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Passengers
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26A taut, emotionally gripping, and surprisingly funny novel about a father and daughter stranded in an airport at the end of the world.
Ivan is a solitary man in his seventies, set in his ways and haunted by the failures of his past. His smart and cynical daughter, Nina, is in the twilight of her twenties and has long kept a distance from her sentimental father. But when Ivan proposes a trip to Europe in hopes that it will bring them closer together, Nina reluctantly agrees. They meet at LAX, where their departure is delayed. And delayed again. And again. As the hours drag on, their sharp, caustic and wide-ranging conversation reveals a lifetime of misunderstandings, unhealed wounds, and stubborn love.
Soon more flights are canceled, security tightens, airport staff grow evasive, and it becomes clear to Ivan and Nina that something is wrong. They begin to suspect that they’re being held prisoner—sequestered from the world without explanation. At last, the surreal starts to overtake the mundane, and their need to escape—and to protect each other—turns increasingly urgent.
What begins as a piercing portrait of a father and daughter becomes a novel of eerie suspense, as Nina and Ivan navigate not only their fractured bond but also a world teetering on the brink of collapse. A story of loving across gaps—between parent and child, between things said and unsaid—and about what happens when the outside world finally mirrors the chaos within, Passengers is Maksik’s most timely and accomplished novel yet.
Ivan is a solitary man in his seventies, set in his ways and haunted by the failures of his past. His smart and cynical daughter, Nina, is in the twilight of her twenties and has long kept a distance from her sentimental father. But when Ivan proposes a trip to Europe in hopes that it will bring them closer together, Nina reluctantly agrees. They meet at LAX, where their departure is delayed. And delayed again. And again. As the hours drag on, their sharp, caustic and wide-ranging conversation reveals a lifetime of misunderstandings, unhealed wounds, and stubborn love.
Soon more flights are canceled, security tightens, airport staff grow evasive, and it becomes clear to Ivan and Nina that something is wrong. They begin to suspect that they’re being held prisoner—sequestered from the world without explanation. At last, the surreal starts to overtake the mundane, and their need to escape—and to protect each other—turns increasingly urgent.
What begins as a piercing portrait of a father and daughter becomes a novel of eerie suspense, as Nina and Ivan navigate not only their fractured bond but also a world teetering on the brink of collapse. A story of loving across gaps—between parent and child, between things said and unsaid—and about what happens when the outside world finally mirrors the chaos within, Passengers is Maksik’s most timely and accomplished novel yet.
256 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Alexander Maksik
7 books159 followersAlexander Maksik is the author of four novels: You Deserve Nothing, a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller; A Marker to Measure Drift, which was a New York Times Notable Book, as well as a finalist for the William Saroyan Prize and Le Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger; Shelter in Place, named one of the best books of the year by the Guardian and the San Francisco Chronicle and The Long Corner, which will be published in 2022.
Maksik’s writing has appeared in many publications including Harper’s, The New Yorker, Tin House, Best American Nonrequired Reading, Sewanee Review, Harvard Review, New York Times Book Review, Condé Nast Traveler (where for several years he was a contributing editor) and The Atlantic, and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize and the Andrew Lytle Prize, as well as fellowships from the Truman Capote Literary Trust and the Corporation of Yaddo.
Along with French novelist Colombe Schneck, he is the co-artistic director of the Can Cab Literary Residence in Catalonia, Spain.
Maksik’s writing has appeared in many publications including Harper’s, The New Yorker, Tin House, Best American Nonrequired Reading, Sewanee Review, Harvard Review, New York Times Book Review, Condé Nast Traveler (where for several years he was a contributing editor) and The Atlantic, and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize and the Andrew Lytle Prize, as well as fellowships from the Truman Capote Literary Trust and the Corporation of Yaddo.
Along with French novelist Colombe Schneck, he is the co-artistic director of the Can Cab Literary Residence in Catalonia, Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 19, 2026
This has left me a bit speechless. And crying.
August 6, 2026
Passengers had such an incredible premise, which honestly made my disappointment with this one even greater. An estranged father and daughter trapped in an airport as flights are repeatedly delayed and canceled, security tightens, employees become increasingly evasive, and it slowly becomes clear that something is very wrong with the outside world? I was completely sold. This sounded like exactly my kind of book.
Unfortunately, this was waaaaay too character-driven for me.
