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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book started out strong, had about 200 pages of boring stuff which made me want to quit reading, then finally picked up. It was definitely a very interesting premise and the events that happen are very thought-provoking; I'm not sure I want to read the rest of the series.
I've tried to read this on numerous occasions (even before the show started) and I just have such a hard time getting beyond the writing issues that it makes it very difficult to become immersed in the story... which sucks because the premise seems like it would be right up my alley. I haven't watched the show yet, but I will give the book another shot.
There were some points where it felt like a chore to read, but once things took off, I could not stop! I got so caught up in the story and characters. I feel a connection with them. About half way through, I didnt think I would read the second book after finishing this one. My mind is changed now. I have to continue to see where the story goes. I keep going back and forth between 4 stars or 5.
When I first picked this book off the shelf at a beach rental cottage, it sucked me in. I've been reading a lot of post-apoc fiction lately, even though it's probably not good for my mental state, and I was immediately drawn into the story of Amy, "the Girl from Nowhere-the One Who Walked In, the First and Last and Only, who lived a thousand years.” And then came the emails from a scientist looking for something mysterious in the jungles of South America. And the stories of CIA agents rounding up death row inmates for some kind of horrible experiment. (By this point, I'd had to leave the actual book at the cottage and read the sample chapters and then wait for the library to open up again after New Years.)
After the virals (those inmates now turned into something like vampires, but definitely not sexy sparkling vampires, thank glob) escape and the world as we know it comes crashing down, the story jumps forward in time almost 100 years to a group of survivors. I kept thinking we'd jump ahead furthur. I mean, this girl is supposed to live a thousand years, right? But no, we're apparently stuck with these people for the duration of the novel, probably the entire trilogy. Not that they're bad characters (either in a moral or a literary sense), but there are a lot of them. A lot. It takes a while to get them all straightened out, during which time the pacing is somewhat inconsistent. The dialogue is somewhat stilted (especially with the constant use of the expletive "flyers") and my eyes sometimes glazed over during action sequences that went on and on. But every time I thought about putting the book down because it was getting too slow or too weird, something would happen to pull me back in. And I do plan to read the next book, The Twelve, and probably the third when it finally comes out in May. (Once again, being late to the party pays off, as I haven't had to wait six years like so many unfortunate readers.)
The Passage has definitely similarities to [b:The Stand|149267|The Stand|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1213131305s/149267.jpg|1742269], which I think was the first Stephen King novel I ever read after finding it in my 8th grade classroom. (Books have a way of finding me.) Not that I'm saying this book is derivative at all, just that they have a similar feel. However, I can't help but reflect that King managed to tell his epic tale in about 1100 pages, less than 400 pages more than the first third of this story...and that was the unabridged version...the original release was just over 800 pages. I'm just saying.
After the virals (those inmates now turned into something like vampires, but definitely not sexy sparkling vampires, thank glob) escape and the world as we know it comes crashing down, the story jumps forward in time almost 100 years to a group of survivors. I kept thinking we'd jump ahead furthur. I mean, this girl is supposed to live a thousand years, right? But no, we're apparently stuck with these people for the duration of the novel, probably the entire trilogy. Not that they're bad characters (either in a moral or a literary sense), but there are a lot of them. A lot. It takes a while to get them all straightened out, during which time the pacing is somewhat inconsistent. The dialogue is somewhat stilted (especially with the constant use of the expletive "flyers") and my eyes sometimes glazed over during action sequences that went on and on. But every time I thought about putting the book down because it was getting too slow or too weird, something would happen to pull me back in. And I do plan to read the next book, The Twelve, and probably the third when it finally comes out in May. (Once again, being late to the party pays off, as I haven't had to wait six years like so many unfortunate readers.)
The Passage has definitely similarities to [b:The Stand|149267|The Stand|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1213131305s/149267.jpg|1742269], which I think was the first Stephen King novel I ever read after finding it in my 8th grade classroom. (Books have a way of finding me.) Not that I'm saying this book is derivative at all, just that they have a similar feel. However, I can't help but reflect that King managed to tell his epic tale in about 1100 pages, less than 400 pages more than the first third of this story...and that was the unabridged version...the original release was just over 800 pages. I'm just saying.
