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I had high hopes for this because I loved The Passage series. And it started out strong, but about halfway in it becomes a chaotic jumbled mess. I slogged through the next quarter of it, and while it does all come together to make sense at the end, I‘m still disappointed overall. I came very close to a bail but I did want to see how it ended.

I looked at other reviews here to see if I should press on and it looks like others felt similarly.

I bailed at 82%. Halfway thru it became very cray-cray.

Proctor is a ferryman, tasked with leading those who have reached the end of their life to set out on the journey from which they will return as fresh young iterations, with no memory of what came before. But increasingly, Proctor feels that something is wrong, that the world is off. This book is long and it sometimes feels that way, but the conclusion was worth it: a series of reveals, some more unexpected than others, that left me thinking.

I am devouring this 😅

The first half I loved. A dystopian future; the world building was great, I loved the characters. And then it swerved and I start thinking WHAT am I reading? I can‘t say more without spoiling, but all eventually becomes clear. Well, kind of. The problem was by then it‘d lost me somewhat and I feel like I just drifted to the end. I confess some of my struggle was that I just didn‘t really get the twist 👇

This novel was a bit of a struggle for me. There were numerous times in which I was confused as to what was happening and why and rereading sections did not always clear things up; it seemed like things were jumping all over the place and I was never sure where the characters were going to land. I felt as though many of the characters were not developed enough, and I found myself not really caring what happened to them as the narrative progressed.

Well last year established how TERRIBLE I am at editing it so I bring you #readingbracket2024 paper and pen edition 😂have to think about who wins the Jan/feb match up.

Here are a few questions to start the discussion of our Jan/Feb selection, The Ferryman by Justin Cronin. Everyone is welcome to participate. Please discussion anything you want, these questions are just to get us started. #LitsySciFiBookClub #LSFBC @LitsyEvents

My thoughts: I thought the one theme was misconception of reality and contained elements that reminded me of The Matrix and Total Recall. I also think the author was ts us to question..

Getting ready to start my next read :)

I finished last night and enjoyed this read. At two places in this story, I had to regroup a bit because what I thought was happening wasn‘t actually happening. Once you get maybe 1/2 into it, it begins to feel like a cross between Inception and The Matrix, which was when it started confusing me just a little. But it worked itself out by the end and there are great, discussable themes in here. I loved the different iterations of each character.

My very favorite thing: Saturday morning with my book, my napping dog, and my coffee. All week long, this is what I‘m looking forward to, this is what I‘m chasing.

Started it last weekend, hoping to finish it this weekend #bookmap

I‘m exactly halfway thru and things have just taken an interesting turn. This map makes a lot more sense now. Been a while since I‘ve read any sci-fi or dystopian so it‘s a nice change of pace for me. I‘ve also never read Cronin‘s The Passage. I‘m liking this one so far. I have some ideas about how things will go, but who knows if I‘m right or wrong 🤷🏻‍♀️

Medium pick for me. I really loved the beginning, and the last 75-100 pages. I think the book could‘ve been shortened by 100-200 pages as at times it felt like there was needless fluff or meandering. It certainly kept me intrigued though! #LitsySciFiBookClub

I could and probably should be napping but definitely need some me time. No one warned me a recovering 3yo is the most loving, snuggliest, demon around 😂 #LitsySciFiBookClub

Surgery went well! Scared and in pain when he woke up but asleep now.

A low pick for me. Something about this book was just too heavy-handed, maybe? Dunno, but I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else thought of it for #LitsySciFiBookClub

Girls weekend up north. Had a nice quiet morning of reading before everyone else got up. Can‘t remember the read along tag for this one, but it‘s good so far!

#LitsySciFiBookClub #ReadAway2024 #TheNationsNewspaper I vacillated about whether I liked this book or not. When things started going batshit crazy, I started to suspect why, and it turned out I was partially right. Things were more complicated than I thought, however. I liked the way the author pulled everything together. The USA TODAY reference gave me a kick because I used to work there. It might have been too long but it‘s still a pick.

Science fiction for me! With help from #litsyscifibookclub I should be able to meet this goal! Currently reading tagged book!

#sundayfunday
@BookmarkTavern

I liked the writing and the ideas explored in this sci-fi novel, though those ideas didn't reveal themselves completely until late in the story. I'll admit that I found myself feeling very disoriented many times while reading the book.

I'm looking forward to hearing what others from the #LitsySciFiBookClub think of this book. @TheSpineView

The January selection for #LitsySciFiBookClub is The Ferryman by Justin Cronin. My small town library had it in both audio and ebook format. On Amazon the Kindle version is $13.99 USD. I saw some used copies available also online. This book is 560 pages so it will cover January and February to give everyone time to read it. Enjoy!

@Larkken @Deblovestoread @bnp @ravenlee @Johanna414 @BookmarkTavern @julesG @sebrittainclark @BookBelle84 @Readergrrl

I loved his vampire trilogy but this one fell a bit short for me. I was entertained well enough for most of it. There is a particular type of plot twist/thread that I dislike and this fell into that category although he handled it in a less generic/formulaic way than other books I‘ve read. It‘s hard to say much without ruining the plot. It was just okay for me.

Last review of the day! Finished this one recently. It‘s a low pick for me. It was a bit too long and I started skimming at some points. At some times it felt like a fever dream and I had no idea what was going on. I wish I would have liked this one more.

#wintergames #hollyjollyreaders #rushathon #YearEnd #20in4 #Outwiththeoldinwiththenew

Merry Christmas Eve! Trying to relax and get some reading in before the chaos of the next 2 days begins!

