Review: The Passengers

The Passengers by John Marrs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have just read John Marrs's The Passengers and am still reeling from this five-star gem. A reader of other of his novels - What Lies Between Us and The Marriage Act among them - I have to say Marrs has done it again! This thriller novel brings uncontrollable suspense and biting social comment into an extremely readable book which has seen me thinking about issues long after finishing.

The Passengers takes us to a not-too-distant future Britain governed by self-governing vehicles. We see eight strangers board their cars and find themselves held hostage: doors closed, destination taken over, and an ominous voice telling them they are destined for demise. Their cars have been hijacked, and others watch in horror through social media. It's an idea that grabbed me right away because it combines high-stakes drama and an ethical dilemma about which I couldn't stop thinking.

The pacing's precision was outstanding. Like an out-of-control speeding car, the story zooms along at breakneck velocity, every chapter ending at a point at which I was desperate to get on. Backward, in not-too-distant-from-my-own tech-haunted world, the pressure is wound.

Marrs' protagonists also shine—unwavering and multifaceted, from a pregnant woman who holds a secret past to an man hovering at the edges of optimism. Their stories are woven so carefully that each twist, I was racing along.

Tight and engrossing, Marrs's prose is taut and incisive in ways truly accessible. But it's its criticism brings this book to another level for me. The Passengers is a scathing critique of our culture - our reliance on the virtual, our jumping to conclusions based on partial perspectives - not just in terms of suspense, but in terms of social media, which is uncomfortably familiar with fanning the flames with trending hashtags and snap polemical judgements that decide destinies. It's a new, eerie turn that sets this apart, raising an otherwise good story to another level, one using warning in the form of entertainment.

The resolution somewhat came at the expense of convenience, if I'm being fussy about such things. But the ride was so engrossing that I didn't particularly care.

The Passengers gets my strongest recommendation. It's perfect for any reader who's in the mood for an intellectual, spine-tingling thriller. With warmth and urgency, this is one novel for thriller aficionados, asking us to consider our society today. Marrs has taken me on one wild, head-tripping ride I won't be forgetting in the near future.

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