Loved it. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Ferryman is what I call a thinking person's book. Once you reach the "twist" you begin to see the connections and understand the nature of relationships of the books characters. I recommend you not peek ahead or read spoiler reviews because so much of the joy of reading this book is the slow build-up to the A-HA moment.

In the story, "the beautiful people" live on the island of Prospera. Prospera is an island dream vacation lived daily; no crime, poverty, homelessness in this land of plenty. And Prosperan's needs are met by the "unwashed masses"- the struggling folks who live in the Annex. They cook, they clean and take out the trash, and keep the sewer system functioning. However, not everything is as straightforward as it seems. I can't say much more without giving up plot.

Why didn't I give The Ferryman 5 stars after such a glowing review? I blame Cronin for having set such high expectations with his past books. Maybe that's unfair and as a stand-alone it merits 5 stars. Still, it is difficult not to compare this new work to The Passage especially and the trilogy overall. For me, a rare and perfect story indeed.

I’m not a fan of science fiction and didn’t realize that this was the premise of this book however, I liked it but didn't love it. The world that these characters are in is something that is believable enough to become the future. This is a long book that I admit I lost interest in from time to time. If an alternate universe is of interest to you then you’ll find this book intriguing.

This review is going to be short and sweet as you really should go in unspoiled. I really REALLY enjoyed this dystopian romp, I absolutely tore through the pages and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

5/5

Amazing! I was totally fascinated and engrossed in this book. The writing swept me far and away in its atmospheric prose. I had read Cronin's [book:The Passage|6690798] previously and it blew me away as well.

Here's the description provided:
<i>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. </i>

The novel is stunning in its intensity and, I have to say, there were some things I didn't understand. Regardless, I was still mesmerized. The twists and turns are unexpected and keep you wondering throughout.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on May 2, 2023.

This novel is set some time in the future on an island called Prospera, where people can love a pretty long time, and when they either have had enough or start deteriorate according to a meter on their arm, they “retire” and basically are born again in a new body without any of their memories. Much of the book unfolds from the perspective of a character named Proctor who is a “ferryman” like in the title because it’s his job to escort the retirees to the ferry they take to where they are reborn. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because it’s best uncovered yourself, but let’s just say it quickly becomes clear that perhaps this utopia might actually be a dystopia.

This book doesn’t come out until May, but I just couldn’t wait any longer to read it. I’m going to go out on a limb and declare myself Justin Cronin’s biggest fan - he write my favorite series of all time, The Passage trilogy, and all together he’s written 5 books and all 5 have made my top ten lists over the years, the only author to ever achieve this feat. And based on this book, he’s likely to go 6 for 6! Whether he’s writing about characters in ordinary situations in our world (like in his first two books), or about characters in crazy dystopian societies (like in The Passage trilogy or this book), he’s just so amazing at creating characters you care about and really illuminating what it means to be human.

I really couldn’t put this book down, with its great characters, eerie atmosphere, and some jaw dropping surprises along the way. Even though it’s 500+ pages I raced through it. And yes, I cried. And I can’t wait til anyone else I know reads it so I can discuss with them!

4.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC!

I adored this book and I am so pleased to have been offered a chance to read it. I really enjoyed "The Passage" so huge fan!

"The Ferryman" is the story of a man who takes people to their final destination at the end of their lives...sort of...

See these people are plopped into a newer younger body and have their memories erased. Which makes no sense, right? If they have no memory how are they the same person? Our memories are what make us!

And that's the brilliance of this book. This perfect life Proctor leads is inherently wrong and exploring that wrongness is a fascinating journey.

I’m a HUGE Justin Cronin fan. I love everything he writes. His mind and imagination are amazing. This story was no different. The stories within stories, the twists and turns… it just keeps going and keeps you guessing until the very end. To try to sum it all up into a short review would not give proper credit to this book. Read it. You won’t figure it out, I promise. Such a fun ride through this story. I can’t wait to read another from this masterful storyteller.

