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Train Flight #1
Moon Man
Have you ever suspected that an unfortunate event such as a flat tyre on a dark and deserted country road could send you tumbling into a strange world where substantial objects appear invisible, where you can fly past the moon in a train carriage, where deadly creatures aren’t necessarily the ones with big teeth and sharp claws, and where you can finally appear to be more intelligent than your older sibling?
Believe it or not, this is what happened to fourteen-year-old Evie Bamford when she bumped into a tall, mysterious, sometimes-invisible stranger who claimed he could save her older brother and close friend after they’d completely vanished without trace on this dark and deserted road I mentioned.
Of course, all these exciting things happening at once gave Evie an appetite for adventure, but throw in a giant, unearthly creature that is prowling the halls of a satellite 17 million light years from Earth and sucking the life out of its victims to get what it wants – not to mention a virtual time-bomb, a restless crowd of people and a long-repressed secret that is slowly simmering to the surface of Evie’s conscience – and she’s having second thoughts about keeping the acquaintance of this so-called Captain, who seems to go looking for trouble for a hobby.
Desperate times call for drastic measures. The fate of so many lives is uncertain. But all along, the Captain seems to think everything is under control. The question is, under whose control? And just who is this mysterious friend he keeps mentioning?
Believe it or not, this is what happened to fourteen-year-old Evie Bamford when she bumped into a tall, mysterious, sometimes-invisible stranger who claimed he could save her older brother and close friend after they’d completely vanished without trace on this dark and deserted road I mentioned.
Of course, all these exciting things happening at once gave Evie an appetite for adventure, but throw in a giant, unearthly creature that is prowling the halls of a satellite 17 million light years from Earth and sucking the life out of its victims to get what it wants – not to mention a virtual time-bomb, a restless crowd of people and a long-repressed secret that is slowly simmering to the surface of Evie’s conscience – and she’s having second thoughts about keeping the acquaintance of this so-called Captain, who seems to go looking for trouble for a hobby.
Desperate times call for drastic measures. The fate of so many lives is uncertain. But all along, the Captain seems to think everything is under control. The question is, under whose control? And just who is this mysterious friend he keeps mentioning?
268 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2012
About the author
Elizabeth Newton
4 books20 followersI was born into your average middle-class Adelaidian family: Mum, Dad, Brother, Me. Very ordinary, very normal …But I was created for wonderful adventures with the Most High. I suppose it was ordained for me to become a school-teacher and a writer, because as a little girl, I was either writing stories about my teddies, princesses and exciting alien encounters; or lining up my dolls and teddies in my bedroom teaching them how to spell and do sums. I’m a church-going, youth-group-leading, piano-and-drum-playing, singing, dancing, reading, school-teaching, story-writing, so beautifully not-perfect, child of God. If I’ve done or achieved anything good and worthwhile in my life, it’s because He daily gives me strength, courage, motivation, comfort, inspiration and encouragement. And if I get any acknowledgement and praise at all for the stories I’ve written, then glory be to God, the true Author of creation, time, the universe, and my life.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 26, 2013
Train Flight was a pleasure to read in a sense that I enjoyed the adventure. The characters were developed and the concept was alluring enough to detain me. I am a fan of harder SF, with an in depth insight into technology. There wasn't much of that with this title, but I think that can be attributed to a Christian focus. I am not Christian, but I have been at points in my life and I felt Train Flight was a good representation of those ideals. This novel was written well enough to avoid any serious hang-ups. To me an octopus doesn't literally change to match its surrounding, but rather physically or physiologically. There was little nit-picky stuff like that, but nothing too overwhelming.
My one big gripe about this story was my inability to connect with the main character. This being the main reason for four stars. It could be because I like a strong decisive protagonist that doesn't hesitate or play dumb. Most of the time it was like Evie was just along for the ride and accepted every hand that was dealt to her (another Christian influence). However, where Evie didn't grasp me, The Captain put me in a stranglehold that secured this reader's four star rating. I really enjoyed the captain. His humor and quirks were memorable and entertaining throughout.
Overall this was a good read that seemed very Dr. Who-like, but in a good way. The Captain carried this story for me. The characters were developed, the story was well written, and it was a pleasure to read. I probably wouldn't read any more in the series, not because it wasn't good—it just wasn't my thing. I would definitely prescribe this to my daughter.
My one big gripe about this story was my inability to connect with the main character. This being the main reason for four stars. It could be because I like a strong decisive protagonist that doesn't hesitate or play dumb. Most of the time it was like Evie was just along for the ride and accepted every hand that was dealt to her (another Christian influence). However, where Evie didn't grasp me, The Captain put me in a stranglehold that secured this reader's four star rating. I really enjoyed the captain. His humor and quirks were memorable and entertaining throughout.
Overall this was a good read that seemed very Dr. Who-like, but in a good way. The Captain carried this story for me. The characters were developed, the story was well written, and it was a pleasure to read. I probably wouldn't read any more in the series, not because it wasn't good—it just wasn't my thing. I would definitely prescribe this to my daughter.
