Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ballantine Books (Random House)
Pages
585
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� The end of the world was only the beginning. In his internationally bestselling 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 fi… (more)
Description
In his internationally bestselling 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 with The Twelve.
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.
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.
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-10-16
Physical description
585 p.; 8.2 inches
ISBN
0345542371 / 9780345542373
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User reviews
LibraryThing member bookmagic
I enjoyed The Passage for The most part but I like The Twelve so much better. It takes us back the Year Zero, when the virals first escaped and we meet new characters in book 2 of this riveting trilogy. It took me awhile to catch up with some familiar characters as it had been so long since I read
This book went a lot faster and explained a lot that wasn't fully explained before. It is also a great look at how differently people will react in the face of catastrophe as we see from the different settlements in the US decades later.
A lot happened in this book and I almost thought there wasn't going to be a trilogy after all as it seemed things were getting wrapped up near the end. But this was not to be and now I will have to wait over a year to see how it all turns out. I don't think I will be disappointed. The Twelve was worth the wait, the next one will be too.
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The Passage but it came back to me. It's hard to summarize this without summarizing The Passage for those unfamiliar with that book. So I suggest you read reviews of that book.This book went a lot faster and explained a lot that wasn't fully explained before. It is also a great look at how differently people will react in the face of catastrophe as we see from the different settlements in the US decades later.
A lot happened in this book and I almost thought there wasn't going to be a trilogy after all as it seemed things were getting wrapped up near the end. But this was not to be and now I will have to wait over a year to see how it all turns out. I don't think I will be disappointed. The Twelve was worth the wait, the next one will be too.
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LibraryThing member drachenbraut23
“As long as we remember a person, they're not really gone. Their thoughts, their feelings, their memories, they become a part of us.”
I was very much looking forward to this book, because I loved [The Passage]. However, this was still a good read and I definately will still read the last
There are parts in the book which are absolutely brilliant and where I just couldn't put the book down. In [The Passage] it all starts with a government experiment (NOAH) gone wrong, where a virus used on death row prisoners leads to the creation of Twelve bloodsucking creatures called "virals". The Passage went quite soon a 100 years forward to show us how small bands of survivors straggle to live in this new world. The Colony where Amy met her band of friends was described in such great detail, that it was a joy to read.
Here in this sequel we start with year Zero and go back to the beginnings and meet people and groups which have been mentioned briefly in the previous book. The stories were very interesting and finally we find out what happened in the beginning. Then we go back into the present and meet lots of new and some of the old characters Peter, Alicia, Michael, Sarah and Hollis. Some of the events are filled with too many coincidences and the mysteries are not as gripping and convincing as those in The Passage. Going back into the present I thought we would carry on where we left in the last book. Sorry, that didn't happen. I was very much looking forward to find out more about the original Twelve and how they wanted to achieve the destruction of them. However, the way the events come to a conclusion were soooo boring and uninteresting and just not always believable. I just felt that the present part deviated too much from the original story line. The Passage presented us already with the concept of a higher power at work, in this second installment this is much more pronounced and appered ridicilous at times and I felt it just didn't fit the story.
Well, as you can see I have very mixed feelings in regards to this second book.
I was very much looking forward to this book, because I loved [The Passage]. However, this was still a good read and I definately will still read the last
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installment once it will be released. There are parts in the book which are absolutely brilliant and where I just couldn't put the book down. In [The Passage] it all starts with a government experiment (NOAH) gone wrong, where a virus used on death row prisoners leads to the creation of Twelve bloodsucking creatures called "virals". The Passage went quite soon a 100 years forward to show us how small bands of survivors straggle to live in this new world. The Colony where Amy met her band of friends was described in such great detail, that it was a joy to read.
