The Passage

In a pastiche of sci-fi, fantasy and horror, Justin Cronin's novel 'The Passage' explores an apocalyptic universe where a secret government experiment gone wrong leaves vampires ruling the world while humans face an endless battle for survival. This whopping 766-page book creates an extraordinary alternate universe, immersing readers into the stark and bleak prospects of an apocalyptic world.Many critics of the novel have highlighted the annoyingly common use of diary entries and military reports in order to outline essential and dramatic plot development. However, this can be forgiven by Cronin's cleverly developed characters and chilling use of imagery.  Cronin's emotive writing coerces sympathy from his readers, even making the vampires or 'virals' likable characters.  Set for at least two more subsequent installments, this novel is left on jaw-dropping cliffhangers, leaving readers perhaps slightly confused, but also desperate for more. An intriguing and complex story, 'The Passage' makes for a gargantuan post-apocalyptic masterpiece.Even better, The Passage is the first in a trilogy, so you can continue following the story through the sequels, which surprisingly, hold up pretty well to the first (though not as good).