Passenger | Book Review

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 travelled 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:

“There are rules, but rules may be rewritten if only one hand holds the ink.” 

Despite the mixed reviews that have surrounded all of Alexandra Bracken’s books, I have loved every single one of them. Passenger is definitely different to The Darkest Minds, in fact, it’s nearly impossible to recognize that they were written by the same author. The language in this book is far more complex, intricate and intelligent, which is doesn’t affect the overall enjoyment of the story whatsoever.

Passenger was a thought-provoking, diverse, well-researched and beautifully written story about time travel, which can be absolutely disastrous in the hands of a poor writer. Fortunately, Alex Bracken created a world in which time travel was plausible and didn’t bore us with a long list of complicated rules that tends to be the downfall of many books that deal with time.

Sure, some description is probably unnecessary, but the words are beautiful and, let’s face it, most of us quickly scan over long-winded descriptive paragraphs. Yes, this is a flaw that could have been slightly fixed and it would’ve made the book slightly smaller, which can work well.

However, we get to follow the journey of Etta Spencer, who is a straight-up badass. Surprised? Me too. Our first description of our heroine was not promising. She was a pale, blond violinist who had turned away all of her friends so that she could dedicate more time to her music. I was internally sighing when I read this, because oh my god am I sick of boring, friendless Mary Sue’s. And then we travel back to 1776 and Etta handles the situation with clever comments, savagery and manages to charm most of the people she meets.

“Oh my God you are despicable!” Etta snarled.
“Careful, madam, blasphemy is still a sin—”
Even if Nicholas had been the gambling sort, he never would have wagered a single coin on her next words being “Then I guess I’ll see you in hell!”

Another thing I adored about Passenger was the romance. Now, I am not a fan of romance. I am definitely a member of the plot-over-ship club.  Nicholas and Etta’s relationship wasn’t the main plot point. Their love story was a subplot that didn’t overtake the book. It was unhurried, cute and, most importantly, natural.

“I love you.” For whatever small comfort it was worth, he would have the truth between them now. “Most desperately. Bloody inconvenient, that.”

This book was highly enjoyable and I would definitely recommend that you ignore the mixed reviews and pick it up. It’s just one of those books that will have many differing opinions surrounding it. And besides, the cover is pretty enough to make up for any flaws.

 

Instagram: @neverleavethelibrary

Goodreads: @neverleavethelibrary

Email: neverleavethelibrary@gmail.com