Another cool sci-fi premise by this author--however, once the initial crisis of the people trapped in the driverless cars was resolved--the book became kind of boring. Good ending through!

The Passengers will take you for a ride! I couldn’t resist a pun there but seriously this book is fantastic. I was hooked from the start as the first few chapters introduce you to the 8 (Passengers). The concept of this book is so plausible that it’s a little bit terrifying. The premise: Autonomous vehicles have spread worldwide as a government backed initiative. The cars have numerous benefits and are claimed to be un-hackable … until they get hacked. The Hacker now asks the world and a small jury to vote on 1 person to survive.

Now I’ve read a couple of books that peak into a world altered by artificial intelligence and but none has been as believable as the Passengers. And if that wasn’t enough “creep” to hook you, there are so many secrets, lies, and twists that I didn’t see coming. Juicy. The whole time. I loved it and now I’m going to shut up and let you go read it

It is the future and self driving cars are the trusted main form of transportation. When 8 cars are hacked the terrified faces of the passengers are broadcast on tv and the internet. Social media is used to decide who lives or dies.

This was an unusual premise for a book. It is filled with a great mix of flawed characters. This book is very dark. It will make you look at technology in an entirely different way. How much of our lives have we turned over to technology? I was caught off guard when the identity of the hacker was revealed, but hold your hats, there’s more to the story. There are so many twists and turns in this book I thought I was going to get whiplash. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Is it just me, or are the plots of thrillers getting more disturbing? This is another book for Black Mirror Fans! The negative impact of social media, political issues, and judgments were some themes explored within this novel. The world we live in can be pretty dark at times but this book takes it to an entirely new level. Little by little secrets are revealed and you will learn that things often aren’t as they initially seem. The Passengers was very twisted...and very good. It really made me reflect on the implications of our advancing technology. This page turner kept me reading as I had to find out who would live and who would die. Discover it for yourself when the story is published on August 27th. Thriller fans, mark your calendars! Huge thanks to @netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and author John Marrs for this ARC to review. 4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. In the beginning, when the passengers were first hijacked in their self-driving vehicles it didn't feel as suspenseful as it should have under the circumstances but the book definitely picked up as each passenger was scrutinized and their secrets were revealed to the viewing world. The premise of this book was very Orwellian, with the government making decisions on who is more important to society when faced with a life or death situation. It also highlighted the issues with a proposed utopian society featuring nothing but self-driving vehicles. I felt a lot of the passengers' history didn't really qualify them for being in the hacker's crosshairs, their mistakes/choices not exactly making them model citizens but hardly worth terrorizing them over. And there were several misunderstandings that highlighted the dangers of social media and how people judge without all the facts. It's scary to think how easily manipulated society has become in regards to social media and how people will do or say almost anything when hiding behind a computer (or phone) screen. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book, some I figured out and some that took me completely by surprise and overall I was satisfied with the way it picked up after a slow start. A good choice for fans of futuristic thrillers and shows like Black Mirror. Thank you to Berkley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars

Wow, what a story. Automated cars now rule the roads and the ZHacker has captured random ones for disaster.
As the board to decide responsibility of accidents meet, the Mp sets the stage. It's not the car's fault.
The Hacker presents new facts and the jury must decide before the car's meet in a crash. This is a future book about AI and it's use in aotomobiles.
Written in page turning prose, the reader may ,in the need, decide an auto controlled car is not for them. Haunting.

The Passengers by John Marrs, an interesting read. Reads as an indictment against or at least a warning against full automation, and how nothing is secure in an all digital world.

From the minute I read the synopsis of this book, I was hooked. I like that this is set in the near future as autonomous cars are now being tested. Gripping novel I wish I never had to put down (but I did have to go to work!) kept me wondering, ‘who done it?’!

Like his predecessing novel, The One, Marrs’ latest dip into the futuristic thriller genre showcases his undeniable talents for pacing and complex plot structure. The Passengers proceeds with the concept of a near-future situation given a grim turn when 8 passengers of self-driving cars learn that they no longer have control of their vehicles, the ramifications of which are observed on a global stage.

Always suspsenseful, Marrs’ novels never fail to take you in directions you never would’ve anticipated, making a 400 page journey of a novel seen like a brief jaunt in the near-future world of his creation.

The Passengers ends by challenging the reader’s perception of human value, our overreliance on technology, and of who and how anyone is capable of deception.

This book is an edge of your seat thriller with the required twist at the end. It's a cautionary tale about giving artificial intelligence too much power in a self-driving car. Who doesn't want to kick back and relax while your car takes you wherever you have to go? I don't after reading this.

This was my first John Marrs book, but it definitely won’t be my last! I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. It was full of clever twists and turns and kept me thinking about it even when I had to actually put it down. I drove people crazy trying to tell them about the really neat plot of the book I was reading. (My husband is especially glad I’ve finished this book!)

There is so much more to this story than what the description would lead you to believe. The way the plot evolves is extremely creative and the use of the Hacker to control the pace for much of the book adds a wonderful, suspenseful element. Some characters rotate from sympathetic to contemptible within the space of a few paragraphs because of his control.

The pacing is fast and sharp, which adds to the reader’s enjoyment of the book. It also prevents you from questioning aspects of the story you might otherwise do in a slower paced story. I’m not sure about the accuracy of the science, especially when the author mentions hurricanes in the American mid-west instead of tornadoes, but I’ll leave that for others to discuss.

