A review by carladash
The Passage by Justin Cronin

2.0

It was decently written and had an interesting premise, but I can't say I really enjoyed it. In general, the book felt bloated to me. For example, the first 3rd of the book was backstory that didn't need to be there (the same information could easily have been conveyed through flashback or references in various characters' POV chapters) and felt disconnected from the rest of the book, which takes place 100 after the opening. In additional, the knowledge that I garnered from the book's opening provided me, the reader, with information the main characters spent the whole novel looking for. How could I care about their quest when I already knew most of the answers? As well, I always have trouble getting into novels that follow multiple POVs, and this was no exception, especially since a lot of those POV characters disappeared or died as the plot kept switching gears. How can I possibly care about anyone when they're so fleeting? Also, many of the characters' decisions didn't make sense to me, and many of the plot twists and turns felt unnecessary, convoluted, and/or too convenient. A lot was left unresolved at the end, too, which makes sense now that I know the novel is the first in a trilogy, but still, it was pretty unsatisfying.