This book was so much fun and a great twist for readers. The intertwining perspectives and storylines really added to the thriller vibes and kept readers guessing.

A well done action/dark comedy! This book was outside my normal reading genre, but I thought I would change things up. Plus, the premise sounded really interesting. We have five assassins on a high speed bullet train in Japan - three with the same mission and two with agendas of their own. And what a mix of appealing and amusing personalities among them that include a Thomas the Tank Engine lover, a sardonic teen, and a very unlucky, nothing ever goes right killer.

I appreciated the author's nuanced characters, the interspersed comedic dialogue throughout, the alternating chapters from the assassins, and the seamless translation from the original Japanese.

Originally a best seller in Japan, it was published there in September 2010. It represents book number 2 in a trilogy, but can be read as a stand alone novel. A movie adaptation was released in 2022 starring Brad Pitt, Joey King, and Sandra Bullock, among other recognizable faces.

Trigger warnings for: murder and violence

My rating of 4.25 stars is rounded down to 4 stars for NetGalley purposes.

Thank you for the arc of Bullet Train. From the original description I was hooked, and the story itself is filled with oddly likeable quirky characters. Since reading this book, we’ve done it for book club at work and our members all really enjoyed it. The ending felt a bit chaotic but overall, a whacky, fun read.

Assassins on a train! This is one where I'd actually recommend the movie because the novel has so many characters and is, to be honest, a bit hard to follow. That said, this has fans so over to others. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I know this book has a lot of fans but it was not for me. I never felt any sort of attachment or cared about any of the characters. And several of them were just annoying especially the fruit guys.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my review.

Very long and convoluted plot but it all tied up at the end. The setting was really the main character.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

DNF at 13%. The writing/translation is pedestrian, the pacing slow and plodding, and the humor is too flat and goofy for my tastes. I'm chalking this up to one of those rare instances where the movie was better than the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride. There was so much action from start to finish. I loved it - very clever and surprisingly humorous.

3.5 ⭐️

The book was an exciting thrill ride where each chapter ending kept you wanting more. There were some unexpected reveals which is a lot coming from me because I’m usually good at guessing the unexpected.
All in all I really did enjoy it aside from one drawback which was the ending.
I don’t know what I wanted but… I just felt…meh…
It was such an unclimactic ending for how chaotic (in a good way) each story arch was, especially the last quarter.
But would I recommend it? Definitely. The ending might not leave you gasping with shock but the journey sure was thrilling.

A comical account of an exciting train ride for a group of assassins. How will this end?

Thank you #NetGalley, ABRAMS & The Overlook Press for giving me the opportunity to read this!

Thriller that you can't put down. The perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassin" god that's a great way to hook people in to read this. I had such a great time reading this, it's what I wanted from this type of book.

DNF'd at 23% I was so excited for this but I could not get into it at all. There were too many characters and too few of them I cared about. There were some weird interludes that didn't fit with the story (Thomas The Tank) and I was totally lost with what was happening with the plot. I'd still like to watch the movie but the book didn't do it for me unfortunately.

You should know, going in to this, that it's a slapstick comedy of errors. Don't go in wanting a well developed connection to characters or a really complex philosophical debate. This is a silly story. It's still definitely an adventure, it's easy to not take it too seriously but still follow all the storylines of each person who has stumbled on the train. There are quite a few and it's easy to find yourself rooting for your favorite. It took me a minute, to get the right frame of mind for the story, but if you know going in that it's a bit silly - then it's a much more enjoyable read. I liked the funny moments and odd Thomas facts. It kept the story quirky. Now I can't wait to see the movie!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

Former assassin Kimura is on the bullet train looking for the Prince. The Prince, a 14 year old sadistic psychopath, is on the train for undisclosed reasons. Lemon and Tangerine have been hired by a very wealthy man to bring his son and a suitcase to him. Nanao, who trails bad luck behind him, has been hired to steal the suitcase. That’s five killers on a single train, and you really can’t afford to turn your back on anyone on that train.

This was really an entertaining farce with guns, knives, needles and a snake. The characters have a hard time finding where to hide the bodies. The suitcase is actually a maguffin that constantly changes hands. The Prince is one of the creepiest characters I have encountered. Lemon and Tangerine are like a deadly comedy act. Nanao is not incapable, but if something bad is going to happen it will probably happen to him. Surprises keep coming until the end. I think they have made a movie based on this book. It should be fun.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I’m a sucker for anything set on a train.

Five assassins, one 2.5 hour train trip, conflicting (but perhaps connected) goals. What could go wrong?

Pretty much everything, as it turns out, much to the delight of the reader. The action in this story is nonstop but smarter than your average novel in the genre.

The clever dialogue lightens the intensity without detracting from it, and the characters are exceptionally fascinating, another rare bird in the thriller genre. I appreciated the story’s sense of humor, some silliness and gallows humor (we have an outstanding Weekend at Bernie’s-ish situation) mixed with sharp wit, all of it adding to the plot and character development.

While the train setting doesn’t work quite as well for this as it does for a locked room style mystery, the contained location does make for an interesting breed of intensity due to proximity, and some fun problem solving for the characters.

But mostly it’s just a smart, fun, and well-paced story that should delight any reader who loves an action novel.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was on the 2022 shortlist. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Bullet Train is a fun, quirky thriller featuring 5 killers who get stuck on a train while trying to accomplish their jobs. The vibe of the novel reminded me a bit of the movies Knives Out/Ocean's 11. So, I can see why the book is being turned into a movie.

The novel switches from the different perspectives of each killer, but each perspective has a definitive voice so the story flowed well. I loved the characters Nanao (a hopelessly unlucky guy; it's honestly a miracle he can do his job.), and Lemon and Tangerine (their banter was amusing).

Throughout the story, there are flashbacks that tie characters together, and I thought it was done in a way that flowed naturally throughout the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed Bullet Train. It's a little bit off-beat and fun, with some twisted dark humor resonating throughout the novel.

First I need to say that I did not finish this book yet, not because it is not good enough, not because its plot its not worthy or because this book is not popular enough, but because I felt lost in its long awaiting plot

I enjoyed reading it as much as I did, the characters were all quirky, each representing their own personality, which is truly good for the whole representation
The story was funny and written in that Japanese style I was so longing to see, otherwise I felt that some characters were in that story just to occupy the reader from reaching the whole perspective of the thrilling stolen bag

Do not take me wrong, I will finish it maybe in the near future just because I want to see how it ends and where the funny named characters end up
For me, it's plot lacking and a slow paced read

I do encourage readers to give it a try, maybe I didn't read it in the best time of my life

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read the ARC of Bullet Train

DNF. I just could not connect with this book - the characters, the plot, everything. I found that I was forcing myself to read it which is never a good sign. I gave up.