No Passengers Beyond This Point

by Gennifer Choldenko

Questions can be tricky things. Everyone has their own way of dealing with them. India Tompkins can charm her way out of answering most of them. Finn Tompkins is too quiet to be asked in the first place. And Mouse Tompkins? She’s a genius—she’s used to having all the answers.But when they find themselves trapped in Falling Bird—a city seemingly without logic—the Tompkins kids are facing a whole slew of impossible questions, all demanding answers, and not even Mouse knows how to solve these.How do you find your way home when you aren’t even on the map? What’s the fastest way to wrap your brain around a problem when time itself keeps getting away from you? And if your life at home wasn’t perfect, can you be sure you really want to go back?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Family

Paperback

First published February 8, 2010

About the author

There’s a Lego in my bum which fits with the Lego in my chair and when I sit down to write, I hear the satisfying snap of the two pieces fitting together. I love words, dictionaries, thesauruses, sharp pencils, the smell of book ink and the delicious art of carving out sentences on clean white paper. I love to slip into another person’s skin and feel what it’s like to live another life. I love when characters come to me out of nowhere and make me cry so hard my mascara runs or laugh until my stomach hurts. I love the crazy fun and infinite possibility of storytelling.

What prepared me for a life of writing fiction? Though I have a BA from Brandeis University in English and American Literature and a BFA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, the true answer is probably genes. I come from a long line of Irish storytellers on my father’s side and theatre people on my mother’s. I always knew I loved to write, but it took me a long time to summon the courage to chase the dream. I finally went for it when I realized I would prefer to be a failure at something I wanted to do, then a success at something I didn’t.

While I was pretending I wasn’t a writer, trying to be a nice person with a nice quiet job somewhere, I sold lingerie, lipstick and lamp shades. I wrote junk mail. I taught visually and hearing-impaired kids horseback riding. I held a prestigious job in rubbish removal and I worked in a factory wearing a paper gown while wielding a large mallet on small serving packages of ketchup.

One Third Nerd, my funniest novel yet, is due out in January 2019. My most famous novel, Al Capone Does My Shirts, garnered 20 awards, one of which was the Newbery Honor. The Tales of Alcatraz series has sold more than 2 million copies. What will probably be the last book in the series: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve is the best of the fifteen books I’ve written so far.

I am a fitness fanatic; a book-obsessed, tennis-playing woman who thinks like a twelve-year-old. If I ever get the good fortune to meet you, offer me coffee and I will be your friend for life.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to do it, but I'm going to have to call this book a complete failure. I was with the story until the plane trip that landed the kids in Falling Bird. At that point, the story bounced around so much that it was impossible to follow and enjoy. I think it was possible to craft a story in this world that did not feel so disjointed, but for whatever reason, Choldenko chose to leave that reader in complete darkness, and just when you started to follow a thread, she would switch to one of the other narrators, and jump forward so much that you always felt like you were missing pages from the book. The ending did give me chills, but I believe she had this idea in her head with a great ending and was just in too big of a rush to get there that she left everyone else behind.

[The Library Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really admire Gennifer Choldenko for trying to try out new genres. She's a terrific writer, but I don't think this matches her other recent stuff.
This book didn't work for me. More importantly, it didn't work for for my 12 year old, who couldn't even finish it.
I'd rather have read a story about the 3 kids moving to Colorado and trying to adapt to their new circumstances than this "Heaven Can Wait" sort of stuff, especially since it was choppy and confusing.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the ending seemed a little short and there were quite a few umaswered questions, this book was a fascinating read and a good discussion starter for tween readers. It is the kind of book you want to go back and reread once you know the ending.

[Kayla TM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never would’ve chosen to read this book if it hadn’t been a bookclub pick. I am trying to take into consideration that it is a middle grade novel so the expectations are different than if it was a YA or adult novel.

With their house being foreclosed on, a mother sends her three children on a plane from California to Denver so they can start their new life with their uncle. A bout of turbulence sends the plane onto a different trajectory which lands the children in a place that is just different.

The format of the book is a little difficult to read and I think lends itself more to confusion more than anything. The chapters switch perspectives between the three children (India, Finn, and Mouse). But sometimes these switches leave out chunks of the story. It’s very disjointed.

I felt like there isn’t much by way of an explanation for what is going on or why. I wanted the ending to be a little more clear than it is. The vagueness does serve a small purpose though.

I did struggle with liking the characters. Particularly India. I found her to be very frustrating in the ways that teenage girls are so at least it’s somewhat realistic.

