Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

October's Good Reads Awards Winner is from the Horror category. It is the 2nd book in the series The Passage by Justin Cronin.



THE EPIC STORY OF THE PASSAGE CONTINUES...

At the end of The Passage, the great viral plague had left a small group of survivors clinging to life amidst a world transformed into a nightmare. In the second volume of this epic trilogy, this same group of survivors, led by the mysterious, charismatic Amy, go on the attack, leading an insurrection against the virals: the first offensives of the Second Viral War.

To do this, they must infiltrate a dozen hives, each presided over by one of the original Twelve. Their secret weapon: Alicia, transformed at the end of book one into a half human, half viral—but whose side, in the end, is she really on?

******************************************************

Expect spoilers


(To see our group's discussion from the first book in the series go here:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

I have only started this book but it's just as intriguing and as much an edge of your seat read as The Passage was.

Chapter 5 is some of the best gore descriptive I have read in a very long time!

Ooooohhhhh good. Will be starting after The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Very excited to read this one! I'm going to be late though, as I'm only just past halfway in The Passage.

I'm excited for this discussion!!

I am really looking forward to discussing this book, I will start reading it next week :)

It's a great October / Halloween read. Read Chapter 5 with the lights on!

Thanks for the tip!

Bwahahahah! :-) (You thought your eyes were bulging out before...don't listen to it driving late at night, alone, in your car Kristie)

Oh gosh! Ok!!!

I did not enjoy Ocean at the end of the lane as much as I hoped but I came away from it with a good car ride story for my kids. The condensed version anyway. :)

I'm taking a little break before reading this book, I'll probably start next week :) I'm curious to see how the story continues!

So, I've started and of course, the big bang from the very beginning... another sleepless night ahead LOL

I'm so excited about this one. I picked it up at the library over the weekend. I've already started The Orphan Master's Son so I will finish that before picking this up. I do think this book is calling my name... Lol

I read both of the books in this series on the recommendation of a friend. Horror and science fiction is not really my thing! But these books grabbed my attention even thru the most gory parts. I think it's the characters because you so want them to succeed and live. Can't wait for the next one!

OK. Finished The Passage, so now I'm onto the Twelve. I'll be reading this one at the same time as Orphan Master's Son.

Carmen wrote: "I'm so excited about this one. I picked it up at the library over the weekend. I've already started The Orphan Master's Son so I will finish that before picking this up. I do think this book is cal..."

Just saw you are reading the Orphan Master's Son and then going onto the Twelve. I'm reading both at the same time. I have a train ride, so I read one each day!

Cathie wrote: "Bwahahahah! :-) (You thought your eyes were bulging out before...don't listen to it driving late at night, alone, in your car Kristie)"

Whoa! Now I'm really looking forward to this one.

Katy wrote: "Carmen wrote: "I'm so excited about this one. I picked it up at the library over the weekend. I've already started The Orphan Master's Son so I will finish that before picking this up. I do think t..."

You are tempting me to pick up The Twelve now. Ah, I must admit, I'm jealous! I wish I had a train ride where I could read each day. I do have a bit of a drive. I keep hearing all the comments about audio books here. I should try that sometime. I'm afraid I will be so into my book I'd make terrible driving errors. Seriously, I think if I'd been listening to some parts of The Passage I would have blown through a red light! Or changed lanes blindly! How do you guys do it? Lol.

Finishing up three books this week. I'll start The Twelve next week. I'm really looking forward to it. Every time I pass my to-read self it beckons me.

Carmen, I have been listening to my audio in the car and been so into it that I've passed my turn and had to backtrack. So, you do really have to be careful. Better for the highway driving, not in town. Once I was driving in town and forgot where I was going I was so into my audio.

Also, plan extra time. You may get where you want to go and not be at a point where you want to stop! lol

I'm in 13% and I got a little bit confused (view spoiler)[ as we are back to the outbreak of the virus and we meet new characters and again see the story of apocalyps from different points of view. I am impatient to find out what happens with Amy and Theo and Mausami's son. Ughh, this bulding of tension! (hide spoiler)]

Cathie, I agree with your opinion on chapter 5, what a description, better than the film...

Extra time....for sure. I drive slowly sometimes with the audio on. Dragging it out.

Anima wrote: "So, I've started and of course, the big bang from the very beginning... another sleepless night ahead LOL"

Yep, terrific and engrossing read :-)

I could not resist the call of this book. I'll just put The Orphan Master's Son down just for a little bit, I said, just for a chapter or two...I picked this up and almost two hours later I've reached chapter 18 and I'm sucked back into this world...it's so difficult but I am putting the book down and going to sleep...with one eye open...lol

I'm only 16% in. I have a really good excuse though :-) had my bubby on Wed 2nd Oct so not toooo much time to read plus I'm falling asleep so easily when I do - lolol

Heather, congratulations!! All the best to you and your newborn!

