A really sterling example of horror from Cronin. Riveting from start to finish and downright frightening.

This is not my usual genre of book but it sound interesting and thought I would try it. I was NOT disappointed. I couldn't stop reading this stayed up all night just to complete it. Please don't pass this book up.

This was a well written, thought provoking story. I liked the concept of taking you down one path to then reveal a different outcome. I thought most of the characters were interesting although I thought it was a little odd that Elise, given her primary role in the story, was not further developed in depth. I have not read any of the authors other books, but this one makes me think of investigating the others. I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the advance copy. Good book and deserving of success in the market.

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. (Amazon Synopsis)

I read the Amazon synopsis above and thought this would be a mind-bending sci fi fantasy in the vein of the passage. We follow the protagonist, Proctor Bennett, who works for the Department of Social Contracts on Prospera as a ferryman - someone who ferries the retired back to the Nursery for their renewal. His mother mysteriously dies, and on the day his father is to retire, Proctor has an unusual experience that leaves him confused about his past and future. Proctor begins to question everything he has ever known. Amid his confusion, other characters are introduced that show a rift growing between the haves and have nots of Prospera - who also share cryptic messages about how Prospera came to be and what it will be in the future.

That is all to say that you will have no idea where this novel is going - it has enough twists and turns to make you turn the page more and more quickly to find out where the story is going. Although this is completely different from Cronin's Passage trilogy, it is equally bizarre and unusual. Science fiction that will make you keep reading and thinking about this world and the world we live in. If you are one of those people who have always been curious about alternative realities or simulated worlds, you will want to pick this up. This did not flow as well as Cronin's previous works for me, though it is good. 3/5 stars.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! This science fiction thriller grabbed me and never let go! The story is unique and the characters are fully flawed! I recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction or fantasy and appreciate a fresh approach.

Justin Cronin has been on my radar since his novel The Passage captured audiences' attention in 2010. At that time, I was just getting back into reading, and I hadn't even started my blog yet. As is often the case, I put the book and the subsequent trilogy on my TBR list, but never got around to actually reading it. I vowed to read whatever new work Cronin came up with next. Enter his latest novel The Ferryman. Cronin's publisher sent me a copy of his new standalone book, and I finally had an excuse to read his writing.

For the survivors, the small archipelago of Propera has become a place of refuge. As the world surrounding this place crumbles, Prospera has become a utopia of promise. Those lucky few who call the place home live their days of comfort and satisfaction, a life in sharp contrast to the people living in the outside world. The only caveat to this utopia is that it can't last forever. Each citizen is equipped with a monitoring device in their arms. As their physical and psychological well-being drops, they voluntarily retire to a place called The Nursery. Retirees board a ferry that takes them to be mentally and physically renewed.

Proctor Bennet has the important job of being a ferryman. He's responsible for guiding citizens through the retirement process, beckoning them to the boat that will take them to The Nursery. Usually, this is an almost celebratory moment as the elder citizens welcome this next chapter in their lives. Sometimes, though, Proctor has to more forcefully enforce the tradition. Strange things have been happening with Proctor. It is supposed to be impossible to dream on Prospera, yet he dreams vividly. Even more strange, his monitor is beginning to show he is rapidly declining, approaching the very state that sees him guide people to the ferry. His personal and professional lives come to a head when Proctor is tasked with helping his own father retire. At the last moment of the ritual, Proctor's father becomes agitated, needing to be restrained and forced to the ferry. In these brief moments, he relays a cryptic message to his son. This message will set into motion a series of events that will leave Proctor questioning everything he's ever known.

The Ferryman sees Justin Cronin conjure a world filled with moral ambiguities that will have readers contemplating the truths of everything they are presented with. I was instantly drawn into the world that Cronin created. His main character Proctor serves as a kind of in-between for the reader, allowing us to see the beautiful utopia of the world while questioning the motivations of those who have created it. The first third of the book had me completely enthralled. Cronin alternated between the POV of his main character with that of someone tied to the outside world, giving the reader an into each side of this fantasy. Toward the middle of the book, I became a bit lost in the weeds. The driving plot began to meander, and I wasn't sure what was happening. Things come together for a satisfying and twisty conclusion, but the book is probably a hundred pages too long.

The Ferryman had me hooked from the very beginning. I was sucked into this world immediately because it reminded me of something like the Truman Show. But as the story develop and threw in so many twists and turns, I really couldn't put it down. I feel like there's good commentary on society and the haves vs the have nots, and was presented in an approachable way for people who might not think about that subject often. The big twist towards the end of the book actually caught me totally by surprise, which I feel like is rare these days. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know that loves sci-fi and is looking for a book to get sucked into.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is a deep dive into an alternate world. One where everything is seemingly perfect. The upper class live in Prospera, the support staff live on a different island, The Annex, and people do not die; but rather, are shipped off to a place called “The Nursery” to be reincarnated and brought back to Prospera. They come back, being adopted by older Prosperans, not as babies, but as teenage beings who must re-learn the world.

We follow Proctor Bennett (The Ferryman) and other individuals in his life through the novel. Cronin’s world building is fantastic. I felt like I was in Prospera, The Annex, and The Nursery at various stages of the novel.

This is a layered novel with a lot going on. I really enjoyed the first half. But as I got into the second half, there was so much happening, that I found it dragging and difficult to follow. I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been a bit shorter and more succinct in the back half. Then again, that’s when you start to get all the juicy details about what’s actually happening with Prospera and it’s residents. This novel would be great for someone who loves a long, complex, deep dive with detailed world building.

I waited a few weeks after finishing the novel to write my review. I’m glad I did. I ended the book frustrated about it being so long. I was glad to be done. But this book has stuck with me. It is memorable. Had I been in a place to really settle into a long, complex story, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Four stars for me. It started as a five, ended as a three. Bumped back to a four as I love a novel that I sticks with me for a long time. This one will.

Special thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the digital ARC via NetGalley.

Okay so. This was the longest audiobook I’ve ever listened to and I very much did not have a good time. It just went on and on and on...

I will start off by saying, audio probably was not a great format for me, personally, for this book. World building is a thing I always struggle with so I was lost for most of this book. But. I will say, I don’t think I would’ve liked this no matter the format?

I read a lot of reviews saying the first half of this book was interesting and the second half was terrible. For me, it was the opposite. I found the first half super boring (and a little hard to follow?) but the second half I enjoyed more.

However. My main problem with this boiled down to that this felt like a story I’ve seen or read before and I thought it was done better by others. This reminds me of quite a few things (I won’t say what because spoilers) and I just ended up liking them so much more. This was an interesting concept but the execution just wasn’t it, for me.

But I will say this has some truly beautiful writing, especially in a couple of sections on grief. I actually scoured the e-copy I also had for some of my favorite quotes just so I could highlight and save them.

So. Overall, this just felt a little too long and too… much? I just didn’t really love the story. It was a miss for me. Except for the third chapter from the end. That was *chef’s kiss*

Anyway. Thank you to NetGalley, Libro.fm & Random House for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved the first 150 to 200 pages of this novel, and then everything sort of fell apart for me. I felt like the quality of the writing went progressively downhill after that point, but this is probably because of all the action scenes. Just as I get bored watching action scenes in movies, I always get bored reading them as well (this is why Razorblade Tears, which was so beloved by everyone, was a total slog for me). In the beginning of the novel, I could imagine where it could go, and the writing was lovely. Then the book went somewhere I didn't expect and became confusing, with characters who didn't feel well-defined and hundreds of pages of boring action and an ending that didn't matter that much to me after I'd skimmed through wanting to be done with it. Ultimately, it was a pretty significant disappointment, but I think some readers will love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this novel.

The Ferryman is Justin Cronin’s latest sci-fi thriller. He is known for his intrinsic world-building and it is showcased here in this twisty stand-alone novel. The story takes place on an archipelago in the middle of the ocean. Each sectional island is inhabited by distinct classes of people. Each individual’s well-being is monitored and when it reaches a particular low, they are taken to the Nursery where they are reinvented as a new creation of sorts. It’s a cyclical dystopian society. We follow Proctor Bennett who is the ferryman, transporting people from the respective homes to the Nursery. When he takes his estranged father on the ferry, questions arise that make Bennett question the life he leads and the society as a whole.

Various themes are discussed and dismantled in this novel, making it rather contemplative and reflective in nature. The plot is fairly complex and complicated, the novel is decidedly lengthy, but also engaging, mysterious and wrought with tension. This is a compelling, original novel and one that will fascinate many readers.

I really enjoyed Justin Cronin's 'Passage' trilogy and have been eagerly awaiting his new tale - The Ferryman, to immerse myself in.

Cronin again takes us to a time and place somewhere in the future. There's an island called Prospera that is home to the wealthy. They're supported (or should I say served) by the staff who live in the Annex. And with those two sentences you can surmise what's going to occur, can't you? I'll let you discover how that unfolds.

Cronin gives us a great lead character in Proctor Bennett. He's one of the Ferrymen who guide and accompany 'retiring' residents on their final journey. But his last journey raises questions that Proctor has never before thought to ask...until now. There are many, many other players, all just as uniquely well drown.

The setting is easy to imagine given the amount of detail Cronin employs. He's a master of worldbuilding. The plot is inventive, very imaginative and easy to get lost in. There are a number of turns in the narrative, that change what I had had thought. This does keep the reader on their toes. And you do need to read carefully as events, people, points of view and settings change often. I was eager to see what the final pages would bring. Now, as much as I like a good chunkster, I do think The Ferryman could have been tightened up a bit. That last chapter seemed much too long and too twee.

But overall, a good read.

Hmmm, not really for me. I always try sci-fi because the premises sound interesting, but more than half the time, I end up not liking the book because I just usually don't connect with that sci-fi style, so not liking the Ferryman is more about me than the book.

I liked the overall concept, and the last fourth or so was pretty solid, but it felt a bit unbalanced with everything that happened in the beginning, and I honestly just had trouble following some of the plot threads. I think people who typically like sci-fi will enjoy this, but it will probably be mixed for more casual sci-fi readers like myself.

I appreciate the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader copy of "The Ferryman," thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine House, and the esteemed author Justin Cronin. I read this book over a month ago, and I'm still trying to figure out how to explain what I read or summarize this novel. The Ferryman is a lengthy novel with a complex, intricate plot. I was initially confused, but by the novel's conclusion, everything came together, and I had an AHA moment. At the novel's beginning, we meet a woman who commits suicide at sea. Mr. Cronin builds the utopian world of Prospera, composed of three islands with social divisions. The islands are Prospera proper, where the wealthy elite reside; the Annex, home to working-class citizens and support staff; and the Nursery, where retirees go to have their memories wiped and their bodies renewed so they can restart life as new replication, a reborn teen. A Prospera couple adopts the reborn teens, and the life cycle starts anew.

Flash forward to the archipelago of present-day Prospera, where we meet Proctor Bennett. Proctor, a Ferryman, is charged with taking older, retired citizens to an island, the Nursery, for rebooting. It is up to Proctor to ensure the citizens make this transition smoothly and with dignity. One day Proctor has to transport his aging father to the Nursery, and all hell breaks loose. Afterward, things fall apart in Proctor's life, and he starts questioning his life and beliefs. Why does he dream when one else does? Why did his mother terminate her life?

As Proctor's life unravels, he meets individuals who are part of the Arrivalist movement, created by dissidents from the Annex. This novel has mystery, suspense, sabotage, betrayal, and espionage. Through Proctor's travails, he is trying to figure out, as well as the reader, his marriage to Elena, who does not share his desire for a family.

As the story evolves, Mr. Cronin takes you into another dimension plagued with many social issues (societal divisions, discrimination, economic inequality, etc.). The Ferryman is a creative, thought-provoking dystopian novel with multiple stories woven into one. Reading this novel is like playing 3-Dimensional Chess; you move in one direction, but the author makes a surprising move or two or three. Persevere because the conclusion of the story is astonishing and unexpected.

The Ferryman is an action-packed, complex, mind-bending tale well-worth reading.

4.5 stars rounded up

I was very excited to read my first Justin Cronin. I have heard such good things about his writing. I’m also always looking to expand my sci-fi go to authors. I decided to listen to this one on audio and I’m so glad I did. The narrators did a fantastic job.

This book had me intrigued from the very beginning. I had a feeling things weren’t exactly what they seemed but I didn’t know how everything would unfold. I think what I loved the most about this book is that it kept me guessing right until the last page. I was confused here or there but only briefly. I actually enjoyed it. I was never bored. This is a book that I highly recommend for anyone who likes sci-fi thrillers or for a reader who likes to be kept on their toes.

Having read a number of stories and seen even more movies / shows with a similar premise as this book, I guessed at the "twist" pretty early on. As the author explained towards the end, though, it's often not about figuring out the why/what/who but to see it all unfold. That was a nicely self-aware comment.
Moreover, the "twist" wasn't actually the only one, which was kinda nice because I HAD been wondering if there'd be more to it all.

I highly enjoyed being dropped in this perfect, futuristic society where everything is oh so perfect that it sent shivers down my spine and downright creeped me out. As soon as the first cracks appeared, it was almost a relief. *lol*

The worldbuilding was rich and detailed and the characters were infuriating. I didn't like too many here, no matter from which side. My biggest problem was with Elise, Proctor's wife. God, did I want to slap her. Then we find something out and it made me reconsider and just when I had come to terms with actually appreciating her, there was yet another puzzle piece falling into place and I was ... confused about my feelings. ;P

It's the mark of a great book when you get so invested, you wanna do physical harm to characters, shake or scream at them.

Then there was the writing. Where my previous encounter with this author left me feeling he was trying too hard or thinking too highly of himself / his linguistic skills, the prose in this book was the perfect combination of descriptive, sometimes whimsical, other times sharply precise and literary. I loved the references to Shakespeare's Tempest (not just the blatantly obvious ones).

The story was pretty straight forward. Sure, with twists and turns, but those were necessary and felt natural.

Whether we look at the worldbuilding, characters or science, to use an adjective a friend of mine loves to use, this book is: wholesome.

*3.5

There is truly so much going on in this book I don't even know where to start. I would think of this book more as a thriller in a sci-fi world more than just a sci-fi novel. If the synopsis seems interesting to you I can almost guarantee you would enjoy this one, especially if you like twists. It is pretty long but honestly the length is worth it.

This was very different from The Passage (an excellent series, which I highly recommend). But what an immersive story! At several points in the book I thought, "Wait! What is happening?" which is always fun. I liked the exploration of dreams, reality, multiple lives, and artistry.

We start on an island where people live their perfect lives, exploring whatever art, sport, etc. that calls to them. When they get old or start to deteriorate, they are retired to "the Nursery" where they are renewed, memories are erased, and they get to start over. It sounds like a great idea, but is it?

So much else happens and as I mentioned earlier, the book took directions I totally didn't expect. I'm glad I picked it up!

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕪𝕞𝕒𝕟
𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻
560 pages
Post-apocalyptic


Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs

In The Ferry, people are recycled, but no one knows how that process works. This community lives on an island and the rest of the world is in bad shape.

When their monitors hit a certain number, they retire themselves. The body & mind are rejuvenated, then they ride the ferry back as a teen to join a new family.

Is there more to life than what happens in this community?

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs

I had a tough time getting into this one.
The story is a bit confusing. Proctor Bennett is a ferryman. His job is to ferry people into retirement. When he has to ferry his own father questions arise.

As he tries to find answers, so many things happen.There is too much there and it becomes confusing. It got to the point where I wasn’t interested anymore. Many have loved this, so make your own decision.

It does make you think about the environment, how humans destroy it, and what could be on the horizon if change doesn’t happen.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and I stayed riveted until its conclusion. I love anything dystopian but the way this multi-layered story unfolded was really unique and kept me guessing for the first three-quarters of the book. You might think you know what's happening, then the plot twists again and you're back at square one.

I loved the main character, Proctor. He was flawed and real and that made him relatable. He makes poor choices and dumb decisions sometimes, but he still tries to be good and kind and do the right thing. The love between father and daughter is a strong element in this book, and it really touched my heart.

I felt a lot of anxiety while reading along. You're never sure what's real or who's telling the truth. It was interesting to discover who the real friends and foes were by the end of the book, and the journey to get there had my heart racing. No matter what I guessed, I was never even close to figuring out what was really going on here.

I will say this book has a lot of moving parts, and there are so many characters that when one of them is revealed to be a major enemy, I actually had no recollection of who that person was. So maybe the large cast lessened that impact. But the story, despite its many plot twists, was not hard to follow or visualize, and the ending was so bittersweet I actually cried. I just loved it all so much. I did try to read the author's previous work, The Passage, and I felt that book moved so slowly I just got bored and couldn't finish it, let alone the rest of the trilogy. I'm glad I gave this book a shot anyway, because it might actually be a new favorite. And now I want to give The Passage a second chance. I can't wait to see what this author does next! I'll definitely be on the lookout.