A huge thanks to NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Long time TBRer first time reader, thank you. Oh my gawdness. This book.

Have you ever been reading a book in bed and you get so lost in the story that when you suddenly need to go to the bathroom, you're not sure if you were reading or dreaming? Yeah, me neither until this book, but let me tell you, it is an intensely disorienting feeling to realize that you have...not lost, but...read through hours without realizing it but also not sure if you dreamt the reading...

So, we start with Proctor Bennett, who is a citizen of Prospera. It is...dystopian? post-apocalyptic? and the Prosperans (or prossies, depending on whether you're a proper Prosperan or the support staff) live in a bubble where there is no birth (children come to caregivers via a Ferry from the Nursery, which also happens to be where people retire to when their life monitor drops below a certain percentage) and rarely any death. Proctor is a Ferryman in charge of taking those at the end of their current iteration on the ferry to the Nursery. Sometimes the task is easy, sometimes it's not.

Proctor is married to Elise on their first contract (marriage contracts can be extended or renewed past the original contract time), but Elise has made it clear she wants no children. One day, Proctor meets a girl on the beach named Caeli. They strike up a strange kind of relationship akin to a father-daughter type situation and he agrees to teach her how to swim.

Meanwhile, there is a community of Arrivalists who know something is wrong with Prospera, they just don't know what. There is Mom, who oversees them, and Papi, a blind artist whose artistic renderings touch something deep inside people. There are the cousins - a group of children who run around and hide from the Prosperans who would follow them to locate Mom.

By the time to think you start to understand what is happening and Proctor is trying to also get a handle of what is going on....BAM! Emeril throws some spice on it and transforms it from something great to a freaking masterpiece. I have to say....

"I did NOT see that coming."

I did not see that coming. This is on my top ten list of favorite books. Color me impressed and moving on to more Cronin.

I was quite pleased to be able to read a copy of this book. I had read Cronin's earlier books and was excited to read this enormous new one. And it did not disappoint. I loved the characters and the whole society in which they live. I kept seeing the book as a movie as I was reading it.

Proctor Bennett is Director of the Department of Social Contracts and a Ferryman in Prospera, a city many years in the future. Proctor is an ethical, caring man who has a lot of responsibility. It took a while to figure out what is really happening in this futuristic novel where things are certainly not what they seem. It is difficult to review this novel withing revealing things that would unfairly reveal too much, so I will end by strongly recommending THE FERRYMAN for your next read.

I dont know if I have ever read a book with as many wild and unpredictable twists as The Ferryman had. This story was intense and at times a bit difficult to follow, but not in a bad way. It’s just that good. This story weaves together many complex details but in an intricate yet beautiful way. I loved how original it was. It did remind me somewhat of the TV show Westworld. Overall I really enioyed this one and highly recommend it!

This was my first Justin Cronin novel, and I can tell you it will not be my last. The storytelling, world building and mystery was spot on and helped to suck me in right away. I was completely fascinated with Prospera and its citizens that retire to the island of "The Nursery" when their embedded monitors indicate less than 10%. Our lead character, Proctor has the job of "ferryman", who helps people with their journey to retirement, where their memories are wiped, bodies restored, and they are brought back to Prospera for a new life.

I really had no idea what might lie beyond the "veil" of Prospera and where Cronin could possibly take this story. The suspense crafted throughout the novel was spot on to keep me wanting to know more and know the secrets of this island. The world building was absolutely incredible, and had to be my favorite part of the whole novel. I really enjoyed the overall story and appreciated the details to get from start to finish. I had some trouble with some of the details, at times there was a lot going on and made certain jumps difficult for me to grasp. By the end of the novel, everything made more sense to me, however I think things could have been condensed a bit more to make for a more concise and understandable story. Despite these few issues, I really enjoyed this book and it will definitely leave a lasting impression on me.

What a journey. Everything about this novel was great. The characters were complicated, messy, and had layers upon layers. The writing was enticing and compelling, and the way it changed perspectives kept the pace exciting and kept the reader interested in the various threads of the plot. The structure, the way it revealed its secrets, was really well done. Anyone that reads speculative sci-fi can probably guess some of the twists and turns ahead of time, I did, but that didn’t take away from the joy of experiencing it at all. While it starts as a pretty straight forward narrative style, as more chaos erupts into the lives of our protagonist there is almost a fever dream quality to the story, keeping the story exciting and a little unmoored, but if also felt wonderfully purposeful, never confusing or misleading just for the sake of it. The story itself takes a couple of different ideas and tropes we are used to and combines them together in a fun way, making a sum worth more than the value of its parts. A remarkable, cinematic journey that kept me on the edge of my seat!

