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The Passage (Ballantine Books) (Hardback)
$17.49 - Save $9.51 35% off - RRP $27.00 Free shipping worldwide (to United States and
all these other countries) Usually dispatched within 72 hours | |Short Description for The Passage"Every so often a novel-reader's novel comes along: an enthralling, entertaining story wedded to simple, supple prose, both informed by tremendous imagination. Summer is the perfect time for such books, and this year readers can enjoy the gift of Justin Cronin's "The Passage." It has the vividness that only epic works of fantasy and imagination can achieve. What else can I say? This: Read this boo
Full description- Publisher: Ballantine Books
- Published: 01 June 2010
- Format: Hardback 784 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Thrillers
- ISBN 13: 9780345504968 ISBN 10: 0345504968
- Sales rank: 35,973
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Reviews for The Passage
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I really wanted to like this.
I really wanted to like this, really I did. Everybody told me I would love it, and to be honest the first few chapters were great and I couldn't put it down, but then it got into a repetitive sequence and I only kept reading because I wanted to know how it would end. by Sharon
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A BOOK YOU CAN'T PUT DOWN
"Something is coming" ... how very true. Set in the very near future what happens when a deadly viral strain is unleashed, where only 10% of the population when affected survive but become vampire-type creatures.
This story begins with three stories: firstly, a professor travels to the deepest jungle in Columbia and unwittingly brings the virus back to America. Secondly, an FBI agent is given the job of acquiring test subjects of 12 convicted murderers who are all on death row. And thirdly, a little girl, Amy, is also sought after to be part of experiments. Everything is set in place for the world to erupt in total destruction and hopelessness.
But a hundred years later there are a few survivers, and Amy. Why is she still alive and what hope does she bring for the survival of the human race?
I couldn't put this book down. Because the story changes and is unpredictable it kept me totally intrigued. I loved the characters and the story and look forward to the next book in the series.
Highly recommended for older readers who would enjoy a terrific book. 10/10 by SUE CALAGAZ -
Top review
Fantastic!
Reason for Reading: As soon as I heard of this book, which was before any of the buzz or hype had started, I knew I had to read it as I love apocalyptic novels and this had all the ingredients that made it sound like a book I had to read.
First, all the buzz, the hype, the comparisons to classics in this genre and the talk about this book is true. I fell into this door stopper tome and became hypnotized by the world I had entered. I can't remember the last time I carted an almost 800 page book to the beach with me! But once I had started reading, I was trapped and could only stop reading for the very essentials of life. I have not read Justin Cronin before but this is an author who can write and I will be checking out his two previous works.
Essentially, this is the story of a girl who saves the world. The plot is so complex it is almost impossible to give a summary without writing pages but I'll try. A hideous scientific experiment goes terribly wrong and a virus is exposed in the United States. It eventually destroys modern civilization on the North American continent (the fate of the world is unknown), leaving behind scattered groups of survivors and horrible infected persons who have been turned into something no longer human. Because of their lust for blood and some of their habits such as death by exposure to light the media, in the early days referred to them as vampires and occasionally to the virus as the "vamp virus". However, throughout the book various groups have different names for the infected ones, most commonly called virals, and while some names such as "dracs" refer to vampires, everyone knows these are people who have been infected with a virus. In my humble opinion, this is not a vampire book.
One of the survivors is a little girl who was also experimented on, the last one. She turned out different though, she appears perfectly normal and a CIA agent rescues her where they then flee to the mountains and live a reclusive life. A hundred years go by and now commences the majority of the book. How life is being lead now with the remains of civilization around the new societies, living in a world where nighttime is to be avoided, using sources such as batteries but having no replacements once they are gone. This life can only last so long and one day into it walks a girl. A strange girl, who may hold the fate of humankind in her hands.
I just love this book so much!! There are so many characters and all are so deftly created to be complete, complex human beings. The world Cronin has created is amazingly real and is one that is completely believable of a post-apocalyptic society. His characters deal with real issues such as brotherly tensions, falling in love when it is not reciprocated and when it is, overcoming personal fears, and personal growth. The Passage is a journey in many ways. A physical one across land, one of growth personally for each character and a spiritual one as deep questions are raised and realized.
My only problem with the book is that nowhere in the book's description does it tell me that this is the first in a proposed trilogy. It took a little googling to find that out. So the ending is an ending but it is also a beginning and while I look forward to continuing with the story in the future I was a little miffed at first that the seven hundred odd pages wasn't going to give me a finite ending. My final word, though, is if you like post-apocalyptic books this is a Must Read as it will no doubt go on to become a classic. by Nicola Mansfield
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