The Train to Impossible Places

Rating: 4/5

Suzy’s world is turned upside down one evening when a train bursts into her house and she becomes part of the Impossible Postal Express, delivering packages all across the Impossible Places. Of course, things very quickly go awry when she fails to deliver, and then steals, a package meant for menacing Lady Crepuscula. Trolls, ghosts, and a giant yellow bear round out the cast of characters in this fun MG book that brings out the magic of the postal system, literally.

There’s something really charming about the whole concept of a postal train that delivers packages throughout a magical realm. Though we don’t see many places in this book, the ones we do see are really beautifully described, and I loved the Postal Express and its crew. There’s a subtle humor throughout that really helps add to the charming atmosphere; the part where Suzy meets ghosts was particularly well done.

The one downside is that the plot is really obvious, though that was probably just me as an adult reading it. It was actually a really well done plot twist, if I think about it, particularly for a book for younger readers, and avoids a lot of fairy tale stereotypes. Suzy was also a little annoying at times, but that’s also probably just me.

The Train to Impossible Places is one of the more sophisticated MG books I’ve read recently, and delightfully charming, so I can look past some of the things I personally had issues with to recognize its overall merit. The target audience likely won’t find the plot obvious, and I enjoyed the subversion Bell did of typical villains at the end. And it was about a fantasy train flying through a magical realm delivering packages to its magical residents, so, really, at the end of the day, what is there not to like?

Info: P. G. Bell; published 2018 by Feiwel and Friends

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Warnings: None.

Recommended Age Range: 10+