March 20, 2013
I really liked it. I must say that I'm not usually into reading fiction books - I find it hard enough making time to read the factual stuff I want to read. But I read this book on the recommendation of my sister. I found it compelling all the way through - I had trouble putting it down sometimes - it was the source of a couple of late nights. I sensed a flavour of influence from Doctor Who in the story and suspect that the author is a bit of a Doctor Who fan – not that that is a bad thing – I too am a bit of a “Whovian”. I thought the characters were intreguing and I especially like "The Captain's" little quirks which surface throughout the story. I was also intregued by the occasional mention of The Captain's special friend who, while he is not physically present, is a very present and tangible source of strength and encouragement to the characters when they need to stand firm in the face of fear and danger. While I think I know who The Captain is referring to, I want to find out more about this friend. It was a good enjoyable read.
April 24, 2013
This is a fun and imaginative Christian Sci-Fi novel with more than a passing resemblance to Dr. Who. Fans of The Polar Express may enjoy this tale of a young girl swept away on a mysterious train to places unknown. The character of the Captain is at once alien and yet familiar. The story moves quickly without feeling rushed.
While the target audience for this series is intended for juvenile/teen and Young Adult readers, this book would appeal to a number of adult readers as well. The faith of the characters is presented in a natural, realistic manner without "preaching". The Christian world view shown in the book reminded me of that of the Narnia chronicles.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it.
While the target audience for this series is intended for juvenile/teen and Young Adult readers, this book would appeal to a number of adult readers as well. The faith of the characters is presented in a natural, realistic manner without "preaching". The Christian world view shown in the book reminded me of that of the Narnia chronicles.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it.
March 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I love the idea of travelling through time and space in a train. This also interests me because of the location (it’s where I live) and it’s great having the Christian content as well. Can’t wait for the next instalment.
March 7, 2013
This book is a great book to read! It's full of diverse and colourful characters and unique monsters and villans. It constantly keeps you in suspense, making it a book you just don't want to put down!
July 18, 2014
I very much enjoyed reading Moon Man. It's a very good book and it's so different to anything I've read before. I cannot wait to read the other titles in the series. I couldn't put the book down until I had finished. This book is definitely worth reading.
July 30, 2013
This is a debut Christian Sci-Fi novel for this Author, and it is delightful to see her confidence in her writing grow as the novel progresses.
The faith of the characters is presented in a natural, realistic manner without "preaching", and the Christian world view shown in the book reminded me of that of The Chronicles of Narnia. Despite the characters being nicely developed, I just could not connect with the female lead character. This could be because I like my leads to be decisive and strong, someone I can connect to and travel with, throughout the book, not a procrastinator who waits for things to happen to them, then reacts accordingly. However, where the female lead was too wishy washy for my tastes, The Captain made up for her lack of personality, and it was this character that boosted the thumb rating for this book, he was a truly memorable character with a quirky sense of humour that managed to entertain.
The descriptions in the novel are well done, however, I felt like I was reading a Dr. Who novel at some points, as the Whovian influence is very apparent throughout the book. There are also other influences at work in this novel, which I am sure readers will recognise as they progress through the book or the series. But despite these influences, or maybe because of them who knows, the story is well written and moves along a fast, but unrushed, pace.
Overall, this book was a pleasure to read in the sense that I enjoyed the adventure. The novel was well written, fun and imaginative. I probably wouldn't read any more in the series, not because it wasn't good--it just wasn't my thing; I enjoy hard core Sci-fi/fantasy that examines the technologies and motivations of the characters with more depth, and there really wasn't much of either with this novel, possibly because of the Christian influence.
I would highly recommend this novel to those in the target audience, juvenile/teen and Young Adult readers, but I would also recommend it to adult readers who enjoy Christian fiction (like my Mother-In-Law), or those just wanting a quick fun read.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
The faith of the characters is presented in a natural, realistic manner without "preaching", and the Christian world view shown in the book reminded me of that of The Chronicles of Narnia. Despite the characters being nicely developed, I just could not connect with the female lead character. This could be because I like my leads to be decisive and strong, someone I can connect to and travel with, throughout the book, not a procrastinator who waits for things to happen to them, then reacts accordingly. However, where the female lead was too wishy washy for my tastes, The Captain made up for her lack of personality, and it was this character that boosted the thumb rating for this book, he was a truly memorable character with a quirky sense of humour that managed to entertain.
The descriptions in the novel are well done, however, I felt like I was reading a Dr. Who novel at some points, as the Whovian influence is very apparent throughout the book. There are also other influences at work in this novel, which I am sure readers will recognise as they progress through the book or the series. But despite these influences, or maybe because of them who knows, the story is well written and moves along a fast, but unrushed, pace.
Overall, this book was a pleasure to read in the sense that I enjoyed the adventure. The novel was well written, fun and imaginative. I probably wouldn't read any more in the series, not because it wasn't good--it just wasn't my thing; I enjoy hard core Sci-fi/fantasy that examines the technologies and motivations of the characters with more depth, and there really wasn't much of either with this novel, possibly because of the Christian influence.
I would highly recommend this novel to those in the target audience, juvenile/teen and Young Adult readers, but I would also recommend it to adult readers who enjoy Christian fiction (like my Mother-In-Law), or those just wanting a quick fun read.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
February 18, 2013
This book was a real adventure to read. I kept wanting to turn the pages and keep reading because it was quite easy to read and easy to follow, yet exciting and fast-paced at the same time. The chapters are nice and short most of the time and the characters are so entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews