Author:  Justin Cronin
Title:  The Passage
Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Every summer a book lover wants to find a novel that will be a perfect partner on vacation. It should be long enough to last throughout the cruise or the visit to the in-laws, and thick enough to rival a telephone book. The story should be memorable and meaningful, even hard to lend out when you are finished with it to your best friend. This summer Justin Cronin has delivered on all of the above with his epic novel, The Passage.
 
As with other post-apocalyptic fiction, The Passage is not for everyone. When nearly the entire population of the United States, and in some cases the world, is knocked out by an enemy, a virus, or in this case custom-made, military developed vampires, there is going to be death—lots of it. The readers have to initially numb themselves from the catastrophic casualties. Then once the few survivors begin to recover the readers must make a significant shift and begin to value the sanctity of life in those who are left. This comes at a cost. Life is more fragile than it once was, yet more purposeful too. There is typically an important vision or mission that these survivors must complete to bridge the world they came from to a new existence where life can once again thrive. This keeps the reader's emotions on edge throughout the apocalyptic literature.
 
It is easy to compare Cronin's book to Stephen King's epic novel in this genre, The Stand. Whether or not it was intended, the books share the same imagery, the same moral fight between good and evil, and to some extent the final method of resolution. Even significant locations on the journey for Cronin's characters (Las Vegas and Colorado) feel like a knowing nod to King's tale. Yet The Passage is far from being a knockoff and is being celebrated by none other than Stephen King himself who promoted Cronin's novel in his column in Entertainment Weekly.
 
This isn't your typical vampire novel. The bad guys would never be recognized as descendants of Dracula at all. Instead they look more like death row killers who became demons after the military used their celled-up lives as experiments. All that darkness in their souls becomes magnified and people are susceptible not only to their new claws and teeth, but also their horrifying dreams. The antidote is a precious, orphaned child, who when injected with the virus becomes similar to her evil brothers yet fully different—it is her goodness that is magnified.
 
The first 250 pages is the weakest section of the book. It is a chaotic mix of establishing a Michael Crichton-esque mythology (which could have used more Crichton), presenting the premise, and then killing off the population. Readers must push through to the final two thirds of the book where the main characters of the story, the ones you root for and bleed with, finally show up. That's where you won't want to put the book down, so be sure to buy new batteries for your reading light!
 
There isn't much mention of God in the story—just goodness. There are some characters with faith, but what Cronin really celebrates is faithful people with character. The other theme so prevalent in this story is how we, as humans, deal with death. Some people's coping mechanisms and denial lead to horrible suffering for themselves and others. Sacrifice, on the other hand, gives life a chance to continue on. Again, this is a theme we have heard before, but it is one we never tire of. The Passage will make your summer reading memorable this year!


**This review published on July 13, 2010.