The Twelve by Justin Cronin

The Twelve is the long awaited sequel to The Passage and the second book in the Trilogy. You can read my review for The Passage HERE. A more action packed, faster paced book than the first, if that’s possible, the reader finds out more about what happened to some of the central characters and those who were originally considered minor characters from the first book.  Appearances can be deceptive! Like The Passage, the story often takes the reader back to ‘the time before’ during the time the Virals appeared to consume humanity and its way of life. The reader is then brought back to the Time of the Virals and how those characters continue to play central roles.

Like The Passage, this book is rich in characters and introduces some new ones. All are connected in some way.  Again, Amy The Child From Nowhere remains central to the story leading her loyal band of friends and fellow ‘survivors’ further into the perilous journey to overcome the Virals and prepare for another epic  battle of survival. This book has a more intense post-apocalyptic feel than the first insomuch as it’s far more brutal and also focuses on the brutality of man as well as that of the Viral population. There are also quite a few surprises for the reader. This book is huge and could not be read in isolation, needing to be read as part of the trilogy. I am not sure how I will be able to cope waiting for the final instalment!