Here in this sequel we start with year Zero and go back to the beginnings and meet people and groups which have been mentioned briefly in the previous book. The stories were very interesting and finally we find out what happened in the beginning. Then we go back into the present and meet lots of new and some of the old characters Peter, Alicia, Michael, Sarah and Hollis. Some of the events are filled with too many coincidences and the mysteries are not as gripping and convincing as those in The Passage. Going back into the present I thought we would carry on where we left in the last book. Sorry, that didn't happen. I was very much looking forward to find out more about the original Twelve and how they wanted to achieve the destruction of them. However, the way the events come to a conclusion were soooo boring and uninteresting and just not always believable. I just felt that the present part deviated too much from the original story line. The Passage presented us already with the concept of a higher power at work, in this second installment this is much more pronounced and appered ridicilous at times and I felt it just didn't fit the story.
Well, as you can see I have very mixed feelings in regards to this second book.
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LibraryThing member norinrad10
This is a maddening book because I don't think it can decide what it wants to be. The Twelve is the follow up to The Passage, the second part of a trilogy detailing the end of the world at the hands of vampire like creatures. When its a straight adventure story its as good as it gets. However,
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there is a whole another part of the story involving metaphysical beings and remaking of the earth that doesn't work quite as well. I'm glad that I finished it, but it was a struggle at times. Show Less
LibraryThing member justablondemoment
Okay ummmm I don't know which I loved better. With the exception of the length, as in the first one, both of these books rocked my world.This would make an awesome movie. It was Stephen King-ish but not so much that you went ooh another king wanna be. Neither in the series are books to be taken
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lightly either they both were thinker books. If I really had to, I mean it would have to be like a gun to my head,choose..it would be this one as my favorite. The story is just soooo entrancing. In this book though I didn't find myself getting nearly as confused. I highly recommend this book and the 1st one in the series as well. That brings me to the only warning I have do not read them out of order. Cuz you will not "get it" and you will totally miss the experience of this world and the lesson to be learned within its words. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The Twelve by Justin Cronin is the 2nd book in his Passage Trilogy, and unfortunately I made the mistake of waiting almost 2 years between these two books. It took me some time to figure out who was who and what was going on, but eventually the stories fell into place. This book takes almost a
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, I found the author tended to get a little biblical and I didn’t always understand what was going on. At over 700 pages I think the book could have been shaved down somewhat. There are lots of plot twists and a few too many coincidents that were hard to swallow. But over all this is a brilliant look at survivors who are moving away from their lost past and forging a new and different future.
I did like that most of the storylines were pretty much wrapped up in this volume, leaving new directions to be explored in the final volume of the trilogy. There was a tantalizing hint of what is to come as Zero, the original is still very much a part of the picture. I am looking forward to the conclusion of this epic dark fantasy.
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side-step from the first and it’s almost 300 pages before the reader is brought back to the original characters. This was ok because the other stories were both gripping and vivid. Eventually all storylines link and we catch up with Peter, Alicia, Amy etc. and they are still hunting the original twelve.I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, I found the author tended to get a little biblical and I didn’t always understand what was going on. At over 700 pages I think the book could have been shaved down somewhat. There are lots of plot twists and a few too many coincidents that were hard to swallow. But over all this is a brilliant look at survivors who are moving away from their lost past and forging a new and different future.
I did like that most of the storylines were pretty much wrapped up in this volume, leaving new directions to be explored in the final volume of the trilogy. There was a tantalizing hint of what is to come as Zero, the original is still very much a part of the picture. I am looking forward to the conclusion of this epic dark fantasy.
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LibraryThing member pixiedark
The Twelve by Justin Cronin picked up where The Passage left off. The Twelve has the same powerful writing style as The Passage. There are some new characters and old characters that you can't help caring about.
Justin Cronin has a writing style that makes every character, even a stock character
There are many shocking developments in The Twelve. This book has a surprise ending that leaves you wondering what is next for the third book in the series.
Justin Cronin has a writing style that makes every character, even a stock character
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seem alive and able to walk off the page. His description of scenery makes you feel as if you are inside and living in the book.There are many shocking developments in The Twelve. This book has a surprise ending that leaves you wondering what is next for the third book in the series.
