After the First Death (Paperback)

by Robert Cormier (Author) "I keep thinking that I have a tunnel in my chest..." (more)
Key Phrases: Inner Delta, Fort Delta, Brimmler's Bridge (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A tough, double-barreled thriller which immerses readers, alternately, in the unexplained torment of young Ben Marchand and his father, who await each other in a prep school dorm, and in the tension aboard a hijacked school bus diverted to a rickety unused bridge. The driver is a young girl with a nervous bladder, her guard a teenage terrorist (his mentor nearby in a van) who is looking forward to his initiation: his first kill. Early on, one of the tranquilized child passengers dies of a drug overdose, and after the first death there are many others: three of the four terrorists are eventually shot; the wariest, most promising of the children is killed in retaliation for the first of the three; a soldier gets his while participating in a rescue attack; and then, crouching with him in the woods when it's almost over, the girl makes a false play for the young gunman's emotions and he shoots her. (We leave him, stepping off the last page, preparing to kill again for a getaway car.) Ben's death comes later, at his own hands, after we learn that he had been sent as envoy to the terrorists and set up by his father, a general in charge of negotiations, to "betray" his country with false information. Cormier does not so much refuse to mourn as refuse to compromise - which his merciless choice of victims and his tight-lipped projection of the Army side makes smashingly clear. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Events of the hijacking of a bus of children by terrorists seeking the return of their homeland are described from the perspectives of a hostage, a terrorist, an Army general involved in the rescue operation, and his son, chosen as the go-between. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books; First Edition edition (April 1980)
• 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 (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #588,027 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Riley McCarthy (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 8 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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After the First Death, October 4, 2001

By A Customer

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

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 dont agree with him, and I dont think were 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, wouldnt 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 its make-up add to the general feeling of cacophony.
It is impossible not to admire Robert Cormiers 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