Thursday, March 17, 2016

The Passenger

The Passenger

The Passenger is an interesting book. We start off with Tanya leaving town after the death of her husband- it seems he fell down the steps. Tanya doesn't have an alibi and isn't sure she won't be charged, so she leaves. Oh and Tanya is not really her name either. She was someone else before she was Tanya- and over the course of the book she will assume several different identities as she runs from her past. It turns out that Tanya has a dark past wholly unrelated to her current circumstance- and with the help of a shadowy benefactor she makes a new start.

It's never really that easy though and it's not long before her past threatens to catch up to her. Tanya likes her bourbon and in a bar somewhere she meets Blue, a bartender with a past of her own. Her and Tanya become friends and soon Tanya is caught up in Blue's sordid past as well. Things from there escalate and we follow along for the ride as Tanya tries on new identities and tries to stay alive as well.

I have mixed feelings about this book, it's entertaining enough and has some nice twists and turns, but at the same time I often felt like I was reading the same thing over and over- Tanya (or whoever she is at the moment) keeps moving on, trying to stay ahead of trouble, and becoming more and more hardened all the time. I didn't find her particularly likable until the end when we see the bigger picture and understand just what she has been through. This is one of those books where it's almost twisty for the sake of being twisty- the whole object of it is to keep you guessing because of course you don't have enough information. I like books like that though, and this one kept me reading, it's just missing something

Some things also didn't ring true, just a few things that didn't really add up for me. It's a good thriller with a few shocking moments, some nice surprises. Tanya has a habit of hitting the bar wherever she ends up, and sometimes that's not a good idea.  She does meet someone in one of her stops and that has a big impact on the story- and at the same time her desperation drives her to do things that I didn't really feel sold on. So it was a mixed bag for me.

One thing I really liked was the hints that we get into her past. She maintains a somewhat tenuous connection to someone from way back, and little bits of info are dispensed as the story moves along- not enough to piece it together but hints are there. I always like setups like that- and the epilogue was great , wrapping the story up very nicely. I smiled at the end and even though the ride was uneven for me, it had a great conclusion.

26 comments:

  1. It seems that everyone i reading this book. I have it out from the libray. I will get to it next to see how I like it.

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  2. This books has always looked really intriguing to me. I'm glad to hear you liked it even though the ride was a little bumpy.

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    1. Yeah it was a little uneven, and like I said the protagonist was problematical for me, but I'm glad I read it. It was interesting.

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  3. I wondered about the repetitiveness of it. It seemed like with all the identity changes that was definitely a risk. I'm glad you enjoyed this and I do want to read it though it isn't at the top of the list.

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    1. It is a little reptitive at times, that;s a good word for it, it has its moments but based on reviews I saw I was expecting a bit more. Still... the end was quite interesting, and redeemed the book for me to a certain extent. I didn't see THAT coming... :)

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  4. Unreliable narrator? First book in a series? Just trying to come up reasons why it didn't work so well for you. I don't like when too many red herrings are thrown into a story just for the sake of confusion. But at least the ending made it worthwhile to finish it through. I really wanted to read this. I think I might just wait until I happen to see it in the library to check out-- good review, Greg!

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  5. Great review, Greg! I might wait for the library to get a copy too.. It sounds kind of interesting - I'm glad the conclusion was good even if the book wasn't exactly perfect for you!

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    1. Thank you! I would wait for the library I don't think it's a must read, but if you like thrillers or suspense it has its moments. And the end definitely redeems it, a lot of things made sense at the end, even though it was slighly implausible.

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  6. I'm intrigued - but also hesitant. Like Annika, Ill probably wait for a library copy xD

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    1. It's worth a read if you like a thriller, but yeah waiting is a good idea. I certainly wouldn't pay full price.

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  7. I read several reviews of this book, and a lot of them had similar complaints as you - that it's too repetitive. I thought the same when I read it, but it's a while ago, so I don't remember much more than that, haha.

    Majanka @ I Heart Reading

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    1. Yeah I thought so- not a bad book, but repetitive at times. And I didn't really like the character until the end.

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  8. I tend to enjoy these thrillers without being too bothered by discrepancies in character as long at they are not too outrageous.

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  9. I always struggle with books a bit if I don't like the main character and while the concept does sound interesting it's a shame it started to feel a bit repetitive after a while. I am glad to hear you mostly enjoyed this one though. The hints to her past sound well done.

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  10. I'm glad you liked some of it, even though it was repetitive. I have to be honest I hated this one!

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    1. Did you? Okay I don't feel so bad then. :) I saw some glowing reviews from other bloggers and wondered if I was being too hard on it. It just didn't grab me, and I had a hard time with the protag.

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  11. I really enjoyed this one, Greg, and I liked that hint of something not fully known that hovered overhead. The ending stunned me a little bit.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  12. I was a bit the same. I enjoyed it but for me there were a few gaps. I didn't really feel I knew Blue very well. I know she was meant to be unpredictable, but... still...

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  13. Sounds kind of interesting, might put it on my maybe TBR pile. :)

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  14. Nice review but this doesn't sound like the book for me. I do plan to suggest it to fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train though because it sounds like it has a similar vibe.

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  15. This book keeps catching my eye, but I'm still not sure whether I'll actually read it. Glad the ending made up for the repetitiveness.

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  16. Sounds suspenseful enough. I might give it a try.

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  17. This sounds like an interesting book. I do love suspense, but I am not sure if I will enjoy the repeating. Great review.

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  18. I tried to read this and just couldn't get into it; I couldn't connect with Tanya/insert name of choice. I might go back and try it again but my TBR pile is so big I might not since it wasn't a great read for you.

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  19. Too bad it was too repetitive. That can definitely get annoying!

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  20. I really liked the book...sorry you were not thrilled with it. The ending was a big surprise.

    Nice review, Greg.

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