Smashbomb

The passage is the first of three books which span centuries, covering before, during and after a vampire apocalypse.
I have to say, I was hooked on this novel from the start. Originally picking it up, without even reading the synopsis or reviews, I was surprised to find out that this is actually a novel about vampires (which I did not expect from the title). The build up to the vampire apocalypse is well thought out, flawless planned and written, demonstrating expert skill by Justin Cronin.

The characters are complex, and demonstrate both strengths and flaws, nobody is perfect in this novel not even Amy or Peter, who are the main characters the story centres around. We grow to love these characters, just as much as we grow to strongly dislike characters such as Babcock and Grey. I believe that the emotional connection that I was able to apply to these characters, is what drew me further into the novel. Equally all characters face hardships during the novel, some worse than others, but I found myself wishing that those characters I deemed to be good, would face better times, and those who I felt were bad individuals would soon face their comeuppance. Good or bad however, Cronins’ concentration on the back grounds of the characters does allow us to emphasise and understand why the primary characters within the novel act the way they did, even if this was in conflict with our own values and morals.

As the story unravels, Cronin does jump between different time periods (pre, during and post apocalypse). Although Cronin does give each period a fair amount of time within the book, I did find it difficult to leave the characters from one period behind, in order to move onto another, partially due to the attachment that I had created with the characters. Although the time jumps were carried out at deliberate timings and are not too frequent, I did find them a little distracting.

The story itself makes sense as a stand alone novel, but makes even more sense when read with the rest of the series. When read with the other two novels, The Passage is merely a scene setting novel, for the books that are to come, and as such, has a lot less of a biblical undertone than the series as an entirety (there are a lot of references to the Old Testament in the books that follow). Despite this, the book is a highly enjoyable read, and is not your usual vampire/ apocalyptic novel.

Kudos

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1) in Books

Jan 23, 2020

You never know what kinds of books you'll find when you take your time at the library.

The Winner's Curse, to say the least, is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, book I've read so far in 2015. The characters, the writing, the world, the plot – I loved it all (or most of it, but technically it's still all of it).

Kestrel may be one of my favorite characters – I just love how she resists (flouting them may be more accurate) her father's and society's rules, values, and expectations throughout the entire book, and even how she resists being bossed around by Cheat near the end.
<blockquote>"If a woman can fight and die for the empire, why can't a woman walk alone?"</blockquote>
Frankly, it's fantastic. It's fantastic how she doesn't really care too much about what society thinks of her relationship with Arin, despite the fact the rumors weren't true at the time. And it's even more fantastic how loyal Jess and Ronan are to Kestrel – they stick around even while Kestrel's reputation is obviously going down the drain with each action she takes that society looks down upon (though Ronan may be questionable).
<blockquote>"It doesn't matter what they think. Dance with me."</blockquote>
Then there's the writing – it's beautiful. The parallel structure the author uses occasionally throughout seems almost poetic, or if not poetic, then there seems to be a rhythm every so often.
<blockquote>She would have stopped him. She would have wished herself deaf, blind, made of unfeeling smoke. She would have stopped his words out of terror, longing.</blockquote>
I'm also not typically a fan of authors revealing what really happens through another character (while another character hears differently), but with The Winner's Curse, I find I rather enjoy Rutkoski revealing what really happens through Arin while Kestrel hears something else. Perhaps it's just the character itself, as Arin is an intriguing character and seems to have an air of mystery about him right when he is first sold to Kestrel – the author reveals that there's something up with him, but is vague enough not to give too much away.

The ending to The Winner's Curse is full of tension – with the second book already released or being released soon, I really want to read the next book, in hopes the sequel is as wonderfully written and unpredictable as the first to the Winner's Trilogy is.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-winners-curse-by-marie-rutkoski/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated A Good Neighborhood in Books

Mar 26, 2020

A Good Neighborhood

Therese Anne Fowler | 2020 | Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction & Poetry

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Oak Knoll is a close-knit multiracial neighborhood in North Carolina where everyone looks out for one another. Valerie Alston-Holt, a professor and single mother, has raised her biracial son, Xavier, there since he was small. Their calm life changes, however, when the Whitman family moves in next door. First they raze the current house and build a "Mcmansion," whose very existence threatens the health of Valerie's beloved historic oak tree. Brad Whitman is a local celebrity, known for his charisma and commercials for his company, Whitman HVAC. His wife, Julia, has long escaped her trailer park days and is now raising her daughters Julia and Lily in a privilege she once dreamed of. But soon the Alston-Holts and Whitmans find them themselves fighting over the oak tree's well-being and then, the budding romance between Julia and Xavier.

"An upscale new house in a simple old neighborhood. A girl on a chaise beside a swimming pool, who wants to be left alone. We begin our story here, in the minutes before the small event that will change everything."

This book took my heart and spit it right out again. Oh my goodness. It's a different, beautiful, and absolutely heartbreaking read. We're told from the very beginning--by our omniscient third person narrator--that something bad is going to happen. And yet, I lived in denial that this was true. I devoured this book in two halves. It's utterly engrossing, and the characters just pop off the pages. The teens, especially. Oh Juniper and Xavier. I will not easily forget either of you.

A Good Neighborhood tackles a host of timely topics, and it handles all of them deftly. Race, religion, sexism, feminism--none of these are exempt in the pages of this novel. We see whiteness as a symbolism for purity, and we watch as Juniper struggles with the set of values being pushed upon her by her mother and stepfather, including a "purity vow" to remain both a virgin and loyal to her future husband. And then there's Xavier, a talented musician, who has been raised by his strong mother after his father's death. She wants so much for her son to do anything, but yet lives in fear because he is biracial. Juniper, Xavier, and Valerie were such powerful characters.

I do not want to give much of the plot away, but I can tell you that this book is heartbreaking and beautiful. It will get you to think about racism and sexism. The strong themes of good versus evil are presented in such a unique and compelling manner. Adding the third-person piece just gives an extra piece to the story. This book is incredibly well-written and will stay with you for quite some time. 4.5 stars.