The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
sophieamreacher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Trafficking, Violence, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Dementia, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Gore, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Stalking, Classism, Deportation, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, Xenophobia, Blood, Drug abuse, Grief, War, Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, and Vomit
ellaticonstellation's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The "hacker" was so interesting. The dark themes such as pedophilia, suicide, etc. made my skin crawl. I was so mad at Sofia's husband, Patrick. He dared to threaten her about his dark side. Disgusting was an understatement.
Oh, Sofia thinking that she joined a reality TV show was hilarious until it didn't.
Heide blackmailing his cheating husband was awesome in a way that he had a taste of his own medicine. The squirming and mine games made it all worth it.
The ending was interesting as well. And the triple life of Jude. Hey Jude✨
Thank you, John❤️
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Addiction, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide, and War
madanxiety's review against another edition
5.0
Aside from pace, I am also always a huge fan of ensembles, which is part of what initially sustained my attention. I was like damn, how many hostages are there? Lol.
More to the content of the novel, I liked how each character was flawed in a very human way, and yet the protagonist (who, despite all the other characters, I'd say is Libby) was still always someone you could route for. This was a skillful balance to maintain.
I also have a soft spot for anti-establishment narratives lol. As one of the characters states at some point, the real villains turn out to be people, not AI.
My only critique of the book is how characters of color are treated. I will say more under the cut, but ofc it will include major spoilers.
I might've written this off as simply revealing Alex's own biases and flaws, but POC in this book are pretty much all murdered or painted as villains. It seems like the narrative of the book leans sympathetic toward POC, with only unlikeable characters being outright racist, the POC still die unjust deaths. It's like, I get that the novel is meant to be representative of the ugly parts of reality, including the disproportionate victimization of POC, but idk if that's enough justification for using characters of color as mere plot devices or backstory, not when that's the plight of ALL of them.
Anyway, I think the book is an interesting exploration of how AI could be weaponized by both powerful people and vigilantes. It's a cautionary tale about being too trusting of technology with regard to the collection and sharing of private data.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Car accident, Grief, Murder, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and Infidelity
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer and Infertility
katiehelen1995's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Infertility, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Car accident, Child death, and Mental illness
emeraldsanto's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Moderate: Car accident, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Violence
ksuazo94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Pregnancy, Gore, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Islamophobia, and Grief
xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child abuse, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Stalking
Minor: Self harm, Classism, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Cancer, Gaslighting, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Car accident, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Infidelity, Sexism, Misogyny, Blood, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Infertility, Cancer, Medical content, Alcohol, Gore, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: War, Homophobia, Ableism, Slavery, Dementia, Trafficking, Vomit, and Gun violence
lindseyrenee's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Car accident, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicide, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
macaronsandmermaids's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts