The Blue Line letters

Steven Christiansen, 1973-

Book - 2025

During the summer in Portland, seventeen-year-old Ty captures his thoughts and observations on his fellow public transit riders and the vibrant world around him in a series of letters to his teacher.

Saved in:
1 being processed

Young Adult New Shelf Show me where

YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Christiansen, Steven
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Young Adult New Shelf YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Christiansen, Steven (NEW SHELF) Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Epistolary fiction
Novels
Romans
Published
Portland, Oregon : Ooligan Press 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
Steven Christiansen, 1973- (author)
Physical Description
105 pages ; 22 cm
Audience
Ages 14+
Grades 10-12.
ISBN
9781947845589
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

To satisfy a summer writing assignment for his AP English teacher, Ms. Warne, 17-year-old rising senior Ty Clark pens a letter a day to her as he rides Portland's MAX Blue Line to his summer job. Each letter makes up a short chapter, seldom longer than two pages. Ty writes about what happens on the MAX (a woman gives birth, another woman brings a calf aboard, etc.); most significant is the appearance of a man called the Prophet, who utters maxims challenging people to think about things like purpose, choice, and--to Ty--love. Speaking of which: Ty finds himself falling for a girl named Janie, who goes to his school and often rides the MAX, too. Will she return his feelings? Christiansen has written a sweet-spirited love letter to the MAX Blue Line--and, oh yes, to Ty and Janie, two empathic characters with whom readers will gladly identify. As for the MAX Blue Line, Ty at one point thinks, "The MAX needs a movie." Perhaps, but even better: readers have been given a book, instead.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

In a series of letters to his teacher, a boy chronicles his daily commutes as he rides the length of the Portland, Oregon, metro area train line. Seventeen-year-old Ty Clark, who's white, has a few responsibilities in the coming weeks: He has an internship at the Washington County Land Use Department and for English class must readJane Eyre and write about what he learned over the summer. His commute on the Blue Line MAX train is 90 minutes each way, and he makes use of his time by writing daily letters to Ms. Warne. Ty gives each letter the name of a train stop--"Gresham City Hall, Day 3"--and he discusses the various people he observes and events that occur during his travels. The most notable regulars he sees are Janie, a girl from school whom he gets to know on the train and develops a crush on, and the mysterious man people call the Prophet, who offers words of advice to the passengers. Ty's letters are studies of the human condition offering some interesting reflections more than tension-filled vignettes that drive the narrative forward. The resulting work stumbles a bit even as it focuses on Ty's minimal character arc. Descriptions of the setting are specific enough to be recognizable to readers who know Portland yet universal enough to engage those who don't. An observant story that patient readers may enjoy. (song lyrics)(Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.