LoveReading Says
May 2013 Book of the Month and eBook of the Month.
The Passage was a huge and sweeping thriller telling the story of the end of civilisation and what happened to the survivors. This excellent sequel goes back to tell a different side of the titanic struggle as vampires take over the USA, then tells the continuation of The Passage, picking up the lives of characters we had come to love. A highly enjoyable and engrossing read with a bit more substance than your average monster apocalypse story.
The Lovereading view...
When the dystopian vampire epic The Passage came out in 2010 it was, deservedly, incredibly well reviewed and The Twelve is the eagerly awaited sequel. A military experiment to create humans with superior fighting capabilities goes horrifically wrong and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance. Can the remaining humans fight back? The compulsive sequel shifts back and forward in time building on the first book but also adding new characters and depth to the story.
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Twelve a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'What can I say about The Twelve except Magnificent...Justin Cronin you have one very happy new fan.' Glynis Elliott - Scroll down to read more reviews.
Sarah Broadhurst
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Justin Cronin Press Reviews
In September 2012 Lovereading asked members and browsers whether they would like to review this title for us. A few lucky readers were selected to do so and below you can find out what they thought:
'What can I say about The Twelve except Magnificent. I was a little concerned that after enjoying The Passage so much I would be disappointed with The Twelve. It did take me a while to get in to it for some reason, but, by the end I was enveloped in the story. The ending was epic and if I may say so a little tearful. So many characters and so finely drawn. Justin Cronin you have one very happy new fan.' - Glynis Elliott
'It took turns and risks I wasn't expecting and I loved not being able to predict the plot or how the trilogy will end. That is something to eagerly anticipate and enjoy!!' Rachel Bridgeman - Click here to read the full review.
'I eagerly awaited this title having read and really enjoyed The Passage, despite it being the type of book I usually avoid, and so far The Twelve has been every bit as good as I hoped...Perfect if you enjoy a fast paced read, with plenty of characters and action to entertain you. Totally absorbing, this is a novel of epic proportions...' - Louise Woods - Click here to read the full review.
'With this novel you are thrown into the unknown and sucked into a world of amazing characters which impressively after an epic length leaves the reader pleading for more. The Twelve is waiting, the Twelve are alive.' - Alex Hetherington - Click here to read the full review.
'No second-novel syndrome here: The Twelve is twelve times better, and the first was already a favourite with me. It is not often that you come across a book that really does become your reality whilst reading it; such books are gems, and should be treasured as one might treasure their last line of defence against the virals.' - Catherine Jenkins - Click here to read the full review.
'A more action packed, faster paced book than the first, if that’s possible, the reader finds out more about what happened to some of the central characters and those who were originally considered minor characters from the first book... I am not sure how I will be able to cope waiting for the final instalment!' - J B Johnston - Click here to read the full review.
'Any successful post-apocalyptic novel should have the ability to make its reader think “wow, what if this actually happened?” It was certainly Justin Cronin’s strength in The Passage, and he doesn’t disappoint in The Twelve.' - Laura Burdge - Click here to read the full review.
'The Twelve was an intriguing, attention-grabbing read, but it is the ‘bridging’ novel in a trilogy and certainly reads as one. Despite this, it still has some incredibly powerful scenes that reminded me of how much I love Cronin’s epic writing style and the chilling post-apocalyptic world that he has created.' - Nicola Foster - Click here to read the full review.
'Another compelling epic which I would say is dark,deep and blows your mind. It has new characters which join up with the old ones from The Passage including of course, Amy. The virus is still going stong and spirals out of control.They are many mysteries along the way too.The story goes from Year Zero and flashes forward 79 years and 97 years into the future. I do feel the ending is not quite as good as The Passage though it is well worth keep turning the pages.' - Kath Thornton
'I think that to really enjoy the story for all that it has to offer, The Passage and The Twelve should be read one after the other and slowly...It’s a strange and epic book that gives the reader a lot to think about and in spite of being somewhat confusing it is still a highly satisfying read.' - Linda Rollins - Click here to read the full review.
'I feel that The Passsage was an excellent story well told, but, sadly, despite some good sections building anticipation, and some excellent "battle" scenes, The Twelve fell a little flat for me.' - Christine McCormick - Click here to read the full review.
'A gripping, thought provoking novel with plenty of bite. These are no ordinary vampire stories.' - Emma Halford Click here to read the full review.
