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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
At first I thought that this book migt go on a little long - and I love long books. But I was wrong. This book is so engrossing that I was sorry when it ended and damn is it didn't end on a cliffhanger of sorts. I can't afford the hard cover but I'll be waiting in line for the sequel in paperback.
3,5 stars.
The Passage is a book that opens with the promise of a grim and melancholy tale, which should draw its readers into a post-apocalyptic world filled with danger, friendships, politics and intrigue. And in the first half, it delivers – but the second half breaks its promise a little bit.
The first part of the book set a dark, bleak and engrossing tone, and it was this ambience of violence that really gripped my attention. I couldn’t not read on – there was so much personality to this one monster I won’t call by its name, and it was as if I was staring right into its eyes as I kept turning the pages. But this intrigue fades as the story progresses – the monster didn’t return, and it was as if I’d lost a friend.
Plus: after reaching the halfway mark, the plot lost most of its momentum, and the pacing kinda crashed onto its butt. What had started as a riveting tale changed into a somewhat tedious journey, which really tested my patience and dedication.
To remedy this drag in momentum, the author oftentimes inserted what I like to call “intermezzos” – brief passages of letters or diary snippets that attempted to give a deeper impression of what’s going on from a certain character’s point of view, in some places with a time skip of several years. These diversions provided fresh perspectives and maintain interest, which had to prevent the story from falling into a slump. But while these intermezzos did kinda serve their purpose, they also highlighted the uneven pacing and blurry focus of the novel and they distracted from what was really going on.
Another obvious challenge was the abundance of characters introduced throughout the story. While some stood out with their own recognizability and depth, many others lacked fleshed-out personalities, which made it difficult for me to connect with them in any meaningful way. The amount of characters was really overwhelming, which kinda did a number on the overall coherence of the narrative.
The prose, while mostly clinical, did manage to be impactful and magical at times. The author's narrative style is nothing but straightforward and clinical, which often took me away from the emotional core of the characters and events – especially near the end of the book, where my dedication and determination to finish the book were already suffering big-time. The rare moments when I did resonate emotionally with the prose, the characters and the environment, showed the contrast between what was, and what could’ve been.
The big reveal about The Twelve and their true nature and connection to Amy, was a genius move. But it was also a genius move that should have taken place far, far earlier in the book – it came across as an afterthought. It was such a vital part to the story, and yet it was only introduced in the final 70-80 pages. Puzzle pieces clicked into place, but far too late.
The ending overall was rather unsatisfactory – the aforementioned reveal was good, but it was too little, too late. I still have so many unanswered questions. And not only that. Many characters, who’d stripped off the main convoy, got another battle which didn’t seem related to the main storyline, wasn’t resolved properly and added more conflict to the book, while the main narrative at this point in the finale should be all about resolving conflicts and getting to a conclusion.
I didn’t dislike the book. It had a promising start and the first part had interesting characters. But after that initial sequence we lose most of those characters and the plot doesn’t really move forward, which makes it a drag to get through. I haven’t seen the FOX tv-show, and I probably won’t, because it’d take the self-imagined magic away from the story – but for anyone who prefers intense and fast-paced narratives, it’s probably best to turn to the show and put this book on the back-burner for a while.
The Passage is a book that opens with the promise of a grim and melancholy tale, which should draw its readers into a post-apocalyptic world filled with danger, friendships, politics and intrigue. And in the first half, it delivers – but the second half breaks its promise a little bit.
The first part of the book set a dark, bleak and engrossing tone, and it was this ambience of violence that really gripped my attention. I couldn’t not read on – there was so much personality to this one monster I won’t call by its name, and it was as if I was staring right into its eyes as I kept turning the pages. But this intrigue fades as the story progresses – the monster didn’t return, and it was as if I’d lost a friend.
Plus: after reaching the halfway mark, the plot lost most of its momentum, and the pacing kinda crashed onto its butt. What had started as a riveting tale changed into a somewhat tedious journey, which really tested my patience and dedication.
To remedy this drag in momentum, the author oftentimes inserted what I like to call “intermezzos” – brief passages of letters or diary snippets that attempted to give a deeper impression of what’s going on from a certain character’s point of view, in some places with a time skip of several years. These diversions provided fresh perspectives and maintain interest, which had to prevent the story from falling into a slump. But while these intermezzos did kinda serve their purpose, they also highlighted the uneven pacing and blurry focus of the novel and they distracted from what was really going on.
