Book Review: The Twelve by Justin Cronin

I have no problem diving into a 500-plus page book and devouring it in a matter of days. If the book is as good as some I’ve read, all the better. I love getting sucked into a great story.

Book reviews are another matter. Most book reviews are too long and use too many unusual words. I know what the words mean, but that doesn’t make them any less cumbersome. When is the last time you used “eschatology” in a sentence? Yeah, like, never. For the most part I judge books by their covers, go with my gut, and steer clear of critiques written by people attempting to prove how smart they are.

So in the spirit of a helpful, enjoyable (read: brief) book review, I give you Justin Cronin’s The Twelve:

Cronin’s follow-up to The Passage, The Twelve is a capable of being a stand-alone read, but why would you cheat yourself like that? Both works are fascinating, well-written stories of life during and after the fall of society as we know it. “The Twelve” refers to twelve virals (think “vampires” but with blessedly little in common with those in Twilight or True Blood) – these “dracs” are death row inmates recruited into a government experiment, Project Noah, that goes terribly wrong.

Characters – even on occasion the bad guys – are complex and interesting. Sometimes sympathetic, but not always. The level of detail Cronin shares is extraordinary, but doesn’t lose you in the weeds. Each word – and there are many – has a purpose in the telling of this scary-because-my-mind-can-get-there-from-here sort of way.

I would love to know more about Cronin’s writing process. The number of characters, the depth of their development, and number of plot twists all make it almost impossible to imagine how he keeps everything straight in his mind. No character is left behind. No incomplete thought is forgotten. It may take a few chapters, but things unfold in time and are, almost always, worth the wait.

There is love, friendship, corruption, violence, fear, joy, believability, mystery  – all of the makings of a great story. I’m telling you. Even if end of times/vampire/fantasy isn’t usually your thing, give it a try. Dive in and you’ll love it like I did.