Three stars. It just didn’t do anything for me in the end.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 2 out of 5]

When three siblings get on a plane to go live with their Uncle Red, they are whisked away to a mysterious land of Falling Bird, where they must choose to become citizens, or remain passengers and try to return home. The temptations are many, and the siblings have to deal with their grief over leaving their old home, and decide if they truly are willing to step into a new adventure with their Uncle Red. Each of the children deals with their turmoil in a different way, and they make emotional choices in the face of danger.

The plot is all over the place, and there are a lot of things that are left unexplained.
When the children first arrive in Falling Bird, they are each given their dream home, complete with all their favorite foods, games, and even a parental figure who plays with them and understands them perfectly. Then the dream home is taken away from them, and they are told that it is "necessary" for the next part of their journey. But it is never explained why that was necessary or what part it really played in the plot. Why tempt the children to stay in Falling Bird as citizens, and then take away the dream home and still expect them to stay? It was just badly explained or something. Didn't make sense to me. There were a LOT of things like that which did not make sense, or didn't fit in with the rest of the story.

I really liked the interactions between the siblings. They are always arguing, and they each have their own weird quirks.

The writing is good, the dialogue is hilarious and sharp, but I just can't get past how disjointed the plot was. And then the ending was so disgustingly pathetic.... One of those "it was all a dream" deals, and I HATE those.
It also has a rotating POV between the three children, and I HATE changing POVs. Urgh!

Another thing that bothered me is that the children are all still dealing with the grief of losing their father in a car accident six years before. This issue is addressed several times, and we see the kids acting badly because of their heightened emotions, being kind to each other because their dad would have been, and talking about him and how much they miss him, but then the issue is never resolved! It's just left out there with this horrible grief, and they never come to a good conclusion or a little life lesson to help them. So many things unresolved!!

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It might not be too late to change my mind. What are the consequences of my decision, that's what my mom would ask. My mom is not always wrong. She's not always right either." (PG. 184)

YA-- 10 plus years

It started out pretty good but then went all weird. India, Finland, and Switzerland (AKA Fin and Mouse) are supposed to move in with their uncle Red to Denver, Colorado because Mom lost the house to back payments on the mortgage. They get on a plane (just the kids while she finishes the school year at her teaching job) and suddenly the kids are being taxied around by a weird manboy that isn't taking them to Uncle Red's house. They end up in a strange land. I'm still confused. It was too convoluted to decipher, even for the YA audience.

I didn't understand the finale. Were they dreaming, dead, in Heaven or Hell, or were they really there in this strange place? I hate these figure-it-out-yourselves endings. It is lazy in books and lazy in cinema. It's like starting a sentence and finishing it with "yada yada yada." Tell me the yada yada! (For fans of Seinfeld!)

[Beth G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to wait for good things to happen - wait and wait and work so hard - but bad things occur out of the blue, like fire alarms triggered in the dead of night, blaring randomly, a shock of sound, a chatter of current from which there is no turning back.

The three Tompkins siblings - dramatic charmer India, level-headed worrier Finn, and peculiarly clever Mouse - are unhappy passengers on a flight bound for Colorado. Back home in California, their mother has just told them that their house is about to be repossessed, and they will be living with their Uncle Red while Mom stays behind to tie up loose ends. India is furious about having to leave her best friend behind. Finn is concerned about how their family will move forward. Mouse is confused by the whole situation, but her invisible friend Bing is always there to reassure her. Even when the plane lands in a place called Falling Bird, where they are welcomed warmly and each given a dream home to live in. It will take all three of them to get back home, but do they all want to go?

This is a weird book, and I mean that in the best possible way. A Phantom Tollbooth kind of way. It starts off like a realistic novel: three (mostly) normal kids are hit with the horrible news that they are about to lose their home. And then it takes a sharp turn into fantasy, while all three kids keep trying to make logical sense of things. The narrative shifts between each siblings' first-person perspective in alternating chapters, and Choldenko's creation of three distinct voices is spot-on. (Little Mouse is particularly delightful.) While the time pressure the children face is keenly felt, the quick-paced action is never rushed. There is family drama at the heart of this story, wrapped in a satisfying blend of mystery and fantasy.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

India, Finn, and Mouse, whose mother has just lost their house to the bank, are traveling alone to go live with their uncle in Colorado. To their surprise, the airport where they land is strangely empty, and a feathered taxi takes them to the mysteriously welcoming city of Falling Bird, where they are treated like royalty...at first.