Another obvious challenge was the abundance of characters introduced throughout the story. While some stood out with their own recognizability and depth, many others lacked fleshed-out personalities, which made it difficult for me to connect with them in any meaningful way. The amount of characters was really overwhelming, which kinda did a number on the overall coherence of the narrative.
The prose, while mostly clinical, did manage to be impactful and magical at times. The author's narrative style is nothing but straightforward and clinical, which often took me away from the emotional core of the characters and events – especially near the end of the book, where my dedication and determination to finish the book were already suffering big-time. The rare moments when I did resonate emotionally with the prose, the characters and the environment, showed the contrast between what was, and what could’ve been.
The big reveal about The Twelve and their true nature and connection to Amy, was a genius move. But it was also a genius move that should have taken place far, far earlier in the book – it came across as an afterthought. It was such a vital part to the story, and yet it was only introduced in the final 70-80 pages. Puzzle pieces clicked into place, but far too late.
The ending overall was rather unsatisfactory – the aforementioned reveal was good, but it was too little, too late. I still have so many unanswered questions. And not only that. Many characters, who’d stripped off the main convoy, got another battle which didn’t seem related to the main storyline, wasn’t resolved properly and added more conflict to the book, while the main narrative at this point in the finale should be all about resolving conflicts and getting to a conclusion.
I didn’t dislike the book. It had a promising start and the first part had interesting characters. But after that initial sequence we lose most of those characters and the plot doesn’t really move forward, which makes it a drag to get through. I haven’t seen the FOX tv-show, and I probably won’t, because it’d take the self-imagined magic away from the story – but for anyone who prefers intense and fast-paced narratives, it’s probably best to turn to the show and put this book on the back-burner for a while.
FIIIIIINALY! Holy crap but this is a long read! Good though. Its kinda hard to say what about it I liked... in someways the many different storys started to annoy me but I knew if I kept up with it they'd all blend at some point and they did. I liked what I read over all but I'm not sure I want to sit through 2 more books of this... though I'm sure I will as I neeeed to know what happind... Oh and ending?! WTH?! so not fair!
This was a fine book. I plowed through it, because the plot was interesting, but the writing style itself was a bit of a drag. For a genre that should feel very exciting it felt very slow.
Long and epic, it took a little while to get going, and there was some character set up that seemed a bit excessive (I assume that it will pay off in books 2 & 3). But before I knew it I was completely hooked, and I just went along for the ride on all of the twists and turns. I am very attached to some of the characters, and practically smitten with Peter and Amy.
Long and epic, it took a little while to get going, and there was some character set up that seemed a bit excessive (I assume that it will pay off in books 2 & 3). But before I knew it I was completely hooked, and I just went along for the ride on all of the twists and turns. I am very attached to some of the characters, and practically smitten with Peter and Amy.
Scott Brick did an awesome job with the narration. It's a big audiobook (29 discs!!) but it was a great way to experience this particular story.
Scott Brick did an awesome job with the narration. It's a big audiobook (29 discs!!) but it was a great way to experience this particular story.
The first 200 pages were absolutely incredible... And then the rest plummeted downhill into post-apocalyptic boredom, filled with really unsatisfying characters, plot, and "action". The beginning is so suspenseful, action-packed, and well done, that I think it made the mediocre following chapters seem horrific by comparison. I'd read the beginning again, but skip the rest.
3.5 stars.
The Passage has its ups and downs. It has a stellar beginning and a good ending but the middle was somewhat of a slog. I found myself constantly asking why I bothered to finish it even though I was ultimately glad I did. Still, the slow pace and bland characterization really took a toll. I've heard the sequel is better so I think I'll continue, but I definitely feel like I deserve a break.
The Passage has its ups and downs. It has a stellar beginning and a good ending but the middle was somewhat of a slog. I found myself constantly asking why I bothered to finish it even though I was ultimately glad I did. Still, the slow pace and bland characterization really took a toll. I've heard the sequel is better so I think I'll continue, but I definitely feel like I deserve a break.
Best book I’ve read in a long time - how have I never come across this series before?
fast-paced