The Twelve by Justin Cronin

[Sarah]

Janice and I will be reading The Twelve, which is the second book in the trilogy. We will be starting it on 7th April. I know quite a few have read the first book already so feel free to join us on book 2.

[Ariane]

I would love that!

[Sarah]

I thought you might Ariane. I know you enjoyed the first book.

[Ariane]

I was just thinking of it some days ago and thought I would love to read the second, so I am in!

[Cherie]

I will join in.

[Cherie]

I will join in.

[Sarah]

Wow you're keen Cherie ;-)

[Sarah]

I've just started this. I now i'm early but i just couldn't get in to my tribute book. I'm a slow reader at the moment so you're all bound to catch me up.

[Janice, Moderator]

No problem, Sarah. I may join you in a few days.

[Sarah]

Cool. It's good to be back in the world. I'm all excited to see where this book leads us.

[Sarah]

I think this is going to be good. I've ran out of data other than on my phone which drives me mad. New data allowance starts tomorrow so I'll come and make some comments then. I've read 10% so far.

[Sarah]

I'm thinking this might fit a few tasks of the geocache challenge. If it's anything like The Passage, it will fit the characters on the road a lot task (can't remember which site it's for now), set in a cave possibly (one of the parts of the book has a title with the word cave in it), post apocalyptic world and chunkster.

[Cherie]

Do you really like it, Sarah? (view spoiler)[ isn't it quite different than the first book? I started it once before, but I was totally lost by the different format. (hide spoiler)] 2nd spoiler @37% (view spoiler)[ I hated that just I was getting to know and understand the new people and groups - and they were killed off (hide spoiler)]. Maybe it was just me. I never did finish my re-read of The Passage. I am still going to try this one again though. I actually finished off one of the other buddy read books that has not started yet, so I am just waiting for that to start. I may start early too, although it is only a few days.

[Sarah]

You might want to change your spoiler Cherie as you clearly read a lot further than I have at this moment in time and that gives a little bit more away than I'd have liked. Perhaps let us know how far you read up to when you read through it the first time. I didn't realise you'd already attempted it otherwise I might have left off reading the spoiler.

So far I think the format is pretty similar to the first book. The POV swaps around as does the timeframe. And there are jumps forward and back like the last book. We get to meet some of the old characters and there are some new ones in there too. Well not new ones exactly.

Part 1 (The Ghost) prologue - ch 2 (view spoiler)[This section was very much needed. A refresher! In the form of biblical verse. A weird format but I thought it worked.

I can't remember some of the details from the last book. We kick off with Amy telling Caleb, Theo and Mausami's son, about them. It would seem they died. I can't remember that - does it detail that or will we find out what happened to them in this book I wonder?! This is 5 years on from the events in The Passage.

Amy seems to have a new power? She puts a guard to sleep - she doesn't touch him and he reawakens later. I didn't understand this bit. Why she did that. Why she called on the virals and told them that they are her when they asked who they were. Is she creating her own "Many"? I can't remember whether the Many are actual virals or whether they are human with extra strengths like the dude had back at The Haven in the last book.

I'm wondering whether Amy and Alicia are growing in to their powers. Alicia seems to be able to read the minds of virals. That might come in handy!
(hide spoiler)]

I have to say, reading these first few chapters had me really excited. I'm pleased to be back in this world as I really enjoyed the first book.

Part 2 (The Familiar) - ch 3- 8 (view spoiler)[New blood!!!

Wolgast's wife! We met her briefly in the last book, or at least we heard about her. Now we find out what happened to her I guess. She's going nuts! And I'm not surprised. Seeing those killings is definitely going to put you in to shock. The interview with the police was exasperating. Interesting that she asked after Wolgast, thinking him still to be her husband. I feel for her as she's all alone. And pregnant. That's not going to end well I reckon. She's already gone a little cuckoo.

Bernard, Last Stand of Denver. I think this character will end up being a strong one potentially if someone doesn't catch up with him and silence him.

