Beast Rider: A Novel

A story on a timely subject that reads, moment to moment, like an adventure. The compelling narrative is driven by a range of authentic detail and strong, personal emotion, and told from a love of language that I suspect will itself be communicable to many young readers. One of its biggest surprises comes at the end, in a provocative turn that brings forward the theme of home: how it forms us, and its place in our needs and values. Beast Rider is aimed at the heart.

In this book, Beast Rider, Manuel runs from his home in Mexico to meet his brother in Los Angeles. He does this by riding on top of a train, which is of course very dangerous. On the train, he meets people who are friendly and others who are not so much. At a stop, when he tries to get back on the train, he is caught by a gang who steals the little bit of money and food he has, beats him up, and leaves him to die. He is rescued by a nice lady who nurses him back to health, and after about a year, he is ready to go back on the train. He rides the top of the train all the way to the river, and then he and the coyote, which is a person who helps someone cross the border illegally, swim across. He gets to meet his brother and then continues to live with him in LA where he is met with a lot of hate and racism.Opinion:I really enjoyed this book. It was honest and came with a lot of different emotions. It showed not just the good parts of being a beast rider or just the bad parts, but it showed both so the reader could see what the experience was really like. On the train, there are people who steal from Manuel and try to hurt him, but there are nice people who take him to safety and get the others to leave. I really enjoyed the theme of helping others, such as when Manuel needs food and shelter for a night and the man lets him into his home, feeds him, bathes him, and gives him clothes and money. Then, the story takes a bad turn and Manuel is taken by the gang who hurt him and steal from him. This is a really sad and emotional moment. Then there is a kind woman who shows so much kindness and takes him in and nurses him back to health for almost a year, showing themes of friendship and kindness. Then when he reaches the city and gets to see his brother, which is such a great moment, he eventually needs to find work and is met with so much hate and racism. There are people who see him and tell him to go back where he came from and stop stealing jobs. He eventually gets hired by a lady who decides that she won't pay him because she thinks he did a bad job. He finally finds work at a factory where he is mistreated and underpaid. Overall, this book was really good, and there was a lot of feeling in it.

I was gifted Beast Rider to review (Amulet Books an imprint of Abrams) written by Toby Johnston and Maria Elena Fontanot de Rhoads as part of Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.This book is both timeless and timely. It’s a coming of age book about Manuel who leaves his home in Mexico to reunite with his older brother in Los Angeles. He makes his journey on the Beast Rider, the dangerous network of trains many immigrants use as their transportation toward a different future in the United States.What I liked most about the book was how lyrical it is; it reads like poetry. The first part of the book mimics the actions, the language moves as the main character does, and feels fluid or stationary depending on Manuel’s situation. Some of the descriptions are breathtaking, both for their beauty and horror.Beast Rider has many uses and audiences. My suggested age range is 10-14, but I could see high schoolers and adults appreciating this book. Young readers would be drawn in by the adventurous journey of this young boy. Some readers who may have similar stories to tell may see themselves in him and find it therapeutic, a reflection of the two-author collaboration of a poetic writer and a therapist.As the authors’ note at the end states, this is a work of fiction, but it is universal and realistic. It’s an important story to tell. I like the specificity and attention to the “beast” in this story. There are many directions an immigration story can take and I think the focus of this one really sets it apart.

Wow! What a powerful story! I am almost in tears after just finishing this book. Manuel is a 12 year old boy leaving his family in Southern Mexico in search of his brother who left years before for Los Angeles. He travels by train, or also known as the beast, Manuel is a Beast Rider. His travels to find his brother make up this story and it is one I won’t soon forget.I really was cheering for Manuel and also in shock that boys of 12 years old actually do this. When I look at my son that will be 12 this year it makes my heart hurt. Manuel’s character grows so much through this middle grade story!Even though some parts of this book were hard to read, the book never goes into much detail when Manuel gets into some trouble. I also was very pleased with the ending, This story is a work of fiction, but is based off real events. The Beast is a real network of freight trains connecting Southern Mexico to the United States. I highly recommend this story!

What a powerful story about a young boy named Manuel whose journey to the US takes him on the Beast Rider. The suffering he endures and the sacrifices he makes help him discover what is truly important in life. Manuel learns about death at an early age, and his loss of innocence therefore causes him to grow up quickly. As a 7th grade teacher, I immediately shared this story with my students, introducing the book as a window text. The students were interested to learn more about the novel as most of them have never traveled outside the US, and much of what they hear about people crossing the borders is not valid and often stereotypical. I cannot wait for my students to read this novel and feel the intense moments Manuel felt as he traveled.

Aún no tengo oportunidad de leer este libro, es la tercera vez que los compro, porque todas las veces anteriores no lo vinieron a entregar e hicieron la devolución sin hacer ningún intento de entrega y hoy que por fin llega, al parecer el libro no está dañado.