Getting some early morning snugs in as well. 🥰🐶🎄

Also, absolutely loving this book! I‘m only about 20% in, but I‘m so intrigued.

So this one was…a lot 🤣. The audiobook narrators were great and the writing was beautiful, but the complicated plot and copious characters made it kind of hard to follow. I found myself stopping from time to time wondering what I‘d missed but then realizing it was just a twist. By the end, though I really enjoyed it overall and for the most part loved the ending. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Justin Cronin and Ben Fountain were on a panel together for Texas Writers today. Justin is on the left. Paulette Jiles was supposed to be here as well but didn‘t make it.

I loved The Passage series, and I picked up a copy of The Ferryman and got it signed. ☺️

Ultimately, I loved this. The first few parts didn‘t seem to mesh with the last part, but it did all end up making some sort of sense (mostly 😂). Would be a fantastic book for discussion, so anyone who has read this, I‘d be down to chat about it! Lots to unpack. Beautifully written and I‘d love to read more Cronin.

I had really high hopes for this one. The beginning of the story really drew me in, and I wish we would have spent more time with Proctor as he was doing his job as a ferryman. The writing on a sentence by sentence level is absolutely gorgeous. I got busy with work and ended up having to put this down for a bit, which could have contributed, but the plot became overly complicated for me to follow. The ending also felt like it was missing something

Cronin‘s latest explores the very nature of situational reality and it‘s a great read! Although over 500 pages, the story, and your reading time will fly by. The novel introduces us to the island community of Prospera, where the population is pampered. Their lifestyle is made possible by workers who are segregated on the Annex, but they are increasingly unhappy and seeking spiritual meaning. The truth behind it all is definitely a surprise.

Thank you so much my sweet friend! This unexpected surprise made my week! @Avanders

Despite its large size, this was a quick book. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I realized I was wrong. It kept me guessing all the way until the end. The ending was very satisfying. I enjoyed reading about the characters and how everything worked out.

It's difficult to discuss this book without spoiling the story.
With that said, as usual, I knew nothing of the story or the genre going in (I assumed it was horror. It is not.).
It is a sprawling sci-fi tale set in a dystopian world dealing with class struggle, family, love, loss and some shocking twists and turns along the way.
At times I found it confusing, but it was never dull.

Pass the tissues... 😢

Gobbled this up in a mere day and a half. Cronin really outdid himself with this one. Hoping it'll turn into a trilogy just like The Passage (which I LOVE).

This book gripped me from the first page. I‘ll admit that I had some trouble following exactly what was going on in the last third of the book, but then all was clear. It takes place in the sunny land of Prospera, where there is a clear separation between the haves and have-nots. When you get old or your energy level is depleted, the Ferryman takes you to be “reiterated” as a 16 year old and you get new parents. Lots of moral implications.

I read 19 books in May. I don‘t know if the tagged book was my ABSOLUTE favorite—I‘m not really sure I could pick A favorite—but it was my first great read of the month. All of these books are great and ones I recommend.

#readingbracket2023 #2023readjngbracket My fav book from May was easily The Ferryman. It might have a chance at surpassing Priory as my fav of the year. Will have to wait and see what June brings to narrow them down. Are we almost done with 1/2 of 2023? That can‘t be right! 😩

Wow… just wow

I had a delightful time exploring my local independent bookstore, Joseph-Beth, this weekend. Excited to have picked up a signed copy of Justin Cronin‘s long awaited next book, The Ferryman. I absolutely loved the The Passage series. I‘m very curious about this new book. 🤓

https://abookandadog.com

Lucky for me, it is okay to five-star the hell out of a book you‘re still not totally sure you grasped the whole way to the end. I think I could have benefitted from slowing down a little and absorbing what, to me, was a fairly complex plot. STILL: Cronin is a gifted storyteller and I was thrilled to be invited into this world of his. I‘m likely to re-read one day; this would invite excellent book club discussion! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first Justin Cronin book and won‘t be my last. What a beautiful writer he is. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It flew off the page with a cast of wonderful well drawn and complex characters. I was in Prospera and the Annex and sailing under the stars. The premise of the book has been done many times before but Cronin does this theme so well that didn‘t matter at all. In fact it‘s one of my favourite on this theme.

Wow. Just wow. How to review without spoiling? 🤔 I‘ll say this: dystopian world where our main character is having trouble conforming, fantastic character development, tons of shocking discoveries, you feel immediately vested in the lives of these characters, and the plot is one giant rollercoaster of events and emotions that I did not see coming at all!!! I loved it. 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I shoved The Passage trilogy into the hands of everyone I talked to for like a whole year. I‘m pretty jazzed up about starting this new Justin Cronin book, I know he‘s gonna take me far and wide with his storytelling and I can‘t wait to dive in! 🤓📖

I loved it. Epic, big scale story. Dystopian and sci-fi, if you don‘t like those things, you probably won‘t like this.
He‘s a brilliant story teller for me.

My first #VacationRead in front of my vacation book purchases! I loved Cronin‘s Passage trilogy so I was really excited to dive into this one! This dystopian/sci fi thriller took me a little bit to get into, but with cinematic flair and some real surprises to the story, I definitely enjoyed this one! The ending left me wanting a bit more though I think this one will give readers a lot to discuss! Can‘t wait to see what he writes next!

Just finished The glass house by Eva Chase and I loved it. Beautifully written with secrets being drip fed to the end. Would highly recommend. Bit of a change now and about to start this dystopian thriller Looks intriguing. @Cinfhen #bookreport.

It's so beautiful
Returning from holiday isn't so bad when there's book mail waiting
@trishb I see you are enjoying this one, I think I'm going to have to get stuck in too.