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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I wasn't expecting something so tense and unremitting when I picked this up. I'd never heard of this, but loved The Chocolate War.
And it's an idea that drew me in - terrorists hijack a bus of young children (aged 5) to force American high command to agree to their demands and publicise their cause.
A three-way narrative ensures, mostly shared between one young terrorist, Miro, and the incredibly young bus driver Kate. The third narrator is Ben, whose role in the story isn't clear at the start, as the son of the general in charge of foiling the plot.
For a book destined for the eyes of young adults, it's quite disturbing and does not shy away from the worst aspects of hostage situations. Yes the worst MIGHT happen. The background of the terrorists gives some sympathy but of course the small innocents on the bus remind you of what they are doing.
Just how will it end? Well, it's a powerful and quite quickly escalating climax, and won't satisfy many, but it feels appropriate somehow. It will resonate though, and I couldn't help thinking it would make an excellent film, some very strong parts in there.
For me, Ben was the weakest part of the story, but possibly because his role was minor until near the end and his character not as deeply explored as Kate and Miro.
Powerful, intense read, does not pull away from some quite upsetting moments and situations.
And it's an idea that drew me in - terrorists hijack a bus of young children (aged 5) to force American high command to agree to their demands and publicise their cause.
A three-way narrative ensures, mostly shared between one young terrorist, Miro, and the incredibly young bus driver Kate. The third narrator is Ben, whose role in the story isn't clear at the start, as the son of the general in charge of foiling the plot.
For a book destined for the eyes of young adults, it's quite disturbing and does not shy away from the worst aspects of hostage situations. Yes the worst MIGHT happen. The background of the terrorists gives some sympathy but of course the small innocents on the bus remind you of what they are doing.
Just how will it end? Well, it's a powerful and quite quickly escalating climax, and won't satisfy many, but it feels appropriate somehow. It will resonate though, and I couldn't help thinking it would make an excellent film, some very strong parts in there.
For me, Ben was the weakest part of the story, but possibly because his role was minor until near the end and his character not as deeply explored as Kate and Miro.
Powerful, intense read, does not pull away from some quite upsetting moments and situations.
robbynjreeve's review against another edition
3.0
REQUIRED READING: ROBERT CORMIER
I was excited to read this book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from from Cormier; I was expecting something similar to Caroline B. Cooney: suspenseful, but not depressing. I had planned on reading Tenderness in my free time, but now I don't know if I want to. The novel was unsatisfying. I expected there to be some kind of hope at the ending, some kind of justice. There wasn't. I closed the book and didn't know what to think. I think I like it more in retrospect then I did actually reading it.
I was excited to read this book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from from Cormier; I was expecting something similar to Caroline B. Cooney: suspenseful, but not depressing. I had planned on reading Tenderness in my free time, but now I don't know if I want to. The novel was unsatisfying. I expected there to be some kind of hope at the ending, some kind of justice. There wasn't. I closed the book and didn't know what to think. I think I like it more in retrospect then I did actually reading it.
thegreatimp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
misswinchester84's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
literaryanna's review against another edition
3.0
I was assigned to read After the First Death for a class I'm taking in college. It was really elegantly written, exciting, thought-provoking, dark, all those good things. It just wasn't really my type of book. A school bus is hijacked by terrorists which turned me off right from the start. I'm really not a big fan of dark, realistic, fiction. It's definitely a gritty novel, and I enjoyed most of it, but I wouldn't have chosen it for myself.
888angie's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jchimpius's review against another edition
2.0
Was made to read this for school and can't understand the appeal. A melodramatic novel about a terror attack from the 1970s which reads like an outdated and corny story.
wwatts1734's review against another edition
2.0
This novel is a young adult thriller about the terrorist hijacking of a bus of small children on the way to school. I originally read this novel when I was in high school back in the 1980s, and I have re-read it recently. I have to say this this book is really quite bad. It doesn't really work as a suspense novel. The context of the action is very ambiguous. You never really learn about the terrorist group that is doing the hijacking. Arkin, the young man who is working with the terrorists and who is the focus of the book, is certainly not a true believer in the cause. It is not clear that he even really understands what they stand for. It is as though the author wants to deal with terrorism, not as terrorism, but as some ambiguous badness that causes people to do bad things for no particular reason. It really does not work.
Cormier's narration of the action is klunky and awkward. He portrays the young characters, Arkin and the substitute bus driver Kate, as generic naive young people. They deal with horrible situations, like little kids who need to use the bathroom and be put down for naps because they are, after all, little kids being held against their will. The reactions of the young people to these kinds of situations are silly and not very illuminating at all. At one point, Cormier describes Arkin as being sexually aroused, and he says "and he touched himself." Really? This is great literature?
I sincerely hope that this book and books like it are no longer being forced down the throats of students in high school English classes. There is so much better literature out there, granted that most great literature requires the reader to think about the story, a downside that "After the First Death" certainly does not share. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Cormier's narration of the action is klunky and awkward. He portrays the young characters, Arkin and the substitute bus driver Kate, as generic naive young people. They deal with horrible situations, like little kids who need to use the bathroom and be put down for naps because they are, after all, little kids being held against their will. The reactions of the young people to these kinds of situations are silly and not very illuminating at all. At one point, Cormier describes Arkin as being sexually aroused, and he says "and he touched himself." Really? This is great literature?
I sincerely hope that this book and books like it are no longer being forced down the throats of students in high school English classes. There is so much better literature out there, granted that most great literature requires the reader to think about the story, a downside that "After the First Death" certainly does not share. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
caitxreads's review against another edition
4.0
You know, for a book we were forced to read in 11th grade English... I probably enjoyed this book a little too much. Maybe 'enjoyed' is the wrong word...
I'm sure I'm not the only reader who finished this book and just sat there... Not knowing what to do. Good book! Seriously!
I'm sure I'm not the only reader who finished this book and just sat there... Not knowing what to do. Good book! Seriously!