Book Review: Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Format:  Hardcover

Pages: 532 pages

Published: January 3, 2017

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk.

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them

When I read The first book, “Passenger” and I discovered there was going to be a sequel, I was excited. “Passenger” led me on exciting ride, a ride that I did not have a problem riding over and over again. So I made sure to clear my reading schedule and made sure that I had enough time to read. So I was ecstatic when I finally received my copy from the library. I was awaiting the new adventures that would unfold in front of my eyes. And after just finished reading it, I was left with complete…disappointment.

I am not trashing this sequel in its entirety. At some parts of the story, there were main points of excitement. But most of the time, I was scratching my head as to why is Bracken did this way and why did she wrote parts like that. To gain a better understanding, I will break it down for you.

The good:
The magic, the adventure, the excitement…thankfully, all these important elements are still there. I still felt that familiar pull and would taste and smell the descriptive scenery that Bracken beautifully created. The twists and turns sometimes infuriated and excited me all at the same time. The mystery had you asking questions and trying to one up the narrator by trying to figure it out on your own.

The bad:
Descriptive imagery is very important in a narrative but it should not overcome the entire plot. Unfortunately, that is what Bracken did here. The description and the historical background was great and necessary, especially when you are dealing with a novel about time travel. But I wanted more of the plot, the story, and I wasn’t really getting it, which you think if a book with this amount of pages, there would be more of it.

There were times that for some reason, the narrative was not coherent and not flowing. I had to go back a few pages to figure what,just happened and what was really going on. There are reasons why I don’t like reading a lot of YA books and this novel’s disjointed plot and disconnected flow of the narrative brought it back to me. Maybe it was just me but I would get lost in the text and not in a good way. I had hard time keeping mind focused. The words were not really grabbing me. There were times I just wanted to give up on the book but then there would be a moment that got me interested again. However, the dislike and confusion would happen all over again.

The ending felt rushed. It definitely left wanting more. There were so many more questions and numerous plot holes that could have been plugged if Bracken took the time and effort to work on them. She had the opportunity to wrap everything up so nicely but she really bite the bullet on this one.

“Wayfarer” is not the exciting sequel we have been anticipating. The book was mediocre at best. So my suggestion is this: if you liked “Passenger” and want to know how the series concludes, unfortunately you will have to read this book. Unless, yo have a friend who read it and they can just tell you what happens. I have to say you will not be an excited “passenger” on this ride.

P.S. If you don’t know, “wayfarer” is a person who travels on foot. Yes, we could of all looked it up in the dictionary, but Bracken could have made a mention of the word, let alone give a definition of it.
Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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