3/13/2016

The Passage (Again!): Review


Title: The Passage
Author: Justin Cronin
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2010 (that's SIX YEARS AGO for those keeping count)
Genres: horror, sci-fi, fantasy, apocalyptic 

Synopsis (via goodreads.com):

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, turned to hell. All that remains is the long fight ahead for the stunned survivors faced with a future ruled by fear--of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization crumbles, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he's done in the line of duty. Six-year-old oprhan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project, and Brad is determined to protect her. But, for young Amy, escaping is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey--spanning miles and decades--toward the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun in the first place.
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Disclaimer: I only re-read a book under the same extremely rare situation(s) that I exercise because either: 1) it’s been so long that I forget that I DON’T re-read/ exercise on purpose, or, 2) there’s company staying with us and I’m trying not to look like an ignorant slug. (The second one is really just for exercising…)


Therefore and thusly, I don’t want to upset any Justin Cronin fans when I say that re-reading The Passage was quite torturous… And I HAD to re-read it because I posses the equivalent memory of a goldfish (“Hey! A castle!... Hey! A castle!...” You get the idea...), and as City of Mirrors (Passage #3) comes out June 16/16, I have to re-read around 14,000 pages (The Passage + The Twelve) that I’ve already read but don’t remember. And I have a "little" OCD-thing about how many books I want/ have to read and I feel that re-reading in preparation of this release is taking up precious “other-book-reading” time. (I KNOW I’m behind schedule, Goodreads!! It's CRONIN!!!)

Basically, because of Mr. Cronin and Mr. G. R. R. Martin, I will [probably] NEVER start a series that has not been finished, and I will DEFINITELY not start an un-finished series where each book could easily kill a Richardson's ground squirrel* with one poorly aimed lob.

Is that the new Cronin you're reading?1
Having said this, I do really like this series. I love Cronin’s unique apocalypse idea, and I love that there’s an other-worldly element hinted at throughout the book. Here are my notes (from the second-time around). Probably kinda spoilery, but nothing HUGE:

1. Radio stars: I love that at the beginning it’s like certain characters are tuned into different radio frequencies, and, depending on what frequency they connect with, are steered towards a greater purpose, whether that be helping Amy (Wolgast, Sister Lacey) or The Twelve (scientists, army, techs, etc.).

2. Well done: Brad Wolgast reflecting on ex-wife Lila’s difficult pregnancy and giving birth was synonymous with the procedure and pain Carter endured at the facility in his transition into something… more….

3. When the sh*t hits the fan: the president gives a press conference where he blames their current crisis on ”anti-American extremists, operating within our own borders but supported by our enemies abroad” (p.223) which I believe to be laughably accurate considering the current political climate today…

4.Bela Lugos-no: Loved the observations from Peter’s group watching an old black and white vampire movie which juxtaposes the ludicrousy of the "scary" movie with their current horror-filled lives.

5. Lacy asking, “Do you think the world could be unmade by men alone? Of course it could not (p. 708).

In conclusion: I didn't love it as much as I did the first time around (5 stars), but did still appreciate the story, despite it lagging in certain areas... and will wait before delving into The Twelve. Maybe it's time to start looking into audio books...

Are you a "Re-reading Relisher?" Is there a certain book that just gets better with each read?

I did love certain kids books to re-read back in the day (The Little Princess, The Secret Garden, etc.). And I have SEEN Pride and Prejudice (BBC version - there is no other) about 10-15 times, but that's like comfort food...

Thanks for reading!

~ Spinning Jenny


* If you're wondering if a Richardson's ground squirrel is a gopher... it is. It really is. Some people in this world just like to stir sh*t up, and we have to live harmoniously with said people despite wanting to chuck a Justin Cronin-sized book at their heads...

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