After the First Death [Paperback]

Robert Cormier (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Laure Leaf; Repr; First Edition edition (1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380486520
• ISBN-13: 978-0380486526
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,893,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, frightening novel., January 30, 2003

By 

Benjamin (ATLANTA, Gabon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After the First Death (Paperback)

Using a narrative tool employed by THE CATCHER IN THE RYE to startling effect, Robert Cormier goes inside the minds of three teens, one of them apparently institutionalized, to tell the story of how they dealt with a terrorist attack in AFTER THE FIRST DEATH. It's a brilliant novel, one of Cormier's most frightening and effective, and it doesn't matter that it's classified as "juvenile literature." Given the realistic and topical aspects of the plot, AFTER THE FIRST DEATH is a page-turner, no matter how old you are.

Two foreign terrorists, one of them a teenager, hijack a bus filled with small children on their way to summer camp. They take the bus to a bridge, announce their intentions and demands and begin to negotiate the release of the hostages with local military. Though they're reluctant, they assure the military that they will kill children if their demands are not met. The teen terrorist, one of the narrators, is both a frightening figure and a confused kid. He's capable of volatile actions, yet, at the same time, he's young, occasionally caring and vulnerable.

Another of the narrators is Kate, the 16-year-old girl who is substituting for the bus driver on the day of the standoff. Thus, she becomes the primary caregiver for the children, who end up drugged, scared and sick. At the same time, she's still just a child herself, questioning her own bravery. Her relationship with the teen terrorist becomes key, as well, for she's the first girl with whom he's had any contact. She senses his feelings and wonders if she can use them to her advantage, if she even dares to do so.

The third narrator, the son of the general who's negotiating the standoff, is the one in the institution, telling the story in flashback. Though this same device was used in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, it's used for a different purpose here, and it leads to a rather shocking ending. The general's son becomes directly involved in the hostage situation at a point late in the game, and his life is placed at risk while the two sides come to terms with the situation.

The title, "After the First Death," takes on several meanings throughout the course of the book. Taken from a Dylan Thomas poem, it seems to reflect on how the death of a child is no more and no less significant than the death of any person. Additionally, though, the title, if considered in a Biblical context, deals with the "first death" - the murder of Kane - and the ramifications of a juvenile's violent actions.

The book deals with teens having to face the consequences of their own actions, having to face the dangers in a troubling situation where their are adult consequences. There's also a subtext surrounding children trying to please their parents.

The ending passages are shocking, foreboding and heartbreakingly sad. The book stays with you in the manner of a resonant nightmare.

It's a fascinating, layered book thick with plot and harrowing situations, and it's one of the best books I've ever read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller in both subject and style, October 30, 2000

By 

Robert James (Culver City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After the First Death (Paperback)

"After the First Death" is an outstanding, exciting read, driven by terrorism, violence, and bloodshed -- and, even more importantly, by Robert Cormier's tight, lyrical prose. Few other young adult novels are written with this level of verbal ingenuity. What impressed me most about the book's style is the mixture of narrators and narrative styles; Cormier shifts from first person to third person and back again, jumping back and forth in time as well. Normally, such an experimental style would drive young readers bonkers, but Cormier makes it work beautifully. This is a book that worked on all levels for me, both as a reader and a teacher, and it's been a very successful read with my freshmen. "The Chocolate War" may be his most famous, but I think "After the First Death" is his best.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a really, really great book!, January 18, 2004

By 

Claire (Lincoln, Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After the First Death (Paperback)

I read this book last year in my 8th grade English class. I was used to reading books for school that were boring and a chore to read. But this year, every book was amazing. One was After the First Death. This book pulled me in from the start. It was suspenseful and weird. You got inside the mind of a "bad" person. And you felt sympathy for this person. I read this book really quickly, It really helped to discuss this book as a class and talk about the ending. I would have never understood it fully without discussing it. Robert Cormier is a fabulous author. This is his best work that I have read so far. The Chocolate War was good as well. but After the First Death was more intriuging