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Strangers on the 16:02
It's a hot, crowded train. Helen Summers is on her way to see her sister Jill to tell her an awful secret. Another passenger, Kerm, is on his way back from his grandfather's funeral.
They are strangers, jammed against each other in a crowded carriage. Noisy school kids fill the train - and three of them are about to cause a whole heap of trouble. In the chaos, Helen and Kerm are thrown together in a way they never expected.
Catching a train? Read Strangers on the 16:02 and you'll never feel the same way about your fellow passengers again.
They are strangers, jammed against each other in a crowded carriage. Noisy school kids fill the train - and three of them are about to cause a whole heap of trouble. In the chaos, Helen and Kerm are thrown together in a way they never expected.
Catching a train? Read Strangers on the 16:02 and you'll never feel the same way about your fellow passengers again.
107 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Priya Basil
9 books40 followersPriya grew up in Kenya, returning to the UK to study English Literature at the University of Bristol. She had a career in advertising before becoming a full time writer. In 2010 Priya, and the journalist Matthias Fredrich-Auf der Horst, initiated Authors for Peace. It is intended to be a platform from which writers can actively use literature in different ways to promote peace. The first event by Authors for Peace took place on 21 September 2010, the UN's International Day of Peace. With the support of the International Literature Festival Berlin, Priya hosted a 24hour-live-online-reading by 80 authors from all over the world. The authors read from their work in a gesture of solidarity with those who are oppressed or caught in conflict. Priya lives in London and Berlin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 15, 2024
QUICK READ
Different perspectives, divergent stories, until the characters interact on the 16:02 train.
Quick read and not disappointing!
Different perspectives, divergent stories, until the characters interact on the 16:02 train.
Quick read and not disappointing!
June 8, 2020
Helen Summer is on her way to tell her sister some terrible news and the train is hot and crowded full of school children. Near her is another passenger, Kerm, who is on the way back from his Grandfather's funeral. No-one could predict what would happen next. In an instant their lives are thrown together and changed forever.
November 9, 2016
It happens every day in London
The characters in this book develop quite well for such a short story, and they all have their different dilemmas.
I always find it interesting to look at people in train carraiges, airports, railway stations, shopping centres, and even in cars alongside me in traffic jams, and wonder about their lives. Where have they come from and where are they going to? What is going on in their lives? Are they agonising over some huge, personal life problem?
This is what Strangers is about. Here are all these complex characters, thrown together in a railway carriage on a local train that is London bound. None of them know what is going on in any of the others' lives, and they may be surprised if they did. Appearances can be very deceptive.
Something else which made this book very interesting for me was the connection to the news and discussions that I hear on BBC Radio London 94.9 on my drive to and from work every day. The author does a great job of coupling the strands of her story to the harsh reality of everyday life in and around London. There is such diversity, which should be celebrated alongside the less discussed similarities across society.
I thought that there was room to extend the story to perhaps around a hundred pages, which would have allowed the characters to develop even more. However, I disagree with the negative criticisms about the ending. If you want to find out what happened next, you should tune in, even on the internet, to the London news. This story is bound to be featured, as it is a description of what is happening right now.
Well done Priya Basil. A very good, creative quick read.
The characters in this book develop quite well for such a short story, and they all have their different dilemmas.
I always find it interesting to look at people in train carraiges, airports, railway stations, shopping centres, and even in cars alongside me in traffic jams, and wonder about their lives. Where have they come from and where are they going to? What is going on in their lives? Are they agonising over some huge, personal life problem?
This is what Strangers is about. Here are all these complex characters, thrown together in a railway carriage on a local train that is London bound. None of them know what is going on in any of the others' lives, and they may be surprised if they did. Appearances can be very deceptive.
Something else which made this book very interesting for me was the connection to the news and discussions that I hear on BBC Radio London 94.9 on my drive to and from work every day. The author does a great job of coupling the strands of her story to the harsh reality of everyday life in and around London. There is such diversity, which should be celebrated alongside the less discussed similarities across society.
I thought that there was room to extend the story to perhaps around a hundred pages, which would have allowed the characters to develop even more. However, I disagree with the negative criticisms about the ending. If you want to find out what happened next, you should tune in, even on the internet, to the London news. This story is bound to be featured, as it is a description of what is happening right now.
Well done Priya Basil. A very good, creative quick read.
