This is my first book I've ever read from Justin Cronin. I recognized his name from several other books but this is my first experience with him. The book started off very slow for me but I stuck with it. And I'm glad I did. This book was an absolute thrill ride and I loved every minute of it. Justin Cronin is definitely fantastic at world building as this book was a massive exploration from start to finish. I would read this book again just to revisit the world. Definitely worth multiple reads!

This is my first ever read by this author. I recognized the name but wasn’t sure what genre he wrote in. Going in blind (how I usually read my books). I was pleasantly surprised. I was a bit confused at first, but the storyline intrigued me and captured my attention. Although for most of it I felt I didn’t know what I was reading. Hahaha. I enjoyed The Ferryman and highly recommend it if you like Sci-fi.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Publishing for the eARC.

This is an absolutely amazing book. My head is still humming. Even though it is 560 pages I read it in two days, I was completely entranced...and in a trance is how I still feel.

The world building was exceptional, I was reminded of a Logan's Run type world, but it was so much more intricate than that.

There are two distinct classes among the citizens of this isolated island chain world. Those who live on the Prospera island. These are the 'elite' class citizens. They wear a monitor that tracks their quality of life. Once they reach an age when the monitor drops, they board a Ferry taking them to The Nursery island, to be reiterated. They will return to begin life, at roughly 16 years old and living to be over 100.

Those living on the Annex island, the working class 'serving class' don't get unending iterations, they are born and live a normal life span. Unrest is brewing and most Prosperans haven't noticed yet.

Proctor Bennett is the Ferryman, his job is to usher Prosperans to the ferry as gently as possible. It is a stressful time and many times their minds have become unstable. After a particularly rough escort, Proctor becomes aware that there is something more going on, beneath the surface of his isolated island world.

I don't want to say more, and give away anything for first time readers. I thought I had figured out what was happening, but was completely off course.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Netgalley for the opportunity to experience this epic e-Arc

This was a shock of a read! A post-apocalyptic world, really just an archipelago, and 2 very different people with very different lifestyles. This situation between these people is a powder keg with a lit candle sitting on it.... you know it's gonna blow, just not the exact damage it will create.

I loved this sci-fi world. There are constantly new and surprising elements that drop in and keep things exciting. Definitely twists and turns that I did not expect. I really feel like I relished every page.

Out May 2, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I was given the eARC of this book by the publisher/NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

This is not the usual type of book I read. However, I enjoyed it a lot. There were a few bumps I felt unnecessary towards the end of the book. All in all, it was extremely enjoyable. It was also quite easy read. Definitely adding the author to be list!

I received this from Netgalley.com.

I don't read a lot of Sci Fy and at 560 pages, I found this book a bit of a challenge. But I have liked other books by this author and endeavored to read on.

With the story jumping back and forth between Proctor's lifetime, I found myself reading passages over and over to be sure I didn't lose the thread of the story and that made me weary. Overall, an okay read but it could be a couple hundred pages shorter without losing continuity of the story.

2.5☆

This was a DNF for me as I just could not vibe with the writing style. A bit too "cerebral, wanting to be existential" for my preference.

I really enjoyed The Ferryman by Justin Cronin. It was pretty epic world building and I was constantly searching for answers to all the mysteries of the world called Prospera.

I was reading at a good clip, the first half of the book. I felt really invested in Proctor and still had no clue what was going on. I knew all was not as it seemed.

The second half of the book went a bit slower and I felt a little lost with all the technical jargon and such.

The last few chapters made me stop and think. Obviously, this is a tale that we can all relate to, at least a little. Are we slowly but surely destroying our planet? We are separating ourselves onto Haves and Have-Nots. There’s lots of destruction in this book, but also hope.

Justin Cronin does not disappoint! The whole book has the feeling of a dream world (with a hint of a spoiler, this is apt) but what's masterful about Cronin's writing is that each abrupt change in setting, character perspective, timeline, etc. feels so real. Cronin ramps up the tension throughout the narrative, and I was worried that I'd feel disappointed by the inevitable plot reveal. Not so. Cronin wraps it up beautifully---a satisfying conclusion but also a thoughtful one. Would highly recommend.

This is my “and yet…” review. Confused? Keep reading…

I fell madly in love with Justin Cronin’s storytelling skills when I obsessively read his hugely popular dystopia/horror novel, The Passage. It scared the bejesus out of me, and yet…I couldn’t stop reading it.

