Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 486

Publisher: Quercus Children's Books 

Released: 7th of April 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.

What I Have to Say 

The first thing that struck me about the book was how slow it was. The whole journey on the ship, in the first part of the book, felt a bit dragged out and not much really happened. I think it was meant to build the relationship between the main characters. It might be better for someone who's more interested in the romance side of the book, but honestly I was glad when they finally reached New York. 

Once they had gotten the journey over with and things started to actually happen, I enjoyed it a lot more. Time Travel, historical and it even showed cultures that weren't white. I really enjoyed the detail that went into describing Damascus especially. When the view being described is different from the inside of a ship, it does tend to be more entertaining. 

I think I will like the next book in the series a lot more. It was really the journey on the ship that put me off and the rest of it was quite fast paced and entertaining. I feel really sad that my enjoyment of it was ruined by one thing, but I'm glad I persevered in the end. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Quercus Children's Books for providing me with this review copy.