Read
November 1, 2023Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
February 28, 2011
On a hot and crowded train, strangers are jammed against each other. Helen is on her way to see her sister to tell her an awful secret, while Kerm is on his way home from his grandfather’s funeral. Noisy school kids and students fill the train and three of them in particular are about to cause a whole load of trouble. Helen and Kerm have never met before, but they are about to get thrown together in a way they never expected.
I picked up Strangers on the 16:02 because I often wonder about other passengers when I’m on a train. Sometimes total strangers strike up conversations and you can almost learn their life history if the journey is long enough. Sometimes it’s the book they’re reading that gains my attention. Other times I just look at somebody and wander what their story is. So I thought Strangers on the 16:02 would be an interesting read.
The story follows three of the passengers in particular, bringing them into each other’s lives. Each one not realising that this train journey won’t be an ordinary one. We get to know some background of the main characters, of what leads them to be on that particular train.
The ending left me wondering what happened next. I found it slightly irritating, but then thinking back you don’t know what happens to people once they get off the train and carry on with their lives, do you? Still, I thought the story could have been wrapped up a little better, but that could be just me wanting more.
Despite the ending, I did enjoy this book. The suspense builds up though-out the short book and culminates in the scene at the end. Throughout the train journey, you almost feel like you’re in the train observing the passengers, though I’m quite glad I wasn’t on that particular train!
The idea of Quick Reads books is that they are quick, fast-paced and easy to read. This makes them suitable for people who don’t read much for whatever reason (whether they have difficulty reading, don’t have the time or would just like to get back into reading but don’t know where to start). Quick Reads books are also inexpensive at just £1.99 each.
Something I noticed with these Quick Read books is that the text in them is slightly larger than that of most novels. This is definitely a good thing and useful for those who are either not use to reading or who have difficulties reading.
Obviously, I’m probably not the type of person who these books are aimed at, but I liked the idea and thought I could squeeze one into my reading schedule (and I did with ease).
Would I pick up another Quick Reads book? Definitely! Even famous authors such as Ian Rankin, James Patterson and Val McDermid have written Quick Reads books, as well as celebrities such as Rolf Harris and Gordon Ramsey. So there’s plenty to choose from!
I picked up Strangers on the 16:02 because I often wonder about other passengers when I’m on a train. Sometimes total strangers strike up conversations and you can almost learn their life history if the journey is long enough. Sometimes it’s the book they’re reading that gains my attention. Other times I just look at somebody and wander what their story is. So I thought Strangers on the 16:02 would be an interesting read.
The story follows three of the passengers in particular, bringing them into each other’s lives. Each one not realising that this train journey won’t be an ordinary one. We get to know some background of the main characters, of what leads them to be on that particular train.
The ending left me wondering what happened next. I found it slightly irritating, but then thinking back you don’t know what happens to people once they get off the train and carry on with their lives, do you? Still, I thought the story could have been wrapped up a little better, but that could be just me wanting more.
Despite the ending, I did enjoy this book. The suspense builds up though-out the short book and culminates in the scene at the end. Throughout the train journey, you almost feel like you’re in the train observing the passengers, though I’m quite glad I wasn’t on that particular train!
The idea of Quick Reads books is that they are quick, fast-paced and easy to read. This makes them suitable for people who don’t read much for whatever reason (whether they have difficulty reading, don’t have the time or would just like to get back into reading but don’t know where to start). Quick Reads books are also inexpensive at just £1.99 each.
Something I noticed with these Quick Read books is that the text in them is slightly larger than that of most novels. This is definitely a good thing and useful for those who are either not use to reading or who have difficulties reading.
Obviously, I’m probably not the type of person who these books are aimed at, but I liked the idea and thought I could squeeze one into my reading schedule (and I did with ease).
Would I pick up another Quick Reads book? Definitely! Even famous authors such as Ian Rankin, James Patterson and Val McDermid have written Quick Reads books, as well as celebrities such as Rolf Harris and Gordon Ramsey. So there’s plenty to choose from!
July 17, 2012
What? That's it! What happens!?! Jesus. The ending is unexpected and badly written. The whole book leads to nothing.
June 6, 2017
Dosadno za poludit
October 1, 2022
Book has absolute no message or deeper meaning and I don't like the end, it’s dissapointing, because there is no end! No ending books can be good, but this one is not.
February 23, 2021
I finished this book and it left me nothing.
March 12, 2015
Interesting short story about 3 characters on the 16.02 train whose interaction with each other has tragic events. Easy read as part of the quick reads series
May 14, 2024
A great read until the end, and then it's left hanging. I normally enjoy these quick reads, but that's the second one I have felt cheated out of an ending. Disappointed as it was so gripping, then a huge disappointment.