And Peado Grey. I thought he was dead and we'd seen the last have him. But no. He's now a viral. Or is he?! He still seems human. He looks better and feels better but hasn't killed or fed of anything yet. Time will tell I guess. Are they Zero's many? Him, and all the other sweeps from the compound, seem very with it compared to the other virals we encountered in the previous book. I wonder whether the virus gets rid of their sexual desires towards children?!

I understand now why Amy is different to the others. Different strains of the virus. I still can't believe she destroyed the vials of her strain in the last book. Oh well.

Guilder. He is an interesting character. He has ALS, has an ailing father with Alzhemiers and fell in love with a hooker who ended up rejecting him. I feel sorry for this guy. Kind of. But he was in on Project Noah, although he didn't know about their use of peadophiles as staff members.

Danny Chayes. At first I thought this was a young boy and I really felt sorry for him because his mum committed suicide and left him alone to fend for himself. But now I know he' an adult. I think he is autistic.
(hide spoiler)]

I'm enjoying finding out more detail about the original outbreak and how it progressed, what people did to try to battle it etc. It really builds up the story.

[Cherie]

I'm sorry, Sarah. I did not mean to give anything away to you. I really do not know where I stopped, but I will check and update my spoiler.

[Cherie]

I just checked my status updates. Looks like I got up to page 212 which is 37%. I will update my spoiler.

[Cherie]

I just read your spoilers, Sarah. I guess we were on the same track. Much of what is in your spoilers is what must have been going through my mind too. Okay, I feel so much better now! So many of the names I have forgotten. I am going to start over to make sure I do not miss anything. RE Alicia (view spoiler)[ I did not remember her. Did she come in at the end of the first book? (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

No worries Cherie. Thanks for that. You read a sizeable chunk then! What made you stop reading?

A name list would be great for this book I reckon.

Alicia (view spoiler)[was in the community with Peter. She was a watch guard i think. They are best friends and later in the book they confess they have deeper feelings for each other too. I think their colony comes in about a quarter in to The Passage. Alicia ends up being attacked by a viral then she recieves the innoculation and ends up being half human - half viral weird thing. She also ends up fighting for the expeditionary force. I hope that's a useful rundown of the character. (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "No worries Cherie. Thanks for that. You read a sizeable chunk then! What made you stop reading?

A name list would be great for this book I reckon.

Alicia [spoilers removed]"

At this moment, the only reason I can think that I stopped was because I was feeling like there were so many things going on in the new book that I did not remember from the first book. I could not figure out if I just did not remember the story in the first book (I really do. I remember things that happened, but all of the names feel like a blur. I read The Passage when it first came out and really loved it, but it was so long between books. When I started reading The Passage again with the buddy read, everything was very familiar - like a dream, but still familiar.

RE Alicia. Yes, I remember her now, but see - I did not until you told me. Too many books between I guess. When I think about The Passage, there are so many scenes and things that happened, even details that I know, but when and who escape me. I remember all of the marching and tramping around, about the compound and the house, about Las Vegas? and the two guys in the bunker at the end. (view spoiler)[ I cannot remember what happened to Amy though. Didn't they go to Las Vegas and fight the virals. (hide spoiler)] Just tell me if I am crazy or not.

[Janice, Moderator]

I started last night but all I got read was the Prologue. I thought it was a great way to catch up and the events from the first book. I also liked that it sounded "biblical" as if a new scripture was being written.

I'll read more tonight if I'm not too tired.

[Cherie]

I am back finishing my re-read of The Passage. I bombed through to Chapter 25 last night. I think I can skim more tonight and be ready to re-start The Twelve again.

[Cherie]

I finished my audio book and got through chapter 43 in The Passage tonight. I think I remember the next parts, so I am going to the last chapters tomorrow.

[Sarah]

Good to see you've started it too Janice :-)

I've read a bit more but I didn't have my notepad with me to jot things down. I'm also not sure what chapter I'm in right now so I'll read the current chapter, see where I'm at and come back and comment.

