I am completely blown away by this book! I found it to be very original and exciting. Thank you very much to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review. I also bought a physical copy because my family wants to read it too!

The story unfolds on three islands, Prospera, The Annex and The Nursery. This group of islands is shrouded from the rest of the deteriorating world. The weather is sunny and mild. Prosperans are encouraged to live their best (and long) lives and each has a monitor embedded in their arm that measures their health and psychological wellbeing. When a Prosperan's monitor falls below 10%, a ferryman will escort them to the ferry that will take them to The Nursery where they will be rejuvenated and returned again. The Annex is where all the support people live and they are starting to become agitated.

Proctor Bennet is a ferryman and has found success and satisfaction in shepherding the Prosperans through the retirement process. It doesn't always go smoothly. Proctor is beginning to notice changes in himself and society and then there's the dreaming...

I don't want to give much more away. At 560 pages, you can settle into this story and connect with the characters. It's mysterious, thrilling and mind bending. I highly recommend picking this one up!

4.5 stars

I’m not quite sure where to begin (or end) with my thoughts on Justin Cronin’s new book “The Ferryman.” It’s a complex, trippy, dream-like rabbit hole of a read that follows Proctor Bennett, a ferryman of Prospera, as he slowly descends into (what seems to be) madness.

Bennett leads a picturesque life as a ferryman on Prospera (an island paradise hidden from the decimated outside world). When he is charged with retiring his father because his monitor has dipped below the acceptable percentage, a disturbing encounter ensues that slowly leads to the unraveling of everything and everyone Bennett thought he knew.

While the story is very much Bennett’s, there are a lot of sub-plots and secondary characters that play large roles in this lengthy book. We have Bennett’s sudden and startling loss of reality and while his quest to uncover the truth is the driving plot, it umbrellas the “The Support Staff” or “Arrivalists” narrative as they work to overthrow the current rule. We also get an interesting perspective from Bennett’s mother, who had an unfortunate incident when he was younger, as well as the mystery of the Nursery island and what lies beyond the islands’ borders. Let’s just say there is a lot going on. At times you wonder if there’s actually a finished puzzle by the end of the book considering how many pieces we are given. There is. Maybe not wrapped up as neatly as your exhausted brain hopes, but wrapped up nonetheless.

While this sits firmly in the sci-fi genre, you will notice elements of dystopian fiction, fantasy and even the thriller genre. Cronin’s writing is mesmerizing and gives off a dream-like feel to the narrative. You are constantly waiting fo the ball the drop…and then it does. And then it does again. And just when you think you have a grasp on everything, another drop. It’s truly sci-fi at it’s best as a mind-bending and thought-provoking read. You will be exhausted after reading it from the psychological torment Bennett endures to the gut-wrenching emotion and the constant presence of unavoidable and constant chaos.

The Ferryman is set to be one of the spotlight sci-fi books of 2023 and for those who love a book with a seemingly never-ending psychological rabbit hole, this is definitely one for you.

Intriguing sci-fi book with a pretty good twist.

I became a fan of Justin Cronin and his worldbuilding when I read The Passage series. This is a great standalone follow-up to those books. I feel like it's best to go into this without any preconceived notions and just go with it. There are a few parts that were a little circuitous and confusing, but for the most part this is part sci-fi, part mystery, part thriller.

The land of Prospera is an archipelago in the middle of the ocean. It is divided into three islands: Prospera, where the wealthy, elite members of society live; The Annex, where the working class and support staff live; and The Nursery. Everyone in this utopian society is embedded with a monitor in their arm measuring their health and well-being. When the percentage reaches a critical low number, that person is taken to the Nursery where they are essentially rebooted and come back to the island as a new iteration. These new iterations are adopted wards of those on the island, where they learn and the cycle repeats.

