Book Review of The Twelve by Justin Cronin

I had the pleasure of reading Justin Cronin’s second installment to his vampire apocalypse trilogy, and I continue to be amazed with his lifelike characters, his poignant writing and clever plotting. If you haven’t read the first novel: “The Passage” you could read this one, but it would definitely decrease your enjoyment. These books are quickly ascending to my all-time favorites shelf.

The plot travels between year zero of a vampire virus epidemic that is destroying the country faster than a reality star presidency and 90 years or so later when the last stands of humanity face a land that is inhospitable at night. If you took Watership Down and turned all the rabbits into desperate humans fighting in a world ruled by hoards of countless undead, you might come close to understanding the excitement, allegory and fun of this trilogy. I cannot recommend it enough. There is a real literary standard observed by the writer that raises these texts far above other post-apocalypse or vampire novels. I can’t wait to read the final novel, and if you haven’t done so yet, read the first!