[Sarah]

I'm mid ch 13 (view spoiler)[The new characters are starting to meet up and form groups. I feel uncomfortable with Grey and Lila buddying up. I was shouting at Lila when she said "It doesn't matter what you did before"! OFF COURSE IT DOES WOMAN!!! He's a paedophile! Or is he now?!? Either way, being in the head of a (ex) paedophile is a little creepy.

OK, so what the hell does "kitty-corner" mean?! Is it an American term? Never heard of it before. All I have in my head is a cat litter tray stuck in a corner that a cat poops in. I'm guessing it doesn't mean that? It's been mentioned twice in the book so far. I might have to go urban dictionary it.

More survivors have cropped up with Danny, April, Tim, and Last Stand in Denver (his real name has disappeared from my head right now). I'm guessing these other dudes are going to die at some point as their back stories haven't been explored yet. I just knew Mrs Bellamy had a gun in her handbag. That bit made me laugh.

I first thought that Grey's chip had come out when he bashed his elbow (I forgot the chips were in the neck) but it seems that technology is just not up to scratch. Well, until they get it working at least. I understand why Amy had one in her, she was one of their test subjects, their asset. But the sweeps?! They were just staff. It makes me think that perhaps they weren't just employees but were going to end up test subjects anyway. Lear said this would be the cure for everything so perhaps they didn't just choose paedophiles because no one would miss them if one of the virals killed them, but perhaps they wanted to see if they could eradicate paedophilia. But it's not a medical condition. I know hormones play a part but still.

Guilder is seeing that Grey may well be as precious as Amy is. That he could save the world with what's running through his blood. And Guilder has a vested interest in getting hold of Grey so that he can help himself with his ALS before he starts to decline (or is eaten by a viral). Will Grey be the unlikely hero of this book?

I'm liking Kitteridge - that's what the Last stand in Denver guy is called!! I found it very fitting that April is named after TS Elliott's poem "The Waste Land" which was also the inspiration for Stephen King's Dark Tower series (and was also the title of one of his books). April and Kitteridge are getting close. I hope she's not 17.

An army convoy has just turned up where Kitteridge and his group are so I'm curious about what will happen now.

(hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

I haven't gotten past the prologue! I was so exhausted the last two nights that I didn't do any reading when I crawled into bed. I was snoring within seconds of hitting the pillow. Tonight's the night, though.

[Sarah]

Fingers crossed for you Janice. I am pleased to see this book is a lot shorter than the first book. I'm finding it passed like the first so it's quite quick to read through. I'm a third of the way in now.

I think I'm mid chapter 19 (view spoiler)[Guilder killed his father. I personally think this was for the best. He wasn't getting the care he needed from the staff and it was just a matter of time before he either starved to death or was eaten by a viral. I wonder what an elderly Alzheimer viral would be?!

Grey licking blood of the walls and floor of the tank was revolting. I've been wondering when something like this would happen for him. No surprise Lila reacted like she did. But none of that matters now they've been taken by Guilder. At first I was thinking they were screwed being taken to a secret military facility in the middle of nowehere. Then we find out that it's the same place as the refuge camp where Kitteridge and co are. I wonder if they end up in one big team at some point? Especially now Grey has bit one of the doctors and gotten his strength back. It's only a mater of time before he breaks out.

So the giant pod of virals have arrived and the army are pulling out. No evac for the refugees and everyone behind the quarantine zone are going to be assumed infected and executed. Nice! That's a little extreme. I'm scared for the people there, obviously Kitteridge and his crew in particular. I hope they can get out on the buses before all hell breaks loose.
(hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Part 1 (The Ghost) prologue - ch 2 (view spoiler)
"

Towards the end of the last book, the group split up. Peter, Alicia and Amy went back to the Colony. The others (Theo, Mausami, Sara, and Hollis)- went south. Years later, Sara's journal was found buried at the site of a massacre and became "The Book of Sara". I presumed then that Sara's group had all died in the massacre. Maybe we'll learn more of it in this book. (view spoiler)[ It appears that Baby Caleb escaped. Maybe others too. (hide spoiler)] I can't remember what happened to Michael, Sara's brother. How quickly things fade from memory.

