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A review by jenbsbooks
The Passengers by John Marrs
dark
fast-paced
4.5
I really liked this, 4.5 stars ... I've read The One and The Family Experiment (I have The Marriage Act on my TBR). This is in that same futuristic setting. The DNA test to connect you to your soul mate (The One) is mentioned here, but knowledge of that book isn't essential to understanding this (that basic concept is easy to grasp without knowing the novel about it).
Here, the most basic premise is "self-driving cars" ... as technology has improved, it is something that has been talked about and is there in the most basic form on Teslas and other new cars. What does the future hold? As a nervous driver, other than a StarTrek instant "beam" places, a self-driving car might just be the best option, right? This story sets up just some of the possible issues.
Like Marrs other stories, there are quite a few characters and storylines, and it can be a bit of a challenge to learn and keep track of who is who. For me, it would be SO helpful if the Table of Contents listed the POV, because at least then I'd have a list of names at a glance (although per usual, the physical copy doesn't even have a TOC). There was a point in the story (Chapter26) where we get a run down on six of the characters (basically in a radio review, giving their names and basic details) and I highlighted this for my own reference!
Part 1 introduces the main characters ... Claire Arden who is pregnant, Jude Harrison - 29 years old. Sofia Bradbury, older actress. Sam&Heidi Cole - married. Shabana Khartri, came to England when she married at 18, in a bad domestic situation. Each gets a chapter.
We get another main character, Libby, as Part 2 starts up. There is a Part 3 (6 months later) and a Part 4 (two years later). At the start of many of the chapters, there were little graphics ... an image of a Notes app, the route setting on the car, a little clip from a newspaper article, transcript of a news report, a screenshot of a Wikipedia type page, some "Twitter" type posts, an instruction manual, informative paperwork ... for the most part, these converted to audio really well. This was a full-cast production, with some extra sounds (the music of a news report, etc).
I had this in audio/Kindle and physical. I'd found the physical book in a LFL and grabbed it, as this had been on my TBR. I had purchased the Audible on some sale, so I just waited until I could get a Kindle copy from the library. All three formats have their advantages. I really liked the audio, but did use the Kindle copy for reference and notes, and the little graphics have a different feel when you can see them. The Kindle copy also had some discussion questions for readers ... which I always appreciate! It's like a mini-book club *Ü* This would be a great book club pick, lots of things to think about (AI/technology, how we judge people, how one would deal with an anticipated death) ...
As with Marrs other books, there is always a bit of a twist. I think this one might be my favorite. Not sure if it's totally up there to get a 5* rating, but it kept me captivated, and it's one I would recommend.
Here, the most basic premise is "self-driving cars" ... as technology has improved, it is something that has been talked about and is there in the most basic form on Teslas and other new cars. What does the future hold? As a nervous driver, other than a StarTrek instant "beam" places, a self-driving car might just be the best option, right? This story sets up just some of the possible issues.
Like Marrs other stories, there are quite a few characters and storylines, and it can be a bit of a challenge to learn and keep track of who is who. For me, it would be SO helpful if the Table of Contents listed the POV, because at least then I'd have a list of names at a glance (although per usual, the physical copy doesn't even have a TOC). There was a point in the story (Chapter26) where we get a run down on six of the characters (basically in a radio review, giving their names and basic details) and I highlighted this for my own reference!
Part 1 introduces the main characters ... Claire Arden who is pregnant, Jude Harrison - 29 years old. Sofia Bradbury, older actress. Sam&Heidi Cole - married. Shabana Khartri, came to England when she married at 18, in a bad domestic situation. Each gets a chapter.
We get another main character, Libby, as Part 2 starts up. There is a Part 3 (6 months later) and a Part 4 (two years later). At the start of many of the chapters, there were little graphics ... an image of a Notes app, the route setting on the car, a little clip from a newspaper article, transcript of a news report, a screenshot of a Wikipedia type page, some "Twitter" type posts, an instruction manual, informative paperwork ... for the most part, these converted to audio really well. This was a full-cast production, with some extra sounds (the music of a news report, etc).
I had this in audio/Kindle and physical. I'd found the physical book in a LFL and grabbed it, as this had been on my TBR. I had purchased the Audible on some sale, so I just waited until I could get a Kindle copy from the library. All three formats have their advantages. I really liked the audio, but did use the Kindle copy for reference and notes, and the little graphics have a different feel when you can see them. The Kindle copy also had some discussion questions for readers ... which I always appreciate! It's like a mini-book club *Ü* This would be a great book club pick, lots of things to think about (AI/technology, how we judge people, how one would deal with an anticipated death) ...
As with Marrs other books, there is always a bit of a twist. I think this one might be my favorite. Not sure if it's totally up there to get a 5* rating, but it kept me captivated, and it's one I would recommend.