The Passage

The Passage
By Justin Cronin
Ballantine Books, 2010. 766 p. Fiction

Amy Bellafonte is just six years old, but she’s humanity’s last hope. The setting is Colorado, just five years hence, and Amy is the final subject forced to participate in a medical experiment overseen by the US Army. The other 12 men have all been death row inmates and their lives were going to end regardless. However, the virus found in the Brazilian jungle that was hoped to be an eternal elixir-of-youth somehow turns its victims into raging, dark creatures with a thirst for blood. And when these “virals” escape from their underground facility it’s anyone’s guess just who will end up winning the world war that ensues.

Cronin is a master at feeding you snippets of the future and then unveiling the back story layer by mesmerizing layer (and his characters are superb, too). While a literary take on the vampire craze might not suit everyone’s fancy, those who wish to enjoy a stupendously thrilling horror/suspense/romance will find The Passage hits the summer reading sweet spot. Not to be confused with Meyer’s romanticized vegetarian softies, Cronin’s vampires exhibit all the frenzied bloodbaths you’d expect in creatures of pure evil. It’s not quite as grisly as Stephen King’s endorsement might suggest, but be prepared for anything. Hands down, Cronin has a winner and you’re gonna love it. Warning: not to be read late at night when you’re home alone or scared of the dark. And remember, be very afraid if you start dreaming about the fat lady with the smoke rings and the plunging knife.

DAP