I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken Published by Disney Hyperion on January 5th 2016
Pages: 464
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
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.
My Thoughts:
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken is a mixture of contemporary and historical, which is like perfection for me. God bless time travel novels!
The prologue starts with Nicholas (Nick) in 1910 Bhutan but we quickly switch to Henrietta (Etta) in modern day NYC. I really enjoyed getting the story from these two characters. They’re both strong and determined yet from such different time periods. It makes for really interesting interactions!
All of the time travel in Passenger is to actual places and time periods in our past. I loved getting glimpses into the different eras and places. It was fun to have so many settings. I think it also really helps the reader to understand the characters. The ways they react in different situations says a lot about them.
This isn’t parallel worlds/alternate universe travel. Any changes the characters make could possibly affect the future. Going in to Passenger I really wanted to see how Bracken would handle this. She explains the rules and the cause and effect in a way that was interesting and added to the tone of the story. I was impressed!
Passenger is an all around great read. I loved the characters and was caught up in the action of the story. There are so many secrets the characters need to uncover! Great for fans of Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, Dissonance by Erica O’Rourke, and A Thousand Pieces of You by Caludia Gray!
Author Interview: Alexandra Bracken - YA Bibliophile
[…] can tell from my reviews of Passenger and Wayfarer that I really enjoyed these books! So of course I jumped at the chance to be in on […]