A review by ykantgeb
The Passage by Justin Cronin

4.0

A fascinating apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic thriller with a large cast of characters that are markedly individual from each other and incredibly well-drawn and sympathetic - this novel really, truly, is difficult to put down. The timeline of events is detailed and realistic, as are the descriptions of the real life locations in the novel (as someone who lived in Memphis, I was pleased to see the inclusion of actual Memphis landmarks, street names, and descriptions of neighborhoods using their colloquial names - Cronin did his research), but the best part of this book are the characters. Cronin puts so much life in these characters that, when they do end up dying (and there is a lot of death in this novel), the loss feels real.

All in all, an excellent first novel in this series and a fast, fun read.