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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
This was my second time reading this, and I'm glad I did a reread because the first time I read it was when it came out in 2010. I had forgotten a lot of the details which are clearly important to remember before reading the rest of the series!
I enjoyed this as much on reread as I did initially. I know the book has been somewhat criticised for it's relative slow pace, but Cronin is such a fine writer that, for me, the story didn't feel slow as I read it or that it should have been edited in parts. I like the sense of slow build that pays off nicely at the end, leaving me with both answers and more questions, and I thought it was a perfect set up for the next book.
Definitely reading [b:The Twelve|13281368|The Twelve (The Passage, #2)|Justin Cronin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331230956s/13281368.jpg|14373498] within the next month, and I'm hoping it is as satisfying as this first book.
I enjoyed this as much on reread as I did initially. I know the book has been somewhat criticised for it's relative slow pace, but Cronin is such a fine writer that, for me, the story didn't feel slow as I read it or that it should have been edited in parts. I like the sense of slow build that pays off nicely at the end, leaving me with both answers and more questions, and I thought it was a perfect set up for the next book.
Definitely reading [b:The Twelve|13281368|The Twelve (The Passage, #2)|Justin Cronin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331230956s/13281368.jpg|14373498] within the next month, and I'm hoping it is as satisfying as this first book.
This is the kind of writing I aspire to produce. A sweeping epic; brutal, tragic, uplifting, gripping, tense as a piano wire. There's a lot of book in this book, and it's surprisingly character-driven for what on paper should be a shallow paint-by-numbers retread of familiar genre tropes ("Vampires?" asks the snooty elitist in me. "Puh-lease.") Cronin's The Passage hits the sweet spot for me, where the story feels like it has something to say while at the same time having enough turns and action set pieces to keep me entertained. Writers don't necessarily have to choose between plot, theme, and character; they can have all three, and Justin Cronin demonstrates how here.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I couldn't put this book down, and was delighted it was so long, as I didn't want it to end. Having said that, the last third of the book was not as interesting as the first two thirds.
This book is messed up in the best possible way. It's dark, downright creepy, and really hard to put down. I can't wait to start the next one.
The Passage has to be one of the most beautiful, horrifying, page turning, heart stopping books I have ever had the pleasure to read. It brings to mind Stephen King’s The Stand. Cronin’s writing is exquisite. I found myself unable to put this post-apocalyptic book down. It is an epic novel of human endurance, when faced with a catastrophe that will forever change mankind.
A security breach on a secret U.S. government project called NOAH goes terribly wrong. Overnight a virus takes over the world, turning those affected into hunters and those who survive into prey. FBI agent Brad Wolgast sets out to help and protect, six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte who is a refugee from the project that has triggered the apocalypse. The dangers and struggles these two face, with the friends they meet along the way, will have you sitting up until the wee hours of night, just to read a few pages more. I found myself asking could something like this happen, what kind of post-apocalyptic person I would be and is this really how the government would handle this. The fast paced ending had me screaming for more and rushing to my computer for details on book 2.
A security breach on a secret U.S. government project called NOAH goes terribly wrong. Overnight a virus takes over the world, turning those affected into hunters and those who survive into prey. FBI agent Brad Wolgast sets out to help and protect, six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte who is a refugee from the project that has triggered the apocalypse. The dangers and struggles these two face, with the friends they meet along the way, will have you sitting up until the wee hours of night, just to read a few pages more. I found myself asking could something like this happen, what kind of post-apocalyptic person I would be and is this really how the government would handle this. The fast paced ending had me screaming for more and rushing to my computer for details on book 2.
Geez that was long. 5 stars for the first half of the book. 3 for the last half. Stayed up late voraciously reading this massive book then lost interest as it slogged on and became a very different book than it started.
So much of the story hinges on the mysterious ‘Amy’ who really was not a likable character. She had very little actual substance and spent most of the book staring off into space…and somehow is a mother figure to mass armies of ‘Virals’….i just don’t get it. The story had so much potential, but lost me in the end.
I love the end of the world, apocalyptic nuclear vibes of the first part of this story, and I would have loved more of that!
So much of the story hinges on the mysterious ‘Amy’ who really was not a likable character. She had very little actual substance and spent most of the book staring off into space…and somehow is a mother figure to mass armies of ‘Virals’….i just don’t get it. The story had so much potential, but lost me in the end.
I love the end of the world, apocalyptic nuclear vibes of the first part of this story, and I would have loved more of that!
Excellent read. Hope he writes more of the same ilk. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi or action. It wasn't sci-fi in the sense of aliens and different planets. It was, however, a premise of humans essentially destroying our race thru ambitious scientific experiments. Great book.