From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

The Passage (The Passage, #1)

Justin Cronin

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Why we're reading this: Want to see if anyone else thought it was as long winded and self important as I did
[close] Want to see if anyone else thought it was as long winded and self important as I did

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 345 topics — 20,911 comments total

AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

* Nominate books for the next discussions! (for late summer)
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 22 posts · 64 views

last updated Aug 15, 2025 08:35AM

* August 2025: Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 24 posts · 37 views

last updated Aug 08, 2025 03:48PM

showing 10 of 66 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jun 12, 2010 Sherrie rated it did not like it

Shelves: vampirelit, 2010booklist

Wow, holy unimpressed. I know I've seen comparisons of this book to The Stand. Okay, maybe. Comparisons to The Road? No way. Not one little bit. I think this book would have been mildly better with better editing...but not by much. It was "okay". No parts stuck with me whatsoever and instead of "not being able to put it down" all I could think of was "WHEN oh WHEN will I be done?" I should have stopped reading at page 200...but by the time I was at page 400, it was too late...I had to persevere. ...more

Like · see review

Jun 13, 2010 Melanie rated it really liked it

I had been waiting for this one for awhile, and though it was very different than what I expected, it really sucked me right in. This is a large book with a sprawling story that spans quite a bit of time, and it's the first out of a proposed trilogy. I will admit, at times the editing could have been a bit stronger (jumps around a bit, and could have been about 200 pages shorter) and just when I was getting into the groove of the characters it ended; however, I plan to be one of the first ones t ...more

Like · see review

Jul 01, 2010 Mia rated it really liked it

Shelves: apocalypse

Finished! Ha! What a pleasure to do what I rarely do--go for the door-stopper summer read, the hardback first of a trilogy. What a pleasure to find some genre fiction that is, at times, quite artfully written. (The first sections more so, and the amped-up lyric invocations of Amy). I enjoyed the homages to Stoker, the updating of a vampire ontology, Wolgast, Circuit, etc. Nico and I fought over it a bit in the last two weeks, passing one copy between us. And now I'm sad to leave that fat, fat wo ...more

Like · see review

Nov 09, 2010 Joanna rated it liked it

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, sci-fi

I'm torn between giving this 3 or 4 stars. On the one hand, awesome story, great "world building" (and I put this in quotes because it technically takes place the present and in a future post-apocalyptic US). I also liked how he built up the story, brick by brick until it all comes together.

Dislikes, the pacing was PAINFUL. The character building felt tedious and I had to force myself to get through certain sections. Overly detailed to the point where I skimmed through parts. For such a rivetin ...more

Like · see review

Dec 02, 2010 Julie rated it liked it

Shelves: literature, speculative-fiction

Despite it's somewhat cheesy concept (did he have to jump on the vampire bandwagon?) and a few too many parallels to the Stand, the story stayed with me and kept my interest. The dystopian world was interesting and I found myself invested in the characters. But it really didn't need to be this long (almost 800 pages) - a little editing wouldn't have hurt the story. And to write a book that is that long, but then not really end it, but set yourself up for a sequel?! Come on! That being said, I wi ...more

Like · see review

Jul 13, 2010 Jessi rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, fiction

I'd like to give this book 3.75 stars, but goodreads only allows whole number ratings so I'm being a little generous with 4 stars. It was good and I really enjoyed it. Cronin is obviously a clever guy, but I didn't think the novel needed to be quite that long. I like how certain people/places/events tied together throughout the story. And I like the characteristics of the virals.

I was skeptical when I first learned about this book and its massive popularity right now, but I wanted to see what al ...more

Like · see review

May 04, 2010 Kaye rated it did not like it

Shelves: apocalypse_dystopia, horror, read_in_2010

A book has no business being this darn long without any character development to speak of. For those who enjoy long, meandering, time-jumping plots, you will be enthralled. After the first 200 pages, the story loses cohesion, abandons all original characters, only to resurrect them briefly at another point in the book. The people were dull, and our main heroine--incomprehensible. The worst news is that the end has no pay-off, because Cronin is planning on milking this story for another TWO books ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 09, 2010 Joanie Calder rated it really liked it

Finished, finished, finished!!! Loved every second of this book, although silent blood-sucking-maybe-like-birds are not my "thing".
Wanted to read it for it's "armageddon" aspect and I was not disappointed.

At one point, I wasn't sure if I could take the next two coming out for the trilogy, but now, I think I'm ready! ...more

Like · see review