April 22, 2019
Waiting for my toes to uncurl...
Another Quickread, another rushed effort by an author. When will authors learn that just because a story is short, it has to be filled of half formed ideas, lacklustre scenarios and adjectives everywhere. It doesn’t do anything to improve the scene!
On the flip side, this book has so many irrelevant details and plot points that ultimately lead nowhere. In fact, there are two main protagonists and an antagonist, we get a couple of chapters on each explaining their backstory, but the backstory has no impact on the plot, and none of the backstories end with a resolution. Therefore, wasted words that could have been utilised in making this a proper story!
To summarise this story: NOTHING HAPPENS!
And one final thought: I have never read black characters written so stereotypically and with such cringeworthy dialogue. Unbelievably bad!
Another Quickread, another rushed effort by an author. When will authors learn that just because a story is short, it has to be filled of half formed ideas, lacklustre scenarios and adjectives everywhere. It doesn’t do anything to improve the scene!
On the flip side, this book has so many irrelevant details and plot points that ultimately lead nowhere. In fact, there are two main protagonists and an antagonist, we get a couple of chapters on each explaining their backstory, but the backstory has no impact on the plot, and none of the backstories end with a resolution. Therefore, wasted words that could have been utilised in making this a proper story!
To summarise this story: NOTHING HAPPENS!
And one final thought: I have never read black characters written so stereotypically and with such cringeworthy dialogue. Unbelievably bad!
August 12, 2022
I was enticed by the title and the description. I should have read how many pages it is, and maybe other reviews. I couldn't get it in the library, so I ordered a used paperback online. Surprise! It's only 107 pages long! I didn't know it was such a short book. The story was OK, not terribly exciting, but moving along OK. Then, suddenly, it just stopped. Nothing resolved. It just stopped in what seemed like the middle (or still the beginning!) of the story. I was more than disappointed. I was angry. What the heck? It just ended. Done. At least it was a SHORT waste of my time.
January 24, 2018
I like a book where you can make up your own "what happened next" and this is one of those books. Unfortunately though it didn't quite work for me. The characters' back stories were interesting and drew me in but somehow the end result made me think this book is the wrong length (it is a Quick Read) I think something a little longer would have worked better for me.
June 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this despite some of the other reviews. The ending left me disappointed though and wanting to know what happened next. That's just me though, I like a nice tidy ending and don't want to decide for myself!
June 21, 2022
Rubbish
And why did it just finish with no ending!
Seriously don’t bother
And why did it just finish with no ending!
Seriously don’t bother
January 14, 2023
This story went nowhere
March 22, 2023
A book about nothing
November 7, 2022
*** WARNING ***
*** THIS BOOK CONTAINS TRIGGERS FOR THE FOLLOWING ***
* Racism
* Domestic Violence
* Stalking
* End of Life Care
So this was my second QR of the day and I stayed up late to read it in one sitting and get it finished, hence the difference with the start and finish dates.
I on a train when trouble has started and have seen first hand how the large of a crowd can be submissive to a small group of people. It’s the old saying of the loudest voice is the strongest.
I have actually been a bit like Kerm and been the one to speak out, thankfully for me, those around me acted like sheep and followed. It only takes one person to stand up to a bully an the crowd will follow.
I liked Kerm and could relate to his family. Whilst I am not Sikh, i did work in A & E during the time my father spent twelve days in Intensive care before his life support was shut off. My family kept looking to me for answers that they felt the doctors were not giving us. For e it was hard as I knew my father would not survive, yet I had to give my family hope whilst knowing the truth. Hence I ot a lot of identification from Kerm’s situation.
I think the author was very brave to write this given the subject matter and the language. Especially since the BLM movement.
It was a bit like reading a commuter version of ‘Bridget Jones’ and i warmed to Helen very quickly and would love to read more of her exploits. It was a quick, reasonably pace read that i enjoyed.
*** THIS BOOK CONTAINS TRIGGERS FOR THE FOLLOWING ***
* Racism
* Domestic Violence
* Stalking
* End of Life Care
So this was my second QR of the day and I stayed up late to read it in one sitting and get it finished, hence the difference with the start and finish dates.
I on a train when trouble has started and have seen first hand how the large of a crowd can be submissive to a small group of people. It’s the old saying of the loudest voice is the strongest.
I have actually been a bit like Kerm and been the one to speak out, thankfully for me, those around me acted like sheep and followed. It only takes one person to stand up to a bully an the crowd will follow.
