Passenger

I loved Passenger a whole lot, a fact that most of you may be well aware of now since I've mentioned it more than a few times on social media. But I'm struggling to figure out just where to begin talking about it, because so many parts of this story are fighting to be the center of my attention. But I suppose I should begin by saying that I think the work Alex put into creating this book - the plot flow, the detailed settings, the nuances of each character - is incredible. It is, by far, one of the most cleverly constructed tales I've ever read, and that's definitely no easy feat. The combination of her writing prowess and the actual story basically made my heart and my brain explode with how awesome it turned out to be. If that doesn't convince you to give this story a shot, I have no idea what will.Still not convinced yet? Well, allow me to address your doubts and double my efforts to convince you to give Passenger a fair shot. Here are a few of the things I really liked about this story, in no particular order (and I can guarantee that there are no spoilers here):TIME TRAVEL | It can be tricky to explain the ins and out of time travel, but Bracken does it wonderfully. She makes sure all the basic questions are addressed at some point in the narrative, and these answers create a cohesive explanation for time travel. The set-up is really well-done, and I never felt lost for a minute once things were explained. There's really only one question I have left (and it's actually something Etta brings up), and I'm hoping it gets answered in the next book.SETTINGS | It's probably because I'm a not-so-secret history nerd, but I loved the variety of settings that Bracken chose for her story. Each locale switch resulted in a different tone for the story, with Etta and Nicholas remaining the only constant element. It was definitely entertaining! Little details were included to differentiate all the locales. Though it was done with a light hand, it was still enough to bring each place and time to life.PLOT | I'll be completely honest: there were things that I guessed right away. But there were still a lot of moments and things that I didn't expect at all! There was plenty to mull over - histories, intentions, relationships - but there was also plenty of action to keep things exciting. Admittedly, the beginning is a bit slow, but the pace definitely picks up and stays steady till the end. I was hard pressed to set this one down once things got going, and I've no doubt many will feel the same way.CHARACTERS | While the secondary characters in this story are a fun and diverse bunch, I'm going to be talking mostly about our main characters, Etta and Nicholas. Etta is a talented violinist, who suddenly finds herself transported to a different time and not of her own volition. She might not know what's going on, and sure, she's scared. But she's a survivor, someone willing to do anything she can for the ones she loves and she also happens to be pretty damn smart. It was a treat to see her grow more confident in herself as the story continues! On the other hand, we have Nicholas, a young man who just wants the freedom to captain a ship of his own. He's smart and serious, yet manages to be utterly charming at turns too; it's no wonder I developed a soft spot for him straightaway. Even as he deals with his own personal demons, he still manages to retain a sense of deep goodness and unwavering strength. He's a complex guy, but that just endears him to me even more.RELATIONSHIPS | Family ties. Friendships. Romance. Enmity. Each type of relationship is a part of this story. And each affected the plot in a different way. While all the elements I've already mentioned are really cool, I personally don't think this story would be as special without the development of the various character relationships. Obviously, the highlight of them all is the Etta-Nicholas relationship! There's a great progression from being strangers, to becoming friends, to eventually the taste of something more, even though it admittedly develops faster than it would have if they weren't under duress. I can't wait to see how the relationships grow and shift in the next one, too (especially since there are going to be new characters brought in).Clearly, I loved this story an obscene amount. Passenger is a triumphant blend of science fiction and history, made even better with the inclusion of smart, opinionated characters and well-organized plot threads. It does take a little time for it to build up properly, but once it does get going, the story is awesome. So, here's what I think you should do: Buy the damn book, read it, and then find me on Twitter so we can gush about it together. Okay? Okay.