I just didn't get this book. It had overtones of The Giver and Wrinkle In Time and Wizard of Oz, but for me, it just didn't coalesce. I think it's because things were either never really explained, or I didn't get the explanation. In The Giver, the world was explained enough to make sense. In Wrinkle In Time, they went into another world that really existed in the world of the book. Ditto Wizard of Oz. In this book, you just don't know if Falling Bird was real or not, and that bugged me. Maybe the author wanted to leave it ambiguous--the city was just there to teach the kids a lesson, after all--but I just wanted to know at least enough to form my own conclusions.

I also thought the teen girl was a completely unsympathetic character. I don't care that maybe her behavior and attitudes were teen-appropriate, I just wanted to slap her most of the time, and hoped she'd get left behind (I wanted the author to pull a Susan on her--think Narnia).

[CanadianReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This odd, winding, and dreamlike story concerns the three Tompkins kids. Their single mother, who has been financially struggling to keep their California house, announces that the bank will be taking it. The children (beautiful and self-centred India, 14; responsible, worrisome Finn, 12; and genius Aspie child, Mouse, 6) must fly out the next night to Denver, Colorado to begin living with Uncle Red. Their mother will finish the school year in California with her grade-6 class, hoping she will get a recommendation towards a new teaching position. However, the plane flight ends abruptly, and the children find themselves picked up not by Uncle Red, but by Chuck, a child taxi-driver impersonating an adult. They are taken to the city of Falling Bird--rather than Fort Baker where Uncle Red lives. Initially, Falling Bird is the land of wish fulfillment--all of the siblings are given their own dream houses, dream foods, dream experiences and dream parent substitutes--but the dreams end as abruptly as the plane flight did. The children fall from a great height (each in his or her own way) and begin a race against time in this bizarre rule-bound city with its walls, tunnels, silver rooms, and its sky-blue uniformed men and women. The young taxi driver has told the kids that their lives somehow depend putting three wooden puzzle pieces together, finding a tunnel dog, and recovering a black box.

I have to say I was wondering how the author was going to translate the "dream logic" and tie up the story. When she did, it made perfect sense, of course. However, this two-hour reading journey with its apparently disconnected happenings, strange gadgets, and rides in trams, carts, and segways, just felt too long. In real life, unless one is a Jungian analyst perhaps, people's eyes tend to glaze over when another person recounts the intricate details of last night's dream. The dreamlike sequences that fill approximately 2/3 of this book provided a comparative reading challenge.

Sadly, the bulk of the tale focuses on India, the superficial and unpleasant eldest child. It makes sense, of course, because she is the one who most needs to grow. Unfortunately being with her so much of the time was not particularly enjoyable.

Choldenko most definitely can write, but all the odd bits and pieces did not seem to fit together enough to make an understandable (or logical--at least in places) narrative. The resolution made sense of most of the earlier experiences and even cast them in a deeper, philosophical light. Much patience is required in reading this challenging text, and I personally would have appreciated being thrown a bone or two along the way.

I admire what the author was trying to do--or at least what I think she was trying to do: provide us with a sort of metaphysical, "soul rendering" of a physical experience, but in the end I don't think it quite worked. Young readers may surprise me by liking this story, but may gut feeling is that many simply won't stick with it long enough to find out what was really going on

[Peter D. Sieruta · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ARC I read apparently had several pages missing. Strangely, this did not seem to impact the overall quality of this fantasy novel, which read like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink fever dream, crammed with random details that neither advanced nor enhanced the plot. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those love-it-or-hate-it novels, and the coming months will see its ardent fans pushing for this to win the Newbery (those who liked Horvath's EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE, Potter's THE KNEEBONE BOY, or Grey's FALCON'S EGG) and while a few of us detractors will be standing on the sidelines sputtering, "But...but...but...."

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three siblings---India, Finn, and Mouse---are put on a plane to stay with an uncle in Colorado. Abruptly the plane lands and the three arrive in a strange and mysterious place. Where are they? And how can they return home?

No Passengers Beyond This Point is an odd adventure of a book, where the kids meet quirky characters in a place that seems like a paradise...but is it? And what happens when everything changes?

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with many of the previous reviews. When I finished it, I thought, "Did I miss something? I think I know what was supposed to happen, but did it?" There are several elements that are enjoyable (imagine having students describe what their perfect mom/house would be like), but I felt like it tried to combine too many different elements into one. The epic journey for survival wasn't that epic, and there were many frivolous details. I enjoyed the alternating voices, but by the end when the biggest plot twist was revealed, it really was not an "aha" moment.

[Franki Sibberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

want to read it again now that I read the ending.

[Melissa (Distracted by New Grandbaby) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good kids' book, although some of it was a bit unclear. I loved the sci-fi aspect of it and the ending, but some of the things just didn't make sense.

[Ruhama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I have major spoilers in this review.

