THE PASSAGE

TITLE: THE PASSAGE
AUTHOR: JUSTIN CRONIN
Pages: 766
Date: 21/07/2010
Grade: 5-
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What do I write about this book?
It is an apocalyptic thriller, a vampire story but not of the sexy variety, and it is a terrific read.
It is also a horrific book because it's all to easy to imagine humanity coming to an end through men messing with nature.
The story is almost impossible to summarize, so I'll just share some of the details. Anyone wanting to know more will just have to read the book.

It all starts innocently enough with a doctor wanting to find something to make people live longer after his wife dies from cancer. Once it looks like he might have found it, the US military gets involved and from that point onwards you just know it can never end well. And it doesn't; the first part of the book ends with 12 virological vampires being released upon the world, killing and creating more vampires as they go along.
The second part of the book, set about 100 years later, takes us to a colony in California where a small group of humans have managed to stay alive and create an existence for themselves. But their means of survival are about to stop working and a small group of humans set out into a world filled with vampires to find a way to safe their colony.
The quest these people go on constitutes the third part of this novel, with our heroes forging their way ahead against all the odds.
Amy is the young girl who provides the link between all the parts of the book. Neither vampire nor completely human she is six when the events kick off and looks only about 15 when she finds her way to the colony about 100 years later. She is also the only hope the colony and the rest of humanity have.
This book had me captivated from the first page and stayed in my thoughts even when I wasn't reading. The only negative thing I can say about it is that on several occasions the author implies some understanding between characters without explaining what that understanding is.
Initially I was also upset about the way the book seemed to end more or less mid-story. However, I since discovered that this is apparently the first book in a trilogy so I guess I'll just have to wait before I'll be able to find out how it all ends. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long.