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Review
Let's Talk!: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
3/22/2016Passenger
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Pages: 486
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: January 5th 2016
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
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I enjoyed reading from Etta and Nicholas as they were both interesting characters with very interesting backgrounds and pasts. Etta is from 2016 but Nicholas is from the 1800's I believe? Somewhere around that time. They both are somehow tied into this whole situation and go looking for clues to find this stolen object. Both Etta and Nicholas were very different characters but similar at the same time. They both were very smart about situations, each knowing different things that helped them on this journey. I especially liked reading about the character development that Etta goes through. She is thrown into the whole time traveling thing and she has to adjust and learn as she goes through the whole life scavenger hunt. By the end, she is a lot more informed on time travel and also has gained from knowledge from the situations she was put in. I am really looking forward to the next book when we get to see Etta in a situation I definitely didn't expect her to be in.
The plot is probably the reason why I write "I am excited for the next book." I have never read an Alexandra Bracken book before Passenger but if this is what her plots are like then sign me up because the whole time travel aspect and scavenger hunt is genius. I just want to establish my love for the plot and the whole direction the book is series is headed, especially that ending (More on that will be in the spoilers section). Okay, not what brought my rating down? It is what makes the plot better than it already is. Perfect pacing, making sure the book doesn't drag out for too long, ect ect. The problem I had with Passenger was that I was bored out of my mind for the first 150-200 pages. I get that there were things that needed to be introduced and stuff but I came here for that "scavenger hunt through time" and going through 200 pages for that is a bit much for me. And once it did get to the actual scavenger hunt, the pacing was a bit too slow for me and I felt like the entire hunt through time lasted about two minutes long. Hopefully, this doesn't happen too much in Wayfarer (the next book!) because it pains me that this plot could have had so much potential but it was held back by the pacing and just how long it took to finally get into the plot.
Also, just wanted to mention real quick that I really love the time travel world that Alex has created and I can't wait to read more from it.
The one last thing that brought down my rating was how rushed things got with Etta and Nicholas. I just feel like their feelings for each other just popped up out of nowhere. Like it was one chapter where they were just talking about what was happening then the next Etta is maybe liking Nicholas? Yeah, no thank you rushed feelings. They're cute together but I really wish the relationship could have been handled a bit more realistically...
I gave this book 3 stars because I enjoyed the plot and characters but there were too many things that bugged and prevented me from being able to fully enjoy it.
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