al Capone books are very highly read in schools anyway!

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    1. Stephanie- How awesome that you head Gennifer speak at the Midsouth SCBWI conference. I read her first Al Capone book and look forward to reading the rest! :) ~L

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  14. I would want to read it because of the cover, too! I love that cover!

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    1. Patty- I love a good cover and this one pulled me in right away. :) ~L

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  15. The mystery sounds so good in this one! I will have to put this on my tbr list. I really like the three POV's too - I usually read with one so it's nice to read something a little different.

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    1. Adriana- Definitely a lot of mystery. I usually read books with one POV too- but having the three kept me reading because I wanted to know how everything was going to turn out for each sibling! :) ~L

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  16. I was very encouraged to find this site. I wanted to thank you for this special read. I definitely savored every little bit of it and I have bookmarked you to check out new stuff you post.

    Ivanica

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    1. Ivanica- Glad you enjoyed the review! :) ~L

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  17. Love the premise - showing kids they can think on their own, even in the face of hardship. Very cool character names too.

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    1. Cate- I thought the character names were super cool. I like the message about thinking on their own too! :) ~L

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  18. At first this just sounded like a story about kids moving, but I'm glad it has a cool twist to it. That's the part that makes me want to read it.

    I've always hated change, so this sounds like a nightmare. I'd just want to go home the entire time. I like the sounds of the different points of view. The rule follower, that one would've been me.

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    1. Molly- If you read it- you will definitely be able to relate to at least one of the siblings. Sometimes it is hard to be away from home and even harder when you don't know where you are! I think you will definitely relate to the rule follower based on your comment. :) ~L

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  19. I've read the Capone books, but not this one. It sounds good!

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    1. Marcia- Wonderful to hear you read the Capone books! :) ~L

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  20. I've wanted to read this for a while, too. I adore the cover.

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  21. I do prefer when my characters are not typical but this sounds cute noneheless. I don't like to take risks, really, but I would be very curious!!

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    1. Lola- This is a good read, and the characters are unique and different from each other. They have had some hard things happen to them in their lives which helps to give them depth. :) ~L

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  22. Yes,I love the cover too! It's so good to know that the book lives up to its cover. Thanks for the info! :)

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    1. Lexa- I am glad to hear you like the cover too! :) ~L

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  23. Ooh, this one ... I love Choldenko's NOTES FROM A LIAR AND HER DOG and her AL CAPONE series, but when I read No Passengers, unfortunately, I felt disappointed. I liked how the story began and even up to the part where the three children boarded the plane and all, but afterwards, I think the characters just didn't work that well for me and I had to make the tough decision to stop. Still, I won't hesitate to pick up the next Choldenko book. :)

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    1. Claudine- I read Notes for a Liar and Her Dog and didn't realize it was the same the author. Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy this one, but it is nice to know you enjoyed other books by this author. When the characters decide what they are going to do (I don't know if you read that far) the story really picks up. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. :) ~L

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  24. I've been wanting to read this. I read her first Al Capone book. I also like the cover of this.

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    1. Medeia- It is definitely a different type of book than the first Al Capone, but I enjoy it! :) ~L

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  25. I would agree, the cover to this book is absolutely amazing and was the first thing that caught my eye! Great review, this sounds like a nice book and the element of four people working together has me intrigued.

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    1. Olivia- Savannah- The cover drew me in, but I enjoyed the story. It was interesting watching the siblings try to decide what to do and then actually try to do it. :) ~L

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