It’s hard to review this one without spoilers, but I’m going to bill it as dystopian sci-fi with a twist.

It’s set on the archipelago of Prospera, veiled from and not in contact with the rest of the world, presumably sometime in the future. Prosperans live in a utopia, free to relax and make art and live long and carefree lives. Meanwhile, the “support staff” who makes this magical life possible exisits in squalor on a separate island — and they’re becoming increasingly unhappy with this situation.

Our protagonist is a “ferryman” whose job it is to soothe the worries and smooth the process for Prosperans whose declining health means it’s time for “retirement” — which begins with a ferry ride to a mysterious third island called the Nursery.

At a certain point I began to wonder where this Hunger Games/Red Rising-esque story was going. It definitely went somewhere — but it wasn’t what I was expecting!

I loved The Passage, the first in Cronin’s zombie trilogy, but The Ferryman is totally different. Overall, it’s more speculative fiction than hardcore sci-fi. But there are some similar relationships and the writing flows just as fast and as well. (It reads quickly, so don’t be intimidated by the size.)

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is a very highly recommended dystopian/speculative science fiction marvel.

The idyllic archipelago of Prospera is a socially regimented island state founded by the Designer. Citizens enjoy long fulfilling lives until their next “iteration,” where their personalities reemerge in younger bodies. Proctor Bennett works as a ferryman, which means he assists aging Prosperans to travel to the Nursery, an island where their bodies are restored. All citizens have monitors embedded in their forearms which measures their health. If it fails below 10 percent, it is time to retire.

Proctor has always had problems with dreaming, which is not supposed to happen, but now his monitor percentage has been dropping too. When he is called to retire his own father, events go amiss and he receives an enigmatic message from him before getting him onto the ferry. At the same time the support staff for Prospera who all live on the island called the Annex, are now becoming disgruntled and a resistance group known as Arrivalists is growing.

At this point hold on tight, set expectations aside, and keep reading because so many unexpected twists and events happen one after another that it is pointless to predict anything. This will be easy to do because the quality of the writing is exceptional and the plot is fast-paced and riveting. Cronin is in perfect control of the plot and his characters so just keep reading. I promise you that the pages are going to fly-by quickly.

The excellent writing will be the first plus you notice as you begin reading. The prose is simply phenomenal. This will quickly be followed by the awareness that the characters are fully realized and believable individuals with strengths and flaws who are firmly part of the narrative. Then the twists begin and new information is revealed. Follow the prose and plot carefully and, even when you think you don't know what is going on, you soon will understand that you do before the next twist hits.

No spoilers here. If you like science fiction and literary fiction, just read The Ferryman and thank me later. It's sure to be on my list of best of 2023.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, BookBrowse, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

