YA Book Review: Ferryman (2013) by Claire McFall
When Dylan survives a train crash and finds herself on a desolate Scottish hillside, she encounters a peculiar boy named Tristan who seems to be waiting for her. But Tristan isn’t just any ordinary teenager—he’s a ferryman, and their journey together through a stark, wraith-filled wasteland is unlike any journey she’s known.
This scenario forms the basis of Claire McFall’s debut novel, Ferryman, published in 2013. Although it initially gained moderate attention in Great Britain, especially after winning the Scottish Children’s Book Award, Ferryman has since amassed a huge following, particularly in China. The novel’s popularity has led to a sequel, Trespassers, released in September 2017, with a third book in the works. Hollywood has also secured rights for film adaptations in both Chinese and English.
Ferryman offers a modern twist on the Greek myth of Charon, the ferryman who transports souls across the river Styx. In McFall’s version, Tristan is a weary, shape-shifting ferryman tasked with guiding the soul of Dylan, a teenage girl who perished in a train accident while traveling from Glasgow to Aberdeen.
Despite his extensive experience of ferrying countless souls, Tristan finds his routine disrupted by Dylan’s inquisitive and compassionate nature. Their evolving relationship raises intriguing questions about love and its possibility between a ferryman and his charge. Can such a love survive knowing that souls must eventually move on, and Tristan is perpetually bound to the in-between?
The story is set mostly in the wasteland, a limbo between life and death that Dylan must cross with Tristan’s help. This realm is influenced by the soul traversing it; it reflects Dylan’s inner state, with the weather and landscape shifting to mirror her emotions. The wasteland is always dangerous, inhabited by wraiths—soul-sucking entities that hunt and prey on souls, especially young and pure ones like Dylan.
Along their journey, Dylan and Tristan must reach safe houses before nightfall when wraiths become most aggressive. Tristan, haunted by the souls he has lost in the past, promises Dylan she won’t meet the same fate. However, keeping that promise is difficult, as the wasteland poses a severe threat to Dylan’s soul, which could cease to exist if she stays.
Ferryman dives deep into the connection between Dylan and Tristan, exploring whether they can ever find a place to love each other beyond the confines of the afterlife. But defying the natural order of the world could come with severe consequences.
As a young adult novel, Ferryman is both engaging and enjoyable, with well-constructed world-building and a refreshing lack of typical YA drama like love triangles or manipulative relationships. The love story, while straightforward and honest, offers a fresh take on romantic themes in a book packed with entertaining and gripping elements.
The book’s cinematic potential has not gone unnoticed, with plans for movie adaptations already underway. The dramatic and visually rich journey through the wasteland and the star-crossed love story are bound to translate well to the big screen.
Ferryman delivers a heartfelt, entertaining story that offers a unique blend of love and adventure, making it a delightful read for YA audiences and beyond.