Now, his latest novel since finishing up the trilogy that began with The Passage:

Story concept: yeah, not sure. But in a nutshell, lead character Proctor Bennett escorts people to the ferry when they ‘retire,’ and head off to their next ‘iteration.’ Trouble ensues when he escorts his previous guardian. Are you confused? Yep, so was I and yet…

I kept reading. I hit 38% and still wasn’t sure what I was reading but was so intrigued. I considered DNFing, and yet…I was just plain curious.

I hit 60% and pieces began to fall into place, slooooooowly and yet…I was still confused and unsure what the heck was going on.

I hit 80% and my mind was BLOWN. And yet…what else was there to happen? Could it keep me going for the final 20%? YES YES and YES.

For me, this book is the classic definition of “Patience, my child, it will come.” I cannot stop thinking about this wild look into our future, how prescient it feels as I read current news articles about AI, climate change, scientific worries, etc. Was it too long? Yes. Was it worth it? So much yes.

As a huge fan of the Passage trilogy I was so looking forward to Justin's next book. I have to say it would have been impossible to live up to all my hopes. This book is not what I expected. The story itself was hard for me to follow at times. The final 10% was really jammed packed with a lot of things being wrapped up. It will be a huge success because of this author’s following, but it wouldn’t surprise me if many readers are disappointed as it is so different from the passage series. Not just different in subject and scope, but I didn’t have the same investment in the characters. I didn’t feel the same connection between the characters. It was just very different.

It is hard to talk about this novel without massively spoiling it, but I'll try. The main story here is about a dystopian society that resembles the one in Brave New World: a privileged upper class supported by a working class that is largely ignored, with no privileges. We get to know a large cast of characters in both classes, but there are intimations of unrest. It all comes to a head in Section VI (of VIII, plus a brief Epilogue), 70% of the way into the story.

There is a revelation that completely changes everything we thought we knew. It was big enough to make me question the time spent on the earlier part of the novel. Fortunately, Cronin was able to resolve the story in an effective way in the time remaining, although things are a bit open-ended. Not exactly a satisfying ending, but close enough.

Thanks to Net Galley for the Advance Readers Copy.

<b><U>NETGALLEY / Ballantine&Random House ARC</b></U>

<b>Plot:</b> 4
<b>Characters:</b> 4
<b>Writing Style: </b> 5
<b>Cover:</b> 5
<b>Enjoyment:</b> 5
<b>Buyable/Re-readable?:</b> Very much so.

<b>I.</b> The book is divided into eight parts, plus an epilogue and prologue
<b>II.</b> The Prologue is third person POV, Proctor's portions are first person, and the rest are in third.
<b>III.</b> Contains: Reincarnation in 16 year-old bodies for elite and regular life for those lesser off, <i>"my monitor. Every Prosperan has one: a small port embedded in our forearms, halfway between the inner elbow and the wrist. This is connected by a network of wires, one-tenth the width of a human hair and running along the bones, to a sensor array at the base of the cerebral cortex. It is our frontline tool for monitoring the constant ebb and flow of life— not merely our physical health but also the richer, more elaborate matrix that constitutes overall well -being"</i>, android-type things, rebellion, things I can't mention without spoilers. I think it's a nice look at grief.
<b>IV.</b> Trigger Warnings include: suicide, self mutilation with legit purpose, child abandonment
<b>V.</b> Setting - Three islands set in the future on dystopian Earth.
<b>VI.</b> Properans don't dream much, if at all, but our main character does which is significant.
<b>VII.</b> I'll admit one issue I took with the story, though, is that there are times based off the writing where it feels like the author is living vicariously through Proctor. If you know, you know.
<b>VIII.</b> I'm surprised by how many typos there were in my copy, and they only seemed to increase towards the end.
<b>IX. </b>I most definitely need to/want to read again, equipped as I am with the book's outcome.

<b>X.</b> Top 2023 candidate for sure, despite it being done before. I can also agree with a friend's review that it "also just refuses to end", as I kept wondering how/when it would as well. xD

Oh how I adored this book! I want to thank Random House and Netgalley for the advanced copy because I devoured it over the weekend. If you love epic storytelling, characters, plot, and good narrative this book is for you. The Ferryman is like Justin Cronin's other works in that you don't feel like it is a long book, and then you realize you have been reading for 5 hours straight.
Giddy smiles all around!