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LibraryThing member mmoj
Terrific follow-up to "The Passage", although I recommend that readers read "The Passage" to understand relationships in "The Twelve". The author brings back characters from the first book and rounds out an already interesting cast of characters with new ones who are tormented, driven, and
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completely believable if you can imagine "end-of-the-world" "survive at all cost" mentality. The story does go back and forth between the past/future which meant I had to focus so as not to miss any of the relationship connection/time sequences. When reading the book I was caught up in the desperation to get to civilization before all the borders are closed and found myself holding my breath at each crisis. Can't wait till the third book comes out, this is a book that deserves a best book of the year nomination. Show Less
LibraryThing member arielfl
This is the follow up to The Passage. I really wanted to read The Twelve having loved the Passage but I was unsure of some of the characters and plot from the last book. Fortunately Justin Cronin puts a handy dandy refresher primer in the front of the book. There are many characters to keep track
It is hard to relay the plot as it is rather meandering but we meet some new characters, catch up with some old ones, and move toward the final showdown between the survivors led by Amy and the 12. In between we are treated to some truly horrific scenes of the destruction the virals have wrought on humanity. The virals aren't the only ones wrecking havoc either. Some humans have managed to resurrect the old concentration camp to further devil the survivors. I found Wikipedia quite helpful after having finished the draw dropping finale of this book. It enlightened on a major plot point that I completely missed during the action packed finale. There are a lot of throw away comments by the characters at the end that reveal important information.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and while horror is in my wheelhouse this kind of sci fi is generally not. Even so I really like the first two installments of this trilogy and look forward to the conclusion, City of Mirrors which will hopefully tie up the plot points introduced at the end of The Twelve.
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of but even so I dove effortlessly into the new novel which was compelling enough to keep me reading without every wanting to put it down.It is hard to relay the plot as it is rather meandering but we meet some new characters, catch up with some old ones, and move toward the final showdown between the survivors led by Amy and the 12. In between we are treated to some truly horrific scenes of the destruction the virals have wrought on humanity. The virals aren't the only ones wrecking havoc either. Some humans have managed to resurrect the old concentration camp to further devil the survivors. I found Wikipedia quite helpful after having finished the draw dropping finale of this book. It enlightened on a major plot point that I completely missed during the action packed finale. There are a lot of throw away comments by the characters at the end that reveal important information.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and while horror is in my wheelhouse this kind of sci fi is generally not. Even so I really like the first two installments of this trilogy and look forward to the conclusion, City of Mirrors which will hopefully tie up the plot points introduced at the end of The Twelve.
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LibraryThing member thejohnsmith
‘The Twelve’ draws you ever deeper into the post apocalyptic Vampire plagued world that was created in ‘The Passage’ and the lives of the characters battling to survive in it. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for the third instalment.
LibraryThing member erikschreppel
There is a moment in The Twelve (Book 2 in the Passage trilogy) where everything comes together. Where all the story lines from various time periods coalesce into a final narrative, with an ending that is pulse pounding and leaves you upset that the third installment isn’t ready now. But I will
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admit, that half way through The Twelve, I was at a loss as to why we were retreading similar territory from The Passage. Cronin seemed to be just retelling the same Year Zero sections from before and not bringing much new to the table. I am glad I didn’t bail, because the second half of The Twelve was fantastic. The one complaint I do have is that the ending lacked a certain tension, solely because we know there is a third book. Can’t say much more about that without getting into spoiler territory, but all in all this was a solid continuation of the series. Now we just need a quicker turn around for book 3. Had an almost two year wait between reading book 1 and book 2 coming out. So had a bit of rereading to do to get up to speed. Show Less
LibraryThing member sturlington
This was a terrific read, if you like scary-as-hell, on-the-edge-of-your-seat, big-ass vampire books. And I do. Dare I say that it was even better than its predecessor, The Passage? At the very least, they were comparable, and I find that rare in a series.
