Passenger (#1) by Alexandra Bracken
Published by: Disney Hyperion on January 5th, 2016
Genre: YA, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction
Pages: 486
Format: Audiobook
Source: Downloaded

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Synopsis: Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.

Review: I enjoyed this book but not as much as others seemed to enjoy it. It was an interesting concept but it was also very dry. It was very description heavy.

The Characters – I had no connection with any of the characters and didn’t really care about what happened  to them. The insta-love between Etta and Nicholas was awful. There wasn’t really a relevance for Etta being a violinist so I don’t know why it was brought up so much. I didn’t realize that Nicholas was of colour (you’d think I’d pick up on that since this book was so description heavy). That is not something you read often so I love that Bracken put that in there.

The World Building – This was great. I could actually imagine what was happening and the historical references were accurate and quite visual.

The Plot – The time travel aspect was confusing. I honestly don’t really think I can tell you much of what happened. I listened to the audiobook while I was at work. It was 14 hours long and took me a month to get through. I think they time traveled twice, ran into some the bad guys, were lovey-dovey then came to some kind of conclusion. All that happened in a very slow pace.

The Cover – The ship in the bottle definitely draws you in.

Overall, I don’t think that I will be reading the sequel. I have no motivation really to know what happens next. I went into this novel after hearing seeing people giving it great reviews and finishing The Darkest Minds trilogy.

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