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John Passarella
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Supernatural: Rite of Passage Mass Market Paperback – August 14, 2012

by John Passarella (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 586 ratings
Thirty years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. Following the tragedy, their father taught the boys everything about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners of America... and how to kill it.

Laurel Hill, New Jersey is beginning to look like one of the unluckiest places on Earth when a series of mishaps hit the town. But Sam and Dean suspect it’s more than just bad luck. Along with Bobby Singer, the brothers soon realize that a powerful Japanese demon is encouraging the chaos. But the demon has bigger plans and they are going to need to make their own luck to stop it.

A Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit TV series!
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  1. Book 10 of 17
    Supernatural
  2. Print length
    400 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Titan Books
  5. Publication date
    August 14, 2012
  6. Dimensions
    4.3 x 0.93 x 7 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1781161119
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1781161111
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Supernatural: Rite of Passage by John Passarella is a must-have for any Supernatural fan.  With its twists, turns, monstrosities and everything Supernatural, which makes the show, you’ll be able to curb your cravings in between seasons easily by reading this book." – Killer Aphrodite

About the Author

John Passarella is the Bram Stoker Award-Winning author of Wither, Wither’s Rain, Wither’s Legacy, Kindred Spirit, Shimmer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ghoul Trouble, Angel: Avatar and Angel: Monolith. He owns AuthorPromo.com, a web design company with New York Times bestselling clients, and resides in New Jersey. Night Terror was his first Supernatural novel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Titan Books (August 14, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1781161119
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1781161111
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.3 x 0.93 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 586 ratings

About the author

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John Passarella

John Passarella

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When I was ten or eleven, I started telling stories by drawing them. (To this day, drawing and doodling helps open up my creative side for storytelling. Once in college, during a tedious lecture, I doodled in the margins of my spiral-bound notebook and those doodles eventually turned into a complete science fiction novel manuscript.) By twelve, I began typing one page stories. Into high school and college, I was writing novel-length manuscripts.

My latest novels are HALLOWEEN: THE OFFICIAL MOVIE NOVELIZATION (my 1st movie novelization), and SUPERNATURAL: JOYRIDE (my 4th original novel based on the hit CW TV show, both publishing OCT 2018.

My first novel, the co-authored WITHER (by "J.G. Passarella") won the Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Columbia Pictures bought the feature film rights. I followed up with two stand-alone sequels, WITHER'S RAIN and WITHER'S LEGACY (Wendy Ward novels), plus the paranormal thriller KINDRED SPIRIT and SHIMMER. In addition, I've authored multiple original media tie-in novels, including BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: GHOUL TROUBLE, ANGEL: AVATAR, ANGEL: MONOLITH, SUPERNATURAL: NIGHT TERROR, SUPERNATURAL: RITE OF PASSAGE, SUPERNATURAL: COLD FIRE and GRIMM: THE CHOPPING BLOCK. My fiction collection EXIT STRATEGY & OTHERS (with two new novelettes) is now available for Kindle.

I graduated from Interboro High School (Prospect Park, PA) and Widener University (Chester, PA). Currently, I live in New Jersey with my wife, two children (the middle child currently serves in the US Army), and two dogs.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
586 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this supernatural novel exciting and action-packed, with one comparing it to watching an episode of Supernatural. The book keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The character development receives mixed reactions - while some find them well-developed, others note there are too many minor characters.

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38 customers mention "Story quality"35 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy this supernatural novel, describing it as an exciting adventure with compelling stories and an action-packed plot.

"...I found it captivating from the first page. Every chapter was action packed, exciting, and built to the kind of climax expected every week on the..." Read more

"Great read with a good twist. Sam, Dean, and Bobby are on hunt for a demon that uses others fear against them...." Read more

"...That was a very touching part of the book. Also, Bobby has a large part in the novel, which was fantastic...." Read more

"...The characterizations are right on point, the mythology is well-maintained, and all of the various elements come together in the end...." Read more

31 customers mention "Readability"28 positive3 negative

Customers find the book readable, with several noting it kept their interest from start to end, and one mentioning it was riveting from beginning to end.

"...It kept me riveted from beginning to end and I was actually disappointed when the tale was finished...." Read more

"Great read with a good twist. Sam, Dean, and Bobby are on hunt for a demon that uses others fear against them...." Read more

"...This book should become a motion picture! Loved every page." Read more

"I enjoyed reading this book. I love this show and it's nice to have other stories besides the shows...." Read more

13 customers mention "Character development"9 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them well-developed while others note there are too many minor characters.