There is SO much talking and introspection. So much. The relationship between Ivan and Nina is clearly meant to be the heart of the story, and I can appreciate what the author was trying to explore through their complicated history, regrets, and unresolved issues. But their conversations dominate the novel to the point that I felt like the far more interesting story was constantly happening somewhere just out of reach.
I wanted to know what the heck was happening! Why were all the flights being canceled? What was happening outside the airport? Why was security changing? Why was everyone being so evasive? Were they actually being trapped there? What was happening to the rest of the world?!
Every time the eerie, unsettling atmosphere started building and it seemed like we might finally get more answers, the story returned to Ivan and Nina talking. And talking. And talking.
For readers who love deeply character-driven novels centered on complicated family relationships, this may work much better. But I went into Passengers fascinated by the idea of an airport slowly transforming from an ordinary place into something much more sinister while the outside world seemingly falls apart. That aspect had so much potential, and I desperately wanted the book to explore it more.
Such an awesome premise, but the execution just wasn't for me. I finished this feeling like the story I desperately wanted to read was happening in the background of the story I actually got.
2.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this was waaaaay too character-driven for me.
There is SO much talking and introspection. So much. The relationship between Ivan and Nina is clearly meant to be the heart of the story, and I can appreciate what the author was trying to explore through their complicated history, regrets, and unresolved issues. But their conversations dominate the novel to the point that I felt like the far more interesting story was constantly happening somewhere just out of reach.
I wanted to know what the heck was happening! Why were all the flights being canceled? What was happening outside the airport? Why was security changing? Why was everyone being so evasive? Were they actually being trapped there? What was happening to the rest of the world?!
Every time the eerie, unsettling atmosphere started building and it seemed like we might finally get more answers, the story returned to Ivan and Nina talking. And talking. And talking.
For readers who love deeply character-driven novels centered on complicated family relationships, this may work much better. But I went into Passengers fascinated by the idea of an airport slowly transforming from an ordinary place into something much more sinister while the outside world seemingly falls apart. That aspect had so much potential, and I desperately wanted the book to explore it more.
Such an awesome premise, but the execution just wasn't for me. I finished this feeling like the story I desperately wanted to read was happening in the background of the story I actually got.
2.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Passengers. Airports are already a weird sort of alternate universe where time and space slow down, speed up, and everything feels strange. This book takes that feeling and runs with it. Stuck in a time loop, this one resonated with me, and I have to say, being trapped in an airport with my father is my absolute worst nightmare. This was so trippy and pretty sure it will affect my airport experience for some time to come.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book I really enjoyed, but it is absolutely not going to be for everyone. It’s entirely character-driven literary fiction, with very little plot (it takes place in an airport terminal over the span of less than a day). Ivan and his daughter Nina have a tense relationship at best, but not because they dislike each other. Instead, it’s tense because they are in completely different life stages and have significantly different views on life and processing their own histories. As they navigate the airport as it slowly closes in around them, we get lengthy reflections on their abandonment by Nora (wife/mother), how their memories differ for the same events from Nina’s youth (testing the limits of memory), and most importantly demonstrating the way adult children and their aging parents struggle to understand each other while still loving so deeply.
Now, alongside these reflections, many of the chapters also end with a paragraph showing the inner lives of the folks they interact with in the airport. We see a waitress worried with about her children, a very young gate agent who clearly dislikes people despite being a gate agent in an airport, and even a strange man in a suit with a leg of meat who reflects on absurdity. These added life to the airport, but more importantly to the introspective psyche of the story.
Now, as I said above, this is going to be a hard one for a lot of people to get into, and so while I loved it I would say I recommend it selectively at best. Alongside minimal plot, it’s also intentionally very slow and there’s no clarity on the dystopian event looming in the background. The event isn’t important, mind you, outside of driving the character’s movement through the terminal. This is also a book I wouldn’t recommend to anyone younger than 30, because you need to at least be an adult child to an aging parent (better still would be if you’re an adult child to an aging parent who also has an adult child, which I’m not!)
Original comments from August 31
Full review to come in a few days as I gather my thoughts. This won't be for everyone, but those readers who like a really character-driven literary fiction will eat it up.
This is a book I really enjoyed, but it is absolutely not going to be for everyone. It’s entirely character-driven literary fiction, with very little plot (it takes place in an airport terminal over the span of less than a day). Ivan and his daughter Nina have a tense relationship at best, but not because they dislike each other. Instead, it’s tense because they are in completely different life stages and have significantly different views on life and processing their own histories. As they navigate the airport as it slowly closes in around them, we get lengthy reflections on their abandonment by Nora (wife/mother), how their memories differ for the same events from Nina’s youth (testing the limits of memory), and most importantly demonstrating the way adult children and their aging parents struggle to understand each other while still loving so deeply.
