I loved The Ferryman. I was hesitant to pick it up after the final book of The Passage series turned into a political tome, and while the politics are still there, it was very little and it all part of the plot - it did not dominate. The Ferryman's utopian setting was intriguing from the get go, I wanted to know what was up. It was world that was too perfect - until it wasn't.

This was...so slow. It started out really interesting and I was like oh I've seen this move. Like, it felt familiar. But this book was too dang long!!! I was bored for about half of it. It started to pick up at 50% but then it got sloggy again. The ending just wasn't a good enough payout for me. And some things went unanswered. Cynthia/Mother? Did she have anything to do with anything?! I've read this book before except it was YA and that was a better book. Sorry. This was my first Justin Cronin book and I was disappointed.

I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book and it really held my interest. The pacing was great and I was sucked into the world Justin Cronin built, as I have been with his previous novels. Towards the end it got a little sluggish for me, but it was still a fantastic read and I loved the concept!

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

In the future, the citizens of Prospera live in an island utopia community. Their health is monitored by meters embedded in their arms. When their health declines, they are escorted by the Ferryman to the nursery, where their memories are wiped clean and their health is restored, allowing them to start life anew. But not all is as it seems in this island paradise...

This book had a lot going on and was very long. It is difficult to review without spoilers, but I do feel like the reveal came very late in the story, and there were a lot of parts that didn't make sense until the reveal. I had to think about what I had read for awhile after the reveal and I felt like my head was spinning. Overall this was an enjoyable book that did make me think, but it is not a quick or light read.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I was familiar with Mr. Cronin’s work but this was the first book of his I’d read. I don’t read a lot of what I’d call sci-fi, but when I do I always appreciate the world building which this has done well. It’s a very long book and was a little slow to start and perhaps a little slow to end, but overall it was enjoyable.

It’s the kind of story that takes time to settle into in order to understand the what is happening since it takes place in the future. There were times when I wasn’t sure if I was lost or if I wasn’t supposed to know what was going on just yet. The book peels away layers and reinvents itself during different stages of the novel which I appreciated for the creativity and world building. However, by the end I was a bit uncertain of the rules and internal logic of the world, but it didn’t stop me from liking the book overall.

And as the true story reveals itself the narrative becomes more personal and touching which I also appreciated.

My first Cronin, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Wonderful writing, interesting characters, imaginative world building, these are what I enjoyed about the book. However, it was a complicated journey and at times difficult to imagine what was described. Also, mostly towards the end, there was some back and forth of narrators that was sometimes distracting/confusing.

There are lots of recognizable issues from today (socio-economic, environmental, etc.). Forgot to mention, this is set in the future and as such has some amazingly inventive imagining, but as remarkable as that was, as I said before, I was sometimes lost while trying to visualize it all.

Overall, the good outweighed the perplexities, and it was a good read.

My thanks to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing the free early arc of The Ferryman for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

On the utopian island of Prospera, Proctor Bennett leads a rewarding life as a ferryman. Tasked with guiding those ready to "retire" onward to a mysterious island called the Nursery when their embedded monitors fall below 10%, Proctor believes in the Prosperan way: live, retire, and be born anew, with a restored body and a mind wiped of all previous memories. By this process, Prospera has order. And life is good.

That is, until Proctor receives the call to retire is own estranged father. Riddled with unease as he accompanies his father to the ferry, Proctor soon realizes something is very wrong. His father leaves him with a disoriented, unsettling message: "Orianos, it's all Orianos." But what does it mean?

From that moment on, Proctor finds himself propelled into a ceaseless pursuit for the truth. Life on Prospera may not be all that it seems; the same goes for its neighboring island called the Annex. All around, unrest is growing, mysterious "echoes" are pinging into Prospera's utopian paradise, and Proctor can no longer turn away. But at what cost will the truth come? It may not just be his future as the ferryman that hangs in the balance.

An epic behemoth of the most impressive proportions, "The Ferryman" will have to come up against something quite special to be dethroned as my top book of 2023. Here, Justin Cronin weaves an almost impossibly-creative, compelling, deeply-emotional story into the kind of page-turner that will cause you to sacrifice an entire night's sleep.

To dive into the plot much more would be to rob readers of what is truly a once-in-a-generation reading experience, but prepare for the floor to drop out from beneath you during this--and not just once, but several times. The sheer magnitude of Cronin's plot and how it seamlessly weaves together is remarkable; this is a sci-fi masterpiece.

Highly enjoyable dystopian fiction! I love Justin Cronin!! I am a huge fan of his writing style, which is complex, rich, and completely satisfying! After reading his trilogy, the Passenger, I knew I would read anything by this author in the future. This standalone novel did not disappoint. The surrounding dystopian, as well as utopian, themes in this book spoke to me on many levels and was scary reminiscent of “what could be” in our own future! Highly recommend!

A sci-fi book that doesn't seem too outside the realm of possibilities, this book reminded me of Blake Crouch book's, which I love. Set on the paradise Island of Prospera where many are living a perfect life, we meet Proctor Benett. Proctor is a Ferryman. Everyone living on this island is born with a device installed in their bodies and this device allows for a window into their health and life span. When a person reaches a low health percentage it is Proctor's job to lead them onto a ferry that takes them to another island where they will be reborn and then brought back to Prospera to lead another perfect life.