Proctor Bennett is a ferryman, whose job it is to escort those to the ferry back to the nursery. He is contracted (married) to Elise. Proctor deeply desires to take on a ward, but Elise is completely resistant. After his mother committed suicide years before, Proctor became estranged from his father. One day when he comes into work, he finds out that his next assignment to escort to the ferry is his father. Some strange things happen, and on the way there his father makes some odd statements that resonate with Proctor, but he doesn't know why. This sends him in a surprising direction that no one could predict.

This is a complex story with many themes throughout. An exploration of class divide, nature vs. nurture, the quest for perfection, and many others I can't discuss without getting into spoiler territory. Much of this book is told through Proctor's first person point of view and I really connected with those parts of the book as he slowly peels away layers of what he knows vs. what he thinks he knows.

Although this is a lengthy tome, I never felt bogged down because the narrative keeps moving forward. There are a couple of major twists and those made the story that much more fascinating for me. I do have to say though (view spoiler)

If you like solidly written, imaginative books, then definitely pick this one up. I can't wait until more of my friends read it so we can talk about it!

What a trip! This is sci-fi with so much depth and detail that you have to pause sometimes to take in all you just read.

A futurist society full of haves and have nots mixed with anarchism, deception, and plenty of reveals. You can’t go wrong with this book if you’re a sci-fi fan.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book.

I don’t even know where to start with this one or how to explain what I just read. In fact I’m not even going to try to. I mean even by reading the books description you won’t truly going to get a feel for what the book is about. Rather let me say this is just one of the trippiest books I’ve read in a long time. It’s an incredible journey and one I wish I could wipe from my mind just so I could read it again for the first time. The story just kept my mind working in overdrive. It seemed like every chapter would remind me of different books or movies or tv shows I’d read or watched over the years. Something would happen and I would think ‘this kind of reminds me of The Village’ or ‘I’m getting a serious Lost vibe here’, etc. With The Ferryman Justin Cronin gives a masterclass in storytelling, weaving together a world and tale you’ll find yourself still thinking about even days after you’ve finished reading it. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Justin Cronin’s absolutely brilliant The Ferryman.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RMIRG7VT2RFFM/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This review is going to be super unfair of me, because I didn’t finish this book. I didn’t even get close to finishing this book. I would normally never do this, except considering the success of The Passage, I think the author can probably handle my uncharitable opinion, if he were to ever even run across it (which is doubtful).

This book gave me the sense that the author had something Really Important to Say about something. You can tell this just by the voice and tone of the book, right from the beginning. The landscape of the island and how it works is painted in excruciating and beautifully rendered detail.
The book begins with a Mysterious Death. Why would someone want to throw themselves in the ocean tied to an anchor from a small boat when everyone on their island is effectively immortal? We don’t know. What we do know is that once someone has lived out their “life” on the island, they are sent to a Mysterious Place where they are effectively recycled and sent forth to live another life.

How does this happen? Why does this happen? How long has this been going on? Sorry, but I can’t answer those questions. I’m sure they’re in the book, but again… I didn’t finish it. Much like The Passage, this book is epically large. Comically large. Brandon Sanderson large. Honestly, the only reason why I got through The Passage at all was because I had it on audio book and had nothing better to do at work then. That was a beautifully written story that could have made a wonderful 90 minute movie (and maybe it did? I have no idea) and would have saved me 40 hours of my life.

Let me be utterly honest: this concept is unique and intriguing, but the mechanics of reading this book is a grueling slog that made me want to read something, anything else. On the other hand, I desperately want to know how the story ends. It’s a conundrum, and something that isn’t unique to this author for me, but does appear to be a theme.

At some point, on that mythical Someday when I have read everything else on my list and have nothing better to do, I might return to this story and try again. Until then, someone please come and spoil the ending for me.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is available today if you’d like to read it and disagree with me on the internet.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Speculative Fiction, Speculative Family Saga, Thriller, Mystery, Survival Sci-Fi
Spice Level: Pretty low
Violence Level: Low - Medium
Content warnings will be at the end.

This adult novel reminds me of the good things from the sci-fi of the 80s with its big ideas and sweeping landscape. Seriously had some Asimov vibes for me. I would classify this as an idea story because everything is constructed to explore the idea of human nature, society, survival, etc.

Proctor Bennett is a ferryman, taking people who are ready to "retire" to the nursery where they will be reborn for a new life. But when he must retire is father, things go sideways. Why has his father given him a mysterious message? Should Proctor tell anyone that he dreams?

Proctor is interesting because at first he seems like an average middle-aged man, but once the mysterious message takes over his wonderings, he acts in new ways. I was often surprised by his choices—both good and bad. His actions have serious consequences.

Elements in this book:
Two classes
Secret emerging religion among the working class
Social unrest
Power shifts
Surpises and twists
Humanity's nature
Survival

I loved the first 60% or so of the book. Then it became a touch confusing. And finally, we had the last portion to wrap up the ends. It's the ending 30%ish that put me off a bit because I thought it was too long, and it seemed like it was wrapping up every loose end. For me, in sci-fi, I prefer a little bit of ambiguity.

Is the book worth reading?
Absolutely!
With the themes of classism and privilege it feels pertinent to our society.

I recommend this book!

Happy reading,
Michelle

Content Warnings: Death of a child, classism, some violence

The author of The Passage has written a standalone door stop of a novel called The Ferryman. The plot is part science fiction, part fantasy and part mystery. For someone who loves genre mashups, did the entire book thrill me as much as its blurb?

The Plot
Prospera is a remote trio of islands whose bioengineered and privileged citizens live for a century without many cares. As each citizen ages, they are monitored. Once their health declines to 10%, the citizen is “retired” to a mysterious island called the Nursery. There they are recycled into a new citizen with no memory of their prior life. Citizens are encouraged to become guardians of these newly formed residents because citizens cannot have biological children of their own.

To make this idyllic society work, a support staff of biological humans do the manual labor. These second-class people live in squalor on another island called the Annex. A wave of sick-outs among the Annex’ residents is causing consternation among Prospera’s highest echelons. There is a new religion fermenting rebellion that is slowly moving through the workers.

Proctor Bennett is a ferryman, who shepherds the soon-to-be retired to a ferry to the Nursery. One day he is asked to assist his father to the retirement ferry. His father freaks out on the dock and states the world is not real. Proctor begins to question his entire life’s meaning and soon descends into a whirlwind of bad choices.

My Thoughts
I absolutely adored the world-building in the first third of the book. While reminiscent of other classic stories, it was a highly original meshing of literary with science fiction. However, that feeling came to a screeching halt when the first large twist hit the plot. Really? Why would you insert such an overused trope into what up until then was such an innovative plot? Heavy sigh…

After finishing the book, I have some perspective about my disappointment. It started out clearly as a 5 star favorite. The Ferryman fell to 3 stars after the twist but somehow managed to rise to 4 stars by its conclusion. It is a satisfying choice for fans of high-concept science fiction plots like The Matrix and Minority Report. Just don’t raise your expectations too high. It’s a good book but not as great as promised by its blurb.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

The Ferryman is an intelligently written tale that is part sci-fi, part dystopian, part thriller and despite its multi-leveled narratives and timelines, it is easy to follow and never leaves the reader behind. The main character is likable, sympathetic, and his choices make sense, especially by the end of the book. At that point, the reader will find themselves rethinking the many layers of this tightly written standalone about the entitled citizens of the archipelago of Prospera and the laborers who populate the Annex and the inevitable class war between the two.

While the people of the always sunny Prospera live in their own bubble and are able to enjoy their yoga sessions, art shows, parties, games of tennis and easy going lifestyle, they are unable to produce their own children so they become guardians of “wards” adopted from the island called the Nursery. It’s well known that the wards are young reiterations of the elderly who have come to the end of their monitored lives. These are people who have been taken to the docks, whether they are amenable or not, where they are ferried to the Nursery and their memories are scrubbed clean so they can start a new life on Prospera.

Proctor Bennett, one of the directors of the Department of Social Contracts, AKA a Ferryman, is one who drives these elderly to the docks. He is more than just a director, he holds their hands, gives them words of support so they may leave with peace, and dignity. Written in first person narrative, Proctor finds himself satisfied. He lives at the beach with his artistic wife, Elise, where he can swim blue waters each day. They have a fifteen year renewable marriage contract, a beautiful house, and many friends. His world is perfect and despite Elise resisting the idea of adopting a ward, they are very happy. Then comes the day Proctor is assigned to bring his estranged father to the docks and his life begins to unravel.

The voices of other Prosperans, of the dissatisfied citizens of the Annex, and those of the revolutionaries known as the Arrivalists, are written in third person but it is never confusing or jarring. One of those voices is that of Thea, owner of an art gallery on Prospera, who lives a double life. When not assisting the entitled choose uninspired works of art to match their living room sofas, she meets with Mother, a leader of the Arrivalists, to share intel and take on new assignments. Her latest assignment: Proctor Bennett.

The first half of the book is phenomenal in its introduction to the characters and to the disparate worlds of Prospera and the Annex. Then, the author brings it all crashing down and what the characters know and what the readers think they know is turned on its head. This is when the reader’s begin to question everything they read so they may begin to put together pieces of the thought-provoking puzzle the author has gifted his readers. It tests the reader with its complexities but never drowns them with convolution or implausibilities. We believe everything.

The Ferryman is an amazing piece of work that is satisfying and mind-bending. The author is skillful at weaving a tale such as this and his writing is first-rate. Please, enjoy.

I'll be honest, this was a slow start for me, but with a BIG payoff at the end!

A literary distopian book that focuses on a never-ending life, punctuated by rebirth based on your mental health...

Huh.

I was intruiged. As I read further, I became confused. Character growth was good, but it seemed something more was under the surface. As the do in distopian stories, things get worse, but due to the literary bent, I found myself getting pulled out of the action... there was still SO much book to go.

Then the story bent, and all the pieces came together.

Ultimately, this was a masterwork about the strength of relationships, the hope inherent in the human spirit, and the ability to rise over challenges... even those that come from within!

I just wish I didn't have the 35% slog!

But so, so worth it!

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, I came into The Ferryman having read The Passage series, so I had a good sense of what I was possibly getting into with his general style and subject matter. I loved how he dipped into the apocalyptic, vampire soaked genre with those books.

The Ferryman has those elements, but also mixes in this utopia element of people living on this island in a seemingly pretty great setup. It almost reminded me of an expensive wellness retreat you see touted for the rich and well rested. But, whenever that trope comes up, you almost always know things are gonna get ugly, and of course they do.

I'll just say it here - I think Cronin's overly verbose and detailed to death writing kind of kills the momentum that the book builds in the first half. I could get behind getting the context of this strange island, the secrets, and the tension building to all hell breaking loose, but then once the action starts to really pour out, the book kind of fell apart for me in that it became kind of boring, like a not interesting apocalyptic novel. Kind of like he pumped the beginning so much it ran out of steam.

The beginning kept me interested, but by the last 1/3, I was pretty much skimming. If you are a fan of his, you'll probably be drawn to the book, like I was, and I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, but I guess don't build it up to much more than your run of the mill dystopian clash of the classes novel.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is a work of science fiction, apparently by a master. I am not sure what made me chose it as I am not a science fiction reader. It was an interesting story of a post-apocalyptic society in which souls were remade into new people when the person got old, or was disabled, or chose to go. The Ferryman escorted them to the ferry that would take them to the island where all this happened. Many went willingly. Some did not. Today’s assignment was his father, or what passed as a father in this society. When people were ready to be parents they received a partially grown person from this same island. I felt like it tended to be rather cold, until everything I had read turned out to be wrong.

I was an engaging novel, if not just a little confusing for an amateur. It was well-written and Cronin imbued his characters with individual personalities that made them endearing, or not, as the case may be. The plot was a good one, if a little confusing as time wore on. It was an engaging read and flowed smoothly, surprising me as the story unfolded. That was probably my inexperience with the genre. I enjoyed the read, although I will be avoiding the genre in the future.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Ferryman by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #JustinCronin #TheFerryman

This is a book that feels near impossible to talk about without ruining any part of the experience…but I feel like I *can* tell you that this book felt like what it might be like if The Giver, Recursion, Project Hail Mary, and Sea of Tranquility had a book baby. It is a sweeping (500+ page) sci-fi dystopian novel, yet with slower paced atmospheric vibes. It feels like it would be the perfect rainy weekend book, which works out especially well given all the spring rain we’ve been having here in Oregon this year!
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Sometimes I have a difficult time getting into books that are heavily character driven and/or involve a lot of world building, but that was not the case for me here—there were definitely enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes along with themes of love, loss, and what it means to live.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one!

<b>4.5</b> rounded down. This is a tricky book to review without giving stuff away - honestly, don’t look at reviews and just read it if the blurb sounds enticing, maybe then reading reviews after to process. Now. This is definitely a mindfuck. 😅 💁🏻‍♀️ At first I was a bit resistant when it goes down because it felt like the beginning (or so it seems) and world overall was being rushed and we were getting a - granted clever and smart - spin on a somewhat predictable outcome .. but I didn’t realize we had miiiles to go before we slept. This book has a well rounded-ness I wasn’t wholly expecting and it’s clearly due to Cronin’s skill with detail and overall crafting of the story, it’s structure, flow, characters. Everywhere I was impressed by the facets of detail, though there are some more abstract scenes where I found the writing a little less successful. I wouldn’t say I tried to figure anything out, this was so immersive that I was happy to let the twists and reveals just come, but I do wish I would have read it less broken up - I’ll likely be rereading it eventually to really take it in as a whole.

<i>Thanks so much to Ballantine and Net Galley for an e-ARC of this book! 🙏🏼</i>

Wow, what a remarkable book! I thought when I started that it might be a bit too sci-fi for my tastes (and tbh it was close), but it was actually very accessible and the story was amazing. Even when I was a bit confused, I found I didn’t care because I was having so much fun reading it!

Cronin’s world building is impeccable. I was in complete awe of all the details that made up this universe (what it must be like inside his head!), and how realistic it felt. I think a lot of that can be credited to how he took issues/themes from our world (global warming, power imbalances between classes, living in a police state, etc.), and used Prospera to explore them. The end result is incredibly powerful and created a world that is easy to get lost in.

The characters were all extremely well done and distinct, to the point where the POV would switch and I knew immediately whose perspective I was in without being told. I especially loved how complex each person was, and how even the ones you were rooting against were sympathetic at points.

This novel was also a wild ride. Whenever I thought I’d figured out what was going on, Cronin flipped it on its head and shocked me. I genuinely had no idea what was happening fully until the last page, and it was such an enjoyable journey.

I found Cronin to be a truly talented writer. I’ve heard most of his novels live up to this standard and I’m looking forward to checking them all out!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC! The Ferryman is out today!

4.5/5

The Ferryman is an enthralling read that is nearly impossible to set aside. This captivating novel is filled with excitement, mystery, and a satisfying conclusion.

The Ferryman is a riveting standalone novel by author Justin Cronin. The story is set in a hidden island utopia called Prospera, where the residents enjoy long, fulfilling lives until their monitors embedded in their forearms fall below 10 percent. Proctor Bennett, a ferryman who gently shepherds people through the retirement process, begins to have dreams—which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. His monitor percentage also begins to drop alarmingly fast. When he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message, Proctor begins to question everything he thought he knew about Prospera.

