No Passengers Beyond This Point by
Gennifer Choldenko
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
The Tompkin siblings are traveling on an adventure. Their home was sold and they're on their way to live with their Uncle. Strangely enough before their reach their Uncle's home, they discover the city of Falling Bird. Mom told them to stay together, but it's difficult in Falling Bird and even worse to try to find answers.
Are you familiar with Choldenko's Al Capone series? If not, I would highly recommend those two books. If you are familiar with Al Capone, don't jump into this novel with the same mindset of historical fiction.
No Passengers Beyond This Point is a modern tale of loss, questions, tragedy, answers, and family.
A very good friend recommended this book, but warned me...this is not like her other stories. Too true, friend. I was intrigued by the layout of the plot. As an adult, I guessed the answer too soon. I believe the wonder of Falling Bird will amaze elementary students when they listen or read this story.
No Passengers Beyond This Point was read by three named artist - Becca Battoe, Jesse Berstein and Tara Sands - one for each child. I recongized Jesse's voice at the actor for Percy Jackson. It was very difficult not to picture Percy Jackson. The gals were all right. Becca shared a very amused and annoyed elder sibling. Tara shared an enthusiastic and inquisitive young child. All in all - they pegged the roles well. Using multiple voices worked well with the books as each chapter featured a different sibling. I would like to see this style demonstrated in other novels.
Reviewed from a library copy.
Audio Book Details...
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko
Read by Becca Battoe, Jesse Bernstein and Tara Sands
Produced by Listening Library
Number of Discs: 5
Total Time: 6 hours, 6 minutes
Even though this story didn't peak my interest, the narration was great! I liked listening to Jessica Almasy. I've heard her read West of the Moon, Twelve Kinds of Ice, and Operation Yes. Her voice is youthful and energetic. It was also good to hear the squirrel names rather than reading them. Just to name a few names - TsTs, Chrika, and Tsam. Those names would stump me if I has reading it myself. There is another female voice that assists with technical information on the discs (end of disc one, etc). Recorded Books also prints the track number with the chapters on the disc. I think that's a nice touch for readers, especially for readers who follow along with the book as they listen to the audiobook.