Bennet has always been the exception to the rule and even though he has what seems to be a satisfying life, it has not been perfect. As with all utopias, things are not always what they seem (dun, dun, dun). As Bennet's life starts to unravel, he learns about the underbelly of this perfect world and where the truth really lies.

I was immediately sucked into this book. It's obvious the utopian vision of this world is a facade and I enjoyed trying to figure out where the story was headed and what the plot twists were going to be. A couple of the twists I didn't completely see coming and was loving the fast-paced plot in the second half of the book. However, I have extremely mixed feelings about the ending. At first, I didn't like it at all and immediately wanted to discuss it with someone.

Even though I didn't love the ending, the fact that I wanted to discuss the book right away and kept thinking about it shows that is a good book with a compelling story. I think this would be a fantastic book club read when it's released on May 2nd.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of this book. This will make a great bookclub pick when it comes out on May 2nd.

I would like to preface this review by saying I loved Justin Cronin’s Passage Trilogy. The Passage is one of my favorite books and The Passage Trilogy has a special place in this reader’s heart. So when I received an advance copy of The Ferryman, I couldn’t wait to dive in. However, The Ferryman is not The Passage and after a strong Prologue, I struggled to get into this book. It was slow going and did not hold my interest. I finally dnf at 20%. Fans of The Passage trilogy should still give this one a try, it just wasn’t for me.

Another wonder from the mind of Justin Cronin! Full of unexpected political commentary, unexpected t we it’s, and dysfunctional familial love and regret.

Cronin's Passage series was one of my favorites of the last few years. The Ferryman is a great departure from the series but with similar Cronin writing. I personally felt the last few chapters weren't needed, but readers who like full closure will appreciate the details.

This book drew me in from the beginning! Love the Sci-fi element that emerged as the story progressed. The characters are complex and interesting. The story is well thought out with many hints at what's coming. It's one of those stories I know I will want to reread to see if I missed any foreshadowing. Highly recommend.

Welcome, sci-fi fans, to the world of the Ferryman!
Here you'll find a Crouchian, mindbending mystery from Justin Cronin, packed with twists, too many characters to count, and a possibly devious plot behind it all.
While discerning readers may be able to guess the twist in the first or second chapters, the path to get there and especially the path after is completely unpredictable, making for an interesting read throughout.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley*

I love good dystopian and post-apocalyptic books and am a fan of Justin Cronin's The Passage trilogy. That said, I was optimistic when I received Cronin's latest book for review. I'm happy to say, I was not disappointed with this novel, in fact, my main complaint is that this is a standalone book!

Propsera is an idyllic island where residents don't die. Instead, when their bodies fail, they are retired and take a ferry to another island, the Nursery, where they are reiterated and begin life anew in a younger body with no memory of their prior life. They are served by Support Staff, normal people who reside on an island known as the Annex which is connected to Prospera by a causeway to facilitate their comings and goings.

This island archipelago is protected by an electromagnetic barrier that hides the islands from the outside world. It is governed by a group of Prosperians, one of which is Proctor Bennett. His main job is to ensure the citizens of Prospera make the transition to the Nursery when their time comes--he is known as the ferryman. When Proctor has to retire his own father, things don't go smoothly. His father tries to escape and when Proctor captures him, his father's strange behavior and the words he utters, catch not only Proctor's attention but that of his superiors as well. Was he passing along a secret message or was it just the ravings of a madman?

As one might expect, not all of the archipelago residents are happy with their lot in life. The Support Staff begins a work slowdown and a resistance group forms that threaten the hierarchy of Prospera--with Proctor Bennett caught in the middle.

This is an excellently written, fast-paced novel that is so engaging, I had a hard time putting it down. It is a complex story whose characters are well-drawn and the moral dilemmas they face, are believable. There are twists I didn't see coming and a storyline that is, at times, unnerving but overall, very satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia - where the truth isn't what it seems.

Founded by the mysterious genius known as the Designer, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.

Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process - and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming - which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.

Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group - known as "Arrivalists" - who may be fomenting revolution.

Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized - and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth."

Shakespearean horror?

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin follows Proctor Bennett, a ferryman for the island of Prospera. The ferryman's job is to escort residents of Prospera, who have reached the end of their current iteration, to the ferry that takes them to the Nursery. At the Nursery, they are prepared to be reiterated back into society and start a new life. When Proctor has to take his father to the ferry, there is a commotion at the dock which sets of a chain of events that disrupts Proctor's life in Prospera.
I'm finding it hard to review this book without going into specific events and thus spoiling the plot, so I'll just say that I did thoroughly enjoy it. I found the beginning to be a little slow, but it picks up at around 40% and never really slows back down. The writing was descriptive and engaging and kept me wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Ferryman in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fanatasic. We have a great science fiction and fantasy section and this will go right with The Passage series after it leaves the New Times Bestsellers. It's an easy book to recommend to shoppers because its a fast paced thriller with science that's easy to understand.

Huge thank you to the publisher for this ARC.
I am a huge fan of Justin Cronin and this book was highly anticipated for me.
I really enjoyed the premise, a very atmospheric dystopian world.
I will be updating my review and content within review after the book is published to GoodReads as to not provide any spoilers.