Passenger by Alexandra Bracken | Book Review #91

“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”

Passenger is nothing to as what I’d expected, and I enjoyed reading it. Passenger is raw and honest. One of the characters is dealing with how to save her loved ones, and another character deals with a lot of racism. Two very different characters who’ve managed to avoid time and fall in-love with one another.

Passenger is a Historical Fiction novel that I didn’t think I would enjoy honestly. I don’t really have a taste for Historical Fiction novels. The main reason behind that is because I seriously can’t stand the racism that characters face, and I cannot stand for a minute, the sexism that women faced. You could imagine my surprise when I found myself enjoying Passenger.

The main characters are Etta, and Nicholas. Between the two of them, the points of view change a lot. I’m pretty sure that both Nicholas and Etta have equal page time, and that’s great. I liked seeing the differing views between the two of them. I appreciate both of their views on things, and I like when they managed to surprise their counterpart. And they’re there for each other through thick and thin. I love the fact that Etta asked Nicholas to be her partner. I know that he didn’t expect that. He expected something else, but at that Nicholas got the biggest surprise: Etta see’s himself as his equal. And I like that they can pull each other out of their comfort zones.

The settings in this novel; yes, settings, where the characters end up are nothing short of awesome. I loved seeing their views on where they were as well. It was a unique experience seeing their different views on things. How one character would pick up on the shape of a leaf, while the other would hear something far off in the distance.

I like that Nicholas knows that in his time, he can’t be with Etta. And I like that Etta knows she can be with Nicholas in her time. I absolutely love that Etta convinced Nicholas that yes, interracial couples are a thing and they are widely accepted in her era. I ship them together, okay?

I love that over time, their dedication to one another on this journey strengthens their resolve. Like yes, even if this all goes haywire, they’ll be there for the other if they can.

There is one thing that has bothered me in this story though, and that is Nicholas’ almost cousin. She’s such a bitch and ugh, I’m sorry. I want to rip her to shreds. What I love though, is how the tables turned at the end of the book, so now She’s wrapped up in all of this drama as much as Nicholas and Etta are.

All in all Passenger could be a short read. The chapters are big, and the story itself flows easily, which is great. There aren’t really any distractions in the book; example, no one takes up the majority of the story, Etta and Nicholas aren’t a pain in the others side. I liked reading Passenger and getting to see the world from Etta and Nicholas’ points of view.

Thank you for reading my review of Passenger! If you’ve read it, what do you think of the story? – As always the cover of Passenger below will lead you to Passenger over on GoodReads.