I enjoyed going back to the beginning and
Justin Cronin was a writer of small, award-winning literary novels before he started on this blockbuster, and he really has a way with character, which is what makes these books so engrossing. I think it’s terrific when gifted writers turn their talents to big, sprawling, fantastic (in the sense of not being reality-based) stories. Certainly, Cronin owes a lot to Stephen King (and The Stand is still showing its influence), so King lovers will probably also dig this series.
I enjoyed going back to the beginning and
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revisiting the collapse from some different points of view, before jumping forward 100 years in time to rejoin some of the characters from the previous book. But before that was a harrowing scene in a section called “The Field” that has been giving me the willies ever since. Yes, this is the right book to read at Halloween.Justin Cronin was a writer of small, award-winning literary novels before he started on this blockbuster, and he really has a way with character, which is what makes these books so engrossing. I think it’s terrific when gifted writers turn their talents to big, sprawling, fantastic (in the sense of not being reality-based) stories. Certainly, Cronin owes a lot to Stephen King (and The Stand is still showing its influence), so King lovers will probably also dig this series.
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LibraryThing member TFS93
First of all a recommendation, use the "cheat sheet" at the end of the book. It is extremely helpful with keeping the characters straight and helps with the storyline. I was glad Cronin gave us a small recap of book one, because it has been a long time since I read The Passage. The little reminder
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helped me to jump right into the story. Cronin is such a wonderful writer. He truly draws you into his world. Everything is so real that you can smell the blood and almost see the virals out of the corner of your eye. I was glad to get back to the characters that I fell in love with in The Passage. The main issue I had with the book was that it lagged a little toward the middle. I became frustrated and almost gave up. I was SO SO glad that I continued to read! The ending is excellent and the story moves along quickly. I encourage readers to stay with it because there is a payoff. I am excited to see what Cronin has for the finale. The wait is long but I am hoping for a superior ending. This one was almost as good as The Passage, but not quite. Show Less
LibraryThing member csayban
4.0 stars
RECOMMENDED!
The great viral plague has devastated humanity leaving pockets of humans struggling to survive nearly a century after Year 0. Having killed the one called Babcock, a small band of scattered individuals have felt the call to turn the tables. They must pick up the fight against
“Because that's what heaven is...it's opening the door of a house in twilight and everyone you love is there.”
The Twelve is the sequel to the blockbuster novel The Passage (4.5 stars, Recommended) a planned trilogy about the struggle of humanity during the aftermath of a viral apocalypse. It is insufficient to say The Twelve picks up where The Passage left off. In actuality, the first 200 pages actually takes us back to the initial days of the outbreak and fills in some of the untold stories, introducing some additional characters. I hadn’t expected this approach to what is always the most difficult book in a trilogy – the middle one – where you are trying to bridge the gap between the explosive beginning and the hopefully satisfying ending.
I found Justin Cronin’s treatment to be an interesting departure from the usual sequel and appreciated the additional backstory to the early days we didn’t get to see in The Passage. However, the sacrifice was that the story didn’t have the forward momentum throughout much of the book that the first one did. Even once we catch up with where we left off in The Passage, there is a bit less angst – a bit less tension until the last third of the book.
That is not to say The Twelve isn’t a really good story. Frankly, it is. The characters – especially Peter, Amy and Alicia – pull the reader deeply into their world. Cronin does an amazing job of fleshing out each one of his characters, giving them a purpose and allowing each one their own personalities and conflicts. This is no easy task with a story covering so much real estate. In particular, I found Lila to be a truly special character that takes center stage in this book and delivers an internal conflict for the ages. You will have to read it yourself to get the details, but Cronin’s treatment alone is a good reason to buy the book.
Ultimately, Cronin produces a worthy second installment in his trilogy with The Twelve. The writing is superb and the characters are vividly portrayed. While it doesn’t read as cleanly from start to finish as The Passage, it does produce a lot of great moments and a nail-biting conclusion that keeps you guessing about the final book – to be published in 2014. It also doesn’t suffer from series bloat, coming in at 200 fewer pages than The Passage. I continue to highly recommend this series and insist that you are best served by reading them in order. I’m very much looking forward to the finale.
RECOMMENDED!