Finn, India and Mouse are about to have a complete life change: their mother defaulted on house payments and they have to move. To Colorado. To live with an uncle they barely know. Finn is a worrier, which is probably natural, as he is the only man of the family. Mouse is super intelligent, but only six, so she often can't contain herself. And India is becoming an awkward teenager, with attitude to match. The three must fly on their own, with their mom following once the school year is done, as she's a teacher who can't afford to leave mid-year. Everything is going along fine, until they hit some turbulence and suddenly find they've landed in Falling Bird. Things are a little suspicious, but once they arrive in the city, they find the perfect house for each of them, after getting welcomed in style (with a parade, no less), and begin to relax. But it doesn't stay that way and they have to decide if they want to become residents or find the 'black box' that will take them back home. And neither will be easy.

This is a clever story that imagines what it's like to be in between life and death. When the kids first arrive in Falling Bird, they each have the ideal life to enjoy, but that gets interrupted rudely and then things start to go downhill, which is great imagery for life slipping away and fighting to survive. Each child doesn't lose his or her personality, though there is some change evident (particularly in India), making character development realistic. The chapters alternate between the three and whoever is narrating is at the top of each page (which I found helpful sometimes) and keeps the story moving nicely. The suspense of what each child will ultimately choose keeps the reader turning pages, as well as the need to find out what really is going on. Choldenko wraps the story up happily for the three children, but doesn't beat around the bush about the reality of the plane crash. She wisely uses a fourth character to tell the last chapter that fills us in, giving us a birds-eye view of the actual events.

[Joelle Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am totally blown away by this book at this moment - I just read it straight through. However, I think after it's sat with me a bit, I might not like it quite as much. I know...weird, right? Well, sometimes books get me emotionally, and I totally LOVE them right when I finish, but after thinking about it with my writer brain instead of my reader brain, I start finding things that maybe didn't work so well for me after all. I am afraid that will happen here. But for now, I love it! And if you're a kid and not a writer, I think it's probably pretty good. The main problem I have with it, even right now, is the changing narrator. It's too confusing. I think it either should've been in third person or the boy's pov. The plot would've had to change to be told in first person from one POV though, so I understand why the author chose this. Still...it doesn't really work for me.

I have to say, when I finished it a few minutes ago, I just wanted to recommend it to everyone I know! It was very fun.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One to watch. I can see that this book has been divisive. You know how there's always discussion about whether the Newbery committee is looking for a "special" book? And they deny that they are, but evidence is generally against them? This could be that "special" book, the one about which everyone says "why is the Newbery always something weird?" (even though evidence is against them there).

Kind of a Going Bovine for the younger set, or what A Wrinkle in Time might have been like if it were set almost entirely in Camazotz.

I'm tempted to put in a "calling this for the Newbery now". It isn't my favorite thing I've read this year, probably at the bottom end of a four-star for personal enjoyment, but it's definitely a contender for the award itself.

Oh, and I may have met Mouse before, particularly in The Penderwicks and Family Sabbatical, but what can I say? I LIKE precocious six-year-olds with imaginary friends/dolls/dogs/etc.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The students in my fifth grade class either loved this book or didn't want to continue after about fifty pages. There is a science fiction feel to the book and I don't understand why this "place" should be so difficult to understand, especially since it's written for young teens. Even those who enjoyed the book didn't seem to have any idea of what happened at the end. Some beautiful writing, but the book doesn't seem fully realized. There are three narrators, which is both interesting, and sometimes unnecessarily confusing. I think it would be an interesting book to discuss in book club, so much is open to multiple interpretations, but I do think the book's mystery elements could have been more explicit.

[Alesha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked this book at the start, but towards the middle it got VERY confusing and I didn't get it, I tried to read it over but it totally confused me!!
I wish that it wasn't so confusing, because it sounds like such a good book...
I really like the characters though they are great and have totally different personalities!

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd book. Took a while to enjoy but I did by the end. Not sure if kids will "get" it.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one.

[Addie Hankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but some of it caused me to be very confused. I understand when there are books that the reader is keep in the dark but it felt like sometimes it was hard to understand the story. I loved how it switches between all of the three Tompkins siblings, it’s so interesting to hear stuff from all of their points of views. The end is sad but it happens so fast that I had to reread the last chapter to understand what happened. Overall good book I just wish I could have been able to follow the plot more.

[Maya Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one had a kick! When they said “some decisions you don’t have a chance to make again, they time out” that HURT. So many scenes I remembered so vividly and their obsession with “wrist screens” is funny and makes me feel ancient.

[Grace Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good and I loved it but it could have been longer.

