After the First Death

Rating:
Summary: Chilling When Comparing to September 11th
Review: Robert Cormier's book After the First Death is an enjoyable, easy read in and of itself. However, I read this book in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy and I feel there are some chilling similarities between the book and the terrorist attacks in America.
First, I felt that I understood the mindset of the terrorists after reading the thoughts of Miro and Artkin. When Miro talks to the bus driver about his duties to his country, I immediately thought that I was reading a story about the Sept. 11th attacks. The terrorists in those attacks felt that their cause was more important than their life or the lives of other civilians. Miro felt the same way and was prepared to follow his leader's counsel, even to the death if he had to.
Second, I gained a greater appreciation for the men, women and children who died in the Sept. 11th attacks after reading about the violent acts that Artkin performs. When Artkin was giving "the fingers" to Ben, I couldn't help but think about what the terrorists did to the flight attendants to make the pilots open the cockpit door. I now understand that terrorists will do whatever they feel necessary to complete their mission.
Finally, I have become more aware of the roles everyone plays in a hostage situation. Because of the heroic acts of Kate-and everyone on the airplanes-I feel that it is our responsibility as Americans to protect ourselves and those around us. I encourage every one who reads this wonderful book to look for similarities between the Sept. 11th attacks and the book, and to find meaning in your own life.

Rating:
Summary: Not a very good book.
Review: I can't say that this was the best book that I have ever read. I had just recently read it for a 7th grade reading project and I found it to be very graphic, very boring at times, and poorly written. The ending is one of the most confusing endings that I have ever read. The whole book looked like it had been written in the amount of time that it took me to write this review which was about five minutes. This book had some very graphic parts, boring parts, and just cruel parts in it. I would only reccomend this book to a mature student if he/she is interested in reading it. All in all i thought that this book was, to be perfectly honest, one of the worst books i have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: A Deep Book
Review: After I have read this book, I can't deny that I paused for a short time to think and reflect about the message of this book. This book is well-organized considering the arrangement of the scenes in the story. In the story, fairness was shown giving both the sides of the terrorists and the U.S. force chances to bring out their own points of view. I also like the way Robert Cormier introduced all the characters in a brief manner. At first, the story may be considered boring not until the reader reaches the middle and last parts of the story. So, I recommend this book to those who usually go beyond and go deeper through life's realities.

Rating:
Summary: realistic theme
Review: hi
i am a student of a small school in good old germany. and yes of course i had to read it. in my opinion this novel is the driest book i ever read. but i think through the attacks of the taliban the story get more sense. and you can see in which ways terrorists think. so you can understand the whole background, their thoughts and feelings better as before. after all it is ok but i am sure it exists better books. (...)

Rating:
Summary: After the first death
Review: This book "After the First Death" was an extremely good book. It had a lot of action and thrill in it.
This book was about four men taking over a bus full of children and the bus driver. These men took over the bus because they are fighting an undeclared war between their homeland and America.
Half of this book is about the point of view of the people on the bus and the hijackers. The other half of this book is about the point of view of the people on the American side. Mainly the general son of a secret group called Inner Delta.
This book was really interesting. I kept wanting to read and read I didnt want to put it down. It was sad too because some people got killed and hurt.
Kaitlin Hagan

Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Book- ISRAEL LEIJA
Review: After The First Death is a story about four men named Miro, Artkin, Antibbe, and Stroll. Miro has just joined the group. They hijack a bus and plan to kill the bus driver. Miro's job is to kill the male bus driver, but then something unexpectedly happens. You'll have to read to find out. Artkin is the leader of their group. He has a very mysterious image, and is able to intimidate many people.
Stroll and Antibbe are just there to help, drive, and to look out. When they hijack the bus, they immediately tell the bus driver to keep driving. After fifteen minutes they give her directions to an abandoned bridge. While this is going on, Miro has pulled out a bag of candy for the kids on the bus. The kids don't know the candy is drugged with tranquilizers. Once they reach the bridge, Artkin and Miro put tape all over the bus windows except for small slits so they can see outside
Somehow one of the kids dies, probably because he had a weak heart. Before all this, Artkin had sent a letter to the secret agency Inner Delta. Their plan is to destroy Inner Delta because it has been kept a secret for so long. Overall I think this book is very well written, and has a lot of action throughout the book. I also enjoyed how there was a lot of suspense as well. I was at the edge of my seat reading more and more. I was also surprised by many of the events that took place unexpectedly, and many of these events kept on changing.
Robert Cormier did an excellent job in putting so much detail in his characters. This is a very good example of characterization. Overall this was a very well written book. I encourage all of you to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Ensomnia Medication
Review: I had to read this book for a school book report and I hated it! It was one of the worst books I have ever read. If you like the kind of books that will put you to sleep in 0.4 seconds, then this is the book for you!
I can't make fun of the book totally, it did have a couple of ok parts in it. Really the only thing that caught my eye was when it said, "Miro's assignment was to kill the driver." That made me think...wait a minute, maybe this book isn't that bad. But I was wrong.
I first wanted to read this book because my teacher said it was about a hostage situation. It was but, not a very good one.
So I leave you now with my thought on the book and I hope you enjoy it, because it truly is...an Ensomniac's Medication.

Rating:
Summary: After the First Death
Review: As a college student studying English, I was recently assigned this book for a young adult literature class. I found it an incredibly well written book- powerfully narrated and emotionally strong. The characters are very believable and very real, and you can understand what they are feeling and why. Even the terrorist Miro is believable, because his motivation is not just to kill. He has other motivations, and he really thinks what he is doing is the right thing to do. Of course, we don't agree with him, and I don't think we're supposed to, but because he actually thinks about things- because he is more than just a one-dimensional character- he is real. This book makes you think about it long after you are done reading it. You are able to feel exactly what you would feel in the situation that is presented.
One thing that particularly added to this book, in my opinion, was the unusual format it is written in. The book starts off being written as a first person narration by Ben and then switches its focus to Miro, the boy terrorist, then to Kate, the bus driver. Later in the book the points of view of other characters are added as well. Throughout the book the focus shifts from one person or incident to another, sometimes without any apparent relevance. It goes from people thinking about the current situation to them thinking about the past, and everything is jumbled together, just as it would be, I think, in a real situation like this one. This sometimes makes the narrative a little confusing, but I think it also makes it more realistic. After all, wouldn't be being captured by a terrorist be a little confusing? The horror of the situation is very realistically portrayed and the many points of view provided in it's make-up add to the general feeling of cacophony.
It is impossible not to admire Robert Cormier's strength as a writer. His book is deep and impressive and makes you think about many things, not just terrorism and the sanctity life. It was especially powerful to me when I read it, because it was assigned to me on September 11. 2001. It is one of the most well written and thought provoking books I have read in a long time. And, after having said all that, I would have to say that in good conscience I could never recommend this book to anyone of any age. It is powerful and realistic and terrible- and I will never read it again

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed it more than most.
Review: I'm sorry if this is offensive, but for you 12th grade readers in the book club, maybe you shouldn't be there. I was in the 7th grade when I first read this book, and I loved it. It wasn't boring or confusing in the least from what I knew. If I could read it a third time, I would. The characters were very real and very detailed. The outlooks and personalities described gave you a background and you knew the way they grew up. This book is one of the best reads you will ever have. It has the action, drama, and sexuality that gives a punch to the reader. It is a detailed and delightful novel that I couldn't put down until the very end. Read it for yourself; don't take my word on it.

Rating:
Summary: Can't say I liked it!
Review: I guess my heart wasn't in it when I read the book. It was so boring I had to struggle to finish it and the budding sexuality of the teenage characters is but just a pathetic attempt to draw the reader's attentions. What story? Hardly interesting at all.