Reviews with content warning for Suicide - The Ferryman

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

9 reviews

bevrocky79's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.25

For fans of sci-fi novels, you will like this. If you’re like me and really only dapple in sci-fi once in a while, this novel is not for you.

It’s so lengthy and wordy for no reason. Way too much plot and not enough enjoyment at all. There were literal chapters of nothingness. It’s also not fresh or new in any way.

Retelling of classic sci-fi tropes with no attempt of being different or new. A wanna be crossover of Brave New World and the Matrix. I can even say that I’m spoiling anything because you can see all the twists and turns coming. I was really hoping for something different. Extremely disappointed and wish I didn’t even bother with it.

The best part of the book is the last 9 or 10 chapters. And the last two chapters are useless pages. Does nothing to round out the story. Honestly don’t waste your time. Unless you really are obsessed with this genre.

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teabex's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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briannamwod's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This was my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was atmospheric, thrilling, heartbreaking, and I was truly invested in the characters. It was beautiful and horrible and ultimately left me feeling peaceful. What a ride and I enjoyed every minute of it! Don’t let this 500+ page read intimated you, it is thoroughly bingeable.

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kdelong's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

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amhud1030's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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aileron's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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annamolpus's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I've been thinking about what my ideal "beach read" looks like and it's something like this: plot heavy, easy to pick up and put down without losing track of the story, page turning twists, and an intriguing central mystery. I really really loved Justin Cronin's apocalypse-by-way-of-vampires "The Passage" and I didn't love this one quite as much. But this is one of those "perfect societies" where something is NOT QUITE RIGHT and I enjoyed the process of figuring it all out. Don't come here for character development or sophisticated writing, but the story is a fun ride and just the kind of diversion I was in the mood for.

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aimeebaker's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Anyone who was enthralled with Justin Cronin's earlier THE PASSAGE trilogy is probably, like me, eagerly awaiting his latest release, THE FERRYMAN, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an ARC. Set on the utopian island of Prospera, this novel focuses on Proctor, a ferryman whose task it is to escort citizens whose lives are coming to a close to the awaiting ferry. From there, the residents of Prospera are sent to the Nursery where they are, in a sense, reborn and sent back to the island. But, as any sci-fi thriller reader expects, something seems not quite right with this process or the world, and soon, Proctor finds himself trying to unravel what's happening.

As a writer, one of the parts I love about Cronin's work is his way of what seems like poking fun at the "rules" of writing. If you've ever been in a creative writing classroom, you've probably been told at some point not to write "genre" fiction. His trilogy, filled with vampires, felt like a challenge to that rule. The Ferryman, meanwhile, breaks one of the most common "rules" in a major way. I can't exactly say which one here since I don't want to spoil his work, but it's fun to watch him pull it off.

I don't love this book as much as his trilogy (though I confess, I still need to read the 3rd), but this was filled with the kind of action and plot twists that make me think that if it hasn't been optioned for film rights yet, it will be soon. It's got a cinematic quality to it.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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From the first page, THE FERRYMAN felt like mint chocolate cotton candy: a novel flavor combination which initially is a heady experience but eventually feels bland in its sameness. It’s startling at first, because it’s a flavor which does not normally belong in cotton candy and seems at first like a cool idea, but ultimately contributes little to the conversation of what makes a tasty dessert. I do not, generally speaking, want the book equivalent of cotton candy, but the writing is gripping and the world was interesting at first.

Ultimately I stopped reading when the bland misogyny became too frustrating. In a world where every marriage is a contract with a time limit (the parties can renew), it makes no sense for the main character to have a level of jealousy and possessiveness that in the real world is cultivated through an assumption of monogamy as a default. I read an ARC and so will refrain from using quotes in case the final version changes substantially, but this was a setup I've read before executed in a way that was frustrating to read.

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