PASSENGER
by Alexandra Bracken
Pages: 496
Publisher: Quercus Children's Books
Publication Date: April 7th 2016
ISBN: 1786540002
Received From: Quercus Children's Books
Summary
In one devastating night, 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.
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. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, his passenger, can find.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveller who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods' grasp. But as they get closer to their target, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home forever.
Holy Moly! So I love the fact I get to read books and tell you lovely lot what I think but jeepers the books I've been reading so far this year have completely screwed with my emotions and Passenger is no different! This one had me engaged from the very beginning and I was excited to see where it was going to take me. I laughed, I smiled, I cried and I came very close to throwing it across the room at one point. So without further ado here's my review of Passenger by Alexandre Bracken.
Passenger follows the lives of two different characters as their lives become unexpectedly entertained. Protagonist number one is 17 year old Etta Spencer who's life to this point has revolved around her love and passion for music, namely her violin. Protagonist number 2 is 18th century pirate Nicolas Carter who has worked his whole life to prove his worth and earn is right as a captain of his own ship. However, one night changes everything and this 21st century girl finds herself upon Nicolas's ship in the 1700's. Throughout the book the pair start on an adventure to save Etta's mum from the powerful and morally questionable Ironwood family. But as they make their way through the centuries will they be able to hold onto the lives they have worked so hard to build and still save Etta's mum or will time unravel around them and leave them in more danger then ever before?
I think the thing that makes this book so amazing is Etta and Nicolas. They are both so unbelievably strong willed and independent that you can't help but rout for them from the very beginning. The fact that they come from two very different times adds this unique flare to the story that had me smiling from ear to ear. Etta is stubborn and raised in the present where women have as much right to the world as men and the power to do anything they put their minds to. Nicolas was born the bastard son of a slave woman and has had to fight every second of his life for people to look past his parentage and the colour of his skin. However, together they have this amazing bond that strengthens both of them. It doesn't feel like the male protagonist coming to the girls rescue (although that does happen from time to time) it felt like a partnership. They were equals and I adored it.
As for the story I've never read anything quite like it! I don't get to say this often but it was completely unique for me and I can not wait to crack open book two, Wayfarer. There is this enchanting fantasy woven into the story that delves into the history of our world while staying current and new. It had me wanting to know what was coming next and the writing style flows from page to page seamlessly. I can't say much more because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet but I will say it had me on tender hooks from the very first chapter.
Overall I loved this book. It was funny and shocking and made me smile! It has everything a good YA needs from strong protagonists, interesting story arcs, time travel and a book boyfriend to die for. Seriously, where can I get myself a sexy, fiercely protective pirate named Nicolas? If you haven't read this one yet then what are you waiting for? Wayfarer here I come!!
P.S. Because this did come out a year ago I know a lot of people have already read this one but I still don't want to give anything away just in case you haven't gotten around to it. So instead I found the perfect gifs to show my reactions to the last two chapters of Passenger and for those of you who have read it I'm sure these are all you will need to understand the turmoil I was in.