The great viral plague has devastated humanity leaving pockets of humans struggling to survive nearly a century after Year 0. Having killed the one called Babcock, a small band of scattered individuals have felt the call to turn the tables. They must pick up the fight against
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the rest of the twelve who control the hordes of undead and answer to The Zero. But can the enigmatic Amy, the half-viral super-soldier Alicia and the rest find a way to turn the tide? And ultimately, where do their loyalties actually lie?“Because that's what heaven is...it's opening the door of a house in twilight and everyone you love is there.”
The Twelve is the sequel to the blockbuster novel The Passage (4.5 stars, Recommended) a planned trilogy about the struggle of humanity during the aftermath of a viral apocalypse. It is insufficient to say The Twelve picks up where The Passage left off. In actuality, the first 200 pages actually takes us back to the initial days of the outbreak and fills in some of the untold stories, introducing some additional characters. I hadn’t expected this approach to what is always the most difficult book in a trilogy – the middle one – where you are trying to bridge the gap between the explosive beginning and the hopefully satisfying ending.
I found Justin Cronin’s treatment to be an interesting departure from the usual sequel and appreciated the additional backstory to the early days we didn’t get to see in The Passage. However, the sacrifice was that the story didn’t have the forward momentum throughout much of the book that the first one did. Even once we catch up with where we left off in The Passage, there is a bit less angst – a bit less tension until the last third of the book.
That is not to say The Twelve isn’t a really good story. Frankly, it is. The characters – especially Peter, Amy and Alicia – pull the reader deeply into their world. Cronin does an amazing job of fleshing out each one of his characters, giving them a purpose and allowing each one their own personalities and conflicts. This is no easy task with a story covering so much real estate. In particular, I found Lila to be a truly special character that takes center stage in this book and delivers an internal conflict for the ages. You will have to read it yourself to get the details, but Cronin’s treatment alone is a good reason to buy the book.
Ultimately, Cronin produces a worthy second installment in his trilogy with The Twelve. The writing is superb and the characters are vividly portrayed. While it doesn’t read as cleanly from start to finish as The Passage, it does produce a lot of great moments and a nail-biting conclusion that keeps you guessing about the final book – to be published in 2014. It also doesn’t suffer from series bloat, coming in at 200 fewer pages than The Passage. I continue to highly recommend this series and insist that you are best served by reading them in order. I’m very much looking forward to the finale.
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LibraryThing member shadowofthewind
Cronin's the Twelve continues the story of The Passage. The world has been over-run by virals, vampires created in a government experiment gone horribly wrong. In The Passage, we go from the experiment to the post-apocalyptic village, skipping over some of the ugly parts of humanity’s demise. In
Cronin removes some of the narrative techniques he used in the Passage. Incidents are told in real time instead of building to a high point, and then telling what happened afterward in the next part. Generally, the story is a slow build with a lot of characters and background. There’s a new universe to build, which isn’t as interesting as the village from The Passage. The three short stories at the beginning of the book combined with a recreation of the universe were a bit tedious. There were also parts that seemed to borrow from other trends. There are virals called "dopeys" who aren’t as powerful. Some groups collect them to fight in an arena via bloodsport. It sounded a little like something from the Walking Dead. The conclusion seemed to take a long time and then everything happened at once. It would have been nice to have more action scenes drawn out than a slow build with everything happening at once. It’s an enjoyable read overall, but it wasn’t what I was looking for in a sequel.