This book is about a community who live on prospera island it’s as close to Utopian Society as money can buy and although everyone on Prospero has great jobs and great lives. There’s another island called Annex Island where the support staff live these people live normal lives and live and die like the rest of us but on Prospera Island when the monitor that everyone has embedded in their arm says their quality of life has gone below 10 they get ferried to nursery island where they get rejuvenated and come back as a handsome teenager. Proctor is a man who is in his eighth year of his 15 year employment contract with the government he is married to Elise his mom is dead and his dad and him have a very strained relationship. When it’s his dad‘s turn to go to nursery island on the route there is dad start acting in a way he’s never acted before and saying things Proctor has never heard him say it when he mentions a mythological god his son doesn’t know what to make of it proctor was already second-guessing his employment but after an altercation he politely gets asked to leave and he immediately goes to Theodora‘s house a woman who is in his wife but who he is slowly but surely becoming closer to with her help he will slowly unravel all the strange things happening like his dreams a girl named Keely the murder of a guard and so much more I’m not gonna lie at times in this book I got really confused but I am so glad I continued reading it as the end is such a great pay off. I knew from the summary I would like this book and with the ending it totally surpassed my expectations I just wish somethings would’ve been explained a little better but it wasn’t so confusing I couldn’t follow the story there’s many things I didn’t say in my review because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else just know The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is a great book with great world building understandable and even likable villains and an awesome ending. I received this book from NetGalley and Random house books but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Proctor is the Director of Social Contracts on the island of Prospera, meaning that he is a ferryman who assists residents who are ready to retire make it to a ferry bound for the Nursery where they will be reiterated and come back to Prospera as adolescents ready to start a new life. But when he must assist the man who served as his adoptive father with the retirement process, his father panics before boarding the ferry and whispers the word “Oranios” to Proctor which sets off a chain of events leading to Proctor’s own forced retirement. Meanwhile, some residents of the Annex, who are the working class people are starting an underground revolution lead by the Arrivalists. What starts as a futuristic dystopian story quickly evolves into a very complex sci-fi thriller.
Well, this book is like nothing I have ever read before. I was hooked from the beginning and was completely surprised and shocked by all the twists and the very complex layers of the plot. There were definitely times when I was somewhat confused by the role changes and shifts in the settings but for the most part, I just had to admire the complexity that the author was able to create - so thought provoking! The story is fast-paced, very engaging and the main characters are likable. The ending was completely unexpected but satisfying. I would definitely recommend this book for sci-fi fans or anyone interested in a genre-bending epic. #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing-BallantineBooks.

This was an amazing read! Brave New World meets The Matrix meets Hunger Games. It’s sci-fi without being too esoteric. I loved The Passage series and I love how the author can write horror and violence and apocalypse but always manages to preserve the heart of the characters. I couldn’t recommend this more highly for those with an appetite for sci-fi and who are OK with post-apocalyptic fiction.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I was blown away by this book. I was hesitant to read because of the topic and length but so glad I was granted a copy. The opening starts out very wordy, but beautifully written. At first I thought, this may not be up my alley but sure enough I stuck with it and so glad I did.

Quick Synopsis: Proctor is living in Prospera where his job is to "ferry" those whose numbers based on something like a microchip are are dropping(numbers as in quality of life etc) and close to retirement to embark on a new journey. All is not what it seems for sure.

Proctor as the synopsis mentions is feeling something is amiss and is trying to decipher what is wrong. We see him meet all sorts of people from Prospera, the Annex and then the Nursery. How does it tie together and is there a bigger picture in play? The answer is YES!! And its great!

What I liked:
***character development was awesome as was the plot, felt unique
***how each part while different tied together
***Story just flowed without any breaks and it kept me wanting more

What made me not do 5 stars? That ending just, while excellent, confused me a bit and while it didn't ruin the book I had to scratch my head. But seriously 5 vs 4 stars is still a fab read. I did also feel some in the middle got repetitious but overall this was super well written and so glad I got the chance to read. For a 500 page book this read was super quick.

I would give more detail but I went in blind and think that is the best way to go. There is a touch of so many diff genre's in this mostly focusing on sci-fi but also relationships. It pulled these together super well and I think worth giving it a shot if not your typically read.

Thank you for Netgalley, the Publisher and Author for my chance to read this excellent book.

I finished The Ferryman last night and immediately thought well what the heck happened there, I need to read this again.

What an imaginative mind Justin Cronin has and a gift to share the story to the reader. Well written and believable characters. At 560 pages, I was surprised by how quickly the pages passed by. If I'm honest, I did get confused at different parts in the story, but overall, I thought it was an enjoyable novel. All sci-fi/dystopian novel lovers should grab themselves a copy.. and then get with me because I have some questions 😆

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

This story follows Proctor Bennett who lives on an archipelago called Prospera, the main island. Then there is the second island called the Annex where the support staff and basically servants reside. And the last island known as the Nursery where Prosperans go twice, once at the beginning and once at the end per iteration. They live under a Veil protecting them from the outside world, and so no one knows what is truly going on beyond the islands they live on. To leave is forbidden, but who would?

