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The Bus Ride
A Zany Busnapping Adventure
by Joanie Chevalier
Contact Author - Joanie Chevalier
Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
It's supposed to be another mundane working day for 46-year-old Doug, a driver for the Greyhound bus company. There's no more spark in his eight-year marriage and the overworked man is tired of fulfilling his luxury-hungry wife's demands. However, his day is about to change when a young man named Devon boards his bus. Devon has a mission to fulfill; he's going to change the course of the route and take Doug, including the rest of the people on the bus, for a ride. Hilarious but emotional at the same time, Joanie Chevalier's The Bus Ride: A Zany Busnapping Adventure is the tale of an unexpected life-changing experience for passengers of bus No. 255 as their fates are intertwined, whether they like it or not.
As quirky as the story is, the diverse characters are definitely the main driving force for Joanie Chevalier's The Bus Ride. I personally know several overworked and unhappy 'Dougs', and bus hijacker Devon is easy to root for despite his desperation and lack of judgment. A woman named Gloria is almost like a Zen existence for everyone on board, and young rebel Autumn and Frankie's story - as well as the reason for them to be on the bus - is poignant. I gravitated towards another passenger, Dave, and the surprising twist on this 'Spyman's' identity is ingenious. With its multifaceted plot deftly developed and paced, this Zany Busnapping Adventure is an entertaining and uplifting contemporary tale about ordinary people experiencing extraordinary camaraderie in trying times. A commendable novella from Chevalier.
The Bus Ride: A Zany Busnapping Adventure is a work of fiction in the comedy genre, and is a novella penned by author Joanie Chevalier. Despite the initial concept of someone kidnapping a bus full of people, this is a light-hearted and heartwarming tale that takes many positive twists and turns on the winding route of Bus No. 225. We meet a whole host of different characters who are riding the bus for different reasons, not least our central figure Devon, whose desperation to reach his goal literally drives the whole story forward. What results is a coming together of different people, who then discover they're not really all that different after all.
Author Joanie Chevalier leans into the comedy factor of the wild situations she creates in this short, sharp novella that puts plenty of pedal to the metal. The character range is by far the most impressive feature of the story, and time is dedicated to each of the individuals on the bus to give their little vignette of life and see how their issues are resolved, exacerbated (or indeed both) by the events of the busnapping. I think I liked Frankie's story the best because it felt like it came from a very real place for some people that I know, but central character Devon has some excellent turns of fate as well. Overall, The Bus Ride: A Zany Busnapping Adventure is well worth a read for fans of ensemble casts and character-led fiction who are looking for a short, warm volume of laughs.
Liz Konkel
The Bus Ride by Joanie Chevalier is a zany busnapping adventure. Devon is desperate and time is running out. With no other way to achieve his goal, he makes a hasty decision to take over a bus which enlists all the passengers into his endeavor. As the passengers bond, their stories unfold and each one reveals their mistakes and desires that led them onto the bus. In the process of helping Devon achieve his objective, the other passengers share their stories and face obstacles in their own lives along with various dangers that find the passengers along the way.
Joanie Chevalier turns an ordinary bus ride into a day that goes haywire with a harrowing adventure that's zany, funny, and completely wild. The story revolves around a busload of people facing crossroads in their lives and are busnapped, which spirals them on a different course. The various individuals each play a key role in the story with Chevalier weaving in their backstories throughout with the focus on the moments leading up to them getting on the bus. This allows you to get to know the characters and to see their motivations as all this craziness happens on the bus and why they respond the way they do. Then as the story progresses and the group grows closer, their backstories are slowly revealed which Chevalier then uses to weave in their actual names. Their different stories give a background to these characters that collide as each of their lives end up crossing paths. The Bus Ride will appeal to those who love silly stories, lighthearted romps, and action-adventures that will have you laughing.