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)

Great audio book to be my first one!

The narrator was a bit dramatic sometimes, but overall well done. This was my first audio book and I finished it in 4 days, the story is really well done and very engaging.

These books read like an HBO show.

There are so many epic cliff hangers through out the book that keep you guessing. It's long and epic and just when you think you can see where it's going things change again.

Another Epic Step

The man, Justin Cronin, knows how to keep you reading that's for sure. He builds characters and places wonderfully. Events sometimes have cliff hangers. There are times when you'll cringe but this book isn't for people who just want a fairy tale. But keep your eyes peeled and you may notice one in passing.
Great narration again. Scott Brick does a great job getting you the emotions without putting on overblown voices. Refreshing.

I can't wait to see what's next

I won't give you spoilers and flaws, I will only tell you that if your heart strings are easily tugged, you may need tissues on occasion. I come in to this trilogy having read a few mixed reviews, so had no real expectations. In doing so, I have not been let down. I have caught myself laughing out loud, and wiping away tears. This story, up to this point, is not a happy go lucky kind of story. It also deals with vampires in a nonsparlkey nontraditional kind of way. Not what you would think exactly. And I shall leave you with that.

Great!

Great story, that draws you in. My favorite trilogy, I'm so excited to see the TV show.

Feel like I live with Scott Brick, a favorite

Read a great review on this book,wish I could remember her name but she suggested going back to read "The Passage". So I did since its been a while. Great idea but made this one a bit confusing at first. Cronin kept going back with character sketches, guessing he did so for readers jumping in at the second book.

I scrolled ahead thinking I had gotten my books mixed. Went back and scrolled ahead with the same result. Finally I came upon the part of the book where the stories moved on and I picked up from there. So, now I'll have to read again to get the full impact.

Knowing that these books are earmarked as vampire, guess I'm simply off track. They seem more awful than just vampires. I listen to an assortment of genres and other than "The Stand", "Dune" and "Stranger in a Strange Land", I think this is my favorite. And yes, I can see similarities to "The Stand" but this is more.

Stumbled across this trilogy while looking for "The Judas Tree", one I read in college which I'll have to re-visit but this caught my eye.

If you're a science fiction fan, dig in. It's long, lots of character sketches and jumps around a bit. Thought I was with the characters a couple of times and locations but zap, we jump to another part of the story. But the ole brain would catch up.

I love the series and as said, will return to this and re-read. With a story like this one, not a chore.

So since this is my review I can't update my second read but will agree with the other reviewer. I strongly suggest reading "The Passage" first if you've not already done so. I have the third on pre-order.

Good listening!

All around great.

This book and performance are really incredible and some of my all time favorites. I listened to this series 3 times through and it's just as good each time.

Love it

It is the 25th or so time I have listened to this book and it never gets old or boring. Scott Brick is a spectacular narrator and does this story justice just like The Passage. I’m gonna jump right into the City Of Mirrors to wrap up the trilogy again. Just amazing.

twists & turns, full of surprises

Justin Cronin is a gifted story story teller that never lost my attention throughout this 25 hour book. The narrator was superb, over many story lines, times, places. Top Marks, kudos. Characters are asked to make difficult choices. Some show how heroic human spirit can be; some demonstrate utter selfishness and self-justification. Others run away from reality or simply can't live with it. Mr. Cronin illustrates a mostly compassionate yet brutally honest look at the manner in which humans can act in the midst of growing emergencies.

Still Love it

I have read and now listened to this book. And, I still love it. First, Scott Brick could read anything and it would be great. Second, I simply enjoy Cronin’s writing, particularly his ability to describe the feelings of others in very poignant situations. Third, I continued to enjoy the development of the overall story. This is a very good series.