Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

ok so these are my thoughts so far.. i didn't break them down by chapter because i was already reading ch.22 when carol put these folders up.
part one really hooked me right in-wondering what was going to happen and when it did, what the ramifications would be and of course who the heck or what the heck is amy?
the second part didn't grab me quite as much while i was reading the first part of the second part(got that?). when they were going over the battle and who was watching and what have you- i guess you'd call it the set-up for what happened years later. i just finished reading about pete, lish and crew escaping from the virals and amy(???) helping peter escape.
still a lot of unanswered questions but i'm plugging along.

Okay, I'm just starting Part 4 and I posted some thoughts on the other parts and thought I'd peek in and see what you posted. I haven't gotten to the part where Pete, Lish and company escape from the virals, and I haven't seen Amy.

The beginning of Part IV was a let-down. I really didn't want to have to learn a whole new cast of characters and a whole new world order. I was a little bored as he was listing all the families and the alliances and the political and social structure. I had gone through all the trouble of writing names down for the first Part, and now I've got to start all over again with the First Colony people.
I did find myself wondering how they built this compound, these high walls and the nets and things, without the virals attacking them. And how these people all came together to be in this place, which I guess is California.

Okay, I just picked up the HC to re-read the beginning of Part 4 where all these new characters were introduced, and I see there is a map of the compound there, which is helpful. The presentation of the governance structure (with all the caps and things) makes it a little easier to grasp, also. Having a copy of the HC is a good thing.

I also just remembered that my CD skipped a few pages in Part Two and I meant to go back and read them, now I will. So, is Ida (from Part III) the Auntie of Part IV? Not that I've seen Auntie yet, I just see she has a reference on the map -- "Auntie's House."

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Okay, I just picked up the HC to re-read the beginning of Part 4 where all these new characters were introduced, and I see there is a map of the compound there, which is helpful. The presentation ..."

i had the same feeling, carol. i was like, oh geeze, this is boring..lol
i wish the kindle had maps, etc, in it, would have been very helpful

So this ends with the Theo, Lish, Caleb and Pater caught in the mall with the virals, and Peter encountering Amy. That was bizarre, but I guess we now know where she got to. I'm perplexed about her connection with Babcock and the others They seem to be a part of her, or at least to come to her unbidden, but she also doesn't seem afraid of them and seems able to send them away when she wants.

I had finished this section either in the beginning of the weekend or before can't even remember now. I'm somewhere in part 5 now. I just wanted to play catch up. I came home today and I'm doing the allergy thing. I think I've slept for a few hours. and just took a advil. Anyway back to book. I'm tired of writting down new names does it ever end. And at some point I was enjoying what I was reading and just as fast I'm thinking this is dragging and boring do we really need to know this stuff. Before they said Amy I knew it would be Amy. And about Zander that sure was strange.

Oh boy I am so glad to be caught up reading at another discussion point!
I am sorry those of you who are finished will probably have a hard time thinking back to this early point.
Ok here are some random thoughts:
>> I am envious that the hardback has a diagram of the compound, and bummed to hear the Kindle doesn't have it either (of course my audio doesn't) ;) I was not too excited about the introduction to a whole new society of names at the beginning of the part IV either.
>> I am glad that finally Any is back and hmmm, still mysterious as to what she is. She does seem to be talking to the virals in her mind like she did with the zoo animals so long ago. I didn't get the impression that the virals she gathered around her were the original numbers, but that they were the confused followers
It was interesting that Amy taught herself to walk out in the sun safely.
>> Ida does seem to become auntie. Through Ida's eyes we learn of the horrors in PA and the new colony in CA. Perhaps the CA area was safer at first because of longer days of sun, (sunny California) and because the virus spread to the East at first giving them time to shore up a compound?
Lots of open questions:
>> The virals seem to be evolving - do we think that is Amy's doing? Where is Fanning?
>> Where is Theo?
>>

I forgot about Amy and the sun part when she did it. Mmm, interesting. I'm hoping to get some of the book read today. Also thinking about going to needlepoint to just do a pick up of the canvas for the nook cover I'm going to do.

Ann, it is more the case that it is hard to make sure I don't reveal more than you would know up to this point. I intended my summaries to be kind of a trail to keep me in line, but still I'm cautious! But I do love coming back to new posts and new insights, so keep posting and I will do my best to chime in.

Ann wrote: "Oh boy I am so glad to be caught up reading at another discussion point!
I am sorry those of you who are finished will probably have a hard time thinking back to this early point.
Ok here are som..."

Yes, I think you're right about that. And it occurred to me later that the compound was probably already pretty much built, but they would have needed time to as you say "shore it up." I do wish we had seen some more about how that happened, but maybe that's another book....

Ann wrote: "Perhaps the CA area was safer at first because of longer days of sun, (sunny California) and because the virus spread to the East at first giving them time to shore up a compound? ..."

Ann, my 20-20 hindsight has me wishing I had thought to scan in a copy of the diagram of the compound (probably illegal, but hey) and email it to you. But the book is long returned to the library....

Do you ever feel guilty taking out book the audio and the HC of a book at the same time? I do, but I get so much out of it for a read like The Passage, where there is so much to savor.

Ann wrote: "I am envious that the hardback has a diagram of the compound, and bummed to hear the Kindle doesn't have it either (of course my audio doesn't) ;).."

Thanks Carol:
I appreciate the thought! I love books with maps or diagrams to help you plot along with the story. This sounds like something the electronic books for eReaders need to take into account.

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Ann, my 20-20 hindsight has me wishing I had thought to scan in a copy of the diagram of the compound (probably illegal, but hey) and email it to you. But the book is long returned to the library...."

If I'm not mistaken there might be a map in the front of the nook copy of the book but I haven't gone back and checked.