In the near future, a virus in South America is brought to Colorado by the U.S. Army with hopes to make an invincible army. To perfect the virus, they've decided to inject different versions into 12 death-row inmates. Brad Wolgast and his partner are charged with getting the inmates to agree to the deal in return for their being taken off death row. Of course, what happens to them is far worse.
After recruiting the 12th inmate, Carter, Wolgast is given a surprise assignment, capturing a 6-year-old named Amy for the experiment. After capturing Amy, Wolgast falls in love with her and tries to avoid taking her to Colorado, but his efforts are defeated by his partner.
Needless to say, things in Colorado go horribly wrong. After the 12 break free, Wolgast and Amy are able to escape, although not before Amy's been given the virus.
Amy and Wolgast retreat to a mountain cabin he used to visit as a boy. They live very happily there for a few months until a nuclear bomb is set off nearby...
Fast forward 93 years into the future. As the U.S. was collapsing, they gathered all kids between 4 and 16 and sent them to fortified camps in hopes to start new societies. First Colony is located in California, a small community with large concrete walls and lights that stay on all night to ward off the virals.
Peter and Theo Jaxon, Alicia Donadio, and several others go out to check on the turbines that supply First Colony's power. On the way back, they are pursued by virals and take refuge in a mall, where Theo is taken by the virals, but Peter is saved by a mysterious girl roughly 15 years old.
The mysterious girl shows up at First Colony a few days later and Alicia (Lish) and another colony member Caleb (Hightop) risk their lives and the fury of the other colony members to save her. After a chip is discovered in her neck that was implanted 93 years ago and is repeating the message "if you find her, bring her here," a group decides to leave the colony to take Amy to Colorado...
Holy wowzas! First, this is actually the second time I read the book. I read it last summer and fell in love. This is the first in a trilogy and the next one comes out in October, so I was rereading to brush up on what happened. The book was really good the first time and even better the second time. It's a story of hope and love and endurance. It's also incredibly sad in parts, I forgot how sad it really is. But I love it. This is one of those books I will read over and over and over and...you get it. At roughly 800 pages, it's not a short book, but not the longest either. My only complaint is that my copy is kindle, which I read on my phone, so it's hard (impossible, really) to flip back and forth when I need to go back and reference something. There are A LOT of characters introduced who reappear later. But, all that means is that I'm going to have to go buy it in paperback!
Seriously, read this book. Yes, I know there have been a billion (or so it seems) vampire books lately. But no two are the same, and this is definitely not a book that paints vampires in a positive, dreamy light. It actually reminds me of one of my new favorite TV series, The Walking Dead. Again, can't recommend it enough. The second book, The Twelve, comes out October 16, 2012 (not that I have it written on my calendar or anything) and the third is set to come out in 2014.
If you have read The Passage, or if I've inspired you to read it now, leave me a comment on your thoughts on the book. Hope you love it as much as I do!
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