Spoiler free review…….

When I heard that this book was coming out I was scared. I loved “The Passage” and I was afraid that this book would be too different and that I would not enjoy it. I was right, this book is not “The Passage”, but something else entirely. I mean this in the best way. This book is not at all what I was expecting but I grew to love the characters and their world. Justin Cronin can write an epic story and surprise you at every turn, and I was very pleased that this book delivered in every way. If you are afraid that you you will not be reading a story like The Passage trilogy, I can assure you that while this is a different type of story, it is still very much worth your time. That you to NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to read and review this book. I loved it and I think you will as well. I cannot wait to purchase the physical copy to display in my collection and read again.

This was so completely different than what I usually read, making it somewhat hard to write a review. This author is an incredible writer. The story he created from beginning to end is such a tangled, complex web that I couldn't fathom being able to write this, let alone come up with such an idea. I absolutely loved the first half and each character pulled you into their story so completely. The last half at times felt discombobulated, having a dreamlike quality where you have to go back and make sure you didn't miss something. That is no insult because it was clearly the author's intention and he more than succeeded in that. I can easily see this as a movie and a phenomenal one at that. Four Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was my first Justin Cronin book, and I enjoyed it so much I am going to check out his other novels. This is a sci-fi book that will have your head spinning. It is should a great mystery, with surprises and so much going on, it was such a great read.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for an opportunity with this title. I was thrilled to have an opportunity at a Cronin novel before release and I was not disappointed. I imagine this will be a bestseller next year, with good reason. Solidly strange and compelling in equal measure, the twists were thematic and engaging.

What a fun and exciting book to read! I wasn't really sure what to expect based on the summary of the book -- and to be completely honest, I wasn't sure I would even like this book. But I decided to give it a try, and boy am I glad that I did. If you like science-fiction books with an awesome twist, you need to stop reading this review and READ THIS BOOK! I will certainly recommend that my library purchase a copy as soon as this book is published.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing a copy to review!

Thank you Random House for the early review copy of The Ferryman. I have actually not read The Passage so this was my first work from this author, though I know his work has many fans. What a fascinating, engrossing story this was, I love themes about identity, memory, dreams and that unsettling feeling that you don't know things that you should/must know to really know who you are and who you could be.

This is the kind of immersive read that is hard to do justice in a review, I like my reviews to be spoiler free, but I suspect fans will not be disappointed with this read and new fans like me, readers who love epic journeys that remind us that so much is not what it seems and stir that rebellious inner truth seeker, will enjoy the world and character building in this novel.

This was something like Brave New World meets Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series. There are other things I could compare it to but not without giving away some key plot points.

A traumatic event causes Proctor Bennet, a citizen of the idyllic Prospera, to notice more about the society he's in and he has questions. His serene and mostly blissful life is careens out of control as he tries to figure out what's going on.

This book took a couple of wild turns, requiring me to take a step back and consider what was happening. The story was compelling and the premise was fascinating, but four rather than five stars because I found it hard to really care about any of the characters and get invested in their choices. I was invested in finding out what was going on in Prospera but not in what happened to the people.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine!

Another fabulous read by this author. Have yet to read anything he has written that I haven’t loved. This one keeps you guessing and intrigued (and confused) until the very end. Beautifully written, great story and fascinating characters. Some people have incredible imaginations. I couldn’t even think up something like this. Well done.

The Ferryman was provided to me as an advanced copy and I I enjoyed this book a great deal. Indeed, I put two other books aside once I started reading it. Cronin did a great job in creating a dystopian sort of world which constantly raised questions for the reader. I knew something was up, but had no ideas what it was. He did that extremely well. The book will keep readers engaged and I suspect this will be a top read for summer 2023.

