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It happened one devastating night as violin prodigy Etta Spencer prepared for a concert. A horrible sound like too much static and feedback came thundering at her, and when she ran from the stage unsure of what was happening, a stranger with a dangerous agenda thrust her into an unfamiliar world and time far from everything Etta had known and everyone she loved.
They call Etta a traveler — someone who can travel not just miles but years at a time — and Etta knows it must be true. She’s landed in the year 1776 on a ship that is over 200 years from home.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwood family and the servitude he’s known at their hands, but with the arrival of an unfamiliar passenger on his ship, he once again feels the pull of the past and of the family that won’t let him move on.
The Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta can find, but their intentions are dark, and in order to protect Etta, Nicholas must ensure she brings it back to them, whether she wants to or not.
As Etta and Nicholas embark on a journey around the world and across centuries, they start to piece together clues left behind by the one traveler who would do anything to keep this mysterious object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. The only truth they can be sure of is that this is a deadly game the Ironwoods are playing. If Etta isn’t careful, she could lose her path home forever.
Passenger has a brilliant concept, fascinating time travel, and characters with tons of potential, but the plot moves slowly and I found myself losing interest at times. Another drawback is a fast-blooming romance that quickly steals the attention of the story and leaves things feeling a little unrealistic. Despite this, Alexandra Bracken dangles a signature cliffhanger that is sure to tease any reader — including me — into wanting to find out how Etta and Nicholas’ story ends.
Rated: Moderate, for over 55 uses of mild language, close to 40 uses of the name of Deity, and one use of the “S” word referring to bodily function. One character considers lust and his desire for another. There is a fade-to-black sex scene, and the next morning a character is helped to bathe. There is also a considerable amount of violence and blood (though nothing too graphic), and topics of the harshness of slavery and prejudice against those with darker skin are brought up several times.