I kind of like how the book is set up "biblically" - the prologue sounds like a bible. We have "the Book of Sara". Perhaps there will be more. It kind of makes sense to me that the new civilization would deify the saviours (if that's what they turn out to be) and their actions into a type of religion. They have already rid the world of Babcock, and presumably this book is about them eradicating the remaining twelve.

I left off at the beginning of The Familiar, Chapter 4.

[Sarah]

Thanks for the run down Janice. I had forgotten that about Sara's group. I think they were overrun. But it wasn't detailed about deaths/survivors. And I'd forgotten it was called Book of Sara. I guess their original Christian God didn't make much sense to them anymore after the virals came about so scrapped the bible and wrote a new one.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Part 2 (The Familiar) - ch 3- 8 (view spoiler)
.."

I can only respond to the first part of your spoiler about Wolgast's wife. I haven't read far enough in the book to read any more of your spoiler. (view spoiler)[ She was his ex-wife. She had remarried and was pregnant with her new husband's child. She and Wolgast had a baby who died. The trauma of that child's death was what ended their marriage, but Wolgast never got over her or the baby. Amy became a surrogate child for him. (hide spoiler)]

I'm not sure that last needs to be in a spoiler since it was all in the first book. Presumably we've all read the first book.

[Sarah]

Yes i do remember what transpired between them but i couldn't remember whether she was in the book, or just referred to. Now I'm thinking there might have been a phonecall between them.

[Sarah]

Funny that i can remember all that which was at the beginning of The Passage but not remember about Sara and co which was right at the end. Weird how memory works.

[Janice, Moderator]

I think there were a few phone calls. There may have been one where he tried to reach her to get out and flee, but I'm a little hazy on that. It's interesting how, in the interrogation, (view spoiler)[she said that Brad Wolgast was her husband. Maybe she never really got over him either. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Re. Interrogation(view spoiler)[I guess during shock, when disassociated from reality our brain reverts to a time when we're safe. They had a good relationship up until their daughter died. So that might be why. Plus they were married for a lot longer than her and her new husband. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

That makes sense, Sarah.

I read part of Chapter 4. I like that we are transported back to year Zero so that some of the gaps can be filled in.

[Sarah]

Yes that's something I'm enjoying too. More about the actual breakout is being detailed and how it progressed. From book 1 we had ground zero so to speak where it all kicked off but then we followed Wolgast and Amy.

[Cherie]

Mausami and Theo stayed on in the house my the river in the valley that the group found after they left Las Vegas.

The other 6 were captured by the Third Army guys from Kerrville, after they reached Colorado. Alicia joined the Army.

After the army guys tried to kill the vitals in the cave in the mountain, Peter and Amy left on horseback, to go to the beacon site on the mountain, where they found Lacey.

Sara, Michael, Hollis and Alicia went with the soldiers, on the way back to Kerrville and were getting ready to be attacked by The Many at the end of chapter sixty-three.

Theo found human footprints in the barn at the end of chapter sixty-four.

I just read it all tonight. I stopped at the beginning of sixty-five. Lacey is talking about Carter.

Wolgast's wife Eva died.

[Sarah]

It was Wolgast's daughter who died, she was called Eva. His wife is Lila and she is definitely alive (at this moment in time anyway).

[Janice, Moderator]

I've finished Chapter 5, and we're back to Grey. In The Passage, he was instrumental in causing the breakout of Zero and the twelve. When last he was seen, he was lying dead in the hallway of the compound. (view spoiler)[ But, he wasn't dead. He was undead. He had been bitten by Zero and was undergoing the change. But he doesn't seem to be a vampire. Like Sarah mentioned, he doesn't thirst for blood. At the beginning of the chapter he was called a familiar of Zero. Perhaps we are starting to see the hierarchy of the species. (hide spoiler)] I was a little confused at first, trying to remember who Grey was and how he fit into the story. One almost needs to read these books back to back.

[Cherie]

That is what I decided, Janice, but there is SO much!

You are right Sarah, about Eva and Lila. I got them mixed up.

