One Page at a Time
Katie Kendrick
Passenger – Alexandra Bracken.
Okay, let me start off by saying that I have loved reading this book. There is something about this world and these characters that just pulls you in—time travel, interesting characters, a compelling story line, interracial couples, gorgeously described details, and an ending that keeps you wanting more. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
The main character is a violin player named Etta Spencer. She lives in present day New York City with her somewhat distant mother and her older yet lovable violin teacher. The night of her big violin debut, everything changes. She hears these strange noises, sees a dead body, and is thrown into a different year by a strange girl she has never met before. When she wakes up, she realizes she is hundreds of years in the past on a ship with a young man named Nicholas.
Nicholas has been racially discriminated against his whole life. After making it out of slavery, he is passionate about sailing and owning his own boat…until he meets Etta. These two go on an amazing journey through time, putting together secret clues and looking for an object that could change the world as they know it. This is truly a captivating novel.
Some things that stood out to me are:
1. I teach high school, so I read a lot of YA novels. This is the first one I’ve read in a long time that has an interracial couple. I
loved that about this book, that these
characters are diverse and real. It isn’t
just that they are a mixed-race couple,
but how dynamic their relationship is.
It feels genuine and I was happy with
how it evolved.
2. The secondary characters are just as good as the main characters. They have their own emotions, goals, and importance.
3. The places they travel to are described well. They go all over the time line: WWII London, Cambodia, the dessert, Damascus, etc. Each of these locations are so vividly defined that you can actually feel like you are there.
4. Nicholas was one of my favorite characters. He is intriguing and, though sometimes a little grumpy, he is someone I was always rooting for. I loved reading the story from his point of view.