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BOOK INFO
Title: The Passengers
Author: John Marrs
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: August 27, 2019
Genre: Technothriller
Series: na
My Rating: 5/5
BOOK BLURB
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 undocumented 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?”

MY REVIEW
Eight self-driving cars are hijacked. The hacker of the cars has told the passengers that they are going to die. Meanwhile, a jury is convened to determine the cause of accidents involving driverless vehicles. The jury and the rest of the world watch as the hacker controls the fates of the eight passengers.
Told with the alternating points of view of the passengers and a jury member. The hijacked cars and the jury are all being captured on camera, and the live videos go viral. The hacker gives the jury the opportunity to try and save a passenger. As the jury questions the passengers, secrets are revealed. Public opinion of which passengers should live and which should die are all trending on social media. A intriguing mix of characters in a unique story.
The Passengers combines the future of self-driving cars, social media, and human behavior. I enjoyed the technological aspect of the story, and found it both realistic and disturbing. Fans of John Marrs are sure to enjoy his newest thriller. Addictive, exciting, and suspenseful.
I received a digital copy of this book from Penguin’s First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
Books by John Marrs:
- When You Disappeared
- Welcome To Wherever You Are
- The One
- The Good Samaritan
- Her Last Move
- The Passengers
- What Lies Between Us
- The Minders
Excellent review, Darinda! Now you’ve got me excited to start.
Thanks, Jonetta! Enjoy the ride! 😀
I am so excited to read this one!!
It’s a fun read, Tina! Hope you enjoy it. 😀
This is another of those really creepy thrillers. Something out of nightmares. Great review Darinda.
Thanks, Carla! 💜