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the Twelve, Cronin goes back over some of the same territory. What's left off at the end of the Passage doesn't continue until page 200. We watch the country being slowly over-run in a short story-arc. Then, we then skip forward to the new Republic of Texas and watch something horrible over an even shorter story-arc. Finally continuing the story, the survivors are now part of the Expeditionary Force on a mission to track down and kill the remaining Twelve virals. All the stories coalesce to an exciting conclusion that raises more questions than answers. Cronin removes some of the narrative techniques he used in the Passage. Incidents are told in real time instead of building to a high point, and then telling what happened afterward in the next part. Generally, the story is a slow build with a lot of characters and background. There’s a new universe to build, which isn’t as interesting as the village from The Passage. The three short stories at the beginning of the book combined with a recreation of the universe were a bit tedious. There were also parts that seemed to borrow from other trends. There are virals called "dopeys" who aren’t as powerful. Some groups collect them to fight in an arena via bloodsport. It sounded a little like something from the Walking Dead. The conclusion seemed to take a long time and then everything happened at once. It would have been nice to have more action scenes drawn out than a slow build with everything happening at once. It’s an enjoyable read overall, but it wasn’t what I was looking for in a sequel.
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LibraryThing member BenjaminHahn
The Twelve is a satisfying sequel to The Passage to say the least. The story has momentum and variety. There were enough clues along the way to help a careful reader make educated guesses as to the future of the story. Just like The Passage, The Twelve is a well written book, especially for this
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genre of writing. The sentences are especially well crafted. The whole thing is character driven as any good post apocalyptic fiction should be. The action is there of course and the story line fits the setting, but the characters are what give the reader satisfaction. The only detractor for me was the confusing climatic action sequence. I had a little bit of a hard time picturing exactly what was going on. I could have gone with a little less "destiny" driven plot hooks and more realism, but in the end it worked out for the best. I look forward to reading the third book. Perhaps it will be called Zero. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Twelve starts off where The Passage ends. In the attempt to connect the two books, the author is often repetitive. Redundant themes conflict with and run into each other. In trying to fill in the gaps, the story often twisted and turned and that caused more confusion than ignorance of the facts
So many characters kept appearing, often seemingly out of the blue, with no real background information, and it became hard to remember who was who and what each represented in the previous book or to make its connection to the present one. All I could be sure of was that a virus had infected the human race which turned them into some sort of blood sucking creature that continued to feed and feed and feed on those humans still left alive, those who were still trying to survive. If they were not torn apart, they were brought "up" to live with the monsters, and were converted into monsters themselves, of varying degrees, or they become slaves, Flatlanders, who keep the humans alive who had organized these creatures and they maintained farms of people who were no longer useful who could be used as their food, as food for the virals. Most of the people who were operating these horror factories were barely sane, were blood lovers themselves who had managed to stop time, live on and on, almost as immortals, who remained semi-human, part viral and part human, albeit with the blood lust, with their leader being outrageously out of his mind.
Redemption and a return to any kind of normal seems hopeless from the outset. The first book seemed to me to be a book about survival and a possible hope for mankind in a new world in the ensuing books. This second book however, seems to be about death, destruction and despair. The painful possibility of another viral attack, while not imminent, is on the horizon. The new world is not one I would like to inhabit.
For me, there were simply too many themes, too many different casts of characters with different purposes that eventually converged almost by happenstance, which made the book very confusing. Perhaps there should have been a prologue which reintroduced and summarized the major characters of The Passage, and then perhaps a section following that introduced and summarized the new characters and their relevance, as well.
I listened to this book on a drive back from Florida. I do not think I will listen to the next. By the time it is out, it is likely that I will not remember the characters or most of the events in either the first or the second!
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would have, if left alone. The time line was also confusing since I was never really sure when a particular part of the story began or how many years had passed when each new character was introduced. It took practically half the book for the message to assume any semblance of organization and for any memory of the first to become relevant for me. So many characters kept appearing, often seemingly out of the blue, with no real background information, and it became hard to remember who was who and what each represented in the previous book or to make its connection to the present one. All I could be sure of was that a virus had infected the human race which turned them into some sort of blood sucking creature that continued to feed and feed and feed on those humans still left alive, those who were still trying to survive. If they were not torn apart, they were brought "up" to live with the monsters, and were converted into monsters themselves, of varying degrees, or they become slaves, Flatlanders, who keep the humans alive who had organized these creatures and they maintained farms of people who were no longer useful who could be used as their food, as food for the virals. Most of the people who were operating these horror factories were barely sane, were blood lovers themselves who had managed to stop time, live on and on, almost as immortals, who remained semi-human, part viral and part human, albeit with the blood lust, with their leader being outrageously out of his mind.
