The Twelve

A Novel

By: Justin Cronin

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 26 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

The end of the world was only the beginning.

In his internationally best-selling and critically acclaimed novel The Passage, Justin Cronin constructed an unforgettable world transformed by a government experiment gone horribly wrong. Now the scope widens and the intensity deepens as the epic story surges forward....

In the present day, as the man-made apocalypse unfolds, three strangers navigate the chaos. Lila, a doctor and an expectant mother, is so shattered by the spread of violence and infection that she continues to plan for her child’s arrival even as society dissolves around her. Kittridge, known to the world as "Last Stand in Denver", has been forced to flee his stronghold and is now on the road, dodging the infected, armed but alone and well aware that a tank of gas will get him only so far. April is a teenager fighting to guide her little brother safely through a landscape of death and ruin. These three will learn that they have not been fully abandoned - and that in connection lies hope, even on the darkest of nights.

One hundred years in the future, Amy and the others fight on for humankind’s salvation...unaware that the rules have changed. The enemy has evolved, and a dark new order has arisen with a vision of the future infinitely more horrifying than man’s extinction. If the Twelve are to fall, one of those united to vanquish them will have to pay the ultimate price.

A heart-stopping thriller rendered with masterful literary skill, The Twelve is a grand and gripping tale of sacrifice and survival.

Look for the entire Passage trilogy:

The Passage
The Twelve
The City of Mirrors

Praise for The Twelve

“[A] literary superthriller.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“An undeniable and compelling epic...a complex narrative of flight and forgiveness, of great suffering and staggering loss, of terrible betrayals and incredible hope.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

“The Twelve is even better than The Passage.” (The Plain Dealer)

“A compulsive read.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Gripping... Cronin [introduces] eerie new elements to his masterful mythology.... Enthralling, emotional and entertaining.” (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“Fine storytelling.” (Associated Press)

“Cronin is one of those rare authors who works on two different levels, blending elegantly crafted literary fiction with cliff-hanging thrills.” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

©2012 Justin Cronin (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

Named one of the Ten Best Novels of the Year by Time and Library Journal, and one of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post, Esquire, U.S. News & World Report, NPR/On Point, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Magnificent...Cronin has taken his literary gifts, and he has weaponized them.... The Passage can stand proudly next to Stephen King’s apocalyptic masterpiece The Stand, but a closer match would be Cormac McCarthy’s The Road." (Time)

A great sequel to The Passage

What did you love best about The Twelve: A Novel?

The story and characters were great. I found myself really looking forward to getting back to work so I could listen to more of this tale.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Peter Jaxon but Wolgast is right there behind him

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

Very well done. I would listen to other books he's narrated.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I don't think I could stay up that long. It's a very long book (which I appreciate).

Any additional comments?

I hope somebody gets a clue in Holywood and turns this into a movie. The vampire action is great and the story is compelling. It's not just action driven there's a story in there with real heart.

Great follow-up to the "Passage"

Found "The Twelve" a good listen, it certainly keeps the reader/listener entertained. Provided a lot of insight into the characters and great follow-up to the "Passage". It definitely brought the story lines into perspective. It is very tense at times with lots of action, not really the best bedtime story to achieve a relaxed state of mind. Not for the faint of heart. Really enjoy Scott Brick's narrative style. Looking very much forward to the next installment.

This is a 6 star book!

Scott Brick is an excellent narrator. He gave each character their own voice and even with his deep voice, he was able to soften it for the female characters. It's a riveting book. Many unexpected twists. Can't wait for the third book!

I can't wait for the final book.

I love this story...read the first one and am looking forward to the final book.

Subsumed 2: The love affair continues.

Mr Cronin produces some wonderful imagery and does an excellent job of drawing the reader into a beautifully woven tale!
And then he periodically jars you from his carefully crafted fiction by bludgeoning the reader with the word "subsumed"!!
For some ungodly reason, the man is obsessed with the word and is apparently obliged to employ it at least 3 times per chapter! LOL
I'm interested in reading some of his other works to see if this trend is continued or if it was just a brief phase during this series.

It's great to find treasure!

I love how the author led us into a apocalypse that was every bit as tragic and fearful as you might imagine it to be. Great rich characters and enough suspense and description to be fully immersed in this book. There are some slow parts and maybe some people and places I had hoped to delve further into but all in all very satisfactory story sad that it is over. I highly recommend this trilogy.

Worth the read - be patient

The plot is interesting and well articulated. most loose ends tied up through out the story. Author is a bit long winded and the story wanders in flashbacks here and there. Some of the back story is just filler and doesn't add much to the plot or character development. Great action scenes and the plot moves along well though.

just amazing!

the second book brings about a whole new level of apocalyptic dystopian future. Cronin never disappoints.

So much better then the first book

I really loved this book, compared to the first one it is much faster paced.

A great follow-up!

A great follow-up. It ties up a lot of loose ends. Again, I hate it for me, but good guys die in this one too! It totally sucks, not going to lie!

There were a few things I threw a b.s. flag on, like a crowd flipping an up-armored humvee, but maybe it was a base model... who knows! Which I guess is feasible, but still stretches it a little bit for me. But hey ... it is what it is!

Anyways, I enjoyed it. I found my self listening to about 24 hours of before I even knew it. I didn't get tired and it definitely was not arduous.

Now onto the narrator. I LOVE SCOTT BRICK. I just listened to two books back to back with him. The last one was about 65 hours long. You'd think I would get tired of his voice. NOPE! I've accidentally done it with another artist, and regretted it immediately; but not this guy! I flipping love him as a narrator.