Justin Cronin

The book that defeated a certified Completionist.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

October 31, 2024 by Caesar's Wife Leave a Comment

**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

December 18, 2023 by Tracy Leave a Comment

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

January 30, 2023 by Tracy Leave a Comment

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

January 25, 2023 by Tracy Leave a Comment

“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) […]

Quite an Epic

The Passage by Justin Cronin

January 12, 2023 by Tracy Leave a Comment

Where to start? There so much that happens in this 800-page novel, which almost defies genre. Is it science fiction? Dystopian? Horror? Probably all of those, and more. The novel starts in the near future, or what was probably the near future at the time it was written over a decade ago. Humans have discovered a naturally-existing virus that, when it doesn’t kill them, essentially turns people into vampires: long-lived, strong, easily heal, don’t do well in sunlight, etc. As mankind is wont to do, […]

I am really happy I stuck with this trilogy.

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

October 2, 2021 by kniki Leave a Comment

While my reviews of Cronin’s first two books in this trilogy, The Passage and The Twelve, were not the most favourable (more because of my personal taste than anything else), I am really happy I persisted through to the end of this 1000-year-spanning epic series. To recap, it follows the spread of a virus that jumps from animals to humans with such rapidity that Earth’s population is very nearly wiped out completely. Two ‘viral’ leaders emerge – Amy and Zero – in what ends up […]

Tracy on A Quiet Book About Surviving AloneFrom looking at Goodreads, it looks like at least a couple of her other works have been translated.
Singsonggirl on A Quiet Book About Surviving AloneYAAAS! Haushofer is one of my favourite authors ever, it's so cool to see her popping up here! While this novel is good, her real...
BlackRaven on I cried six times while reading this memoir slash podcast slash pop culture book.Thanks for the review! I had wanted to read this, but it sounds like it might not be "my thing". Though I've enjoyed the show...
BlackRaven on Not sure if this was a hit or miss, so guess it’s appropriate for my third cannonballThanks! I'd love to do 12 again this year.... but we'll see.
Malin on Not sure if this was a hit or miss, so guess it’s appropriate for my third cannonballCongratulations on your triple Cannonball! You are a reviewing machine.

Help Our Mission