Reviews

Railhead by Philip Reeve

amandadee's review against another edition

2.0

I really wanted to like this book...

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition

1.0

1/5

I was intrigued by the story but then the book itself (on Libby) was over 500 pages. I was ready to read a book full of action but it was a rollercoaster of fast and slow pacing.

dg_trout's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

scoutfinch75's review against another edition

5.0

Review to follow

duntothewood's review against another edition

Wasn't feeling this one - I may return to it later

ali_w15's review against another edition

4.0

A very creative book. Wouldn't have been my usual choice of reading material but it kept me hooked until the very end. A true adventure story that challenges our notions of life beyond earth. Includes musings on family, friendship, love and gender identity. Only downside was working out what everything was (there is a helpful glossary at the back but I didn't notice it until I'd finished). Looking forward to the next installment.

thebooklovingpanda's review

5.0

Where do I begin? This book was amazing. I don't usually read much science fiction, but damn, if others in the genre are anything like RAILHEAD, I'd better start!

I'd heard a lot about the incredible world-building, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. Exceeded them, in fact. Reeve has built up an entire history, stemming from the present all the way to the next millennium, and the Glossary at the back of the book was full of awesome fictional trivia expanding on political events, places and people mentioned in the story. One thing I really liked was how even though the world-building was intense, I was never overloaded with ridiculously-obscure tech-y sounding names. Plot exposition was just right, and blended in seamlessly with the narrative. Some of the sci-fi terms were so ingenious as well, for example 'threedies', which were mentioned as sort-of very advanced movies - and stem from '3D'. I literally had to stop and shake my head at just how perfectly believable that was.

The characters themselves were also excellent, and I got very attached to some of them. Attached to the point at which I even tweeted at [a:Philip Reeve|27379|Philip Reeve|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1436868938p2/27379.jpg] in anguish after

Spoiler

the trainwreck at Spindlebridge

. I mean, writing non-human characters so skilfully that I cry actual tears over a couple of trains and some robots needs to be commended. Reeve also juggled multiple POVs, without losing each character's personality between chapters (or even paragraphs). And I was really struggling with how I felt about a certain Raven. Do I hate him? Am I vaguely on his side? Who knows? Not me.

Also, can I just point out that this is the first mainstream YA book I've read in quite a while that features POC as most of their cast? The character Raven is actually singled out for being white, because "on the Network...most people came in various shades of brown." It's one of the little things that I love about this book. As is the casual mention that Malik is married to another man, suggesting that LGBTQ+ is perfectly acceptable on the Great Network. As though I needed another reason to want to actually portal to this fictional galaxy!

Especially after what that awful man (Trump) has just been saying about trans people not being allowed to serve in the US army. UGH.

Also gotta give a big shout-out to one of the purest, most adorable couples I have ever read. Seriously, my heart was just bombed with the feels. To quote the totally awesome Nova, "My heart is not made from self-repairing compounds", Philip Reeve. Fictional couples tend to annoy me if for example they take over the perfectly good plot, or have zero development whatsoever. This was 100% not the case with Zen/Nova. I mean, just look:

Her face was very beautiful, he thought. He hadn't been sure before, but he was now. The mind that lived behind it made it beautiful, the same way that the flame inside a lantern makes the lantern beautiful.

The Wildfire and the Time of Gifts also deserve a mention as well. Who knew I could be so invested in a romance between two locomotives?

To sum up: basically just an awesome book, with a riveting plot, wonderful characters, and a few good laughs, set in a beautifully imagined world. Highly, highly recommend, even for those who don't usually read sci-fi!

-------------------------------

2022 update: Reread as an audiobook! (Though I have the weird feeling that I've read this now three times?? I think the second time was when 'Station Zero' - book 3 - released?) Great narrator! This is comfort read material for me now.

sophiedeo's review against another edition

4.0

“It was not like a machine at all, thought Zen. It was as cruel as a human being.”

I really loved this. The best part is by far the world building. I loved the idea of trains travelling through space and time, trains having intelligence, K-gates, Guardians, Motos and the Hive Monks. Reeve also considered some really interesting ideas. I absolutely love the idea of Motos trying to be human even though they machines (which is also what I love about the Blade Runner movies). I liked flitting between being grossed out by the Hive Monks and then feeling sympathy for them. You also didn't know who to trust, as both sides were saying different things, which I loved. It was also a surprisingly brutal book.

4.5 stars.

silverselkie's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A good read with a different slant on space travel compared to other sci-fi. I love the idea of the sentient trains, I just wish we heard them talking a bit more.
I feel I don't know the characters as well as I thought I would, they aren't shallow, but I'd have liked to read more about them.
The trains were definitely the stars of the story, and it was sad whenever anything happened to one.

sixcubes's review against another edition

It was too young for me, and I found it a bit boring.