[Sarah Redmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this in elementary school and keep coming back to reread it. It's so eerie and bends my brain in a good way.

[Leanne C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was recommended by my daughter. She wanted to chat about this unusual story and we both found we had lots of questions in the end, which led to some good discussions. It is still a bit of a mystery but I kind of like that.

[Elyse Hopfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen the meaning of this book will spice up ur life no joke

[Anabel kamenske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
This book was not my favorite, but it was not horrible. I did not like this book because it had little action and was hard to follow. It also was easy to predict.

Plot Summary:
When the bank took the Tompkins house away they were forced to go and live with their Uncle Red. India, Finn, and Mouse all heard the night before that they were going to fly to Denver without their mother. She explained that she had to stay to finish her year of teaching. They tried to persuade their mom that they shouldn't go without their mother, but it was set in stone. They were going. After they all packed India, Finn, and Mouse made it past security then got on the plane. After an hour of being on the plane, they landed. India got really confused because it was supposed to be two hours long. When they got off they were not in Fort Baker but in a place called Falling Bird. They each had a clock with a set amount of time. They had to get a whisper dog and find a black box. When they found the black box it told them to climb, so they found the largest tree they could find and climbed it to the top. That's where Mrs.Bean and her dog found them and the missing crashed plane.

Recommendations:
I recommend this book to someone who wants a quick read. This book is good for anyone who likes to read mysterious and/or fantasy. If someone likes to read books that joggles your mind then this is a book for them.

[Ben Langhinrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for My Comfy Chair - Safe, friendly Kid-lit reviews

When I was quite young, probably second or third grade, I read The Phantom Tollbooth for the first time. Frankly, I was a bit creeped out, but the story was captivating, and I wound up reading it several more times during my childhood. Mind-twisting and scary, humorous but disturbing, the book spoke to me in some odd way.

That's the kind of book No Passengers Beyond This Point is. Crazy and scary and captivating, it is like a cross between The Phantom Tollbooth and Neil Gaiman's Coraline (the book, as I've never seen the movie).

No Passengers Beyond This Point, written by the talented Newbery Honor winner Gennifer Choldenko, is told in three voices, starting with Finn, the 12-year-old boy who worries excessively, and continuing on with India, his teenage sister, and then Mouse, his 6-year-old sister. One of the great strengths of the book is the voices of Finn and Mouse. India feels a bit less authentic, although she adds some comic relief in her obsessions. The three live together in a small house with their mother, having lost their father shortly before Mouse was born, but the story kicks off quickly with the house lost to foreclosure. Their mother is a teacher and can't afford to quit her job midyear, so they are sent to live with their uncle outside of Denver.

The craziness starts when their planes lands someplace that is only clear about where it is not (according to the signs, it is Not New York and Not San Francisco and Not many other places). Still, they are met by a driver, Charles, who is expecting them and has a sign with their name on it. One glimpse of the fantastical feathered taxi, and they know that something is very strange, but they can't find a way back as they are whisked along to a series of adventures, both wonderful and scary.

In classic fashion, the children realize they want nothing more than to go back home, but it takes all of their different strengths and weaknesses to stop the momentum of craziness. Even then, it is unclear whether they will run out of time before they find a way back.

There are friends and villains along the way, and some who may be one or the other, but the three siblings also discover each other. They are brought closer together by the adversities they face, even when they are separated by events.

As you can probably tell, this is not the easiest book to describe, and it may feel confusing at times if you don't let yourself go with the nuttiness, but I think it has a lot to offer middle grade children. Never preachy, it nonetheless strengthens messages of the importance of family as well as perseverance. I know that as a child, this is a book I would have returned to over and over.

[Molly M · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain book that I interpret differently each time I read them, as if I understand it on a deeper level every revisit. This is one of those books.

Starting out normally enough, No Passengers Beyond This Point looks at first to be telling a fairly mundane story of three children forced to move across the country due to financial troubles. Finn, India, and Mouse must board a plane to their uncles house in Denver all by themselves while their mother finishes work. However, when the plane lands, they're not in Denver, but a strange city called Falling Bird. At first it seems like a paradise, but suspicious complexities lie just beneath the surface.

I loved the alternating perspectives of the book. Each character views the word an entirely different way, and has a unique voice. Viewing the word through three pairs of eyes fleshes out the setting, and no character knows the whole picture. In every rereading I seem to find new metaphors in how Falling bird is set up.

Really, my only complaint is that Mouse doesn't get more chapters. Her point of view is one I don;t often see in fiction. She has the logic of a genius, and the mind of a child. Finn and India are very good characters as well, but worried 12-year-old and misguided teenager are archetypes I've seen plenty of before.