Now, alongside these reflections, many of the chapters also end with a paragraph showing the inner lives of the folks they interact with in the airport. We see a waitress worried with about her children, a very young gate agent who clearly dislikes people despite being a gate agent in an airport, and even a strange man in a suit with a leg of meat who reflects on absurdity. These added life to the airport, but more importantly to the introspective psyche of the story.
Now, as I said above, this is going to be a hard one for a lot of people to get into, and so while I loved it I would say I recommend it selectively at best. Alongside minimal plot, it’s also intentionally very slow and there’s no clarity on the dystopian event looming in the background. The event isn’t important, mind you, outside of driving the character’s movement through the terminal. This is also a book I wouldn’t recommend to anyone younger than 30, because you need to at least be an adult child to an aging parent (better still would be if you’re an adult child to an aging parent who also has an adult child, which I’m not!)
Original comments from August 31
Full review to come in a few days as I gather my thoughts. This won't be for everyone, but those readers who like a really character-driven literary fiction will eat it up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A well-told two-hander about love, connection and purpose – but not a novel for everyone 4/5
In Passengers, a father and daughter with a somewhat strained relationship are going on a trip to Paris – firmly the father’s idea and a chance for him share his earlier life there and indulge a seemingly endless desire for nostalgia. Their flights are delayed and in the interim, the two of them chat at the airport, giving the reader a view of their relationship, struggles and their feelings about the mother (who is conspicuously absent from their present lives).
Whether or not Passengers is for you really comes down to how interested you are in their relationship and the fears running beneath the surface of both of the characters – there isn’t tons else to this novel. This worked for me, I think mainly because some of what was being slowly revealed (about purpose, direction in life and the effect of how we love on who we love) was insightful and felt believable. It was occasionally repetitive, but people and their relationships with each other often work that way, and tend to be full of contradictions and inconsistencies. It’s also worth noting that neither character is completely sympathetic, which again made them more believable to me, but could definitely mean that some readers grow tired of them (as the characters do with each other occasionally).
Passengers doesn’t have much of a plot, so readers wanting an explanation of the story’s premise will be disappointed. But I don’t want to give the wrong impression that everything here is lacking. While this is very much a story that needs the right reader, for those looking for a character study with depth and nuance, Passengers won’t disappoint.
Finally, a big thank you to Alexander Maksik, Europa Editions and Netgalley for an advance review copy of Passengers, provided in exchange for an honest review.
In Passengers, a father and daughter with a somewhat strained relationship are going on a trip to Paris – firmly the father’s idea and a chance for him share his earlier life there and indulge a seemingly endless desire for nostalgia. Their flights are delayed and in the interim, the two of them chat at the airport, giving the reader a view of their relationship, struggles and their feelings about the mother (who is conspicuously absent from their present lives).
Whether or not Passengers is for you really comes down to how interested you are in their relationship and the fears running beneath the surface of both of the characters – there isn’t tons else to this novel. This worked for me, I think mainly because some of what was being slowly revealed (about purpose, direction in life and the effect of how we love on who we love) was insightful and felt believable. It was occasionally repetitive, but people and their relationships with each other often work that way, and tend to be full of contradictions and inconsistencies. It’s also worth noting that neither character is completely sympathetic, which again made them more believable to me, but could definitely mean that some readers grow tired of them (as the characters do with each other occasionally).
Passengers doesn’t have much of a plot, so readers wanting an explanation of the story’s premise will be disappointed. But I don’t want to give the wrong impression that everything here is lacking. While this is very much a story that needs the right reader, for those looking for a character study with depth and nuance, Passengers won’t disappoint.
Finally, a big thank you to Alexander Maksik, Europa Editions and Netgalley for an advance review copy of Passengers, provided in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a really well written book, it just wasn’t my type of book. So my rating is more about my preference in books rather than the book being mediocre. That being said, let’s get into it!
This book is about Nina and Ivan, a father daughter duo who are at an airport at the end of the world. The book delves deeply into their characters and their lives both past and present. There isn’t a whole lot of action, it’s mostly reflections from and about the characters, both from within in without. If you like examining characters deeply, this is the book for you! The tale is haunting, like a fever dream you can’t wake up from. Like being stuck in a loop or in a hall of fun house mirrors.
