The Passengers by John Marrs

The Passengers by John Marrs

Published:  August 2019 – Berkley

Finished copy courtesy of Berkley

Description: You’re riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then, a mysterious voice tells you, “You are going to die.”
 
Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.
 
From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, “Which of these people should we save?…And who should we kill first?”  (publisher)

My take:  So, if you skipped reading the description above go back and read it now.

I like testing new products and was an early user of Amazon’s Echo device but if given the chance to be an early adopter of a self-driving car I would take a pass. And this novel is why!

However, I enjoyed The Passengers for the near-futuristic thriller it is. It grabbed me from page one and had me reading (and listening) to the entire novel in one day. Because of that I think it would be a good possibility for a book-to-screen adaptation. I found myself wondering who would play the various characters. The pacing is good and the plot is dotted with twists up until the very end.

The Passengers was out of my normal reading comfort zone and I was glad I took a chance on it. A fun read!

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