I'm going to finish TP and restart TT today, hopefully. I was sick yesterday and spent the day in bed, mostly listening to my audio book and sleeping and having to go rewind. I felt better late in the evening and could read. My house cleaning chores are done and I'm sitting down with my coffee to read now.

[Cherie]

Theo, Mausami, baby Caleb, Sara and Hollis are leaving the valley with the houses in the Humvee to go to Kerrville. They made it to the Roswell Garrison. The last entry in Sara's book said "Shots outside. I'm going to look""."

Alicia - part viral and part Orher, like Amy, Peter, Greer, Michael, and Amy are on their way to California. Amy distroyed the vials in the fire to prevent Peter and Hollis from using it. The Colony was empty when they got there. They buried Auntie. Just before dawn, Amy called Wolgast to her. Alicia saw. I cannot decide if he died or if he flew up into the trees just before the light got to them.

Starting TT again.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "That is what I decided, Janice, but there is SO much! a..."

We'll be reading them both again when the third book comes out. ACK!

[Cherie]

I am at the beginning of Chapter 11. (view spoiler)[Grey taking the suitcases to the Volvo. It is just as weird as the first time I read it. Danny and April and Tim met Kittridge at the stadium and are going to Nebraska. It is so strange that I cannot remember. Like Lila, I guess. I put it out of my mind. I do not understand about Grey. He cannot eat regular food, has changed, but has not become a viral. Is it just taking longer? (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Grey (view spoiler)[I think he is a viral but the behaviours are recessive like with Amy and Alicia. All of the Twelve have different strains of the virus so i guess when they create new virals, different things happen. Plus Grey was a familiar of Zero's for some time before turning. I guess we'll find out more as we go. (hide spoiler)]

Book 3 is out next month. I think i'm going to get it and read it asap.

I've not had chance to read much over the weekend so far.

[Cherie]

I am back at where I stopped before at Part III The Field.

End of Chapter 22 (view spoiler)[ "This bus of survivors, twelve in sum:". I never caught that before. I think I was too busy picking up on April's last name and that she was pregnant by Kittridge. Alicia's ancestor? They just kept driving.

Grey infected Lila and the Guilder guy killed Grey? No baby though. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Wow you've read loads Cherie.
I'm just behind you in chapter 20, I'm approaching the end of Part 2.

[Janice, Moderator]

Egad, you are both well ahead of me. I read half a page last night before I fell asleep. But I woke at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so read a bit more. I finished chapter 8.

Chapter 7 - Lila (view spoiler)[ For some reason, I thought she'd be stronger mentally. Yes, she's had a lot of grief - the loss of a child and the trauma of seeing the virals tear people apart, but I would have thought she wouldn't break so easily. Maybe it's the stereotypes I have for people in certain professions and assign them certain attributes. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I agree Janice (view spoiler)[as a doctor she's used to being under pressure and seeing gore. You'd think she would be more resilient. Regardless of job rile, loosing loved ones is going to be hard. David is gone. Brad is gone. She is alone with a baby she is so desperate to keep alive. But in an end of the world scenario you'd think you could just shelve it and deal with your survival then deal with everything that has happened once you're safe. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I've not been too well so i've had more time to read than usual. I've just finished Part 2 and i'm curious about your first spoiler Cherie (view spoiler)[that we met loads of new characters who then died. As far as i can tell, only two people have died - Tim and Kitteridge, everyone else appears to have made it although we don't know for sure about Lila and Grey just yet. (hide spoiler)]

I'll come back and comment on the chapters i've just read later.

[Cherie]

I made it to chapter 28 today before I had to go out and do yard work. I have some things to remark on, but writing spoilers on my iPod is a drag and I still haven't been able to read what the two of you have written.

I am going to force myself to stop and read something else. I still have spoilers to read and write for The Clockwork Scarab. I haven't touched my group read or monthly challenge book yet.

[Ariane]

So, I finally began it! I thought I would find it in the library but it wasn't there, so I got it on Audible.
I am in chapter 4 now and I liked how the previous book was summarised (and I still like the voice of the narrator, I have forgotten his name now)
And that you girls for reminding me the end of the Passage, I didn't know who was with who and where.