4.5/5

I’m not sure why but I almost love this book. It’s one of those stories that as you read it it makes perfect sense but would dread being asked about it. It is a little too long for me but eh whatever.

Links coming soon.

I loved The Passage, so I was over the moon to get a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

I went into this blind, so it took me a little time to settle into what is going on. In the world of The Ferryman, a form of immortality exists, in which people live very long lives then go to the Nursery to be “reiterated” into a new iteration of around 16 years old. But some people are having dreams, which isn’t supposed to happen, and are thought to be “echoes” of previous iterations. And then there’s the whole issue of the “support staff,” and this isn’t exactly utopia for those folks.

By about a third of the way in, I was fully invested in the story, the characters, and where everything was heading. There’s a detail I figured out before it was revealed, but many of the revelations were a surprise. I found this to be an immersive, completely enjoyable read that is a worthy follow up to Cronin’s blockbuster trilogy. There is one plot hole that I won’t harp on, but which makes me rate this 4.5 stars, which I’ll round up to 5. Excellent read.

Welcome to this gorgeous, yet hefty, sci-fi saga that revolves around our protagonist, Director Proctor Bennett, and his place in the utopian archipelago of Prospera. Cronin takes the reader on a journey that is full of twists and mind-bending turns; from the paradise of a perfect world to the depths of personal despair. You'll think you have a handle on something, and you'll be wrong. You'll pivot, then pivot again.

I was feeling the full vague booking effect. I understood what was being laid before me, but I couldn't always make sense of the motivations behind it. The whys were elusive, and that was a struggle. I had been pulled into the story and the world that was exquisitely brought to life, but I just didn't feel fully invested through much of the first half. It was missing an emotional piece for me. No worries, though. Cronin managed to wallop me with a big bag of heartache approximately sixty-five percent of the way through!

Final thoughts? Overall, this was a beautifully written page turner. If you are like me and a fan of The Passage Trilogy, this is one you won't want to miss. I was left with some unanswered questions, which annoyed me, but yet, I regret nothing. Cronin has a way with dystopian fiction, and this was an eye-opening tale of who we are as a people on a global scale, as well as the inner struggle to fight against that very nature.

Thank you to the author and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for this gifted ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I must admit, I don't normally read sci-fi books and yet something about The Ferryman's synopsis captured my attention enough for me to venture into foreign reading territory. This book left me near to speechless it was so unexpectedly amazing!

We follow Proctor, a Ferryman on the island of Prospera, who ushers older citizens who have begun to experience physical and mental decline to the Nursery, an island fortress where they are renewed and reborn into a new life. Prospera is a hidden island utopia where its residents live comfortable, prosperous lives and are free to focus on creative expression and personal excellence. We soon see hidden faults in this seemingly perfect existence as the class of support staff and workers begin pushing against their limitations and questioning their role in society. The sense of unrest is growing and revolution may be on the horizon. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the epic story within these pages, but to say more would be heading into spoiler territory.

This is an incredibly hard book to discuss without revealing too much, as its a story best enjoyed with the reader knowing as little as possible about the plot. I knew only the basic synopsis and I'm so glad I got to experience this story with no expectations about what the story would be and where it would head. Though I rarely read sci fi and was initially unsure if this book would work for me, I ended up flying thru the almost 600 pages in 3 days. Its that good. Justin Cronin's writing captivated me in a way few authors are able to do. His storytelling so thoroughly immersed me in this tale that I struggled to set it aside. Even when doing other things, I found myself thinking about the people and events unfolding within these pages. The ending-well its just about perfect.

The Ferryman is a complex, moving, thought provoking, at times heartbreaking and at other times hopeful story that is so beautifully told its destined to remain on my Keep Forever shelf. Don't let the sci-fi genre tag scare you away. This book is so much more than I expected and one of the easiest 5 star ratings I've given in a long time. It'll easily be in my top 5 books for 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing a copy for me to read and review.

