Bedside manners
A recurrent motif that appears in the novel is the fact that Sabrina has no bedside manners. At first, this seems strange and unfitting especially since she told the passengers that she is a doctor. When she admits that she works in a lab, then Harper and other characters realize while she is unable to communicate properly with the wounded passengers.
Euphoria
Another recurrent motif is the euphoric feeling Harper has right after the crash. She is one of the people that risk their lives to save those remained trapped in the economy section of the plane. She mentions the feeling she got while saving those people on numerous occasions and she begins to chase the feeling of fulfillment while trying to help those around her.
Bad feeling
From the first chapter of the novel, the characters feel as if something is wrong and this becomes a motif in the novel. From the lost communication over the Atlantic, to the lack of help after the crash and the strange Stonehenge structure protected by modern technology in the fields, all the events make the characters feel unsafe and uneasy.
Sacrifices
The novel presents characters put into the position of taking hard decisions in order to save as many people as possible. Because of the tragedies the characters go though, many decide that the idea of sacrificing a few for the greater good is something not only necessary but also unavoidable. Because of this, the idea that one must sacrifice a few to ensure the good-being of many is a recurrent motif in the novel.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge has a symbolic value in the novel, making reference to the distant past. In fact, Stonehenge is the only structure from the past that appears in the novel and the state Nick finds Stonehenge in also points towards the way those from the future regarded the past: they tried to preserve it and also protect it, realizing the value the past has.
