The Ferryman

Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia—where the truth isn’t what it seems.

Founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera’s lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.

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. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he’s been dreaming—which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.

Meanwhile, something is stirring. The support staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group—known as Arrivalists—who may be fomenting revolution.

Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized—and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.”The Ferryman is next to impossible to put down once you’ve read the first few pages. Exciting, mysterious and totally satisfying. This is a book to get lost in.” —Stephen King

“The narration’s pleasingly sharp details . . . are some of the many appealing things about The Ferryman, a 538-page book that clips along as effortlessly as you might scroll through a well-curated Instagram feed. . . . The novel delivers everything you’d want from your nightly dreams: an anodyne, occasionally beautiful diversion, rife with patterns and the suggestion of deeper truth that vanishes as soon as you lift your eyes from the last page.” —The New York Times

“The Ferryman grabs bits of stardust from several sci-fi classics . . . All the elements are here for a spectacular sci-fi thriller full of piercing implications for our own class-bound society, with its paralyzing fear of aging.” —The Washington Post

“A fantastic extravaganza all its own, with a plot that hinges on unpredictable twists that run far ahead of reader expectations. . . . Cronin’s firm command of the plot’s sinuous dynamics, and his creation of believable characters shaped by well-wrought strengths and flaws, make this bold gesture work. The result is a sensational speculative tale that is sure to get people talking.” 
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A page-turner that is impossible to put down. . . . A profoundly genius culmination of every twisty event and unveiled secret caps off this mind-bending masterpiece. . . . The velvety prose, the creepy heart-clenching suspense, and the meaning and emotion layered into every word all give rise to an incredibly thought-provoking sci-fi thriller from Cronin.” —Library Journal, starred review

“Cronin’s prose is solid, and he handles the dialogue, sometimes leavened with humor, expertly. It’s a hefty book that moves with an astounding quickness—yet another excellent offering from an author with a boundless imagination and talent to spare. Twisty, thrilling, and beautifully written.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“[A] tightly-wound, atmospheric thriller. . . . It’s a sharply complex mystery with a cinematic quality to it.” —Polygon

“Unique, spellbinding and utterly thought-provoking. The Ferryman provides an honest portrayal of humanity (at both its highest and lowest points). . . . Just when you are convinced that you have anticipated the ending, The Ferryman delivers a heart-wrenching twist, leading you down another road entirely. The Ferryman was non-stop action, all leading to the inevitable conclusion that will stick with you.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine

“A mind-bending novel full of big ideas and a roller coaster’s worth of twists and turns—so powerful and thrilling!” —Andy Weir

“Fiction doesn’t get better than this. . . . A transcendent meditation on the human condition, delivered through gorgeous prose, characters who steal your heart, and riveting storytelling that is guaranteed to put the rest of your life on hold until you’ve turned the final page.” —Blake Crouch

“A wondrous epic both brilliant and terrifying. . . . As complex as his imagined worlds become, Justin Cronin is always reminding us, masterfully, of the simplest and deepest bonds. The Ferryman, to me, is a novel about love.” —Amanda Eyre WardJUSTIN CRONIN is the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage, The Twelve, The City of Mirrors, The Summer Guest, and Mary and O’Neil. His work has been published in over forty-five languages and has sold three million copies worldwide. A writer in residence at Rice University, he divides his time between Houston, Texas, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.US

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