The Passage

Author: Justin Cronin
ISBN: 978-075-289-7851
RRP: $35.00

Justin Cronin has taken a new turn in his career and moved away from the smaller literary novels he began with and immersed himself in the world of vampires, but not as we know them. He has given us a whole new take on vampires in this first volume of what’s to become a trilogy. The Passage is quite a hefty novel and a little hard going at times, but I think part of the reason it was so hard going is that it’s been quite some time since I sank my teeth into a book this big.

This 766 page volume looks daunting when you first pick it up but before long you will find yourself totally entangled in Cronin’s world. Beginning a few years in the future with Amy, who we know from line one is far from ordinary, a 6 year old girl born in less than ideal circumstances and left in a convent by her mother before the end of the first chapter.

Part One of The Passage jumps around quite a bit with all the pieces of the beginning of the end being brought together.  From the heart of the Bolivian jungle we hear about a virus transmitted by bats that speeds up healing, among other things. A virus that could become an important biological weapon in the war against terror, if it was modified just the right way. Cronin also introduces us to the thirteen subjects that have been injected with various modified strains of the virus and the Special Agents, Doyle and Wolgast, who collect the subjects; one of which happens to be young Amy.

Part One covers just over 200 pages and it brings us to the apocalypse; the thirteen test subjects, injected with viral vampirism (though no-one actually calls it that because the world knows vampires are a myth), escape from the secret Colorado military base. From there they spread out leaving death, destruction and a multitude of new virals behind them.

The virals share many similarities with the vampires we are all familiar with. They crave blood, heal quickly, are close to indestructible and sunlight can kill them. Late in the novel we discover that the garlic myth is also involved with the virals. The virus attacks a gland that has become obsolete in humans, located under the breastbone next to the heart, a blow directly through this spot is the only way to kill the virals.

Parts Two and Three are very short and tell us a little about some of our main characters in the first two years after the outbreak; when all concept of the way time is kept changes.

Part Four brings us 92 years into the future to the First Colony, which was formed in the first years after the outbreak by the children evacuated from Philadelphia and the watchers sent by the Army to look out for them, with a promise that they would return for them after the war. The Colony has formed itself into a warrior community who know nothing of a life without virals. Until the age of 8 the Littles are kept in a Sanctuary and protected from any knowledge of the world outside the Sanctuary and the virals. On their 8th birthday they are taken from te Sanctuary and begin training in their chosen field.

This is where we meet our hero and his band of followers and the epic journey begins. Where Amy returns to the story and her role begins to be realised. A journey across post Apocalyptic America, often on foot and through the devastation left by the death of civilization. It is also a personal journey of growth for all of them. A time for all of them to look inside themselves and reassess their lives.

Not once do we hear what has happened outside of America, except to say that there were attempts to keep the outbreak contained. That seems unlikely with all the wealth and weaponry left unattended on the continent, over the years someone must have made the crossing to try and make the most of what had been left lying around.  This and many other questions remain unanswered, to be addressed in the remaining volumes.

This is modern day, realistic, end of civilisation literature that will leave you wondering just how possible the scenarios are. There are some very touching personal moments for the characters that will leave you reaching for the tissue box. A little bit of everything and well worth the investment, I look forward to the forthcoming volumes and seeing where things go for our characters.

Michelle

I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!