After a train crash, Dylan wakes up in the dark and alone, with no idea where she is. Lost in the middle of a deserted landscape, one thing is certain for the young woman: she may not be in Scotland anymore.

Ferryman is an incredible story. It is a quest in the afterlife, as Dylan walks toward the other side. By her side is Tristan, a young man far older than he looks. He is a Ferryman, with only purpose to help the souls cross the in-between towards the border. Little is known about him : mostly silent, he shares little about him. But as the two characters cross the dangers of this unknown world, new feelings appear.

I really loved this young adult novel. The characters are very deep and touching and their backstories are explored along the way. Little action in the story, as the wandering of Dylan and Tristan are at the center of the story. Claire Mc Fall’s novel is extremely poetic and introspective. It is a spiritual and supernatural romance, a very unique mixture that kept me hooked. I cannot wait to read the sequel, Trespassers. ( )

Meeting Dylan and Tristan made this a read to remember. Have you ever wondered what would happen if today, this very moment, was your last? I mean, anything can happen at any time, so it’s always best to live in the moment, but Dylan’s moment but her at a crossroads in life she never saw coming and in the cross hairs of a potential untimely death. The trials and tribulations they go through will mark your heart. The care and understanding shown even when it shouldn’t be possible will grip your soul. The ending will ultimately leave you breathless...but, if you’re anything like me, you’ll quickly take in a gasp of air and wonder aloud at high volumes how on earth the author could simply leave you there?! Trust me, it’s a good exasperated state in this case, but you’ll have to check it out to understand fully. A recommendation for the teen set and beyond in this case, lest little ones dreams turn nightmarish.



**ARC received for review; opinions are my own ( )

Dancing into a bit of mythology, this tale weaves around death, adventure and a lovely romance.

Dylan is on her way to see her father for the first time in many years, but when the train enters a tunnel, everything blacks out. Climbing out of wreckage, Dylan makes her way out of the wreckage to discover a strange landscape and a guy, who calls himself the Ferryman. As they journey hours upon hours, she slowly realizes that she has died, and that he's leading her to where ever it is her soul should go. But the journey isn't easy as wraiths and demons try to consume her soul with only the Ferryman separating them from their goal.

The surmise on this one caught my attention, and I was excited to dive in. The tale is well done with wonderful world building, action, and adventure. From the very first moment, the reader is pulled in and follows Dylan through a well-done death and into an amazing world. It's not hard to figure out what's going on long before Dylan figures it out, but then, this is done in the POVs of both main characters. Still, the wraiths and demons add more than enough tension as do the shifting emotions of Dylan as she tries to figure everything out. I did enjoy reading this one from beginning to end, and am looking forward to see where book two continues.

There are quite a few secrets and unknows despite the double POV. Dylan comes across as a clever, very kind and alert girl, who is forced to go way past her comfort zone...which she does even when she wishes she didn't have to. Her personality does draw in and comes across pretty naturally. The Ferryman, on the other hand, stays a bit more at arm's length away. There are reasons for this, which make it very understandable, and yet, it would have been nice to get a bit more from him. For example, he claims he knows everything about Dylan's life, and yet, this amazing tidbit doesn't come into play much at all...as if he doesn't really know her, since he finds her so intriguing and surprising at times. Also, the questions behind some of the world's logic and rules are left unanswered, but there's still a book two and three, so I'm going to assume that will take care of a lot of this.

The romance is very well done. The two are slowly drawn to each other, letting this one build. I'm not sure how all of this works out, since there are huge differences between the two (and by no means easy ones), but I guess, that's some of the fun. The interactions pull back and forth but are always warm underneath. If there had been a bit more plot twisting and depth, I would have been over the moon for this read. Still, it's more than enjoyable, and I definitely recommend it and will be looking to grab the next book in the series because I'm not done with these characters yet. ( )

Ferryman is a fast-paced journey into the afterlife. Dylan meets Tristan, her Ferryman whose job is to lead her across the wasteland to go "on". Along the way Dylan comes to terms with where she considers home to be. She makes bold choices to make sure she gets there. Life will never be the same for either of them. This is an interesting story that would be great for book clubs - lots of discussion options. It's being made into a movie and is sure to be popular with the YA crowd. ( )

I always feel bad when a publisher sends me a book and I hate but here we are. It didn’t start out very strong; any book that needs a prologue to draw the reader in makes me wary. The actual opening scene was weak and the MC has no personality, other than she thinks she’s different and the other kids are “sheep, all of them.” (Cue eye roll.) Then the accident happens, which did nothing to actually propel the plot forward, despite my optimism. The story drags endlessly and eventually there’s a conclusion that made little sense to me (although in retrospect, it sets it up for a sequel). McFall's writing isn't actually bad but the characters are formless and the story premise is thin, consequently its not what I consider readable.

I was sent a free copy of this book for review by Walker Books. ( )