I want to thank the author, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the author, Justin Cronin, publisher Ballentine Books, and as always, Net Galley for an advance digital copy of THE FERRYMAN.

I didn't read Justin Cronin's PASSAGE series, but I really wanted to try his books, which are acclaimed and well received. I was happy when NetGalley and Ballentine granted me a wishlist copy of this one.

Unfortunately, THE FERRYMAN was not for me. I did finish the book, but from the beginning, I just wasn't sure about what I was reading. I found it all a touch inaccessible. I couldn't connect with INCEPTION (2010 film) either and that's what it reminds me of. If you liked that, you will probably like this!

Rating: 2.5 😴😴😴 / 5 dreams
Recommend? Yes, but it's a hard read
Finished: January 21 2023
Read this book if you like:
⌛️ INCEPTION (2010 film)
🙇‍♀️ Difficult reads

Thanks very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this interesting book. I don't read a lot of speculative fiction (though maybe I should read more!), so I'd forgotten how entertaining it can be to immerse yourself in a new, unique dystopia, especially one with complex, well-thought-out world-building. The only thing I didn't quite get (speaking as someone who is in favor of using multiple types of POV in a book) is why the whole book wasn't just in 3rd person, alternating between the POV characters. Every time we switched back into the title character's first-person narration, it took me out of the story for a while. But, that's a minor quibble--overall, I thought this was an imaginative and interesting book.

It may only be January, but I'm already calling that The Ferryman is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. A tightly wound mystery set in an unsettlingly world that's utopian for the privileged and dystopian for the others forced to serve them. Cronin does such a fantastic job putting the reader in the head of the heartbreakingly haunted Proctor, who guides us through this mysterious world searching for the truth at its core. Though there are some tropes towards the end that are among my least favorite, Cronin executes them so well I didn't even mind.

I really didn't know what to expect going into The Ferryman, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I find that I really enjoy reading science fiction/thrillers and this one was suspensful and kept me entertained. Although I did get a bit bored in the middle, but I pushed through. Really enjoyed this one.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine!

3.5 stars

Having never read Justin Cronin I had no idea what I was in for. This is an intense science fiction with lots of reveals along the way. I can't say too much as it would reveal too much. This is a story about love, life, family, and human existence. If you like science fiction and Blake Crouch, I think you will really love this one.

I was given a copy of this from NetGalley and the Publisher to review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Justin Cronin's the Passage Series which is what piqued my interest with his new novel. I really enjoyed the Passage series and this one was even better!
The plot is fantastic and the reading this book makes your really get invested in the main character Proctor Bennett. This book reminded me a lot of how Blake Crouch and if you enjoy his work this one is not to be missed. Also if you are a sci-fi fan this one is not to be missed. Excellent book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

So, if Inception took place in an apocalyptic world where climate change was destroying everything and a group of people were desperately trying to find a way to survive, you would mostly have the Ferryman. In this case it’s Prospera, a little hunky dory island separate from the real world, but still one with ’haves’ and ‘have-nots’. The people of Prospera have everything they need and easy lives, and the drudge work is done by the people of the Annex. When the people of Prospera start aging too much they’re taken to the Nursery to start over. This happens with protagonist Proctor’s father, but when it happens things seem to start glitching. Proctor struggles with what his reality is, experiencing dreams and what appear to be flashbacks to previous lifetimes. This makes things confusing enough. Then a revolution of sorts is also going on in the Annex, as the people there are getting rather tired of being servants to the better off on Prospera. Then the layers get even deeper and it was harder for me to keep straight just where exactly Proctor really existed, because events kept jumping place to place. I eventually was able to get into Cronin’s intended flow for the storyline, which is clever, but by that point I kind of had a headache from the misdirection I’d experienced. I almost think this is one of those books where it is better reading it a second time around, knowing what happens and seeing how it gets built out. I just can’t say that I enjoyed it enough by the end that I’d want to go back and read it again. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A couple of years ago, I started reading Justin Cronin’s *The Passage* (shout-out to Mark Paul Gosselar). For about 100ish pages, I loved it. Then it lost me and I was unable/unwilling to persevere. *The Ferryman may have convinced me to give *The passage* a second chance.