Redemption and a return to any kind of normal seems hopeless from the outset. The first book seemed to me to be a book about survival and a possible hope for mankind in a new world in the ensuing books. This second book however, seems to be about death, destruction and despair. The painful possibility of another viral attack, while not imminent, is on the horizon. The new world is not one I would like to inhabit.
For me, there were simply too many themes, too many different casts of characters with different purposes that eventually converged almost by happenstance, which made the book very confusing. Perhaps there should have been a prologue which reintroduced and summarized the major characters of The Passage, and then perhaps a section following that introduced and summarized the new characters and their relevance, as well.
I listened to this book on a drive back from Florida. I do not think I will listen to the next. By the time it is out, it is likely that I will not remember the characters or most of the events in either the first or the second!
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LibraryThing member wenzowsa
I felt that "The Twelve" was a solidly decent book. Cronin managed to springboard off the prequel, and further continue this post-apocalyptic/dystopian story with suspense and intrigue. The plot was solid and well-planned; however, it did seem to meander at times, and the last 50 to 60 pages felt
I do feel that I will readily read the third book in the trilogy, and I applaud Cronin for his ability to spin a good yarn.
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entirely forced. Some of the characters were wonderful (especially those from the first novel), but, again, some characters felt cliched/were an overly obvious allusion to other apocalyptic novels such as "The Stand" or "Swan Song".I do feel that I will readily read the third book in the trilogy, and I applaud Cronin for his ability to spin a good yarn.
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LibraryThing member BBleil
“The Twelve” is the second book of The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin. When a military experiment involving the creation of vampire-like creatures goes horribly wrong, the world as we know it disintegrates into a catastrophe of epic proportions. Cronin blends excellent character development
It’s certainly a vampire story and some readers may be disappointed when there isn’t a character like Edward Cullen from the Twilight Saga to swoon over. I recommended the first book, “The Passage,” to my brother because I thought he would like it. But when he heard that it was partly about vampires, he said, “No, I don’t read vampire stories.” True, I don’t see him debating whether he’s on Team Edward or Team Jacob, but the point he’s missing is that not all vampire stories are romance novels.
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with a plot that has plenty of twists and turns to keep you wondering whether the trilogy is about the role of government and its military, religion or the courage of humans who find themselves in crazy situations. I really have no idea except that I’m fascinated with the characters and I just can’t stop reading.It’s certainly a vampire story and some readers may be disappointed when there isn’t a character like Edward Cullen from the Twilight Saga to swoon over. I recommended the first book, “The Passage,” to my brother because I thought he would like it. But when he heard that it was partly about vampires, he said, “No, I don’t read vampire stories.” True, I don’t see him debating whether he’s on Team Edward or Team Jacob, but the point he’s missing is that not all vampire stories are romance novels.
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LibraryThing member Suhani
I thoroughly enjoyed The Twelve. The Passage is my favourite post-apocalyptic novel and The Twelve is a very satisfying sequel to it. At times, I did have difficulties trying to imagine some of the actions that were going on in the story. But it did not hinder my enjoyment of the book, whatsoever.
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I could barely put it down. Maybe they'll make a movie out of it some day. I'm looking forward to the third book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bellydancer
Amazing read!!! I just loved it as much as The Passage.
LibraryThing member sunnydrk
I did like the Twelve slightly better than the Passage. I felt it did more to fill in the character holes. I did still get confused at times and had to go back and re-read certain sections.