"...The villain was also very charasmatic and fun to hate...." Read more

"...They stay true to the characters and story lines and flow right along with the series. Hope you all enjoy them as much as I do!!!" Read more

"...I think the problem was that there were too many supporting characters and he tried to give an in-depth background and real-time account of all of..." Read more

"...The author also spins together some interesting background characters: a hunter from Bobby's circle of friends, and members of local law enforcement..." Read more

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3 out of 5 stars
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I liked the story but was too much about the ancillary characters and not enough about Sam and Dean.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kim
    5.0 out of 5 stars Rite of Passage - thrills and spills
    Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Writing a tie-in novel for a current TV show has to be one of the hardest things to do, and even harder to do successfully. Add to that how passionate the fans are of the show (and how hard to please in many cases) and undertaking the task of writing a novel is not an enviable job. Several writers have attempted to do it with limited success. The usual complaints are that the characterisation of the two brothers is off, the story weak or unbelievable (even in the realm of stories about the supernatural where monsters are limited only by imagination).

    John Passarella has now written two novels with Rite Of Passage being the second one. I found it captivating from the first page. Every chapter was action packed, exciting, and built to the kind of climax expected every week on the show itself. It can't be easy keeping within the prescribed restraints laid down by the publishers and show's producers, but John has managed it wonderfully. He is, in my opinion, one of only two authors who have written Supernatural tie-in novels to have done this successfully. His rendition of Sam and Dean Winchester and Bobby Singer is spot on, to the point that I could see the story play out in my head as if it were an actual episode of the show. The plot involved a mythical creature that caused death and mayhem to feed its needs and gave thought to what really could be behind everything from simple "accidents" to full-scale disasters. The story wove a credible tale and a challenging problem for the Winchesters to solve. It kept me riveted from beginning to end and I was actually disappointed when the tale was finished. Like every episode of the show, I didn't want it to be over despite knowing it had to have a finishing point. I enjoyed the book immensely.

    Cleverly, John has also involved fans in the process in both his Supernatural novels. By having fans submit their name for use in the book it solves the age-old problem of an author trying to make up names and gives a thrill to those whose names were used. I'm in there and couldn't be happier with the way my name was used.

    I hope that we get more Supernatural novels, and I really hope that John Passarella is invited to write again, As a fellow fan of the show, he truly "gets" it! This is one novel I will recommend to all fans of the show.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fear comes to town - literally!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Great read with a good twist. Sam, Dean, and Bobby are on hunt for a demon that uses others fear against them. It's final destination meets the Winchesters.
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  • Angela Newton
    5.0 out of 5 stars I love the Supernatural novels!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have been reading the SPN (Supernatural) novels for quite a while now. I've read them all except the new ones which haven't been released yet. This is the second SPN novel by John Passarella that I have read, and I loved it even more than the first one. (SPOILER ALERT!!) This book really focused on Sam and Dean and their struggles because Sam's hell wall has been broken down. That was a very touching part of the book. Also, Bobby has a large part in the novel, which was fantastic. The villain was also very charasmatic and fun to hate. The SPN novels are great because they're like another episode of the show, except that Sam and Dean can do more because it is a book rather than a novel. I really love that. If you love the show, I really think you might love the books.
    One person found this helpful
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  • John Keegan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Big-budget Supernatural
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    John Passarella's first "Supernatural" novel was easily one of the best, and so the notion of a follow-up was a welcome one. Making it even more tantalizing was the thought of a "Supernatural" novel taking place a stone's throw from where I grew up in southern New Jersey! While various place names and location details have been modified to protect the relatively innocent, it's not hard for a former native to read between the lines.

    Set firmly in the first half of the seventh season, the novel fulfills the editorial mandate of depicting events that could never happen on-screen, given the legendary budget constraints that have come with being one of the longest running series on the struggling CW network. In a way, that mandate is both a blessing and a curse.

    One of the biggest problems with the seventh season of "Supernatural" was the inability to communicate the full scale of the threat of the Leviathans; as voracious as they were, they could hardly be engaging in mass killings on a budget! Meanwhile, Sam's struggle with his inner Lucifer was hobbled by the limited availability of Mark Pellegrino. The author tries to place this novel in context with those long-running plot arcs, but is only partially successful. While Sam's struggle with Lucifer is actually enhanced by its relevance in the novel, cropping up at all the wrong moments, the references to the Leviathans only serve to highlight how disproportionate the novel's events seem in comparison.

    And these events are huge. Right from the start, Tora (the main antagonist) is killing folks left and right. By the time I got several chapters into the book, I was wondering how the death toll wouldn't be cause for massive state response. I'm fairly positive that outbreaks of deadly MRSA and flu strains, overwhelming hospital staff, would be extremely noteworthy for that part of the state. Especially since "Laurel Hill" is more or less adjacent to some of the more affluent areas of South Jersey!

