Starred review from March 27, 2023
Bestseller Cronin’s first novel since his Passage trilogy is a fantastic extravaganza all its own, with a plot that hinges on unpredictable twists that run far ahead of reader expectations. Proctor Bennett, an elite resident of the socially regimented archipelago world of Prospera, works as a “ferryman,” assisting aging fellow Prosperans to transition peacefully to their next “iteration,” the reconstitution of their personalities in younger bodies. Proctor discharges his duties with great professionalism—until the ferrying of his own father goes dramatically awry, exposing cracks in Prospera’s edenic veneer. Now a dangerous fugitive on the run from his own forced iteration, Proctor enters an unlikely alliance with rebellious subversives inhabiting the Annex, the island that is home to Prospera’s disgruntled working class. Having established the foundations for what appears to be a classic dystopian tale, Cronin then pulls the rug out from under his story, audaciously expanding its scope far beyond the hermetic parameters that have shaped Proctor’s account up to that point and pushing it into the realm of provocative conceptual science fiction. 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. Agent: Ellen Levine, Trident Media.
June 10, 2024
Hidden from a world ravaged by climate change, Prospera is a utopian paradise located on a remote archipelago. Prospera's lucky citizens spend their days pursuing their every desire. Their health is continually monitored, and when it falls below 10 percent, they are ferried away to the Nursery. While in the Nursery, their memories are wiped clean, and they are reborn in younger bodies for the next iteration of their lives. Head ferryman Proctor Bennett transports individuals on their final journeys, but when he is called to accompany his father, his father leaves him with a message that upends his world. Soon Proctor must confront the realities of both Prospera and the Annex, where the increasingly discontented laborers reside. Cronin's (The Passage) much-anticipated latest is a richly developed, twist-filled dystopian novel. Narrators Scott Brick and Suzanne Elise Freeman give voice to Proctor, his wife Elise, and the many citizens of Prospera and the Annex, capturing the privilege of the wealthy and the anger and hope of their staff. Though Cronin's world is complex enough to be occasionally confusing, Brick and Freeman's atmospheric narration provides a steadying presence. VERDICT Detailed worldbuilding, a failing civilization, and the hope of humanity make for an engrossing listen.--Elyssa Everling
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