Ferryman (Kelpiesedge)

I've purchased this book in order to read about the concept of ferrymen and what that job entails. On that front, I am entirely pleased with my purchase. There are several aspects of the ferriers and the wasteland. The idea of changing appearance to gain the trust of the soul, the safe places, the demons, the lake affected by emotion. I've even privately imagined the concept of the plane objectively existing but the private journey that the souls take is a subjective version of it, so I was tickled to see that take appear in this novel. Admittedly, Dylan's take on the wasteland is rather dull and repetitious. Which is actually... quite fitting.You see, while I appreciate the setting crafted here and am happy with the purchase, the read itself was quite the purgatorial trek itself. Dylan is abysmal to follow, particularly from the moment of her death--her family, her best friend, her school, all of these things vanish from her "personality" and it becomes encapsulated by just one word: Tristan. It is so singularly her focus, for the purposes of this story the living world intro could have been removed without effect. So rapidly does she become remarkably co-dependent and self-obsessed, the only change being surface level mood swings (fun!).Who is this Tristan fellow? Literally her image of the perfect, dream boy. The foundation of their relationship? Her complete and utter dependence on him to keep her safe. So how does it come about that this is not one-sided? Oh, because this ferrier, who has helped thousands of souls, thinks she is different from them all. Yes, this is a supernaturally large case of "not-like-other-girls" and is proportionately a supernaturally large pill to swallow, given that there is nothing exceptional said or done by Dylan, especially to an entity that takes on the appearance of what is most likely to appeal to them.You could say she is exceptional, but only exceptionally self-destructive, harmful to those around her, and short-sighted. Sure, she is a teenage girl, why am I so judgmental? A better example should be set to the reader, if the immature lead is never going to be regarded as a child, even by the ancient, "battle" hardened companion. The novel goes even further than that: she is rewarded for her behavior.The plot ends with the ingenious plot of her going back to her mangled body and returning to the real world with her ferryman, which of course, has never been done before, but this amazing teenage girl will be the first! Let's set aside the fact that Tristan couldn't follow her to the afterlife (hilariously, she is so devoid of any defining feature that she isn't even given one), but going back to her body that was lethally pulverized would logically lead her back to... a lethally pulverized body? Nope, her injuries are no longer lethal, but turns out Tristan didn't need a body to return to and is allowed to go to the real world unlike the afterlife. Hurray!There are a lot of similarities between this book and the one I read before it: The Ferryman Institute. Both have a male ferryman who is very hard to believe who falls in love with an emotionally unstable girl who is just so different from the countless souls they've helped before, and circumstances play out to where they are, despite all the odds, allowed to be together in the end. Although in its case, it is much easier to stomach and there is some kind of explanation for how things happen. If you liked Ferryman, I'd recommend trying the Ferryman Institute that is almost wholly superior.

Wonderfully written, can't put down!

What a fantastic book! It was a quick and addictive read. It is hard to wait for the next one.

I was drawn in and intrigued from the very beginning, and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it! Claire does an incredible job of putting you on the edge of your seat, wondering what's going to happen next and how the story is going to end. I can't wait for her next release!

Great book

The book is kind of weary and delivered slow.

good story

It's love that makes people strong and powerful.

This book floored me, utterly. It’ll be a while before I can stand up again as my legs are jelly. I cried a lot when I reached the end of the book. There’s so much I loved about the book. I’m familiar with the Ferryman of myth and legend. I loved the way the author took this myth and made it into her own unique story. Tristan, the Ferryman changes his appearance to suit every soul he helps cross over, whatever the particular individual will find comforting. He took the form of a soldier when helping a brave soldier pass over. He takes the form of a cute teenage boy when helping a teenage girl cross over. I also loved the wasteland created in the book, the desolate area Dylan and Tristan must cross over to read the afterlife. This takes the form Dylan chooses and starts to change as she becomes more settled. I also loved the way Dylan and Tristan are pursued by demons as they try to make it to the safe houses dotted across the landscape. I even loved the love story angle with Dylan and Tristan falling for each other. This leads to the dramatic and incredible ending.

The premise of this book is fantastic. It hooked me immediately when I read a blurb somewhere describing it loosely as: a girl escapes a train crash believing she's the sole survivor, but instead is the sole casualty. I felt like I was sold a Lovely Bones-ish Adult novel and had I gone on to Goodreads or had more of a look around, I'd have quickly realised the error of my thinking. This is YA, but in actual fact, the poor editing and weak prose littered with cliches and repeated use of basic verbs and bland descriptions lends itself far more to Middle Grade than YA.I soldiered on because I do love YA, but it didn't hit the mark. Compare this to something like the language and emotional maturity represented by YA authors like Laini Taylor, Leigh Bardugo, or Franny Billingsley, and it just feels very... simple.And sometimes that's okay. Not every story has to be an epic -- but when I reached the end and read that the author is making this a TRILOGY I ... well, I was surprised. Just because trilogies have been trendy for awhile (and they're starting not to be) does not mean every YA fantasy needs to be one. This could have been a lovely, quiet story, if 40 pages shorter with some judicious cutting and left as a standalone.Don't get me wrong -- the author came up with a brilliant idea, but the thin worldbuilding and prose doesn't do it justice -- not to mention the plot holes (Okay, I'll mention them: a ferryman has ferried thousands of souls over centuries and has never once thought of trying to escape? And of all of them falls in love with a whiny, clingy teen who acts more like a 10-year-old? Who takes the news that she's dead with relief and is more worried about her hair and face and non-Victoria's Secret underwear than the fact that she'll never live to be an adult, never see her loved ones again?)I can't help but feel this needed several revisions but several sets of eyes to be improved upon. I can't recommend it. I will say that the character of Tristan is sweet, and sympathetic, and I felt more for him than for Dylan. But there's just not enough meat, nor enough visceral language, to make this one stand out. Sorry.

I loved this book. It took me a couple of days to read as I constantly wanted to know what would happen next. I don't want to give anything away as it would be easy to do so but I could understand the way the character's felt and liked how strong willed and stroppy Dylan could be (much like my own teen!)I thought it was very creative and well thought out. I also think this could make a good film.I've already recommend it to my eldest who is looking forward to reading it next.

I absolutely loved this book, the best I have read for a very long time. The concept was unique, beautifully written and one rooted for the success of Dylan and Tristan from start to finish. I cannot praise it enough and it would be enjoyed by adults and young people alike. Brilliant, brillaint, brilliant and when I pass I hope I have a wonderful ferryman like Tristan.

I have just 're read this book. Can't remember when I first read it but I loved it so much I kept it on my Kindle to make sure I could read it again. I still love it!. It is a really wonderful love story which twists and turns in a sci fi manner. I will probably read it again in the future so I won't delete it any time soon.