Book Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

Title: The Passage: A Novel
Author: Justin Cronin
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN, PUB Date: 978-0-345-504968, eBook: 978-0-345-51686-2, June, 2010
Reviewed By: Joan Hanna for Author Exposure 06/10

I downloaded the eBook version of Justin Cronin's The Passage (Ballantine Books, 2010) simply because the blurb said it was not like other vampire books. I must admit right up front, I am a vampire genre fan. I will watch, read, and find something to enjoy in any movie, book, or television show relating to vampires. So, my curiosity was piqued when Amazon.com stated, the “virals…are not sexy, angsty vampires ... and they are not old-school, evil Nosferatus, either. These are a creation all Cronin's own--hairless, insectile, glow-in-the-dark mutations.” I pre-ordered the book three weeks before its release. If you are looking for a summer read to keep you occupied, entertained, and on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you!
I read this epic adventure in four days because I simply did not want to put it down. Now, I realize not everyone is able to devour a book in this manner, so let me assure you, this is not a book that will lose you if you put it down. All of the characters are three-dimensional, fully realized, and fully developed. Every one of them will jump off the page as if they were standing in front of you. When I said epic, I meant it in the standard sense of epic; this book spans years and generations. Cronin has given himself the room (over 700 pages worth) to stretch, expand, and fully explore each section and group of characters. I promise, you will love, hate, and admire every one of them.
The story begins with a government experiment involving twelve prisoners sentenced to death. They are given a reprieve if they submit to “testing” a new virus, which the government believes can be used to create a type of genetically altered killing machine soldier that is stronger, faster, and close to indestructible. The experiment also involves a little girl who becomes the only key to stop the epidemic that breaks out when the twelve altered men escape. This is where anything resembling a typical government experimentation story ends.
If you would normally not read a book like this, I strongly suggest you try it anyway. This story is about how we survive and fight to win over an enemy we cannot beat. It is about humanity and how resilient we are even when there is no hope. The Passage has something for everyone. I assure you, the characters will stay with you even after you read the last sentence. All I kept thinking after I turned the last page was, oh please, let there be sequels!