Justin Cronin's "The Ferryman" is one wild ride. In parts absolutely riveting and unputdownable and in other parts shake my head confusing.
Prospera is an isolated island which the rest of the world is apparently unaware of. The place is idyllic and seemingly no one would want to leave. There is no way to leave and it is forbidden. The people live to be quite old and their arm implants let everyone know how healthy they are and when it is their time to go to the "nursery" which is reached by boat and is fairly unescapable.
Proctor Bennett is the director for the Department of Social Contracts and is the. ferryman of the story. He ferries those ready to go to the nursery to the boat which will take them there. These folks are often scared or upset and a scene is to be avoided if at all possible as it will upset others on the brink of breaking down. In the nursery their lives are erased along with their memories and they are reborn around sixteen years old. They are then adopted back onto Prospera to live out a new life.
When Proctor's father is due to go to the nursery everything changes for Proctor. He has never really come to terms with his mother's death and though not close to his father, something he says on the way to the boat changes everything Proctor thinks about his home.
While I found this book confusing in parts, I do think Proctor was just as confused and in some ways I was meant to feel as he did. I wanted to know what was next and how it ended all along which kept me reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group and Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

This novel takes a bit to get going (think like a good halfway through the book before things start to get going) but the twisting plot is very entertaining. The story turned in a direction I was not expecting, and then turned again; although the ending had me pondering what the point of the whole "good, bad" trope in the novel was about. The characters are really interesting and the back and forth of the novel is great once the plot gets going.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61282437-the-ferryman" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Ferryman: A Novel" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659983263l/61282437._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61282437-the-ferryman">The Ferryman: A Novel</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45315.Justin_Cronin">Justin Cronin</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5380332365">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This novel takes a bit to get going (think like a good halfway through the book before things start to get going) but the twisting plot is very entertaining. The story turned in a direction I was not expecting, and then turned again; although the ending had me pondering what the point of the whole "good, bad" trope in the novel was about. The characters are really interesting and the back and forth of the novel is great once the plot gets going.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/86143998-allison-willey">View all my reviews</a>

A very cool sci-fi adventure. I have never read a Justin Cronin novel before but I definitely will in the future now that I've read one.
This book reminded me of 1984. Prospera is an archipelago hidden from the rest of a crumbling, deteriorating world. Citizens enjoy long fulfilling lives until the monitor embedded in their arms falls below 10%. Then it is time to "retire" and they are ferried along to the "Nursery", where their failing bodies are refreshed, memories are wiped, and they're basically given a 2nd life. 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. He's been dreaming, which you're not supposed to be able to do in Prospera, and his monitor has started to fail a bit too fast for comfort. Then he is called to ferry his own father to Nursery, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry. There also may be a revolution brewing amongst the Support Staff, with help from a guerilla group known as "the Arrivalists."

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-arc.*

This gets three stars because I was invested enough in the story to finish it and find out how it ends. However, there was just way too much going on in this story. Every time I think I had if figured out it would head in a completely different direction. A story within a story within a story.

I am so grateful to Ballantine Books for the eARC of The Ferryman - one of my most anticipated books of the year (really, since I finished The Passage trilogy!)
I love the way Justin Cronin weaves a story together, and The Ferryman is a beautiful tapestry of a tale.
I absolutely loved it!

This is my first Cronin book, and it won't be my last because I really enjoyed the writing style, as well as the characters and twists and turns. The book reminded me of Cloud Cuckoo Land in that both authors obviously are concerned with the environment and what humans are doing to our earth.
I don't want to give away too much, because the surprises keep coming, and nothing is as it seems. That is a plot that seems to come up in a lot of my favorite books, Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett, Gentleman in Moscow and the aforementioned book.
I guess I enjoy being misled and then completely surprised,not in a horror story kind of way, but a literary way.
Ferryman Procter is a wonderful, complex character who has accepted his way of life on a hidden island, believing he is doing a compassionate job of helping people to retire to the Nursery, will they will be reintegrated to come back as a reborn 18 year old. Then cracks begin appearing in his well ordered life. We begin to wonder who are the villains and why are they acting that way. The story becomes more and more complicated until the reader finally learns the truth. Then comes a roller coaster ride of a climax, a sad denouement, then a hopeful ending.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy. This is my honest opinion and I highly recommend this book.