The prologue and first couple of chapters in *The Ferryman* wrecked me and hooked me. However, it did start to meander a bit in the middle, but I decided to persist and Cronin rewarded me greatly for that decision. This book is great. It’s like *1984* if Orwell could make you give crap about Winston Smith. It is sort of like *Ready Player One* but not really. It is like *The Matrix*…I think. I’ve never seen *The Matrix* and no one is deciding between gang pills, so maybe it’s not like *The Matrix*. It is dystopian and post-apocalyptic and sci-fi and metaphysical and psychological and pretty close to awesome except when the story gets super complex/bordering on convoluted. But all-in-all, this is a novel that makes you think and feel. Well worth the time to give it a go.

ARC provided.

Utopian or dystopian? You decide.

This was the first Justin Cronin book I’ve come across. The description and setting had me from the start. The novel takes place in an isolated utopian paradise where everyone lives blissfully healthy, happy lives until their monitors--devices embedded in their arms--fall below 10%. At that point, they take the ferry to The Nursery, where they are revitalized, restored, and returned to the island with fresh bodies and minds to begin life again.

Our protagonist, Proctor Bennet, holds a position of high esteem within the Department of Social Contracts. He is a Ferryman tasked with shepherding those whose time has come to The Nursery. But not all go peacefully. Increasing acts of rebellion from the “lowly” workers who keep the island running smoothly, coupled with a disturbing message Proctor receives from his own father, stirs up questions no one can answer. As the plot thickens and layers are peeled back, Proctor discovers that life in Prospera is not at all what it seems.

Reminiscent of Blake Crouch’s and Stephen King’s superb storytelling, this masterful piece of sci-fi genius will leave you scratching your head, mind blown.

You want dystopian? This book has it. Environmental disaster? Got that, too. Science fiction? Yup. With all of that, why not a car chase? Yes! The Ferryman has an exciting car chase! Crowd scenes, riots, some passionate love making, and a honkin' big spaceship. But wait! There's more!

Okay, I'm not going to list absolutely everything that happens because that would be a book unto itself. Mr. Cronin manages to get about everything that could possibly happen in. Hey, this is a big screen event even if it's in a book. Okay, if you want more, here's more. Mistaken identity. Bad guys can be good guys and vice versa. An ingratiating robot named Bernardo. Somehow, all this stuff comes together and makes sense.

I have to admit, sometimes I got a little confused. A lot of the characters are confused at one time or another, so it's not just me. As I said, it all comes together in the end.

Did I mention a big explosion? This novel is begging to be a movie.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for allowing me to read and review, and pretend I'm frozen in space with The Ferryman.

This book really was a ride. The bulk of it was a bit of a slow-ish rickety train ride through the (dystopian) countryside with a bit of conflict and then at about 70%, we hit a rock on the tracks and the whole thing starts violently shaking and nearly derails and suddenly settles but now we’re going down a (sci-fi) hill at rocket speed. I COULD NOT digest the last 25% of this book fast enough.

The story combined my two favorite genres (yes, I consider dystopian to be a whole genre. Much to my annoyance at the book store) and rolled in a whole bunch of social and familial commentary that added so much depth.

I went into this expecting only dystopian. But we got a blend of three of my most favorite books: The Giver, Scythe, and a third that I won’t say because I saw it in other reviews and it sort of felt like a spoiler for me.

Near the end, the main character is experiencing a special moment and he identifies it as a memory as it is happening. He describes it as “a joy so intense that it can feel like sadness” and I’ve felt this before. Multiple times. This is such a beautiful way to express that feeling.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy of Justin Cronin’s “The Ferryman”.
I have been a fan of Mr Cronin since reading “.Mary and O’Neill”.
“The Ferryman” started out great but the story just lost me about half way through. I’ll read his work again but this one just wasn’t for me.

This was a DNF for me. First of all, I'm not big into science fiction. So it's not the authors fault. I'm sure some people may enjoy this book. For me, it was slow and just not something I could get into.

This is a very different book from the author's "The Passage" series, but undoubtedly his writing style. Meaning, there is lots of action, a complex plot, much to unravel, and characters with heart and depth.

This is a science fiction story about a sort-of utopian society called Prospera, but then it shifts and frankly gets somewhat confusing. Then it shifts again, and the action is nonstop. There is a definite feeling of "what just happened here?", but it is very well done, and makes the whole book into something very unexpected.

I don't want to summarize or give away more than that, but would highly recommend this book. This is another great story from a great author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.