I liked Kerm and could relate to his family. Whilst I am not Sikh, i did work in A & E during the time my father spent twelve days in Intensive care before his life support was shut off. My family kept looking to me for answers that they felt the doctors were not giving us. For e it was hard as I knew my father would not survive, yet I had to give my family hope whilst knowing the truth. Hence I ot a lot of identification from Kerm’s situation.
I think the author was very brave to write this given the subject matter and the language. Especially since the BLM movement.
It was a bit like reading a commuter version of ‘Bridget Jones’ and i warmed to Helen very quickly and would love to read more of her exploits. It was a quick, reasonably pace read that i enjoyed.
November 24, 2021
Strangers on the 16:02 is part of the Quick Reads series and tells of three strangers whose lives are forever changed when they inadvertently meet on the 16:02 train from Hampton to Waterloo. Two people will be taken to hospital and three others will probably end up in jail.
Helen is on her way to see her sister to tell her the devastating news that she has just received from the police about the disturbing phone calls she has been receiving. Kerm is on his way home from his grandfather’s funeral with his mind filled with memories and the complicated dynamics of his large family. Innocent, a kind brother to his baby sister, is catching the train home with two school mates but he has lost money on a bet and now hasn’t the money for a railcard.
This is a well-written story that transitions between points of view and flashbacks without the reader losing track. One exception was the Facebook messages Helen was reading on her phone which were written in the third person. This tended to interrupt the flow of the story. The ending doesn’t resolve but leaves the reader with lots to think about.
Overall it’s an interesting story that leaves you wondering “if only.”
Helen is on her way to see her sister to tell her the devastating news that she has just received from the police about the disturbing phone calls she has been receiving. Kerm is on his way home from his grandfather’s funeral with his mind filled with memories and the complicated dynamics of his large family. Innocent, a kind brother to his baby sister, is catching the train home with two school mates but he has lost money on a bet and now hasn’t the money for a railcard.
This is a well-written story that transitions between points of view and flashbacks without the reader losing track. One exception was the Facebook messages Helen was reading on her phone which were written in the third person. This tended to interrupt the flow of the story. The ending doesn’t resolve but leaves the reader with lots to think about.
Overall it’s an interesting story that leaves you wondering “if only.”
November 9, 2020
Ever wonder what the other commuters on the train are thinking?
Well 16:02 By Priya Basil gives you a small insight as we travel along the Twickenham line going FWD. to an unknow destination.
Helen, Kerm and Innocents life's collide on this journey that ends in disaster for one of these passengers.
The writing is good and the 3 stories that collide are told well and for such a short little book the characters are well written and surprisingly rounded.
This is a nice little lunch time read.
Worth your time and hard earned cash.
Well 16:02 By Priya Basil gives you a small insight as we travel along the Twickenham line going FWD. to an unknow destination.
Helen, Kerm and Innocents life's collide on this journey that ends in disaster for one of these passengers.
The writing is good and the 3 stories that collide are told well and for such a short little book the characters are well written and surprisingly rounded.
This is a nice little lunch time read.
Worth your time and hard earned cash.
December 19, 2024
I read this in one sitting. It is the second Quick Read I've read this year. The previous one was a murder mystery, but I enjoyed this one way more. The theme and setting (a single train ride, with tensions building inside a carriage) suits the length of the text perfectly. It is well written, with intriguing characters I took to immediately. I just wish there was more of a conclusion at the end.
October 9, 2023
Way too much backstory for a short story, it all felt pointless. Short stories should be a bit more concise and centred on one main thing, I feel. The ending was quite weird and I didn't feel connected to any of the characters.
January 16, 2025
It was a quick read and good to get my first book in. You get a small amount of context on the characters but it's all a bit bizarre and a little rushed on their meeting with no context of why their meeting is important. The ending was slightly rushed. 2 stars. ⭐⭐
November 18, 2017
It had a lot of promise but it just annoyed me by the end.
November 19, 2018
Well written, poignant, funny and tragic. Very good Quick Read!
November 24, 2018
As a quick read it was a good short book
December 7, 2018
Very readable - shame about the sad ending.
March 12, 2019
A novella that engages you enough to leave wanting for more.
For a complete review please click on the link below:
https://onerightword.blogspot.com/201...
For a complete review please click on the link below:
https://onerightword.blogspot.com/201...
March 24, 2021
A STORY THAT REALLY DID NOT END CAN NOT RECOMMEND
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