The Passage

Scott Brick's expressive delivery of this huge novel is exceptional. He injects emotion into even the smallest subplot. Abby Craden and Andenrele Ojo give small but carefully crafted performances as well, but Brick does most of the heavy lifting. The title refers to the time that has passed since a deadly virus consumed the majority of mankind and turned the infected from men to monsters. Is there any soul left within them? One extraordinary 6-year-old orphan may hold the key. What makes this big, sprawling fantasy work is how invested we become with the characters and what happens to them. Cronin is an evocative writer, and Brick engages with a heartfelt delivery. D.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine