Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

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HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9781460752043
(Age: 16+) Etta was 'Classical Music's Best Kept Secret.' She is an eighteen year old violinist set to make her debut on the concert scene. Her mother is also talented, but aloof.
'She's never going to care, no matter how much you kill yourself to be the best. Are you even playing for yourself any more, or just in the hope that one day she'll decide to listen.'
The reader may relate to the sacrifice needed to excel in your chosen field or the challenge of striving for the attention of a seemingly uninterested parent. Etta has sacrificed her social life and pleasures in life to be the best.
On the night of her debut her life knocked off track through an act of violence and revenge and Etta is transported to 1770. She meets Nicholas and together they race across time and space in the vain hope Etta can save her mother and make her way back to her home. From World War II London to Damascus in 1599 they encounter threats of violence and ruthless characters, while the extravagant descriptions of clothing and scenery show the reader travelogue across history.
Romance develops between Nicholas and Etta. The intensity of this relationship adds little to the story, and moves the recommended age to 16+.
Linda Guthrie

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