2024 the best sci fi novels review

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(as of Nov 09, 2024 07:50:09 UTC - Details)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Next to impossible to put down . . . exciting, mysterious, and totally satisfying.”—STEPHEN KING

From the 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.

A POLYGON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

The islands of Prospera lie in a vast ocean, in splendid isolation from the rest of humanity—or whatever remains of it.

Citizens of the main island enjoy privileged lives. They are attended to by support staff who live on a cramped neighboring island, where whispers of revolt are brewing—but for the Prosperans, life is perfection. And when the end of life approaches, they’re sent to a mysterious third island, where their bodies are refreshed, their memories are wiped away, and they return to start life anew.

Proctor Bennett is a ferryman, whose job it is to enforce the retirement process when necessary. He never questions his work, until the day he receives a cryptic message:

“The world is not the world.”

These simple words unlock something he has secretly suspected. They seep into strange dreams of the stars and the sea. They give him the unshakable feeling that someone is trying to tell him something important.

Something no one could possibly imagine, something that could change the fate of humanity itself.

Reviewer: Darren M. Reed
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Mind-bending tale of dystopia
Review: This is the first novel I have read by Justin Cronin after reading his passage trilogy. I loved that series, loved the detailed and vivid storytelling.The Ferryman is about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia. According to the book description the Island is founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world.However, NOTHING is what it seems. That is about all I will say about the plot to avoid any spoilers. This story is best read knowing only what is on the book description.The author again does a beautiful job narrating the story, detailing each character so deeply that you really feel like you know them. As the story unfolds there really seems to be multiple plots happening at once, each interesting in their own unique ways, but at the same time as a reader, you know they are going to be connected.I would DEFINITELY recommend this novel to all who enjoy a good dystopian story, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, etc. you will not be disappointed..SPOILER ALERT:As I mentioned above, I really believe this story is best read the first time, knowing as little possible. When I started reading this, I truly felt like this was somehow a secluded island blocked off from society. I assumed it was set in the future because at the current times we really don’t have the ability to reiterate people. The book description talks about how people of Prospera are hidden away from the horrors of the outside world. Well, to be honest that could be today. LOL.However, the deeper we get into this novel, the more we question the reality. When Proctor finally makes his way onto the Orianas we find out that Prospera is a dream! A dream that has been happening for centuries while humanities last survivors or sailing through the universe to find a new home..However, the mystery and thrills do not stop there. We learn that some of the passengers have sabotaged the system and Proctor is left with only one option, return to the dream to try to save everyone.Such a great story!

Reviewer: Shawna Zimmerman Gregg
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: 4 out of 5 for worldbuilginh
Review: Wow. A couple of sleepless nights spent drifting through this complex world where, just as you think you understand the rules, things get turned around… multiple times before the end.In case no one has mentioned this, the book has some serious vibes of William F Nolan’s Logan’s Run, but is still its own thriving story. I’d like to think this book is in the direction Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston were heading with the Extinct series on BYU TV before it was cancelled. Cronin also utilizes a few nods to Westworld in here, and I could certainly have done without that particular moment in the Nursery which had absolutely no purpose to it…trust me, you’ll know what I mean when you get there.Regardless of influence. Cronin presents us a world in crisis except for a small grouping of 3 islands, hidden from Earth’s tumble towards humanity annihilating one another. It’s here we find Proctor, a Ferryman who helps those whose time has come, to cross from Prospera Isle to the furthermost in the chain, the mysterious Nursery in order to be renewed in body and the mental state wiped clean in order to live again.But all is not well in Prospera, though the sun shines daily, the temperature is always perfect and it’s inhabitants live blessed lives. The citizens of the middle island, called the Annex, are slowly brewing a movement that could lead to an all-out revolution as its population are made up of those living dismal lives in servitude and menial labor.This book will have you wondering at times what is going on, but don’t worry, Cronin will supply the answers as you continue turning the pages, or pieces of them anyway.Proctor is not your everyday idea of a hero, but his heart is in the right place. His stumbles and mistakes left me wishing I could somehow help him find his answers, but we readers learn as he does and we are all just along for the ride. I did, however, start to feel like he was a bit too unbreakable by the end.Proctor’s wife is rather flat for a character apparently so important and while you do get some emotion from her, she’s too back and forth to me. You just want to shake her at times just to get an emotion out of the woman.Some characters I wish could have been fleshed out more. Quinn, Jess and Antone for example- Jess especially felt like a plot device to get the ball rolling but there is a big chunk of that girl missing between the pages. She deserved a much larger part, but we do wind up with numerous characters so I get it how some would need to be less detailed.The ending is mostly good, however with such a cast Cronin felt he had to tie up several different resolutions and it feels like we wind up with 3 separate endings after the final big reveal. While you want to know what ends up happening to these characters, it’s just two endings too many. We really could have skipped Thea’s ending entirely and not even missed it.It’s a solid read and will definitely pull you in, confuse you, eventually lay all its secrets out before you and let you decide for yourself who made the right or wrong choices when you reach the final page.

Reviewer: Cody Smith
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Bittersweet
Review: Much like his other books I've read, I lack the words. Bittersweet. He has a way of telling a story to make you feel like you're there in every sense. Predictable, unpredictable, lovely, sad, fearful, hopeful, together, alone, dynamic, singular, fast, slow, loss, and love. I wish there was more but I think it's best left where it's left. What a story. Probably not perfect but as close as I could imagine. He has a way of description that breathes life to everything. Emotions I'm largely unfamiliar with that come to the forefront and once risen are like old friends

Reviewer: Chuck McDonald
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Like the Passage trilogy, this book just grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. I really enjoy Justin Cronin's writing style and character development and it's in full force here. It's a great feeling to invest time in a book and not have any disappointment when you finally put it down. Looking forward to what the author does next.

Reviewer: Alessandro B.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great plot, characters and setting, super fast rhythm and a mid-book plot twist that sets the book apart. Really recommended.

Reviewer: Malin V.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is one of my new favorite books. Damn, it was good!If you're going to read it, my tip is to go in relatively unaware. Maybe read the synopsis once to spark your interest, and then put the book aside for a while until you've "forgotten" about it. Then, pick it up again.The perfect part:Pretty much EVERYTHING. I loved the plot, the setting, all the intrigue, the atmosphere, and the characters, especially Proctor. I thought he was incredibly interesting, and it was exciting to follow him through life and see how he navigated the story. The concept of a utopia on an island isolated from the rest of the world... come on. I had some ideas of how the world would turn out, but I can say I was WRONG. So, if you're in the mood for a book that will prove how wrong you are about everything, I think you should pick this one up. There were so many twists and turns, and I couldn't put it down. I almost feel like reading it again right away.The way it's written and how all the threads of the story are woven together is masterful. I've seen some reviews where they thought the plot was too complex to follow, but I definitely don't agree. I thought it was very exciting, and I loved the sense of adventure in it.The less perfect part:The ending was closed rather than open. It felt a little sad to have a definitive ending to the story—I would've preferred an open one.If you like books that explore the darker side of worlds that seem perfect at first glance, you'll probably like this one. It's mysterious and wonderful.

Reviewer: Cristina
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: El último tercio del libro me cansó mucho, perdí totalmente el interés.

Reviewer: Jehol
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Toujours bien écrit, Justin Cronin fait ressentir et sentir. J’ai beaucoup aimé et le relirai dans quelques années, comme tous ses livres d’ailleurs.Quinn me fait penser à Hightop