Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

• ISBN-10: 1484715772- Hardcover $17.99
• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (January 5, 2016), 496 pages.
• Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley.

The blurb:
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, his passenger, can find. In order to protect her, Nick 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.

Review:
Henrietta Spencer or Etta is a gifted violinist and has sacrificed much of her childhood to perfecting her skills.  On the eve of her first public solo at the Metropolitan Museum, she is suddenly uncertain.  She overhears her mother and her teacher in the middle of a heated argument which she believes to be about her ability to perform in public.  She's determined to continue with her solo and butts in angrily.  But something disrupts her performance and she runs from the stage.

Etta finds herself suddenly in the middle of an earlier time, subject to great danger and unaware of the shifting alliances.  She's forced to work within the restrictions and limitations of women in Colonial America without the buffer of wealth and family connections.  As Etta tries to find the time traveling item that can bring her back to her time, she must determine who she can trust and how to survive in this new world.  

Passenger ticks all the boxes for a fun, unusual read but I found Etta too timid. I had hoped that she'd rebel, but her actions were tempered by her caution and trust of those around her.  Though I enjoyed Passenger, I'm hoping that the next book in the series will prove more daring.

About the Author:
Alexandra Bracken is the New York Times bestselling author of The Darkest Minds series. Born and raised in Arizona, she moved East to study history and English at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. After working in publishing for several years, Alex now writes full-time and can be found hard at work on her next novel in a charming little apartment that's perpetually overflowing with books. Visit her online at www.alexandrabracken.com and on Twitter @alexbracken.