Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Winter Reads: The Passage


AMAZON
I hardly ever watch network television anymore. Most of the scripted series are almost unbearable to watch, and the ones I do find interesting are most likely to be cancelled quickly.
Nevertheless, I've have been watching the new FOX vampire series The Passage, which is based on the trilogy by Justin Cronin. After watching the first few episodes, I ended up purchasing The Passage paperback at my local Walmart store, which has a new art cover to tie-in with the television series.

Published in 2010 by Ballantine Books, The Passage is a massive read at over 800 pages and is broken into 11 parts, with the first two parts being set before & during the vampire virus outbreak, and the rest of the novel is set 93 years after the apocalypse.

The beginning plot centers around the government's secret project known as "Project Noah," where they have been experimenting on a new drug that will prolong life. All the test subjects have been death row inmates, who have been transported from prisons to a Colorado military compound. The experiments began with "patient zero," Tim Fanning, who was infected by a Bolivian bat carrying an unknown virus.

Brad Wolgast is one of the FBI special agents assigned to locate and transport the test subjects to the military compound. It's not an easy job, but Wolgast has never had a problem completing an assignment. Well, that is until he's assigned to transport a six-year-old orphan, Amy Bellafonte, who will become youngest test subject in the experiment. Unlike the other test subjects, the virus doesn't consume Amy, but instead it gives her telekinetic powers and immortality. Against orders, Wolgast takes it upon himself to protect Amy.

Fast-forward 93 years into the future, the plot shifts to an isolated, walled California colony. The people there are shocked when a now fifteen-year-old Amy arrives and leads an expedition to the colony in Colorado, where she must face her past.

Final Thoughts

I had a pretty good idea the book would be a little different than the television series, but I was shocked  after I started reading it and learned there were many things that had been changed or left out of the series. Let's just say the book is far superior to the TV series.

The Passage isn't a straight-up horror novel as it blends in a bit of science fiction. It's less about about scares and more about characters, which here the main character is a young girl with supernatural powers who doesn't age properly. The novel is well-written, but it's way too long!!! The second half should have been trimmed down!

Overall, The Passage is an exciting, page-turning thriller. It's not exactly perfect, but I enjoyed reading it.





2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review. I haven't watched (or read) this one. Both the series and the book sound pretty good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Passage is along read! It has a few flaws, but it's worth reading!! I'll be reviewing books two and three in a few days.

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