Overall, I found this to be an exciting and fun read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was a miss for me. It had all the elements of a good story, but I didn’t feel like it was executed well. The twists were twists, which I found exciting, but the twits weren’t very...exciting themselves. This was also obviously very inspired by Stephen King which (eyeroll). Didn’t love it, but it was a quick read

What an amazing ride! From the start, The Passengers takes you on a journey that you don’t want to stop. The novel reminded me of a cross between “Speed” and “Die Hard with a Vengeance” —with major plot twists thrown in that as a reader you don’t see coming.

This novel was an epic ride and I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives the author gave from each Passenger, as well as the main character, Libby. I definitely recommend this one as a must read this year!

Thank you NET GALLEY for my copy

I still don't use UBER so the driver-less car beckoned to me. 8 cars, 8 plans, 8 passengers, and then there is the HACKER. I PROMISE you will see others try to steal this story line. You will have to read it to get the rest.

This technological thriller is a lot of fun.

The world is horrified when several passengers are taken hostage by terrorists who have hacked into the controls of their driverless cars. The passengers are doomed to crash into each other at a designated time unless they are saved by social media voting. A jury panel that analyses traffic accidents involving automated cars is commandeered to present evidence about the potential victims to the world--without understanding that each of them is flawed.

The novel is riveting but runs out of steam before the ending. It would still be a great choice for thriller readers.

I definitely won't be taking any rides in driverless cars after reading this book, which certainly seemed like the author's goal.

So many of these thought pieces never actualize into a full blown novel in my opinion (see Vox, The Power, The Circle, etc.) but I think Marrs did a really good job balancing the story with the message. There were aspects of certain characters, especially Libby and Jack, that seemed more caricature than person but overall I enjoyed the story. I think the perfect DNA match was just one step toward speculative fiction too far, it just wasn't necessary to me, and the core plot seemed a bit far-fetched. Why did Alex exist? It just as well could've been Noah with no brother... but I digress.

I was a bit perturbed with the "brown people worth less" ideology that came up in the novel (NOTE: not from the author but from certain characters/social media in general) but I guess that is part of the reality of our current world, where "other" is seen as less valuable than whatever our in-group is.

The decision-making of the driverless cars is something that's still discussed in many psychology, sociology and philosophy classes... someone has to program the car to value X over Y, and who gets to make that decision? I guess we'll find out soon...

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of The Passengers. It’s a terrifying glimpse into the future. Set in Great Britain, this could happen anywhere. Only self-driving cars are allowed on the road. These are Level 5 vehicles meaning they have no steering wheels and no gas or brake pedals. Get ready to hold your breath. This is one heck of a thrill ride.

Libby, a mental health nurse, is called to a secret jury duty, one she can tell nobody about. On her second day, 8 passengers have their vehicles hacked and they are held prisoners within their own cars. They can’t stop, get out nor can they alert emergency services. Each of these passengers carries with them a secret.

Fast forward to Libby and the jury she’s on. These people are asked to decide which of the passengers’ lives, just one, though. Saying anything more is too revealing and would container spoilers.

This book had me up at night, sneaking back to my Kindle when I was supposed to be working, and didn’t disappoint in anyway.

Pre-order it now if you want to read one of the best thrillers of 2019.

House of Lords in UK votes for driver-less vehicles and ban on non-autonomous cars are coming soon.
Millions die in car accidents worldwide
Automatic Drivers prevent these, no traffic jams, less pollution, more economical, more spare time, reduced insurance rates, tax breaks, and free battery charging.

Drivers get in for a "normal" drive- to meet up, for work, for appointment ...
the car takes over ...

Now, the Vehicle Inquest Jury has major decisions
life-death decisions

What would you do?

Countdown ...!

Consider a future where you aren't allowed to drive your own car. The government has mandated autonomous vehicles without manual overrides; the AI's reactions are faster and everyone is safer without the unpredictable human element. Statistics show that accident rates are incredibly low compared to the way they were.

You are no longer a driver, but a passenger.

But all is not rosy. Someone has gotten into the unhackable system and taken over several cars, apparently randomly, and the 8 targets have been informed they will die in a couple of hours. The vehicles in question are converging to share a mutual and spectacular end.

Who's doing this? And why? This novel will keep you guessing and some of the answers will be very surprising.

This book has a great concept and is very well executed. Intriguing characters interact in complex fashion, and the whole world is watching over social media.

This one will make you think.

I got to read an early copy, and the book will be published on August 27, 2019. Look for it!

Another incredible book by John Marrs! He is such a talented, creative and innovative writer- I can’t get enough of his books. Passengers is set in the not so distant future in a world full of driverless cars. All one needs to do is input their designation, sit back and enjoy. The cars are known for being safe, unable to be hacked into and reliable….until one day they aren’t. Eight passengers in driverless cars set off for their destinations only to discover their car’s operating system has been hacked into and they are now set on the same path where they will most likely be dead in 2 hrs and 30 mins. The hacker has set up cameras in each car; in a world where social media and news feeds are all over the internet everyone is watching the passengers every move. Meanwhile a jury that was meeting to decide whether previous deaths related to car accidents were the fault of the driverless cars or the people become caught up in the hackers plan as well. They must decide the fate of the 8 passengers. If only one could live, how do you choose? This book makes you think about your own values and morals. Each passenger is interviewed by one of the jury members- one minute you can find yourself rooting for a passenger as they plead for their life, the next you may despise them as the hacker shares a secret that each one is hiding. But is he telling the whole truth? Do we know the full story? This fast-paced thriller will keep you on your feet with its many twists and turns. It’s hard to put this one down! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.