    Later set pieces further strain the willing suspension of disbelief on this point. One incident involving a pedestrian bridge would be national news, and then there's the capstone that initiates the titular rite of passage that would, quite possibly, reach international proportion. (Not only that, but in the wake of the Aurora, Colorado incident, this could be a very uncomfortable few chapters for some readers. Be forewarned.)

    These are hardly concerns unique to this novel; all tie-in media has the potential to be too big and momentous when compared to the "canon" surrounding it. And the downside to maintaining appropriate scale is that the story can seem incidental or meaningless. Knowing that the editorial staff told the authors of the more recent books to throw caution to the wind mitigates some of the annoyance, but it still feels out of proportion.

    It may sound like this is a negative review, but for the most part, the book is an excellent example of a "Supernatural" tale. Taken on its own, this could even be seen as the basis for a big-budget film treatment. The characterizations are right on point, the mythology is well-maintained, and all of the various elements come together in the end. On that basis, the book is recommended for "Supernatural" fans, if stark reminders of recent tragedies would not be too upsetting.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • stumpgrinder
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book that streams like the TV Series!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    John Passarella's Supernatural books are so true to the TV Series, you can envision all the action and see the imagery bigger than life. You hear the rock music in the impala, see the dudes maintaining their weapons - like good hunters, and even see and hear Sam's dialogue with Lucifer. Then, of course, there's the bad guy, a really, really bad guy, one of their worst supernatural bad guys! This book should become a motion picture! Loved every page.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • ema
    4.0 out of 5 stars 日本人にはおなじみの怪物（？）が今回の敵
    Reviewed in Japan on October 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    日本人にはおなじみの怪物（？）が出てきます。
    倒し方とか、言い伝えとかは、どこで調べたのか、ちょっと妙な感じです。

    この筆者の作品は、前作もこれも、事件が頻繁に起こって、自作の登場人物も多いので、ＴＶの主要キャラがでるところ以外は飛ばして読みました。
    ボビーが撃たれるエピソードの一つ前の事件として書かれていて、いい感じの伏線になっています。

    2月のあの伝統行事は大事だったのね。
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  • Céline
    3.0 out of 5 stars Too slow
    Reviewed in France on March 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book is written like a Stephen King novel. The author takes ages to develop his characters with very little Sam and Dean. We don't need to see each person die because of bad luck. The monster walking in the street kills people as he goes, and we witness every person die in each house with very much detail. The scenes are very violent and gory. The author is talented and the story overall interesting, but I just couldn't wait to finish it because Sam, Dean and Bobby are just not there enough. The author writes his story with his characters and the boys only appear on occasion. Some inconsistencies too (a hunter who lost an arm is later described as raising his hands...).
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  • Vampirewerewolfzombielover
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Winchester adventure
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Another excellent book which goes alongside the supernatural television series. I have all of these paperback novels and have enjoyed reading them all and this one is no different. John passarella has written more than one supernatural tie in novel and seems to know the characters pretty well. This story follows Sam and Dean Winchester on another adventure outside of their television Adventures and contains horror and violence. The book is well written and I always find myself feeling like I am in the story itself which is a good sign that it is well written. I am not a huge reader however I do enjoy reading these books as I am such a fan of the TV show. Having said that these are not a collection of books that I see myself owning forever but having read them once I will likely be passing them on. This book arrived in excellent condition despite being paperback and they are always well packed and have arrived in a timely manner so I have had no problems.
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  • Rodrigo Braun
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ótima qualidade
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 25, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Gostei bastante, produto novinho, chegou rápido e é de boa qualidade!
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  • Hosenbund
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well...
    Reviewed in Germany on June 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I read a few bad things about, for example how the author didn't really focus on Sam and Dean but was "trying to write about his own characters".. maybe. *shrugs*
    But Dean and Sam never felt off, neither did Bobby. In my opinion, they were portrayed perfectly and the other characters the author built in had to have so much writing about themselves to be realistic and for the reader to understand what is going on.
    I enjoyed, that it was more like a puzzle. Some pieces you knew already; Sam, Dean, Bobby.
    Some you didn't and you couldn't see the full picture yet. You had to take the pieces and see what fit and what you the pieces looked like.
    You were slowly introduced to the monster, to the other characters and their reasoning, while not really knowing what the monster is or why the other characters are even MENTIONED.
    So I enjoyed the reveal.

    The writing was also to my tastes.
    The end was a bit sad, what can I say? Supernatural, huh..

    All in all, I consider it perfect.

    Plus, it made me want to write.. :p
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