"But she wondered if, in moving outside of the natural flow of time, they had forgotten the most crucial point of life—that it wasn’t meant to be lived for the past, or even the future, but for each present moment."Passenger is a time-traveling love story. That is about all I can say to describe it. It follows two points of view, Etta and Nicholas, and develops into a time traveling epic adventure of love, loss, danger, and excitement.As to be expected with anything written by Alexander Bracken, my mind is a mess of emotions. She has the power to create a world that makes you feel like you are living in it. And this one is insane! She writes beautiful words and creates atmospheres that are so real you can reach out and touch them. One of the downfalls of this book is the pacing, especially at the beginning. It is hard to get into it, for well over 150 pages. I know that does sound like a lot but don’t get me wrong there is some exciting things that happen in those pages but the connection to the story is a bit lacking. However, once you power through it you will become so deeply involved in the story you will forget you struggled at the beginning.The great thing about this story is that we get to live through history. The research that Bracken must have completed to create such a rich historical setting must have been insane. This book takes us through 1776 New York to 1940 London to 14th century Damascus. Her attention to detail is impeccable. She relates everything to the time from dress to food to setting to cultural standards. The thing that makes this so much more real and exciting is that Nicholas is from 1776 while Etta is from New York City, present day. By having this story told in two POV we can see just where cultural differences occur and how much etiquette and customs have changed. When you then place these two characters in different time periods than what they grew up in, it is just mind blowing. Again, that attention to detail that Bracken maintains throughout the novel makes everything that much more relatable and realistic.The two main characters are well written and likable. Etta is introduced to a world she knows nothing about. Her mother kept her from the world of time travel and Etta must learn to adapt quickly in order to survive. She is a strong character who fights for herself and the lives of those she loves. She has a subtle fierceness to her that makes her overcome obstacles and decisions in the most clever ways. Nicholas is a sailor, he loves the water, and he swore off time traveling ever again after losing his half brother. His life becomes intertwined with Etta’s and he breaks his ban on time traveling in order to protect Etta, whom he has developed a connection with. Do not worry, there is no insta-love!! Although it is clear that these two will be love interests from the get-go it is in no way instant. The way there relationship grows is organic and beautiful. They learn to adapt to each other despite the hundreds of years of cultural differences. I should probably mention that Nicholas is African-American, the bastard child of a slave and a rich man. This obviously adds even more depth to the story. And it works. It is still very uncommon to see a main character of a different race in YA novels. I think with this book if Nicholas was white the story would not have worked. It would have taken away so much. That small detail gives so much to this story. It gives this novel so many more beautiful moments. (Like the dancing scene in London and the part on page 427, oh god the feels at that part.)There are other secondary characters that fuel this story along. Cyrus Ironwood, the villian, is so evil and conniving. He is written so well, that it is easy to hate him but he has enough background to almost understand where is drive for power comes from. Sophia is a character I am excited to see more of. She is a bit conniving like her grandfather Cyrus Ironwood but there is something buried deep inside her waiting to be unleashed and I bet you good money it will flourish in the next book. Hasan is a character we meet in Damascus, an uncle of Etta. He has a minor role but his character is nurturing and well likable. I hope we get to see more of him as well. Etta’s mother Rose is only spoken of and doesn’t have a major physical presence in the novel but is kind of the reason everything in this book is happening. Her story is weaved into backstories and secrets and it is almost like she is present. The other minor character is Alice. The only thing I am going to say about her is just how well Bracken introduces her and connects her to another part in the story. Let’s just say it was a bit emotional.Now what you have been questioning and wondering…Is there a cliffhanger? OF COURSE THERE IS A CLIFFHANGER! I MEAN THIS IS A BOOK BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN AND I DON’T THINK SHE KNOWS HOW TO END A BOOK WITHOUT ONE! So ughhhh, yes a rather huge cliffhanger and now all I want is the next book, Wayfarer. (Breathe Vicki, relax, you can survive, there are so many books coming out this year. January 2017 will be here before you know it. <–That’s what I have been telling myself over and over again for the last 17 hours.)Bracken has written a compelling story that allows you to travel across time and live all the lives you wish you could have experienced without ever leaving your couch and the comfort of living in a time where you are used to your amenities. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and enrich me even further into the depths of history and maybe even possibly the future!

Fast shipping with Prime. The book is basically brand new in my opinion! Great buy! Will return to purchase more later.

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Passenger is the book that made me fall in love with Alexandra Bracken's work. The world is super interesting and takes you in straight away, and the characters are realistic and make you want to root for them.

Etta Spencer è una giovane e talentuosa violoncellista, in procinto di esibirsi per uno spettacolo che le cambierebbe la vita. I suoi piani vengono però infranti quando uno strano suono la attrae, catapultandola in un mondo sconosciuto. Etta si ritrova improvvisamente a bordo di una nave nel 1776...∼ RecensionePremetto che avevo molte aspettative da questo romanzo. Ne avevo infatti sentito parlare piuttosto bene e sia la trama, che la copertina mi attiravano molto. Durante la lettura ho provato però sentimenti contrastanti, alcune parti erano molto scorrevoli, mentre altre erano troppo pesanti, arricchite da dettagli superflui, a discapito della dinamicità e dei dialoghi.Tuttavia ho trovato che l'idea dei viaggi nel tempo fosse molto interessante e ben pensata. Passenger ha tutte le premesse per essere un buon libro: una scrittura ricca e matura, epoche e luoghi diversi, avventura e romanticismo. Eppure...Eppure ci sono diversi difetti che penalizzano il romanzo. Per cominciare dai protagonisti stessi, in modo particolare da Etta. Non l'ho trovata detestabile o immatura, ma piuttosto mi è risultata indifferente. E credo che in un libro l'indifferenza sia peggiore del disprezzo. Inoltre l'evoluzione del rapporto tra Nicholas ed Etta è risultata molto forzata e davvero troppo rapida. Già dal loro primo incontro era palese che sarebbe successo qualcosa tra i protagonisti, anche se non mi aspettavo che l'innamoramento sarebbe stato così istantaneo.Ho trovato invece molto affascinante l'idea dei viaggi nel tempo, che a mio parere sono stati descritti molto bene. Il mio momento preferito è stato l'arrivo dei protagonisti a Londra, durante la Seconda guerra mondiale. Secondo me è la parte meglio riuscita, dall'incontro con una giovane Alice (l'insegnante di Etta), alla fuga per le vie della città e infine al rifugio nei tunnel della metropolitana. In quelle poche pagine la scrittrice è riuscita a trasmettere i sentimenti di milioni di civili, che hanno lasciato le proprie case e i propri averi per rifugiarsi sotto terra. In quei momenti mi è sembrato davvero di essere lì con loro.Non mi sento di condannare del tutto questa lettura, anche perchè alla fine è stata piuttosto piacevole (almeno in alcuni capitoli), ma non mi sento nemmeno di esaltarla. Consiglio Passenger a chi ama i viaggi nel tempo, ma anche a chi non dispiace il veloce innamoramento tra i personaggi.Il mio voto per questo romanzo è di 3 su 5.

Great story really enjoyed it looking forward to reading the next installment definitely recommend this worth a read i think