The Ferryman

Author: Justin Cronin
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Thriller
538 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 2023

Synopsis
The Ferryman is part science fiction, part dystopian fiction, and part thriller. The storyline centers on Prospera, a utopian island where creativity and imagination are paramount created by the unknown Designer. Residents live in peace, enjoying creature comforts in a land some time in the future after an unnamed disaster ruined most of the world.

People wear monitors embedded in their flesh to measure life energy. Once someone reaches less than ten percent, the person travels to the Nursery, another island where people are renewed. It’s a promise that most take at face value.

Proctor Bennett, the protagonist, works for the Department of Social Contracts as a ferryman, someone tasked with ushering those whose time is up to the Nursery, a mysterious island where your memory is wiped clean and you are reborn in a younger body, ready to start your next iteration on Prospera. We learn early in the novel that something odd is happening to him — he’s dreaming — something that doesn’t happen on Prospera.

The support staff live on a third island called the Annex. The crowds are restless and a revolt is brewing, headed by a group known as Arrivalists.

After a traumatic personal encounter, Proctor’s monitor plummets, signaling his own ferry trip to be wiped clean. The story takes off from here, and Cronin twists and turns the plot in ways most won’t see coming. It’s way out there, but it works beautifully.

My review
I couldn’t put this book down and it was one of my favorite novels of 2023! It’s an epic tale set in a seemingly utopian world where things are not as they seem. I think readers will find this book most enjoyable if they approach it without prior knowledge of the story, so I won’t reveal too much about the plot. However, I was completely captivated by the journey. The characters are intricately crafted and multifaceted, and drew me in as I eagerly attempted to unravel the mystery. I must admit I was pleasantly confused throughout much of the book. The storyline is complex and full of mysteries that aren’t explained until much later in the book.

Cronin’s prose is evocative and atmospheric, painting a vivid picture of the novel’s eerie and foreboding setting. The truth is reveled around 75% way through the story and, though I had developed a few theories, my mind was blown! Cronin created a masterfully crafted work of fiction with a pace that kept me on the edge of my seat, leading to a series of revelations that were truly mind-blowing.

My recommendation: highly recommend reading The Ferryman!