Predatory Natures

Gr 8 Up–Eighteen-year-old Lara’s summer job on the Banebury, a luxury train traveling across Europe in the off-season, is supposed to be an escape from her recent past. So, despite learning her ex-friend Rhys has also accepted a job aboard the train, Lara is determined to cheerfully cater to the needs of the trip’s few wealthy guests. But her plans begin to unravel after a midnight stop resulting in the additional attachment of two new, plant-filled train carriages and the arrival of the enigmatic twins overseeing them. The plants are being transported for research and staff aren’t allowed in their carriages, but Lara’s curiosity gets the best of her, and she isn’t sure she likes what she finds. The ancient Welsh tale "Flower Face" is melded with the story of "Bluebeard" to craft this increasingly claustrophobic storyline with decidedly modern plot points. A lavish setting, awkward interactions, creeping vines, and a mysterious illness steadily heighten the mood of the work, sweeping readers along with the characters as their journey turns from luxury leisure to fear. Lara’s own story is told in flashbacks interspersed throughout the main narrative set in the present. Despite potential frustration at the placement of the flashbacks, which often stalls the creepy atmosphere, Lara’s slowly unfurling connection with Rhys adds an additionally engaging subplot. At times predictable, Lara’s story is never boring.