After the First Death

After the First Death Robert Cormier

c.1979 * p. 233 * Y.A. Realistic Contemporary

After the First Death follows three teenage narrators: Ben, the General's son; Kate, the kidnapped bus driver; and Miro, one of the terrorists over the kidnapping. As part of their cause, the terrorists plan to highjack a bus full of preschool children, kill the old man who drives the bus, take it to the bridge, and make their demands. Miro, eager for his initiation as a man in the group, has been given the honor of killing the bus driver, his first personal kill. However, Miro is a little rattled when they highjack the bus and find that the driver is really a teenage girl, Kate. Now she must do everything she can to stay alive and protect the children.

Meanwhile, Ben's thoughts weave through the story as he remembers that day on the bridge. The reader never knows what exactly happens to him (until the end), but the trama he suffered is apparent as he contemplates ending his life once he confronts his father, the General, over the incident on the bridge.

This is the first of Cormier's novels that I have read. The story and tone of the plot are undoubtedly realistic and shocking. At first, I was a little disturbed at the seemingly hopeless aura of Kate's situation, but found it intriguing, personal, and suspenseful as themes of honor, bravery, innocence, fear, and war come through the wholly realistic teenage characters and their interactions with each other and with adults.

Here is a brief excerpt from the novel:

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, trying to keep any harshness out of her voice, needing to seem friendly and interested. By this she meant the bus, the children, the highjacking, this enire nightmare.

Miro knew her meaning. "It's what we must do," he answered in his carefully measured English, as if he were walking a verbal tightrope. "Our work, our duty."

"You mean your work is to kidnap children, hurt people, terrorize them?" The hell with trying to appear docile, let the chips fall.

"It's the war. It's all a part of the war."

"I haven't heard of any war." (118-119)

Cormier does a wonderful job of keeping the terrorist's nationality a secret. It takes away all political propoganda and lets the situation just happen. The novel is well-written and the characters are easy to relate to and grow to love. After the First Death was a breath of fresh air and tells a shocking story without unneccesary graphic violence.

-Depressing, but thought provoking

-Can appeal to both young men and women

-An easy read, but with good literary depth

-No foul language

-Some sexual inuendos and violence

-More appropriate for high school juniors and seniors

Cormier has written many other novels. Some of his that I plan on reading, and have heard many reccomendations on are:

I Am the Cheese,

The Chocolate War