LibraryThing member Jenners26
First of all, I don’t think I’d read this book without reading the first book in the series (The Passage). In addition, I would recommend reading them fairly close together. Even though there is a brief summary of the events of Book 1 at the beginning, I still found myself forgetting so many
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details from the first book that I felt somewhat lost. I finally gave up and just went with it. The basic gist is that humans are at war with virals (a human/vampire hybrid bred by the government in a covert operation that went awry … the events of which are chronicled in Book 1.) This book picks up where the last book left off … but also goes back to the time frame covered in the first book and follows different characters. This was a neat move on Cronin’s part, but it played havoc with my brain, which got very tired trying to remember who was who and what time I was reading about. The book moves along at a good clip, but I often found my interest waning. I remember being caught up in the first book, but I did not have that feeling of investment with The Twelve. Still, having invested hours reading both books, I suppose I shall read the third book when it comes out to see how it all ends. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I loved, well most, of The Passage, the first book of this trilogy. Enough I almost rated it five stars, although I pulled back from that because although I thought the author did some amazing things, I couldn't call it a true favorite. Especially given the first 300 pages of that book seemed to me
So imagine how I felt when at the opening of this book I found myself plunged back into the territory covered in the first few hundred pages of The Passage and wondering when if ever I'd see the characters I cared about again. Moreover very little if any of the information picked up in the first third or so of The Twelve was necessary--filler, if not fat. And this bunch were exactly the kind of characters I really didn't want to hang around--a mixture of repellant, creepy and/or too-stupid-to-live. There are a whole bunch of things I can nitpick (Horace Guilder's Gone with the Wind moment was one WTF) and Cronin really needs to learn a lesson from Joss Whedon. You have to be willing to kill your darlings--if the reader feels too comfy your heroes are going to come out of everything unscathed, not only is there no suspense, there's no feeling there was anything to really overcome. A price has to be paid. I did like a few things. (Saving this from a one-star rating). I particularly liked how Cronin depicted the Homeland--very reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
But the bottom line was, after reading this do I want to read the conclusion of the trilogy? Do I still give a damn? And that would be a no.
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so cliched Stephen King/Michael Crichton thriller. I felt I'd been there, done that, over and over and over. Two things redeemed The Passage for me though. I liked how Cronin took the vampire mythos and from it crafted something (almost) scientifically plausible, putting a non-supernatural spin on such bits of vampire lore as the cross, garlic, familiars, reflection, etc. But for me what made that first book was The Colony. That's where Cronin's world-building impressed me and made the book more than the usual paranormal/post-apocalyptic bestseller. And those are the characters I cared about: Lish, Michael, Peter, Sara.So imagine how I felt when at the opening of this book I found myself plunged back into the territory covered in the first few hundred pages of The Passage and wondering when if ever I'd see the characters I cared about again. Moreover very little if any of the information picked up in the first third or so of The Twelve was necessary--filler, if not fat. And this bunch were exactly the kind of characters I really didn't want to hang around--a mixture of repellant, creepy and/or too-stupid-to-live. There are a whole bunch of things I can nitpick (Horace Guilder's Gone with the Wind moment was one WTF) and Cronin really needs to learn a lesson from Joss Whedon. You have to be willing to kill your darlings--if the reader feels too comfy your heroes are going to come out of everything unscathed, not only is there no suspense, there's no feeling there was anything to really overcome. A price has to be paid. I did like a few things. (Saving this from a one-star rating). I particularly liked how Cronin depicted the Homeland--very reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
But the bottom line was, after reading this do I want to read the conclusion of the trilogy? Do I still give a damn? And that would be a no.
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LibraryThing member sassafras
I think Justin Cronin's writing is superb. The details make the story and people very real and every character has a backstory which motivates their actions and makes them interesting to read about. At the end of The Passage I wanted to spend more time with Peter and Amy. I couldn't wait for this
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book and I was not disappointed. The story and characters are complex and difficult, which makes it a challenging but rewarding read. And so many questions still to answer. Where is Amy? What about Alicia? Will she turn dark after what happened to her in this story or will it just motivate her more? The next book cannot get here soon enough for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ann_Louise
I'm just a hundred pages in, and I am really loving this book. Which as another reviewer stated, is wierd to say about a horror novel. Just like The Passage, The Twelve combines the vampire-apocalypse jolts with characters you care about - even the horrific ones.
Awards
The A.V. Club best books (2012)
Call number
FIC H Cro