Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Passengers by John Marrs

17 reviews

katiehelen1995's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another interesting read by Marrs! I found this quite triggering due to recent events in my own life, however, I didn't put it down once I'd opened it! Without giving too much away, this book contains constant twists that you won't see coming. The idea of driverless cars is one that isn't too far-fetched but, in fact, completely realistic and incredibly daunting! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

thebookkeepers's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This is my second book by John Marrs and he is excellent at making my jaw drop while reading!  I’d recommend reading The One first since there are some references to that book that I enjoyed seeing and especially enjoyed knowing how that “scandal” all played out lol. This book was action packed and very believable with the advancements currently being made with AI, autonomous cars, and electric charging vehicles etc. I loved the pacing, the complex secrets, and the morally grey characters. The ending didn’t quite deliver as hard as I wanted it to, which kept my rating from being higher. However, a really fun read and one I’d recommend! The audiobook was a full cast and done amazingly! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Suicide

emeraldsanto's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The Passengers by John Marrs is a gripping and fast-paced thriller that explores the potential dangers of self-driving cars. The story follows eight passengers who are locked inside their autonomous vehicles and forced to play a deadly game orchestrated by an unknown hacker. With their lives on the line, the passengers must race against time to uncover the hacker's identity and save themselves.

While the concept of the book is intriguing and the plot is well-paced, as someone who works in IT I found some of the technical aspects of the story to be a bit tacky or exaggerated. The book is clearly written with a layperson audience in mind, and some of the technological details may not be entirely accurate or plausible.

That being said, Marrs does a good job of keeping the reader engaged with his skillful use of suspense and multiple perspectives. Each passenger's backstory is revealed through a series of flashbacks, which adds depth and complexity to the characters. The ending of the book is surprising and satisfying, wrapping up the story in a neat and unexpected way.

Overall, while The Passengers may not be entirely realistic in its portrayal of technology and cybersecurity, it's still an enjoyable and thrilling read. If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns, then The Passengers is definitely worth a look.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

alexcribbs's review against another edition

I went in expecting Black Mirror and ended up getting a Wish.com version of the movie Speed.

Can’t do that! I planted a bomb! Can’t do that either! I planted another bomb! Oh that? That’s just A BOMB! Ugh so boring

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Car accident

Minor: Xenophobia and Car accident

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Slavery, Vomit, Dementia, Trafficking, and War

hilarylouise's review against another edition

hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

liseyp's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A thrilling read. A fascinating look at the risks of modern technology, but very much retaining a human heart. The ethics of AI, celebrity culture and the voyeuristic and judgemental tendencies of social media all get an airing in this book.

Driverless cars are now the norm, but technology is vulnerable and as The Hacker holds eight passengers hostage in separate cars. Their lives are under scrutiny and their dark secrets revealed as the public and a small jury are asked to decide who should die and who deserves to live.

Compelling reading and kept me gripped right to the end. Recommended read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death