This book is very outside my normal genre, but I got pretty hooked onto it from the beginning. I just wanted to know what was going on, and it kept me guessing throughout the whole book as to what is really going on here. About halfway, I had a feeling what was really going on, but to me, the twist was not even that, but something else that we find out at the end that just made me mad lol. It was very well done, I love twists that get me, and this one did!

None of the characters truly stood out to me. Proctor to be honest was a bit dull basically the whole book, but I think that was kind of the point. He was going through the motions until he wasn't and even he seemed to be unsure what to do at that point and sometimes seemed to resort to his old self until something triggered him. There were some side characters I really liked, like Jason Kim, not sure why, but I really liked that kid from the get go, and Thea who just seemed to listen and believe no matter how farfetched something sounded.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. This is a much different sci-fi/dystopian than I normally would read since I would say it has mystery and is a bit of a thriller, but it kept me on my toes and that's what's important to me!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think I hyped this up for myself too much given my love for The Passage series. I was expecting too much. Don't get me wrong, it was good and I enjoyed my time reading it but I don't think it will stick with me like The Passage trilogy did.

I did enjoy the sci-fi intrigue feeling of "what is going on" and the explanation did not disappoint. The writing was compelling but I just didn't connect with the characters as much as I wanted to.

Overall, a solid sci-fi book that was enjoyable to read! Thank you to netgalley and random house Ballentine for the arc!

Having not read what Justin Cronin is most known for, but knowing he is best to know as little as possible, I had interesting expectations. It has a slower start, but then it feels like everything is full speed ahead and you don't know what is going to happen next. I have to go now for his best known work.

One of the best parts of this book is the overall sense of paranoia: dreams, odd words, mysterious characters who pop up and disappear, leaders who have stuff to hide, cryptic conversations. Lots of stuff is happening, but our main character can't quite grasp what's really going on.

The story is engaging, and the pages almost turn themselves as the plot gets weirder and weirder. The author does a good job juggling multiple viewpoints and plot strands. The main characters are sympathetic - you want them to survive and succeed.

3.5 stars
It’s hard to review this book without spoilers so I’ll try to be non-specific. I was thoroughly confused at the start of The Ferryman. I felt like we were missing a lot of the world-building/backstory— (a la Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood). But then I realized that was the point. It had an “Inception” type feel to it so I tried to keep track of the loose threads, knowing they’d all tie together in the back half. Sure enough, right when I was ready to give up trying anymore, WHAM. All was revealed. And it made total sense. But then things took another turn and I was concentrating to put those pieces in as well. We come full circle with the epilogue. I have comments about the heart of the matter with this book but it would be a big spoiler. So I’ll just say that I think this is a great addition to the genres this book represents but I can’t comment as to which genres they are (I think it’s safe to at least mention Dystopia) without spoilers!
*Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy for review.

Just when I thought I had things figured out...I was WRONG! Cronin has once again created a unique, mysterious, creative, original and twist filled book! Cronin is a master storyteller and he once again dazzled me with The Ferryman!

Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, is a Ferryman on the archipelago of Prospera. This is a unique living environment where residents have embedded monitors which measure their health - both physical and mental health. When their numbers dip below 10, they retire themselves and are taken by a Ferryman to the ferry which will take them to the nursery, another island where their memories will be wiped clean, and they will be readied to start a new life.

Proctor is good at his job and is respected at work. Then one day he is called to take his father to the Ferry and his father says something which results in a chain of events out of Procotor's control. Soon his monitor numbers begin to drop...

This was a gripping book and for most of it, I had no idea where things were going and what was going to happen next. Then, I thought I had everything figured out. I just knew what was really happening, only to be so completely wrong. When the twist and reveals began coming in, I couldn't help but be impressed with Cronin and how he created not only so many twists, so also so many levels to this book as well. He kept me on my toes and had me turning the pages.

