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Once upon a time, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, a group of researchers who travelled to the jungle of Colombia found a virus which seemed to cause extreme strength and longevity in wild animals. At that time, the secret services thought that this virus would make a difference once purified and applied to US soldiers, and that was when they began to carry out some experiments with human beings: the subjects were prisoners sentenced to death, and even an orphan girl of six, Amy, was inoculated with the virus. But nobody could have known that those who once were men now were able to feed your dreams and control people’s minds. That was how the human race disappeared.
One hundred years later, a small colony of people survive in the middle of nowhere. Three generations before, a group of children were moved there in order to keep them away from the plague of ‘virals’, but so many decades later there is no hope that anybody will ever come to rescue them. There is one thing that keeps them alive: the lights which turn on every night and protect them from the evil beings that are awaiting them in the darkness. And can you imagine what would happen if the lights turn off? You will know soon.
When you re-read a book it is only because you loved it the first time. I was abducted by The passage story the first time I read it; I couldn’t stop reading and, for a week, my life turned only around little Amy and the many theories about her and the other characters that came to my mind at every page. I felt fear, because in this novel of almost one thousand pages a lot of things are told, but the untold is even more disturbing.
There is only one downside: at about three hundred pages the rhythm of the book slows down because a wide range of new characters of the colony are introduced then, and you just aren’t prepared to get separated so abruptly from the previous ones; from Amy and a world that has been extinguished forever. But don’t worry; you will eventually get used to the pace of the colony and you’ll know their main rule: if you fail with your first shot, you die.
Notes:
- Every time I watch the book trailer, it gives me the chills.
- I can’t believe that Cronin’s daughter, a girl of nine, was the one who had the idea of the plot (interview).
- I have re-read it because the second book of the trilogy, The twelve, has just been published in Spain and I wanted to remember everything before reading it. And I’m very happy also because thus I have the review on this blog.
- Book on Goodreads ♦ Book on Amazon.com
Great review, Isi! It gave me chills just reading it. 🙂 I’ve never read this but I’ve seen copies of the book so often… and now I’m really tempted to track one down.
Thanks, Leander!
This book is amazing, you have to read it. It’s very long, but it’s worth every page 😀 And yes, it is scary, and has lots of surprises throughout the story.
I’m really glad to hear you liked this enough for a re-read – I recently read The Twelve and it is just as good, if not a bit better! Enjoy!
Awesome! I want to feel the fear with The twelve too. I will read it very soon.
Thanks for commenting!
Even though there is a bit of a summary of The Passage in the beginning of The Twelve, I really wish I had re-read The Passage before starting the second book – so it’s a good thing you did! I really hope you enjoy the next one, can’t wait to see your thoughts!
My boyfriend is reading The twelve at the moment and he had said also that there is a reminder of the other book, but he actually has also re-read the passage, so he had no problems.
I have a list of things that aren’t explained in The passage and I need to know, so I hope they get clearer in The twelve. I’m so excited! 😀
It sounds great! I may read it when I have enough time.
“So many book, so little time” 😉
Kisses,
Inma
Inma: Is a great thriller, hope you read it and you like it!!
This sounds good. I really have to know that a book will interest me (hence I read reviews, such as yours) before I start reading such a lengthy book!
The cover of the book reminds me a little of the movie poster of Les Miserables!
Now that you mention it, yes, it looks like a poor lost girl… But Amy is more awesome, you know 😉
Hope you give it a try, it makes you get hooked a lot on the story!
This is one of those books I’d like to re-read as well. I don’t usually do it much…especially with books this chunky, but I absolutely loved it the first time. I’m sure I’d catch things I missed if I read it again.
You will catch a lot, but you will also have a lot of doubs, as it happened to me this second time. I don’t re-read too much, but I’ve been doing it for a while and I’m loving it 😉
I loved this book- your review reminds me that I’ve got a sequel to see about!
WE have a sequel to see about 😀
What a story and it must be good for you to read it twice. Very interesting that Cronin’s daughter came up with the story. my kids are so much more creative than I am!
Yes, this story is thrilling and I enjoyed it a lot both times 😀
I also thing that, in general, children are super creative, and always more than adults 😉 They are a gem when it comes to imagination.
This sounds really interesting! Does it move well, or are there dull points to get through?
Jennine: at some point is a little bit slow, but after a few pages lots of things begin to happen and it’s good again. It’s just that there is a change and you have to get used to it.
Well I usually wait awhile before picking up a book, see if I hear about it in other places, but I went and got this one the day after I read your review. I had a gift card and it seemed different from what I usually read.
I hope you feel ready to enter Cronin’s world and get to know Amy 😉
This is also a genre I don’t usually read, but you see I liked it very much!
I’ve stayed away from this book because of how popular it is, but Isi, your review is fabulous and you make me want to go out and grab a copy to start reading right now!
It is not like the books you review, Rebecca, but I have recommeded it to friends whose tastes are also different than mine and they loved it 😉 It’s a great story, and it surprises you a lot.
I actually heard it this morning mentioned on a podcast, so I think that since it’s coming from a bunch of different sources, I’ll check it out.
hehe you are rounded by The Passage! It’s a great book of its genre, I think you will enjoy it!
This one seems rather creepy, but interesting, so I’m adding it to my TBR 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Yes, Wendy, it’s that kind of book. Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve half read the book in spanish and I haven’t enyoied it at all: I think it’s another book about a world disaster with monsters all around the ones that are not infected by the virus. So Bored… (the book). So brilliant (the entry)
🙂 thanks dad Well, it’s just that our tastes are obviously not the same.