bbiNEW YORK TIMES/i BESTSELLER T/bhe end of the world was only the beginning. brbrIn his internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed novel iThe Passage, /iJustin Cronin constructed an unforgettable world transformed by a government experiment gone horribly wrong. Now the scope widens and the intensity deepens as the epic story surges forward . . ./bbrbr In the present day, as the man-made apocalypse unfolds, three strangers navigate the chaos. Lila, a doctor and an expectant mother, is so shattered by the spread of violence and infection that she continues to plan for her child s arrival even as society dissolves around her. Kittridge, known to the world as Last Stand in Denver, has been forced to flee his stronghold and is now on the road, dodging the infected, armed but alone and well aware that a tank of gas will get him only so far. April is a teenager fighting to guide her little brother safely through a landscape of death and ruin. These three will learn that they have not been fully abandoned and that in connection lies hope, even on the darkest of nights.brbr One hundred years in the future, Amy and the others fight on for humankind s salvation . . . unaware that the rules have changed. The enemy has evolved, and a dark new order has arisen with a vision of the future infinitely more horrifying than man s extinction. If the Twelve are to fall, one of those united to vanquish them will have to pay the ultimate price.brbr A heart-stopping thriller rendered with masterful literary skill, iThe Twelve/i is a grand and gripping tale of sacrifice and survival.brbrbLook for the entire Passage trilogy:/bbrbTHE PASSAGE | THE TWELVE | THE CITY OF MIRRORS/bbrbrbPraise for iThe Twelve/i/bbr  br [A] literary superthriller. b iThe New York Times Book Review/i/bbr i /ibr An undeniable and compelling epic . . . a complex narrative of flight and forgiveness, of great suffering and staggering loss, of terrible betrayals and incredible hope. b Milwaukeei Journal Sentinel/i/bbr  br iThe Twelve /iis even better than iThe Passage/i. b iThe Plain Dealer/i/bbr  br A compulsive read. bi San Francisco Chronicle/i/bbr  br Gripping . . . Cronin [introduces] eerie new elements to his masterful mythology. . . . Enthralling, emotional and entertaining. bi The San Diego Union-Tribune/i/bbr i /ibr Fine storytelling. b Associated Press/bbr  br Cronin is one of those rare authors who works on two different levels, blending elegantly crafted literary fiction with cliff-hanging thrills. b iFort Worth Star-Telegram/i/b