This is a hard book to review without giving away so many of it's twists and turns. It will continue to surprise you throughout until almost the end you won't understand exactly what it all is. I will say however, that it's fantastic!! I loved it! Justin Cronin is one of my favorite writers, I loved The Passage series and waited so long for another book from him and the wait was absolutely worth it!

This was an interesting book and I was really into it when I first started reading it. But there was a LOT happening...maybe too much?

The overall concept was cool (and honestly, wasn't expecting its twist) - but there were just so many "twists" that by the end, it was all just too much for me. I also still don't really understand why most of the passengers were left in the dreamscape when Warren awoke and why the plan was never to awaken the investors.

I really enjoyed the first half of the story in Prospera and the revolution that was brewing. I had a hard time seeing the characters in their new "roles" once they woke up (and identifying who was who previously but who they were in "reality." Though, I guess that could also mimic the confusion of the travelers).

In the end, it was just too complicated a story for me to really love it as much as I wanted to.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this book, but wow I was blown away. Justin Cronin is so talented and knows how to captivate an audience. The characters were so well-written and felt so real to me. That's what made this book so special... it all felt so real and vivid. Capturing that as an author is immensely hard, but Justin Cronin did an amazing job.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that I flew through the pages. I read this book so fast because it was simply so good and I just had to know what was going to happen next. Justin Cronin blew me away.

I am a huge lover of dystopian science fiction, so I ended up loving this one! If you're a fan of either of those genres, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the most powerful books I have read in a long time. While the language was a bit much at times, particularly set against the lyrical nature of the rest of the writing, the fable itself was magical. To say any more would be to give away the plot, but suffice it to say Cronin is an amazing writer and his skill is on display in this work.

HOLY HELL!

Yes that is how I want to start this review. This book was indescribable in so many ways. I was pulled in deeply to the mystery and seriously creeped out throughout the entirety.

This should be a must read for everyone this year and I will completely be buying myself a copy just to read it again.

5 stars because I am not allowed to give 10.

I did not fully finish this book, it started off strong but I got bored with the plot, it needed to be a little more fast paced

I went into this story blind -- I had no idea what to expect. I thought I had it figured out after the first 20% or so, and then WHAM. It changed. And then WHAM. It changed again. Somehow, it kept my interest and kept me engaged.

This was an opus...spanning generations with a complicated backstory and ever-increasing number of potential futures. I enjoyed it -- I didn't love it. This was a world that one could envision, and a future that one could see. Other than Proctor, the rest of the characters seemed pretty one-dimensional, probably intentionally.

Give yourself time to read this -- it is a commitment.

I loved the cover. The colors and composition spoke to me. Kudos to the designer.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the time I started this book I was sucked in. The characters were believable and well fleshed out and as the story progressed I found myself fully invested. Unfortunately, the time allocated for me to read the book expired before I could finish it but I thoroughly enjoyed the part I read. This book wasn’t one I would normally pick up and was suggested to me by the Publisher. Although I wasn’t familiar with the author they picked right and it was a definite fit. I’m gonna check out other books by this author. This was a cool read that I’d recommend others give a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 after reading and loving The Passage series several years ago. Thanks to Ballantine Books, @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley… I got to read it early! You’ll be hearing a lot more about it by the time it releases in May.

As I’ve been trying to write this review, I realized the more specific I get about the plot, the closer I am to revealing some of the twists… and I don’t want to spoil it so I’ll just say if you like dystopian and science fiction, just go into this blind.

It’s set in an island paradise known as Prospera where citizens live long, healthy lives and rarely want for anything. But of course there is another side to this utopia. We meet several different characters in the beginning whose stories and histories overlap and we gradually start feeling some atmospheric disturbance. This set-up may sound a little familiar, and yes, there are a few nods to well known dystopian tropes, but just when you think you’ve figured it out, it goes in another direction. Cronin writes his stories in such a way that make you feel a little unsettled until you really get into the groove and he finally decides to tell you exactly what’s going on.

I loved this one! The Ferryman is scheduled to release on May 2, 2023.