The Passage

By:  Justin Cronin

From Goodreads:  "It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born."

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.


With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of negative reviews about this book.  I don't get it.  I LOVED THIS BOOK!  I will say that I didn't read the book, I listened to the audiobook.  Maybe that's where the difference comes in.  The audiobook was one of best I've ever listened to.  Scott Brick was absolutely wonderful.   I will say that listening to the audiobook is a test of endurance though, it's almost 37 hrs. long.   I was still disappointed when it was over even after listening to it for about 3 weeks. 

Usually I'm not thrilled about books being made into movies, but the movies rights have been purchased for this book and I'm excited about that.  I think this would make a fantastic movie, maybe even two.   I understand Ridley Scott is supposed to be directing the movie and I could give him a few pointers on casting I think.  Chris Cooper for Wolgast, maybe Dakota Fanning for the grown up Amy (Elle Fanning for little Amy?), Ellen Page for Sarah, Matthew Gray Gubler for Michael/Circuit, Kenneth Mitchell for Hollis....I have a whole list in my head LOL

I really liked the way this book was structured.  I thought the division of the books was effective in keeping the story well organized.  I liked the reading of the journals.  It was good to hear the story from a different voice (literally on the audiobook).  Cronin has a wonderful way with words and vocabulary.  I find so many books are dumbed down, easy words and easy sentences, and this one didn't have this feeling but it was still easy to understand.  That's good writing!

The one disappointment I had with this book was the ending.  I was sad it ended yes, but I didn't like the way it ended.  It was so abrupt and unresolved.  However, I didn't realize when I started this book it's the first in a trilogy.  I found that out today.  Oh happy day!  The next book, The Twelve, is due out in 2012.  That's a long time to wait! 

I had so many questions....what was in the barn with Mouse and Theo?  Will we ever find out?  What IS Peter??  Why did Amy destroy the vials???  Wouldn't it have saved the world?  Didn't she know that?  Now it's just going to be her (and the other)...What the hell happened in New Mexico?  I don't want to wait for the next book!!