The Passage Readalong - Week 2

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Week 2 in The Passage Read-along which is being co hosted with Elle and Kate from The Book Memoirs.  Just to warn you before you read on, there will be spoilers included in this post.

Brief Overview
This next section of the book seemed to be all about journeys. These journeys were either going back in time or journeys progressing to a destination. This really was the part of the book where we got to know the characters better and we see their motivation.

In Chapter Six we were shown Lacey's past and it really wasn't pretty. It becomes quite clear why she became a nun as her past led her to become rather insular. I really wasn't expecting her to have suffered so greatly. This chapter really gave me a feeling of foreboding and Amy scared me a little. Her ability to drive all the animals wild in the zoo was quite strange and I am wondering exactly what she is capable of.

Chapter Seven takes us on a journey with Carter as he is transported from the prison to the secret location. I find I can't help but feel sorry for him, even though he is a convicted criminal. At this point we don't really understand his crime and he seems so scared about what is in store for his future. He is treated rather cruelly by his escorts and you really want to see him escape. Within this chapter we also see the beginning of Amy's journey to the secret location. As the journey progresses, you can see how Wolgast is developing paternal feelings for Amy. He is desperate to protect her. He has really grown in my estimations and I look forward to seeing how he will progress as a character.

Chapter Eight finds us continuing the journey with Wolgast and Amy. Wolgast becomes even more desperate to escape from Doyle and get Amy to safety. You can feel his desperation dripping off the page. Amy has really got to him.

Chapter Nine - we are back with Grey as Zero begins to infect his mind. Somehow, these creatures who are kept in sealed rooms have developed mind control and they are trying to take over the people looking after them. Grey is running scared. He doesn't want to lose his job but he cannot cope with the mind games that are making him ill.

Chapter 10 takes us back to Carter again and we finally find out what actually happened to the woman he was supposed to have killed. I believed he was innocent from  the start and this chapter just proves it. He was just really unlucky and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My thoughts
I feel a bit vague as I write this post this week and I am struggling to find the right words to describe what I feel about this book. I am still enjoying it, even though the pace is slower and I look forward to what else may occur in the next few chapters, even though I feel a little bit scared about the future events.

Overall  I found this section to be a lot slower than the first which I suppose is to be expected after such a dramatic opening. It would have been too much if the book had continued to go at such a dramatic pace, so it was nice to have a dip in the story where we got to find out more about the characters involved. I am hoping that the story will pick up a bit during the next section.

I found that each of the chapters has left me with more questions that I am desperate to have answered. I need to know what is going on.  Although at least now the choppy nature of the beginning of the book  makes sense and the characters are slowly becoming interlinked and gravitating towards Amy.

So far my favourite character has to be Amy. I am worried for her in the same breath as being in awe of her. She obviously has some hidden talents that are yet to be revealed. I can't wait to find out more about her. I keep envisaging her as the little girl from the rather cheesy 80's mini series V, who saves the world at the end from alien destruction.

Roll on next week to find out what twists and turns The Passage will take.