Cronin's writing is masterful, and he creates a richly detailed world that is both familiar and strange. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is suspenseful and unpredictable. The Ferryman is a thought-provoking novel that explores the nature of utopia, the power of memory, and the importance of family. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to review this advance copy. The Ferryman is available everywhere you buy books now!

he Ferryman by Justin Cronin was one of my most anticipated releases in 2023. I am a huge fan of his Passage trilogy and was excited to slip into this science fiction fantasy. While quite different from his previous works, Cronin takes us to a utopian world where all is not as it seems. With twists and surprises, I found myself caught up in the Ferryman’s fate.

Cronin takes us to the archipelago of Prospera. Created by the Director, select humans live and are reborn on these islands. They are sheltered from the outside world where natural & man-made disasters have left the world uninhabitable.

Citizens arrive as young adults and are adopted by the citizens of Prospera. They are nurtured and sent off to school. Such was the case with Proctor Bennett. He is now an employee of the Department of Social Contracts. He helps aging citizens retire and board the ferry to be re-birthed. The job is mostly comforting them as they get ready to embark, but occasionally, force is needed.

Proctor lives with his wife Elisa but has been restless lately. He is having dreams and his health monitor is dropping in numbers. When he escorts his own father to the ferry, he says something that sets off a chain of events. The story that unfolds hooked me and never let go. While I had hints about what was happening, Cronin still surprised me.

The tale is told from multiple points of view from the elite in Prospera to the workers who cross over to the island and work for them. Conspiracies, factions, upheaval and power grabs bring suspenseful moments. As cracks appeared their society mirrored more of what we see that is wrong in our current society.

The story puts forth some intriguing questions while pointing out some inherent flaws in society. An addictive, thought-provoking science fiction that you’ll ponder long after you close the book.

The story has a Matrix vibe and I could not set it down. The world-building is lush and complex and the pacing slowly builds until you grip the pages with each discovery and climatic scene.

While this appears to be a standalone and I was left satisfied, I would be curious to know what happens next. Either way, I look forward to more from this author.

This is my first Justin Cronin book and all I have to say is, wow-I was not expecting this reading experience! This book is long (~500 pgs) so it was a little intimidating starting out, but once the storyline picked up, I was reading nonstop.

Without giving too much away, it is about a dystopian world where global warming is happening and there are 3 hidden islands, each with their own roles. Everyone has a monitor embedded in their arm and they are forced to retire at a certain life percentage & are then reborn. The main character, Proctor, is their "ferryman" to their new life. It is full of action, sci-fi, and world building. I can't wait to read The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin next. Thank you Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Justin Cronin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, this book is not light reading but rather it is though-provoking and in the genres of sci-fi and fantasy. The setting is a Utopian island named Prospera, an island whose inhabitants enjoy all kinds of privileges and even get to be “reborn” when their time of life runs out. The regular people are the servants of the Prosperans and when the book starts the “Arrivalists” are beginning to foment a rebellion against the powers over them. The main character is Proctor, the one for whom the book is named. His job is to ferry people who are retiring from Prospera to the island called the Nursery where their memory is wiped and they begin life anew. I thought the entire book was mesmerizing but totally surreal, like a Salvador Dali painting, impossible to believe but beautiful nonetheless. This book was beautifully written but cannot be read quickly for two reasons. The first is because of its length and the second reason is because of its depth. There are some chapters that I just got stuck in, wondering what had happened and how those events were going to play out. The characters are not particularly believable since they are other-worldly, but all of the characters are well-developed. I suppose that I could relate best to those who served and were trying to rebel and obtain their own freedom to choose what they wanted to be and how they wanted to live, but for the most part, I was outside of the story looking in and not an active participant as I am in many fiction books. This book is a compelling and mystifying read, so imaginative that it was creepy at times. I especially enjoyed how the plot was laid out methodically and the mystery of who was working for and against the strangely Utopian civilization was revealed slowly and brilliantly. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it’s a real head-spinning winner for me!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”