"Next to impossible to put down . . . exciting, mysterious, and
totally satisfying."--STEPHEN KING
From the New York Times bestselling 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.
Founded by the mysterious genius known as the Designer, the archipelago
of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside
world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long,
fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to
measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below
10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to
the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed,
their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life
afresh.
Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying
career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement
process--and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with
Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming--which is supposed to be
impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to
drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire
his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before
being wrestled onto the ferry.
Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and
women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to
question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there
are rumors spreading of a resistance group--known as "Arrivalists"--who
may be fomenting revolution.
Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed,
entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized--and on a desperate
mission to uncover the truth.