Thanks Anima :-)

Awww! Congrats Heather!!

Heather wrote: "I'm only 16% in. I have a really good excuse though :-) had my bubby on Wed 2nd Oct so not toooo much time to read plus I'm falling asleep so easily when I do - lolol"

Congrats! I'm amazed you are at 16% already with a newborn. I'd say your super power mom management skills have kicked in! ;-) Enjoy the Twelve and enjoy your precious little one!

Carmen wrote: "I could not resist the call of this book. I'll just put The Orphan Master's Son down just for a little bit, I said, just for a chapter or two...I picked this up and almost two hours later I've reac..."

Yep :-)

Heather wrote: "I'm only 16% in. I have a really good excuse though :-) had my bubby on Wed 2nd Oct so not toooo much time to read plus I'm falling asleep so easily when I do - lolol"

Congratulations Heather!! Absolutely Awesome! Love miracles and what they bring :-)

Cathie wrote: "Heather wrote: "I'm only 16% in. I have a really good excuse though :-) had my bubby on Wed 2nd Oct so not toooo much time to read plus I'm falling asleep so easily when I do - lolol"

Congratulati..."

That's great! Enjoy sleeping! You'll find time again.

I did really enjoy The Twelve, but not sure I liked it as much as The Passage.

(view spoiler)[ I loved the creepy conceit of a strange woman luring children away, and that it was Lila was a nice touch. But there is a lot of backstory to the colony - an awful lot - that doesn't really go anywhere and while beautifully written, doesn't add very much - the sequence where they go to the lake seemed to go on forever, and I expected some big payoff that doesn't really come off.

Perhaps unfairly (it's not cool to criticise the book someone didn't write, I guess) I thought the book would dwell more on the individual members of the Twelve and the quest to take them down, but instead they are drawn together and disposed of a little summarily. Only one of them is properly developed as any kind of antagonist, and it felt a little like a missed opportunity. (hide spoiler)]

That said, I love the characters of Carter and Amy and there is an awful to like in these books - The Passage was one of my favourite books of the last few years; it's so gorgeously creepy, bleak, and well-done, and maybe any sequel could never have made me as happy.

OK. I thought this was creepy. (view spoiler)[That woman in the field, calling "Come to me beautiful children." (hide spoiler)] Not that there wasn't a lot of creepy. And the bit about (view spoiler)[Kittridge holding Tim as the bomb dropped (hide spoiler)] Those were both - Wow.

Katy wrote: "OK. I thought this was creepy. [spoilers removed] Not that there wasn't a lot of creepy. And the bit about [spoilers removed] Those were both - Wow."

I'm going to start it tomorrow...
How far along are you?

April wrote: "Katy wrote: "OK. I thought this was creepy. [spoilers removed] Not that there wasn't a lot of creepy. And the bit about [spoilers removed] Those were both - Wow."

I'm going to start it tomorro..."

I'm at 44%. I had planned to try to pace myself so I would finish around month end. Got a little ahead.

Hello, have just joined, here and Goodreads! I loved The Passage and am very much looking forward to reading this one. Hopefully it is just as good.

Welcome to the discussion Rachel.

I'm planning to start this one in another week or so. Looking forward to it.

Kristie, I love your new profile photo :)

I read this a while ago but I absolutely loved it. It's the perfect mix of scary, romance and mystery to keep readers on the edge of their seat.
My only criticism (and its a small one) is that at time there was a little too much in the way of long descriptive passages, but I didn't feel that this took too much away from the general feel of the book.

Anima wrote: "Kristie, I love your new profile photo :)"

Thank you!

I'm a bit confused at the jump in storyline I'm Part III. The Field. Did anyone else find this ?
There are no characters I know,

Argh it wasn't meant to post. Anyway hoping it gets explained soon. Eg ex-murus ?

I read the passage and absolutely loved it! I bought the twelve after I finished it but have yet to read it. I'm so excited to start it!!

Heather, I found this part confusing as well, I even checked some of the characters in Passage to make sure I understand the connections between the characters, the family trees are a little bit complicated in this epic story, but they finally become clear.

I started this book way late... Better late than never... Absolutely love the way he started it. The recap, of The Passage, was great. I actually got watery eyed on page 4. Really looking forward to the rest of this book.

Happy Reading ALL...

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodness, this was exciting although I was often confused. As others said I got quite confused about the chronology in places but it did get cleared up eventually. I found it quite gory in places, not one to read late at night all alone.

I found some of it truly terrifying, particularly when the group were moving around outside the safe areas. The bit in the Mall was horribly scary and I found the way some of the original virals had set themselves up as gods to be worshipped and fed was truly creepy.

I thought the ending was a bit too Hollywood, cue big cinematic ending. I was confused though what the third book was supposed to be about if they managed to kill off all the virals, then came Zero. Creepy creepy and I am looking forward to the next one provided I can read it in the height if summer with all the lights on!