I started out slowly with too much focus on the characters' long, tedious back stories, but it was still interesting enough that I kept reading. And then he jumped ahead 100 years and introduced me to a new set of characters with long, tedious back stories.
Man, this book 250 pages shorter would have been good. There was enough fear/suspense to keep it moving, but it got bogged down in the unnecessary details and the meandering plot.
Man, this book 250 pages shorter would have been good. There was enough fear/suspense to keep it moving, but it got bogged down in the unnecessary details and the meandering plot.
Whitney, you were 100% correct. What a fantastic book.
A more in-depth and thoughtful review/essay to come; I needed to update my status and thank my friend who recommended it to me.
I loved this book.
A more in-depth and thoughtful review/essay to come; I needed to update my status and thank my friend who recommended it to me.
I loved this book.
The eclectic way the story is initially put together makes it a bit confusing, but enjoyable. Definitely a bit slow here and there, particularly the journal entry points, but luckily they are italicized and most of them don't require an attention to detail to get what is going on, skimming them should be sufficient. Good enough that I am looking forward to the next one.
Although I am so tired of vampires, I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting new twist on vampires.
I liked the zombie apocalypse vibe mixed with the vampire mythology. I thought it worked so much better to have this kind of blood sucking, ruthless creature rather than the romantic, Gothic type who only uses his powers to seduce women. It makes sense that if vampires really existed, they would stir up a little more trouble than just the occasional victim here and there. I also liked the journey through the wastelands of America under the constant dread of night, especially the exploration through abandoned Las Vegas hotels.
The author does a great job developing interesting characters so the book becomes more than a gory horror novel. It is a exploration of the hero journey, and Mr. Cronin was able to convey some real heart and emotion. The relationships felt genuine rather than soap opera territory. There are multiple story lines throughout the book so it felt like several books rolled into one. On one hand that was nice since I enjoyed the stories, but eventually it got a little long. And then the ending was a little abrupt given all the build up. But worry not, because I see sequels and movies in our future. So I think we will get more than our fill of these new vampires.
I liked the zombie apocalypse vibe mixed with the vampire mythology. I thought it worked so much better to have this kind of blood sucking, ruthless creature rather than the romantic, Gothic type who only uses his powers to seduce women. It makes sense that if vampires really existed, they would stir up a little more trouble than just the occasional victim here and there. I also liked the journey through the wastelands of America under the constant dread of night, especially the exploration through abandoned Las Vegas hotels.
The author does a great job developing interesting characters so the book becomes more than a gory horror novel. It is a exploration of the hero journey, and Mr. Cronin was able to convey some real heart and emotion. The relationships felt genuine rather than soap opera territory. There are multiple story lines throughout the book so it felt like several books rolled into one. On one hand that was nice since I enjoyed the stories, but eventually it got a little long. And then the ending was a little abrupt given all the build up. But worry not, because I see sequels and movies in our future. So I think we will get more than our fill of these new vampires.
Wooow. This book was epic. It’s been since Game of Thrones that I’ve read a tome like this. 886 pages!
If you’ve read The Stand, you’ll be in familiar territory. Any zombie tale? Pretty much. It was --supposed-- to be vampiry, but they were really just zombies with mind-reading capabilities.
I debated the 3 or 4 stars. It felt like two separate stories. I loved all the Amy, not so excited about the politics of the “last colony.” I liked it, but it was pretty drawn out. Still, the characters are well developed and compelling.
Once the characters broke away from all that it got better. Huge cliffhanger at the end!! Arg. I’m going to have to read book 2.
If you’ve read The Stand, you’ll be in familiar territory. Any zombie tale? Pretty much. It was --supposed-- to be vampiry, but they were really just zombies with mind-reading capabilities.
I debated the 3 or 4 stars. It felt like two separate stories. I loved all the Amy, not so excited about the politics of the “last colony.” I liked it, but it was pretty drawn out. Still, the characters are well developed and compelling.
Once the characters broke away from all that it got better. Huge cliffhanger at the end!! Arg. I’m going to have to read book 2.