An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment … experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.
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Very well written. Engaging characters. But the split in the middle can throw you for a loop.
Not close to being The Stand. But it is epic. And not a vampire book, per se.
Well worth the read. I haven’t been as impressed with the TV series, particularly the plot holes.
This series is on my top 10 list
Loved this book and its sequels. Puts a new spin on the vampire tale; not your fathers Bela Lugosi, for sure. Similar to Guillermo Del Toro’s The Strain series of books. Wish I could find more books in this vein. Any suggestions.
Interesting twist on the zombie apocalypse genre. This is the only book I’ve read in recent memory that actually gave me nightmares.
Wow!! This book completely blew me away! I remember the hype for it as it came out and was always torn due to it being a bit of a long read. But I will say it is totally worth it!
Now don’t get me wrong, there is a small section midway through the book where it drags a little. And some scenes do go on longer than they need to. But the characters, …
Having cut my teeth on science fiction with the discovery of Robert Heinlein at age 11, I’ve always been predisposed towards good science fiction and related genres. This most likely falls into the realm of dystopian literature, as it deals with the breakdown of civilization sometime in the not very distant future. The genesis of the …
A “vampire” novel that Stephen King said brought the “bite” back to the genre, written by an author with acknowledged literary chops, “The Passage” was for this reader a frustrating combination of some of the most excellent monster genre writing around these days with a jarringly staccato sense of plot development that abandoned characters and …
I wasn’t too sure at all when a sudden change happens a third of the way in; I didn’t like the new setting. But stick with it a few pages and you’ll like it all over again. Good stuff.
Without a doubt one of the best post apocalyptic trilogies I have ever read. Nonstop action and suspense with well thought out characters and plot. Do not miss this one !!
Flyers, I finished it! Where’s my biscuit?
I wish I could add this to my favorites list. I won’t deny the significant talent Justin Cronin possesses as a writer, though sadly he has used this talent only for artfully presenting a stark world and desperate culture. In that sense, he fully succeeded, but there is much more to an epic novel than …
I loved how it started and towards the end it lost me. Usually I will continue but I have many more books to pick from. I really wanted to like this.
I loved all three books of this trilogy, but this was my favorite. Set in a post-apocalyptic US where vampires created by the US government roam, a small band of survivors leave the safety of their compound to see if there is somewhere else where they can live.
The last page is a cliffhanger and I was glad when the next book was published.
At over 900 pages, this is not just a book to read, but one that swallows you up. (These are the best kind.) You are transported to Cronin’s world – one that, at the beginning, looks like our world today, yet is quickly turned into one that is a completely unrecognizable.
Long story short – in the first quarter of the novel, we learn that a virus …
No sparkles, no brooding, no environmentally conscious Volvos… just bloodsucking monsters that want to suck the life out of you – thank God! I’d say ‘but seriously’ but I am. This series was a revelation. Excellent writing, great characters, creepy villains (and they weren’t all vampires), and fully formed world. Really, a great series I cannot …
This was AMAZING!!
Different take on vampires. Whole series is great!
This first book in the Passage trilogy is really wonderful—scary post-apocalyptic stuff, which of course has become a bit commonplace, but this one comes with an intensely compelling backstory, impeccably drawn characters, and one of the most appealing protagonists ever. Recommend highly.
I read this book after seeing Stephen King rave about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. It is a beautiful, yet horrifying story that will stay with you for ages. There are moments of insight, given even to minor characters that you just don’t find in most novels. I cannot recommend it enough.
If I was going to rate this book based on the first half, I might have been tempted to give it 5 stars. The way Mr. Cronin tells the story of how this world came to be truly moved me. Unfortunately, he seemed to run out of steam once we reached the second part of the story. I haven’t read the other 2 books of the trilogy, and can only hope he …
I ended up skipping entire chapters because the story went on FOREVER. I guess the author lost me at vampires. Ho-hum. Really? Vampires? I thought it was post-apocalyptic science fiction. Read it only if you like this sort of stuff. So predictable.