The writing is prose like, and meanders in the best way. It makes you feel like the duo: trapped, confused, and at times even a little content. You begin to feel one with them, either father or daughter depending on your age. I suspect this is one of those books that you get additional meaning from if you read it when young and then again when older. You come away from the book feeling introspective, with the urge to take an inventory of your life.
I was given an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book is about Nina and Ivan, a father daughter duo who are at an airport at the end of the world. The book delves deeply into their characters and their lives both past and present. There isn’t a whole lot of action, it’s mostly reflections from and about the characters, both from within in without. If you like examining characters deeply, this is the book for you! The tale is haunting, like a fever dream you can’t wake up from. Like being stuck in a loop or in a hall of fun house mirrors.
The writing is prose like, and meanders in the best way. It makes you feel like the duo: trapped, confused, and at times even a little content. You begin to feel one with them, either father or daughter depending on your age. I suspect this is one of those books that you get additional meaning from if you read it when young and then again when older. You come away from the book feeling introspective, with the urge to take an inventory of your life.
I was given an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an unbiased review.
I did not expect this quiet little novel to be so engrossing. I love stories about travel, character-driven stories, and I love time travel/the world is changing/time loop stories. But honestly, this was none of those!
Synopsis: A 70-something father and his sort-of estranged 20-something daughter meet at LAX Airport for a long-planned father-daughter trip to Paris. But all the flights in LAX get delayed, and delayed...and something is very, very wrong. What is wrong? It doesn't matter! The book is about the conversations the father and daughter have while killing hours and hours of delays. It's a bit like "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" mixed with "Waiting for Godot," tinged with reflections on midlife regret.
I would also add that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 35; there's a lot in this book about choices we make as parents, as spouses, and for our careers that will probably not resonate with younger readers who've not experienced these life events.
Overall, a really interesting read.
I did not expect this quiet little novel to be so engrossing. I love stories about travel, character-driven stories, and I love time travel/the world is changing/time loop stories. But honestly, this was none of those!
Synopsis: A 70-something father and his sort-of estranged 20-something daughter meet at LAX Airport for a long-planned father-daughter trip to Paris. But all the flights in LAX get delayed, and delayed...and something is very, very wrong. What is wrong? It doesn't matter! The book is about the conversations the father and daughter have while killing hours and hours of delays. It's a bit like "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" mixed with "Waiting for Godot," tinged with reflections on midlife regret.
I would also add that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 35; there's a lot in this book about choices we make as parents, as spouses, and for our careers that will probably not resonate with younger readers who've not experienced these life events.
Overall, a really interesting read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Have you ever read a book that you liked and disliked at the same time? I found myself facing this dilemma as I read this narrative. It started off fine, a father and daughter meeting at the airport preparing to fly to Paris as a long awaited getaway. A father and daughter who have not had an easy relationship and tend to spiral into arguments at the drop of a hat. But, that’s not all. Something is going on in the world, something sinister, that hovers over this busy airport and the passengers wandering within. A dread settles over everything as flights become delayed and no one explains what’s going on.
Ivan and Nina navigate the busy terminals as they banter and argue back and forth about their lives, the good and the bad, where it all went wrong and would it ever be right. Not realizing that their bond is growing they keep to the belief that their trip to Paris will actually happen despite the growing unease and tension in the atmosphere. Something is definitely not right.
This story is in one continuous chapter striving towards an ending that will leave you perplexed and frightened. I do recommend this book.
Ivan and Nina navigate the busy terminals as they banter and argue back and forth about their lives, the good and the bad, where it all went wrong and would it ever be right. Not realizing that their bond is growing they keep to the belief that their trip to Paris will actually happen despite the growing unease and tension in the atmosphere. Something is definitely not right.
This story is in one continuous chapter striving towards an ending that will leave you perplexed and frightened. I do recommend this book.
September 14, 2026
I really liked this book even though I ended up reading it very slowly. For people who are very plot-focused, this will not be a rewarding experience. But if you're into books that are a-moment-in-time and character-based, you might enjoy this as much as I did. It's about a woman and her dad, stuck at the airport while their flight gets delayed again and again. It's about connection, loss, family, hope, despair and so much more. I truly enjoyed it.
with gratitude to netgalley and Europa Editions for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
with gratitude to netgalley and Europa Editions for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews