Virgin (1980) vs. Cradle and All (2016) by James Patterson

"Two teenage girls claim that they pregnant--and virgins. One is carrying the child of Christ... the other the son of Satan.

In Boston, seventeen-year-old Kathleen is pregnant--but she swears she's a virgin. In Ireland, another teenage girl, Colleen, discovers she is in the same impossible condition. Cities all around the world are suddenly overwhelmed by epidemics, droughts, famines, floods, and worse.

As terrifying forces of light and darkness begin to gather, Kathleen and Colleen find themselves at the center of the final battle for the very soul of humanity. Each of the girls must convince a young detective that she is the true mother of God... and that the other is carrying the devil.

 

The stakes couldn't be higher in this page-turning thriller. You won't be able to put it down until the final reveal: which baby is the miracle--and which the monster?" (indigo)

 

 

Originally published in 1980 under the title VIRGIN, James Patterson rewrote the story under the title CRADLE AND ALL and released it for teen readers.

 

I have listened to the audiobook Cradle and All and just after read Virgin, to compare the differences in the two novels.

 

 

Cradle and All (2016)

  

Cradle and All was not what I expected. It was rewrote for teens but also a modern audience. There was a few pop culture references which made it clear it was meant to take place in present time, not the past whereas the original story had taken place in the 1980s. Going into the story you are aware there are two virgins about to give birth, one the son of God, the other the son of Satan. So naturally, I expected the novel to be equally following both Colleen (Ireland virgin) and Kathleen (American virgin). This however was not the case. There wasn't a lot of story from Colleen's side which was very disappointing. The majority of the story focused on Kathleen's miracle child and Anne's life, private and professional. As the story continued, both Colleen and Kathleen became questionable. Then Kathleen said something in conversation, with who I can't remember, but that one sentence made me realize what was happening. As the babies were being born, and new information from both mothers came to light I was shocked more from Colleen's twist than Kathleen's. Kathleen's twist wasn't that shocking but something the story was hinting at the whole time. Colleen's twist was something I don't think I could have ever guessed and I wish we had gotten more from her after the birth, but it was mostly focused on the babies after birth and which child was which. The identity of the babies was disappointing. Finally, the epilogue which I felt was the most interesting part of the story. It was a perfect set up for a second book but since there is no sequel unfortunately.

I had a lot of hopes for the book from the Armageddon story but the whole book did not deliver. I expected it to be more thrilling and exciting. More on the natural disasters not just mentions. Equal stories from both girls and less on the boring life of Anne. I understand Anne's role in the story but it just took away from Colleen, who I wished we could have gotten more story from. I expected twists but it did not live up to expectations.
 
My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Virgin (1980)

I enjoyed Virgin a lot more than Cradle and All, it still wasn't exactly what I expected but more mature in a way. I liked the characters a lot more, especially Anne who seemed older than how she was in Cradle and All. The story was set up so differently and religion has changed so much in the last 30 years. It was interesting to see that aspect in each book. In both books, the church and the world reacted differently to the news of the virgins and I think it was the older style added to my enjoyment.

Even though I had already just finished reading Cradle and All when starting Virgin, I imagined the ending would be different and tried to figure it out. The surprise twist at the end of Cradle and All was one I did not like and was much happier with the Virgin ending. I thought it was done way better, more what I expected and yet still satisfying.

It's hard to write a review for this book after expressing my opinions on the rewrite. Given the choice I would recommend Virgin over Cradle and All, but Cradle and All is still fun for that younger teen audience. Having already listened to the audiobook for Cradle and All I had more of a sense of what to expect so I believe this also added to my enjoyment of Virgin. I wish I had read Virgin first but I'm glad I got to experience both books. Virgin is definitely a book I would love to reread in the future.
 

My Rating: 4/5 Stars