Sink Your Teeth into This Sequel
By Justin Cronin
Ballantine Books, $28.00, 592 pages
This trilogy began with The Passage. Now fans of Justin Cronin’s tale about the end of the world can enjoy The Twelve. Remember the 12 death-row inmates who were turned into vampires? They are back with a vengeance. And these guys would not fit into the Cullen family. They are monstrous, frightening, eating machines who have assembled an army of virals around the country. Cronin takes readers to different areas of the U.S. and to different time periods. A good portion of the story relates what happened immediately after the 12 were created. He introduces Grey and Lila, two extremely important characters who will play a huge role in the story. The year 97 A.V. and beyond is the focus of the rest of the story. Even more characters like the strong oiler Lore and gangster Tifty become involved. Old favorites like Peter, Alicia, Amy, Michael and Sara (just to name a few) are reunited just in time to face the coming horror.
Cronin’s story is full of scary scenes and amazing details. His writing is directly affected by his life experiences. It won’t surprise readers to know that he spent hours stranded on a road filled with hundreds of cars trying to flee Houston before Hurricane Rita hit. His feelings of desperation and helplessness are felt by characters on almost every page. Panic inducing moments will have readers on the edge of their seats.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin
[amazon asin=0345504984&text=Buy On Amazon][amazon asin=0345504984&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]