I enjoyed this dystopian science fiction book. I am not a big Science Fiction fan, but I love Cronin's writing, his world building, and his ability to craft a multilayered novel. This book is imaginative, original, thrilling, and intense. This book also evoked emotions and was thought provoking.

I was first introduced to Justin Cronin when I read The Passage. If you have not read that book, I highly recommend it (and the other books in the series). I was so excited when I saw he had this book coming out! It was worth the wait!

Gripping, mysterious, thought provoking, and well written.

A mind-blowing dystopian sci-fi rollercoaster that you cannot put down!

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin was an absolutely incredible journey and had me truly hooked from the first chapter! Right when I thought I could see the direction that this story was going, it took exciting twists that just increased the scope and stakes in amazing ways. It really is very hard to summarize my feelings for this book in a review. Rather, the Ferryman is one of those unique stories that just need to be experience for oneself.

The main character, Proctor Bennett, is a highly ranked ‘Ferryman’ on the island of Prospera. His job is to bring people who are physically or mentally deteriorating (based on percentage levels from imbedded health monitors in their arms) to a ferry. This ferry brings these people to their ‘retirement’ by transporting them across the water to another island, a mysterious place called ‘the nursery’. Once they are retired, these people are re-instated in society with new teenage bodies with their minds wiped to start a new life. However, Proctor starts to question everything he has ever known and believe in when he is tasked to take his own father to the ferry for retirement. When his father’s retirement process does not go exactly to plan, a chain of events ensues which slowly reveal that this society might not be as perfectly run as everyone thinks.

The Ferryman is huge in scope and the complex nature of this story and the fantastic worldbuilding/imagery will leave you thinking about it long after you finish. I felt just as lost and confused as the characters did, all while trying figure out everything that is happening right alongside them during this mind-bending ride.

A book like this does not come around very often and the manner in which Cronin wove this complex story into such a satisfying adventure from beginning to end in a standalone novel is nothing short of masterful. I cannot recommend this book enough and want to thank Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in which I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Don't be intimidated by the size of this brick of a book... believe me every page was necessary! It starts a little slow with the world building of this mysterious utopian society, but then the pages started flipping faster and faster and I couldn't put it down. I was as drawn into this story as I was his Passage series! It's really best to go into the story blind, so just grab a copy for yourself! I hope you love the character Proctor as much as I did!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lyrical prose and engrossing story mark this as yet another amazing novel by the author. I was immediately pulled into Proctors story, and the haunting tone of the story still resonates.

I don’t want to give too much away about this book because I think being able to fully experience the various twists and turns in the story without any expectations made it more impactful. I was intimidated by the length and premise of the book, but I ended up enjoying it. Whenever I thought I knew what was happening, another twist was revealed that made me question everything I thought I knew about the world and characters; there were a lot of layers to unpack during this reading journey. This book could spark a lot of interesting questions about humanity and it definitely made me think about the capabilities of humans and technology. Overall, I’m glad I read this and I hope to read more from the author in the future!

CW: grief, classism, violence

I had high expectations for the ferryman as I loved the earlier novels by Cronin! The plot synopsis intrigued me-a man lives in a place called prospera and his job is to ferry people to their retirement journey. All seems well in his world-until he has to ferry his father into retirement and everything falls apart. Why is he the only person who is dreaming? Why is he being monitored by higher ups?
What starts as very promising begins to fall apart as the story starts to drag out. The book reminded me of The Hunger Games at a certain point, only more sluggish and with more baggage. Something just didn’t click with me the way the passage did-it may be because of the stronger sci-fi elements in this novel and less of the horror elements that I was expecting.

objectively well done and i see a LOT of praise for this but this just wasn’t fully for me. for such a long investment of a novel, it really lost me in its second half and by the 70% mark i was ready for it to be over.

The Ferryman is an intensely exciting read that you won't be able to put down. Filled with different narratives it took me down a path that I never strayed from. It was a complicated read but it was made easy to understand through the authors words. Cronin definitely didn't disappoint and I look forward to seeing where his mind.will take us to next.