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jonathanlaughlin 's review for:
The Passage
by Justin Cronin
I kind of adore this book. But it didn't happen on my first read. I read it first in 2010, when it came out. My wife got it for me for my birthday that summer, saying to me that "it's supposed to be like The Stand, but updated."
I tore into it and devoured the first 250 pages within a few days. Then I got to the second "half" of the novel, where everything changes. If you've read other reviews you know that I'm talking about where the plot shifts to almost 100 years into the future and douses the reader with a completely new set of characters. In 2010, the rest of the book took me awhile to get through. I missed Wolgast and the other figures from the first third of the book. I wanted more action where the second part of the book gave me more in the way of character development.
It took me awhile, but I got through the book eventually. I gave it 4 stars here - I would have given it 3, but the first third and then the last 30 pages or so convinced me to rate it higher.
Then in 2012, the sequel came out. I bought it, but shelved it for awhile, knowing I wasn't quite ready to tackle it yet. In fact, I waited a long while, and by the time I felt ready, I considered that a re-read of the first book was in order. I had forgotten much of what had happened in that second part of the book. I also thought that, knowing what I knew from my initial read, that the plot jumps a century and the reader needs to become acquainted with new characters and an entirely new post-viral world, I might be better equipped for that second part.
I wasn't wrong. Once I got there, I relished meeting these new people and becoming entrenched in their new world. I grew to love Peter, Sara, Michael, Alisha, Maus and the others, and that section of the book became as thrilling to me as the previous third that had so captured my imagination the first time around. It is a wonderful story, the entire way through. You just need to be ready for the twists that happen.
If you are considering a re-read: do it. I sincerely believe the book is more rewarding the second time around.
I tore into it and devoured the first 250 pages within a few days. Then I got to the second "half" of the novel, where everything changes. If you've read other reviews you know that I'm talking about where the plot shifts to almost 100 years into the future and douses the reader with a completely new set of characters. In 2010, the rest of the book took me awhile to get through. I missed Wolgast and the other figures from the first third of the book. I wanted more action where the second part of the book gave me more in the way of character development.
It took me awhile, but I got through the book eventually. I gave it 4 stars here - I would have given it 3, but the first third and then the last 30 pages or so convinced me to rate it higher.
Then in 2012, the sequel came out. I bought it, but shelved it for awhile, knowing I wasn't quite ready to tackle it yet. In fact, I waited a long while, and by the time I felt ready, I considered that a re-read of the first book was in order. I had forgotten much of what had happened in that second part of the book. I also thought that, knowing what I knew from my initial read, that the plot jumps a century and the reader needs to become acquainted with new characters and an entirely new post-viral world, I might be better equipped for that second part.
I wasn't wrong. Once I got there, I relished meeting these new people and becoming entrenched in their new world. I grew to love Peter, Sara, Michael, Alisha, Maus and the others, and that section of the book became as thrilling to me as the previous third that had so captured my imagination the first time around. It is a wonderful story, the entire way through. You just need to be ready for the twists that happen.
If you are considering a re-read: do it. I sincerely believe the book is more rewarding the second time around.