Scan barcode
A review by absorbedinbooks
The Bus Ride: A Zany Busnapping Adventure by Joanie Chevalier
4.0
"Live the Dream. Never stop living the Dream."
A group of people board the Bus No. 225 going to Grassburger, Nevada. Frustrated with their lives, they were all contemplating how to handle the curveballs life has thrown at them, when one of the passenger gets up and declares that the bus is now hijacked. Not wanting to address the passengers by "Hey you!", he assigns each one a nickname, he himself being the FakeBusDriver. The narrative constantly shifts through characters and time, as we learn about the circumstances that lead each of the passengers (and driver) to board Bus No. 225 that fateful morning.
The POV shifts in every chapter. But it is never revealed straightaway which character's backstory is being told. Sometimes, there are clues from the beginning, pointing towards the character, and other times Chevalier waits until the end of the chapter to reveal the character. I loved this aspect of the storytelling very much.
As the story progresses, this quirky group of people become a family, and fight and stand up for each other, and discover themselves in the process. This book will make you laugh and tug at your heartstrings at the same time. Some of the problems the busnapped people aboard the Bus 225 might seem unrealistic, but you'll find yourself rooting for them nonetheless.
I am in love with Chevalier's storytelling and writing style. The characters are well written and realistic. The novella is well paced and the reader is hooked throughout. I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down. I felt yanked into the lives of the characters and traveled with them on this exciting bus ride that changed both their lives and mine.
"He patted his breast pocket to assure himself he still had the drawing Lil’ Princess had shyly handed to him before they left. It was a colorful drawing of a bright yellow bus with smiling people inside. He grinned as he thought about it. He’d be sure to frame it as soon as he could. It made him feel happy. Doug felt a bond with each one of them. And he missed them all."
Like Doug, our RealBusDriver, I too feel a bond with each of the characters of the book and they'll stay with me for the time to come. Read this book, you'll gain a new perspective on life when you're done.
A group of people board the Bus No. 225 going to Grassburger, Nevada. Frustrated with their lives, they were all contemplating how to handle the curveballs life has thrown at them, when one of the passenger gets up and declares that the bus is now hijacked. Not wanting to address the passengers by "Hey you!", he assigns each one a nickname, he himself being the FakeBusDriver. The narrative constantly shifts through characters and time, as we learn about the circumstances that lead each of the passengers (and driver) to board Bus No. 225 that fateful morning.
The POV shifts in every chapter. But it is never revealed straightaway which character's backstory is being told. Sometimes, there are clues from the beginning, pointing towards the character, and other times Chevalier waits until the end of the chapter to reveal the character. I loved this aspect of the storytelling very much.
As the story progresses, this quirky group of people become a family, and fight and stand up for each other, and discover themselves in the process. This book will make you laugh and tug at your heartstrings at the same time. Some of the problems the busnapped people aboard the Bus 225 might seem unrealistic, but you'll find yourself rooting for them nonetheless.
I am in love with Chevalier's storytelling and writing style. The characters are well written and realistic. The novella is well paced and the reader is hooked throughout. I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down. I felt yanked into the lives of the characters and traveled with them on this exciting bus ride that changed both their lives and mine.
"He patted his breast pocket to assure himself he still had the drawing Lil’ Princess had shyly handed to him before they left. It was a colorful drawing of a bright yellow bus with smiling people inside. He grinned as he thought about it. He’d be sure to frame it as soon as he could. It made him feel happy. Doug felt a bond with each one of them. And he missed them all."
Like Doug, our RealBusDriver, I too feel a bond with each of the characters of the book and they'll stay with me for the time to come. Read this book, you'll gain a new perspective on life when you're done.