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melorox's review against another edition
4.0
To be honest I almost put this book down 30% in. The characters changed, the timeline shifted, and I wasn't ready to commit to something new all over again. But since I was so far in I pushed on and soon became engrossed in the developments of the new characters. The story became the sort of edge of your seat dystopian thriller I am such a sucker for with one huge difference: it is also beautifully written. I'm definitely downloading the 2nd book.
kaora4's review against another edition
5.0
It had never occurred to her that God would cry, but of course that was wrong. God would be crying all the time. He would cry and cry and never stop.
I don't normally like vampire books. Vampires have become integrated in a formula for an instant best seller, thanks to books like Twilight, much like World War Z and zombies. So I avoid books like these in general.
However, The Passage is so much more than a vampire book. It is a book that focuses more on courage, relationships, heartbreak, survival and hope. It isn't a small book by any means, having approximately 800 pages but it is a book that I enjoyed so much those pages just flew by, leaving me wanting more because Cronin can WRITE.
It takes a great author to introduce you to a character who may only be present for a few chapters in the book, but remains with you.
We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.
I don't want to reveal too much about this book as part of what makes this book amazing is the slow unfolding of events. This is my second time reading through, so that should tell you how much I enjoyed it. It is quite an undertaking, but I feel like it is completely worth it.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
I don't normally like vampire books. Vampires have become integrated in a formula for an instant best seller, thanks to books like Twilight, much like World War Z and zombies. So I avoid books like these in general.
However, The Passage is so much more than a vampire book. It is a book that focuses more on courage, relationships, heartbreak, survival and hope. It isn't a small book by any means, having approximately 800 pages but it is a book that I enjoyed so much those pages just flew by, leaving me wanting more because Cronin can WRITE.
It takes a great author to introduce you to a character who may only be present for a few chapters in the book, but remains with you.
We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.
I don't want to reveal too much about this book as part of what makes this book amazing is the slow unfolding of events. This is my second time reading through, so that should tell you how much I enjoyed it. It is quite an undertaking, but I feel like it is completely worth it.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
ithinktfiam's review against another edition
1.0
Abysmal direct rip-off of the big zombie book, Dragonball Z or something... ;)
The only differences are he creates vampires rather than zombie and the use of magic. Yes, magic. Somehow, the "virus" creates armored beings who, just somehow, happen to have a single soft spot to hit that is deadly even by bows and arrows. Oh, yeah, and telepathy.
Overwritten, not the least interesting. If you do try to read it, skip the first 200 pages. He spends that long to set up the fall of civilization with boring, dull, imagery that adds nothing to the post-collapse story.
The only differences are he creates vampires rather than zombie and the use of magic. Yes, magic. Somehow, the "virus" creates armored beings who, just somehow, happen to have a single soft spot to hit that is deadly even by bows and arrows. Oh, yeah, and telepathy.
Overwritten, not the least interesting. If you do try to read it, skip the first 200 pages. He spends that long to set up the fall of civilization with boring, dull, imagery that adds nothing to the post-collapse story.
rubyrubay's review against another edition
3.0
This was about 300 pages longer than it really needed to be. An interesting story but dear god was it a hell of a slog.
marissax89's review against another edition
2.0
It took me about 3/4 of the book to truly grasp what was happening but once I did I got into it. There are lots of characters that you meet really fast and some are quickly forgotten and some really stick with you. Cronin is a bit different that I'm used to. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. But no complaints.
jlitsch's review against another edition
5.0
Exceptional. If you are toying with the idea of embarking on this epic journey, do so when you have ample time to let every word sink into your skin and your soul. This odyssey lived and breathed with me. I thought about the story and my new friends on the pages when I wasn't reading. I had every kind of emotion imaginable from the first page to the last. I am excited and terrified by the fact that there are 2 more books to this series that I am able to enjoy, and if I'm being honest, be completely possessed by. 5 strong stars.
laurabeth9's review against another edition
4.0
Knew I had to read this book after reading Stephen King's wonderful review (even though I don't really read a lot of King). I just had to see what all the fuss was about, and this book definitely didn't disappoint. It really hooks you from the beginning, get its claws in you by the middle and sucks the blood out of you by the end. You definitely want more and feel changed after having read it. What am I a smoke now? HA! Seriously though, very few books deserve 5 stars, but this is one of them. Rice professor, Cronin does a wonderful job, weaving the narratives together to form an entire web of life, survival, and death. You slowly see relationships form and end over 100 years. And even though this book is set in the future and may be considered fantasy, I really felt myself falling into his world of virals and walkers. For me, this is a must read and will someday be a classic.
allisonarthur12's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't realize The Passage was the first book of a trilogy, but now I don't know how I'm going to wait for the second book to come out in 2012. The only reason I don't rate this book 5 stars is it's length. It's 768 pages, so brace yourself. Wait for a long weekend or a very long plane ride. The story jumps back and forth between points in time and different, and there's about a million characters to keep track of as well.
Basically, it's about a government experiment that goes wrong. Men are turned into creatures (my friends insist they're zombie-like, but I argue that they're more similar to vampires), and the human population gets practically wiped out.
A hundred years later, some humans, thinking they probably are alone in the world, begin to put pieces of the puzzle together and go off in search for not only other colonies but also a way to end the creatures for good. They discover that they are somehow connected to people born decades before them and join together to discover the creatures' secrets.
It's difficult to explain more about the story without giving anything crucial away. The line was great, but what I found most fascinating was the way that Cronin took several different writing styles and incorporated them into his book.
Great read. Highly recommended, if you have the time.
Basically, it's about a government experiment that goes wrong. Men are turned into creatures (my friends insist they're zombie-like, but I argue that they're more similar to vampires), and the human population gets practically wiped out.
A hundred years later, some humans, thinking they probably are alone in the world, begin to put pieces of the puzzle together and go off in search for not only other colonies but also a way to end the creatures for good. They discover that they are somehow connected to people born decades before them and join together to discover the creatures' secrets.
It's difficult to explain more about the story without giving anything crucial away. The line was great, but what I found most fascinating was the way that Cronin took several different writing styles and incorporated them into his book.
Great read. Highly recommended, if you have the time.
jun1pper's review against another edition
2.0
It was an interesting enough listen, but I'll confess the use of the curse-word "fliers" was clunky as all hell in dialogue.