The Passage

A Novel (Book One of The Passage Trilogy)

By: Justin Cronin

Narrated by: Scott Brick

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This thrilling novel kicks off what Stephen King calls “a trilogy that will stand as one of the great achievements in American fantasy fiction.”

ONE OF PASTE’S BEST HORROR BOOKS OF THE DECADE • ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Esquire, U.S. News & World Report, NPR/On Point, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, BookPage, Library Journal

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.”

An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

Look for the entire Passage trilogy:
THE PASSAGE | THE TWELVE | THE CITY OF MIRRORS

Praise for The Passage

“[A] blockbuster.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Mythic storytelling.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“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: a story about human beings trying to generate new hope in a world from which all hope has long since been burnt.”—Time

“The type of big, engrossing read that will have you leaving the lights on late into the night.”—The Dallas Morning News

“Addictive.”—Men’s Journal

“Cronin’s unguessable plot and appealing characters will seize your heart and mind.”—Parade

Critic reviews

“[A] blockbuster.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Mythic storytelling.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“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: a story about human beings trying to generate new hope in a world from which all hope has long since been burnt.”—Time

“The type of big, engrossing read that will have you leaving the lights on late into the night.”—The Dallas Morning News

“Addictive.”—Men’s Journal

“Cronin’s unguessable plot and appealing characters will seize your heart and mind.”—Parade

“Cronin has given us what could be the best book of the summer. Don’t wait to dive into The Passage.”—USA Today

“Great storytelling . . . vital, tender, and compelling.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

“Cronin gets it just right; the combination of attentive realism and doomsday stakes makes for a mesmerizing experience.”—Salon

“Magnificently unnerving . . . A The Stand-meets-The Road journey.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Imagine Michael Crichton crossbreeding Stephen King’s The Stand and Salem’s Lot in that lab on Jurassic Park, with rich infusions of Robert McCammon’s Swan Song, Battlestar Galactica and even Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.”—The Washington Post

Ruined Me...

Since listening to this trilogy I have yet to find another book to be as compelling. I decided to listen to The Passage because I ran out of books and while not my usually genre I was completely hooked. To say this trilogy was amazing is an understatement, and I believe it's because of the moral of the story which I won't reveal. So, as I continue to peruse book after book on audible's site for my next listen, this story continues to stay with me.

I couldn't stop ...

I couldn't stop listening to this book. I don't understand anyone who didn't find this book engrossing, thrilling, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking. Now I have to wait two more years for the sequel. Yes, there were some rough spots, but I think this book was all of five stars and if there were six, I'd give it another. Read it, you won't regret it.

not my cup of tea

I struggled to finish this. I generally go through and audiobook of this size in a week or less but with this book I found I difficult to listen to for too long without dozing off. it's an interesting premise and story but it drags on in several parts. Then there's the mystical/religious aspects that I'm not a fan of.

Meh

The beginning was fantastic, but deteriorated quickly after 4 hours or so. Narration was fine, it was the story that strayed.

just ok...

not horrible, and had potential, but was too long to keep me engaged with the story...I felt myself often wondering what was even going on.

Outstanding Post-Apocalyptic Story

Despite many reviews saying this is "just another vampire story", Cronin manages to weave a story about much more then the creatures fought by the protagonists. It is more a story about the self-inflicted end of the world, and what actions our desperation can cause. I highly recommend this book to anyone that liked "The Stand" by Stephen King, or "I am Legend" by Richard Matheson. The book is long, however, as Cronin is very descriptive, especially when it comes to thoughts and motivations, and has a tendency for stating something that confuses you, then explaining it ad nauseum. I should also mention this is part or a proposed trilogy, so for anyone that is disappointing in the "ending", there is much more to come, and there needs to be questions for those following books to answer. In summary, a great read that truly satisfies, and an excellent value at 1 credit.

Excellent

It's no wonder that Stephen King is listed in the advertisement for this book. Justin Cronin's writing is very much like King, but removed from King's literal universe. This book fits in perfectly beside the Gunslinger series, and The Stand. I keep expecting a reference to The Crimson King to pop up.

This book got me from the beginning. I am only half-way through the second part, and I am excited that there are still three more to go!

I have not heard of nor read anything from Justin Cronin before, but if other books of his are as good as this then I will surely check them all out!

Just Ok

I read worse. A compelling idea. Decent characters. Better than average writing, though not world class. The characters, though at first show promise, end up thin and underdeveloped and stereotypical of blockbuster merit. If you have the time to kill and want a slightly better than average apocalyptic vampire tale...give it a whirl.

A Vampire Book... FOR ZOMBIE FANS!!

The first 2 parts of this book (before it vaults into the future) are sheer genius. The way Cronin sets up the virus, sets up the characters, and sets the tone is remarkable. Make no mistake, this is more like a zombie story, than a classic vampire story. In fact, I would describe the actual vampires as "fast, sorta-smart zombies". It is dark, bleak, and hopeless throughout, BUT highly entertaining. There are some slow sections, purely included for character development. They can get tedious, but I'd rather Cronin have them in, than have shallow, vacant characters.

The only reason this is 4 stars in "story", instead of 5, is that there's a significant part of the book that feels like a Harry Potter novel. I mean that in the best possible way. Shortly after the story leaps to the future, Cronin feels the need to essentially follow around a bunch of kids for about 10 hours, or so. Granted, these kids are VERY important to the rest of the story, but it definitely feels like a shift in tone. You're cruising along, listening to this great book about the end of days, and then BAM!!!-- Here comes harry Potter and friends, with their own kiddie language and kiddie weapons, and it's like a whole different story. It's a bit jarring, and if you were really loving the tone he'd set, you'll be pissed for a while.

I cannot stress enough how original, dark, and well-crafted this book is. I don't get the comparisons that other reviewers have made to Stephen King. I think Cronin has his own style, and it is certainly on par with (if not better) than King's.

Bottom line: If you like Zombie stories that are dark, hopeless, and real, then you will LOVE this!

Narrators are great.

Mediocre overall, but some truly excellent parts

I love apocalypse novels. And this one had some of the survival logistics that are what I really like. However, it was much too long. I could have done without the entire first 1/3 of the novel.

But what bothered me the most were the story inconsistencies, pretty much every part about Sister Lacey, the Vampires sometimes could get around and kill people in the daytime, but sometimes couldn't. Sometimes they were psychic, but sometimes not. The fantastical elements just did not always follow the same rules.

That being said, this was pretty action-packed and basically a good and interesting story. It was good for passing the time. And I think I will still read the sequel when it comes out.