Night Train by David Quantick

​    You know how Veep is crazy funny and might be the best modern political satire, while Avenue 5 was an exercise in jokes landing flatly with alarming consistency despite or because of the artificial gravity? Well, probably much in the same way, this novel from the writer of both of those shows, among other things, will work differently for different readers. Despite the hugely positive acclaim from very respectable sources.
    For me, it worked pretty well. Been waiting to read it, the combination of science fiction and literary thrills and scares just too irresistible. So much so I’ve not actually read the proper description and I’m kind of glad I didn’t, this was a fun book to go into knowing nothing. Because that’s how the characters on the eponymous night train awaken into their new bizarre reality…clueless. Like Saw, but then again not really. Also, reminded me of The Cube, but ok, that’s enough movie references. Night Train is very much an original creation, a locomotive nightmare of seemingly endless proportions and seemingly inexplicable purposes.
    Those who find themselves aboard will have to be brave, resilient and tough to solve the mystery of their situation. And in the end, this solution will boggle their minds and quite possibly, dear readers, also yours.
    Unlike the actual train, claustrophobic, terrifying and featuring nowhere near enough canned food variety…Night Train the book has a lot to offer, it’s dark, frightening, exciting, thrilling, loaded with suspense and various creep factors. It’s also just as fast paced, action and dialogue driven and quirkily funny as you might expect from a comedy writer.
    It’s definitely something of an oddball of a story, it flirts with many genres without settling on any and because of its tv comedy timing might seem insubstantial, but for me it proved to be sufficiently original and entertaining to merit the time. And the ending/grand reveal of this very dark version of a yellow brick road to Oz was pretty grand indeed. So yeah, a fun read, good worldbu…I mean trainbuilding. Overall a pretty wild ride. Recommended.