Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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It’s The End of the World As We Know It

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

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I went on vacation last week, and took The Ferryman, by Justin Cronin, to read on the plane. I wasn’t sure what to expect; I had only read The Passage trilogy by Cronin previously, and picked this up on a whim while at my local used bookstore. But I’m glad I did. I found it to be an excellent blend of sci-fi and mystery. The Ferryman takes place on the hidden, secluded archipelago of Prospera. The archipelago consists of three very, very different islands. First […]

Still Holds Up Over a Decade Later

The Passage by Justin Cronin

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I read these books as they came out but it’s been quite a while since I read the first one now, and I remember it leaving a huge impression so I have been wanting to do a re-read now that I can read the entire trilogy relatively close together (plus, does seem to go with my 2025 theme of dystopian/apocalyptic). I had forgotten that this novel and The Strain came out around the same time (The Strain actually has the earlier publication date) but both […]

The book that defeated a certified Completionist.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

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**Spoilerific** I don’t leave books unfinished. Well maybe once (looking at you, How To Do Nothing). 26 pages of Cannonball reviews and only one DNF… Until now. Now, a few facts: I absolutely loved Justin Cronin’s ‘The Passage’ trilogy. It was expansive and emotional and deep and scary. I started reading this book in June. I slowly and tortuously made it 90% of the way through this book before giving it in last night. This book… this damned book. It has sucked the life out […]

Justin Cronin Is Good at Twisty Turny Science Fiction

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

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This newest Justin Cronin novel is set on Prospera, an archipelago of three islands. The first, Prospera, is where the white collar workers live. They have jobs but are focused on art, beauty, culture, society, and law. The second island is the Annex, which is where support staff (i.e., “the help”) live. Prosperans have been genetically tweaked to be long-lived and also infertile. When they get old enough and their health declines, they “retire” to the Nursery, which is on the third island, where they […]

Gripping Conclusion of the Passage Trilogy

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

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Most of The City of Mirrors is set about 20 years after events of The Twelve. Virals haven’t been seen in decades, and citizens from Kerrville, TX, are moving out into settlements in other parts of Texas. They think the threat is gone because they don’t know about Fanning (AKA Zero). We learn a lot about Fanning. A large segment of the novel, about 100 pages’ worth, is dedicated to his first person account of his life prior to being infected. He was roommates with […]

Not As Many People Die as You Would Expect

The Twelve by Justin Cronin

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“Present day” in The Twelve is set about 5 years after events in The Passage. Some of the former cast of characters are tracking down virals, or trying to, at any rate. Others are slaves in Iowa in a settlement of sorts run by “redeyes” – people who are essentially “familiars” to the virals. Their nefarious plan is to have the 11 remaining virals move into something like a bunker in the town so they have a steady supply of food (i.e., people and livestock) […]



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