‘The Christmas Train’ by David Baldacci: Book Review

Star Rating: ★★★✰✰

Plot

Tom Langdon, ex war corresspondant, needs to get from Washington DC to LA in time for Christmas. Due to a bit of a kerfuffle the last time he tried to fly, he is forced to take the train. On his long train journey, he meets a cast of characters who each have their own reasons for traveling by train. They teach him why train is the best way to travel at Christmas, how it brings people together and shows the goodness in everyone. And one other passenger in particular shows Tom how his past might not be as behind him as he thought.

Just cheesy enough for Christmas

This is not the type of book I would normally go for at all, let alone give it a 3 star rating. It’s cheesy, it’s over the top, and it just made me roll my eyes the whole way through. But that’s exactly what a Christmas book should be. Heartwarming and a bit nonsensical to the point that you kind of hate yourself for enjoying it (No, just me?)

Well anyway, that’s just what this book is. It’s cheesy in so many ways. Firstly, in my opinion anyay, trains are nowhere near as wholesome and amazing as this book makes them out to be. Maybe it’s an American-friendlieness thing, but there’s no way anyone here in Ireland would be as chummy with so many strangers on a train. At one point, Tom hears laughter coming from another part of the train and decides to go talk to whoever is laughing. If I was the one laughing, and this stranger came up to me, deciding he was part of my conversation now, I’d be pissed off and a little bit creeped out. But it’s Christmas on this train, so it’s fine.

And the romance between Tom and Eleanor would cause a severe amount of eye rolling most of the time for me as well. She’s being the stereotypical girl, basically whining that he doesn’t know what she’s thinking even though she refuses to tell him. And he’s being a pain-in-the-ass man not expressing how he actually feels about her. But again, it’s Christmas, so I can forgive it all for a happy ending.

Genre-Defying

One of the things I actually really liked about this book is the fact that there are a few deifferent genres in it. Romance, with the relationship between Tom and Eleanor. Mystery, with the question of who is the train theif. And there’s even a bit of action and adventure in there when the train gets stuck in an avalanche and Tom and Eleanor have to brave the snow to try to get help (this could have been a bit more dramatic though, if you ask me. And I was annoyed when Eleanor makes a big deal about Tom going, so he decides to stay as a grand romantic gesture, but then they both end up going later on anyway, just seemed a bit pointless).

It’s fine for a Christmas book

I don’t think this is a great book in the grand scheme of things. If it didn’t have the Christmas element I probably wouldn’t have even picked it up, nevermind actually read to the end. But Christmas brings out the cheese-lover in me, so I’d recommend it if you want something heartwarming and a bit silly.