Very solid 4 or 4.5 star read. Every time I felt like I had a handle on the plot there would be a new curveball which mostly worked very well, although the last 10% was weaker than the rest and left me feeling somewhat confused on what happened.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is a sweeping tale of epic proportion. Although outside my usual genre, I found myself thoroughly engaged in this adventure. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, a well-placed twist spun my thinking around. Very imaginative and enthralling. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Wow! I really enjoyed The Ferryman, it was such a great read. The story is unique and the characters are so well-written that you really become invested. I thought Proctor Bennett was such a strong character, I really felt for him and the things that he was going through. This one is hard to describe without giving anything important away. Basically, it is about Proctor's life in Prospera and his job as a ferryman. The ferrymen are people who shepherd people through the retirement process and enforce it if necessary. A rough job made even tougher when he has to deal with his own father. There is also a resistance group called the Arrivalists, who are pretty mysterious at first. The whole thing was an awesome drama-filled mystery thriller sci-fi that was impossible to put down. I was blown away by the reveal and loved the ending. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I could not stop reading this novel. Every time I started to think I knew where it was going, I was wrong. When it was finally revealed what was going on, it kept going. Totally unexpected and well written. Highly recommended.

Although this story was not my usual genre, it was highly recommended by a friend and I am so glad I read this book. What a fascinating story with a Matrix-like twist. I loved the way the author explained the "science" behind the story within the story. I don't want to give to much away but this is science fiction at its best.

I just loved this book. But it’s so hard to leave a review without giving out major spoilers and plot twists. If you’ve read Cronin’s <i>The Passage</i>, you may be familiar with his work. His novels are highly detailed and <i>The Ferryman</i> is no exception.

Set in the land of Prospera, where everything is beautiful and life is grand. Days are filled with work and nights are filled with parties. You can choose a spouse for a 5, 10, or 15 year contract. Where your life is monitored by a device implanted in your arm. When that device gets below 10%, its Procter Gamble's job as The Ferryman to get your affairs in order and send you out to the Nursery, an island where you'll be reborn and come back as a teenager - to become a couple's ward/child.

But there's truly no such thing as paradise and soon Procter gets embroiled in a mission to find the truth about Prospera — and the surrounding players in this idyllic world.

This one was an interesting read. Started off really well, then hit a point of total confusion and finished strong. Hard to explain what it's about, so just read the GR description and go from there. The twists, once better explained, are rather intriguing, save for Cronin's use of a well-worn woke boogeyman to explain one of the core concepts behind the revelations (you'll figure it out). Beyond that, I found the story complex and highly character-driven with a dense plot that only sometimes feels the weight of its plot. In the end, it's pretty satisfying, if not on the level of The Passage trilogy. 3.75 stars bumped to 4 for the quality of writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled when I heard Justin Cronin had a new book in the works. Doubly thrilled to be given the opportunity of an early read!

Like his previous works, it's so easy to get lost in the world he creates.... Lyrical and vibrant, I could see Prospera and the Annex! And I think I changed how I felt about nearly every character at least twice from start to finish.

And the tragedy hiding at the heart of the story was elegantly wrought and colored everything that happened in such a way that I was left wanting to just crawl in and have a cry with them.

I loved The Passage series and was so excited to see that Justin Cronin had a new book coming out. This book was hard to put down and fans of Cronin's should definitely pick it up.

4.5 Sci-Fi Emotions Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
Recently, sci-fi hasn't been my thing, but when I was invited to read this and the main quote promoting it came from Stephen King, well that made it a hard yes. Many years ago I was a King fiend, reading his books, cover to cover...getting lost in his worlds.

The Ferryman has that type of feel. You start it and right away you are sucked in and willing to follow Justin Cronin's lead. This ride has many levels and insights into current issues for today and then shows how today's actions impact tomorrow.

There is so much to this tale...and to share really anything might take away from your reading experience. What I will share is that I had moments where my emotions surprised me, the deep intense feelings that came unexpectedly. The perspective of Protector and his journey held me interested until the end.

As a big fan of Justin Cronin's Passage series, I was eager to see what kind of dystopian sci-fi world he could create in The Ferryman. This book told an interesting and at times beautiful story, with several truly astonishing "what is going on" moments that had me unable to put the book down for hours at a time. A few of these moments were, unfortunately, not quite to my liking after finishing the book. One specific plot twist which throws much of what you've read into a new light made me feel as if a good portion of the book had been completely undercut (which stung a bit as the opening of the story actually felt quite slow), and I was left wanting more development in the back-end of the story than there was.

Fans of Cronin will definitely find some things to like here, but the specific twist and ensuing events just weren't up my alley unfortunately.