A Book A Week

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. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2023, 28)