Bullet Train

“Bullet Train” was a book I read because 1) it was on a lot of lists as one of the best books of the year and 2) I wanted to see the Netflix movie, and everyone knows you read the book first. And it’s true in this case as well; the book was better than the movie (but the movie was good too). “Bullet Train” was written by a Japanese author and takes place in Toyko, so right away I found it interesting to read names and situations that may or may not be common in the U.S. It’s a very well-written book, telling the story of passengers on an Amtrak-type train, each with their own story and reason for being there. It took me a minute to figure out the main character was Lady Bird, the “unluckiest” assassin in the world. He wasn’t my favorite though: I really liked Tangerine and Lemon best, a duo of assassins. As you can tell by now, this is not a normal train with normal passengers. Turns out a crime boss’s son was abducted, and he hired Tangerine and Lemon to bring him safely home on the bullet train. They are carrying a suitcase full of ransom money, and all Lady Bird must do to complete his assignment is steal it. Simple, right? Only nothing goes according to plan and by the end, it’s just fun-filled chaos (at least for the reader). This was a fun book to read and then watch on Netflix. Not too complex, but with colorful characters and a mystery to boot! I can see why a lot of other readers liked this book too.