Train I Ride

Reviewed by: Kristin Taylor - Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 7, 2017

Review

Rydr has been through more than any 13 year-old should and the burden's of her life are great. After witnessing her mother's death from a drug overdose, being sent to live with her chain smoking grandmother and then finding her grandmother dead -- Rydr is being sent to Chicago via Amtrak to live with an elderly uncle that she has never met. Being broke and extremely hungry, she finds ways, not always legally, to fend for herself. On this train ride, she is befriended by several employees and passengers that help her grow and find her way. Dorothea, her Amtrak escort, is constantly reminding her of the right way; Neal, a service vendor, overlooks her petty theft in order to fend off starvation; Carlos, a traveling poet, shows her how to see things in a different light and Tenderchunks, a Boy Scout, shares his vulnerabilities and his precious copy of "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg. Along the journey, she finally lets go of the box that she is carrying and the burden that it represents -- her mother's ashes.

This is a first for the author is definitely character-driven. Well written, simple and direct and easy to follow. Writing styles uses the imagery of life moving on like a rolling train through the countryside with its changes and diversity and how each stop is a reflection of life. Recommended for grades 7 -12 despite being written for middle school levels. Every reader can relate to something in Rydr's life.

Overall Book Score: excellent