The Twelve - Justin Cronin

The Twelve

By Justin Cronin

  • Release Date: 2012-10-16
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,931 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Look for a special preview of Justin Cronin’s The City of Mirrors in the back of the book.

The end of the world was only the beginning.

 
In his internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed novel The Passage, Justin Cronin constructed an unforgettable world transformed by a government experiment gone horribly wrong. Now the scope widens and the intensity deepens as the epic story surges forward with . . .
 
THE TWELVE
 
In the present day, as the man-made apocalypse unfolds, three strangers navigate the chaos. Lila, a doctor and an expectant mother, is so shattered by the spread of violence and infection that she continues to plan for her child’s arrival even as society dissolves around her. Kittridge, known to the world as “Last Stand in Denver,” has been forced to flee his stronghold and is now on the road, dodging the infected, armed but alone and well aware that a tank of gas will get him only so far. April is a teenager fighting to guide her little brother safely through a landscape of death and ruin. These three will learn that they have not been fully abandoned—and that in connection lies hope, even on the darkest of nights.
 
One hundred years in the future, Amy and the others fight on for humankind’s salvation . . . unaware that the rules have changed. The enemy has evolved, and a dark new order has arisen with a vision of the future infinitely more horrifying than man’s extinction. If the Twelve are to fall, one of those united to vanquish them will have to pay the ultimate price.
 
A heart-stopping thriller rendered with masterful literary skill, The Twelve is a grand and gripping tale of sacrifice and survival.

Praise for The Twelve
 
“[A] literary superthriller.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
“An undeniable and compelling epic . . . a complex narrative of flight and forgiveness, of great suffering and staggering loss, of terrible betrayals and incredible hope.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
The Twelve is even better than The Passage.”—The Plain Dealer
 
“A compulsive read.”—San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Gripping . . . Cronin [introduces] eerie new elements to his masterful mythology. . . . Enthralling, emotional and entertaining.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune
 
“Fine storytelling.”—Associated Press
 
“Cronin is one of those rare authors who works on two different levels, blending elegantly crafted literary fiction with cliff-hanging thrills.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Reviews

  • The Midwest references are dead on

    5
    By DD1234567
    I’ve read a lot of novels. This is the first one I’ve ever read that worked in the misery of de-tasseling corn :-)
  • Book one was much better!

    2
    By anorijanian
    Book two tries too hard to connect everything. Seems forced. But now I am in the middle of it and have to read book three. 😒
  • Awesome continuation

    5
    By Ohyeahfun
    Well I have to say this second installment was just as exciting as the first ! A continuation of a great story with returning characters as well as new heroes and villains. Can't wait for the third one this summer ! You really need to read these !
  • The Twelve

    1
    By mmtolliver
    The story was very choppy and difficult to read. The first book was much more interesting.
  • A good read but falls apart

    4
    By Krippelz
    This book has a different feel then it's prequel. At times I found it hard to follow the timeline and what was happening to the characters throughout those timelines. I enjoyed the detail in how the virus first took hold in the USA, unmanteling the government. I wish the story had dealt more with that. This book seemed to have detached from the first. The "feel" of the world felt different and less dangerous. It felt as the book was drawing to a close, that events became crammed and too conveinient. Without spoiling it, the fact that the worlds problems with fixed in one event seemed ... Rushed. I enjoyed the book just not as much as the first.
  • Not rehash, more info. Enjoyed it!

    5
    By 4ad-o-phile
    Didn't feel the start was a rehash of The Passage at all. It was a different angle. I love the storytelling and getting to know the characters. The end wrapped up quickly and conveniently, so I'm curious what The Mirror will tell us....
  • Haste make Waste

    3
    By XxJaketheSnakexx
    Alright so im going to give you a basic rundown of what i think of this book. First off the passage is an amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I feel like Cronin was racing to Arc the storyline and in the process injected some different themes into this story. It felt like it was rushed and that alot of the elements from the first book(which i loved) were lost and replaced with some thing else. The whole amy thing was taken to far IMO and her character skewed in the process in order to progress the story. Also the rapid transition between characters can leave even the most adept readers heads swimming, the Passage was a little more gentle with this Cronin however shows no mercy in this novel. Bottom line if you LOVED the first one you will LIKE(not love) this one as it ties up alot of loose ends. Also one more thing. The first story, i felt, could be read by alot of different audiences(age) but this book is alot darker i won't go onto details but there are alot of things that simply made me cringe. Overall a good read hopefully the third will be as good as the first
  • The Twelve

    5
    By Caromarti
    Hard to put down this second of the trilogy to The Passage. The action does not stop. The book kept me awake late into the night because it's a solid page turner. Can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.
  • Love this trilogy

    5
    By Kirstyd
    I had trouble following the story line at first, it takes a while to bring all the characters together. But once the books starts rolling, you can't put them down.
  • Mixed feelings about this book

    3
    By dham340
    Having read the passage, which is book 1, I had mixed feelings about reading this. I was not too enamored about the passage for the same reasons I am not too happy about the twelve. First off the story, like the passage, is hard to follow. It jumps through time and among characters and locations. I found it difficult to keep track of where I was at. On the positive side, it all comes together in the last third of the book. That said, it is very well written - just like the passage. There are sections of the story that are quite beautiful. I can't give this book or series an enthusiastic recommendation - although I will likely read book 3 when it comes out so maybe that's recommendation enough.