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The Passage, by Justin Cronin

The Passage is, quite simply, a vampire novel. But it's also a metaphysical journey across space and time, full of deep characters, the secrets of human emotion, and countless Biblical allusions. The United States military begins Project NOAH, designed to infect convicts with increasingly powerful strains of a hitherto unknown virus from South America. Agent Wolgast is responsible for bringing these people in, and he does his job extremely well - until he is assigned his last contact: a twelve-year-old girl. When they arrive at the compound, the subjects have become more powerful than anyone could imagine. And when Patient Zero entices one of the janitors into unlocking the cells, the apocalypse is unleashed upon the world.

The Passage, by Justin Cronin,  is still one of my favorite books. It's an extremely vivid tale of a vampire apocalypse. As a fan of the dystopian, apocalyptic genre, this book is a must read. The characters are deep, soulful and conflicted, and as a nice complement to the gritty pain and suffering, there are elements of the fantastical (other than vampires) and, on some occasions, the divine. I think one of the things I liked so much about The Passage is how each character responds to the apocalypse. Some literally convince themselves nothing strange has happened. Another takes to a cabin in the mountains. But you can see the human emotion present in each.
Reviewed by Adrian G., Grade 12
Grandview Library
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Teen Speak said…
Twelve men on death row and a little orphan girl named Amy are gathered by the FBI and sent to a hidden facility in Colorado. The reason? Project NOAH. The US military's attempt at eternal life, derived from a highly contagious, ancient virus. When the plan goes awry and the Twelve escape, having gained superhuman, vampiric powers, the old world is doomed. A century after the first viral outbreak, scattered colonies of people, living in fortified cities, wait for the US Military to rescue them- not knowing that it was the Military that caused the apocalypse in the first place. Virals rule the world, and when the lights that keep the First Colony safe at night start to fail, a brave group sets out with the help of Amy to find their lost comrades and wipe out the root cause of the virus.

This book has to be one of the best books I have ever read. The backstory was extremely detailed and well-written, and the way all of the different characters and their stories came together was seamless and amazing. The premise of the novel was very believable and very interesting, and different from all other post apocalyptic books out there- an almost biblical tone guides part of the book. The characters are all very believable, and the almost horrifying, intense suspense and action was great. I loved everything about this novel. Readers of Stephen King's The Stand would love reading this. However, I would recommend this to everyone- it actually is that good.

Reviewed by NK, Grade 10
Montrose Library
November 13, 2020 at 2:24 PM
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