The Ferryman Institute

August 8, 2016
“BE A FERRYMAN OR SAVE THE GIRL. YOUR CHOICE.” Charlie Dawson receives a letter with these unusual instructions right before Alice Spiegel attempts suicide. The attention-grabbing scene opens Gigl’s strong debut, which is set in present-day New York and New Jersey. The institute of the title is modeled after the job of the mythical Charon; ferryman exist to help newly dead souls find their way into the afterlife. Charlie died on a whaling boat and was recruited to the institute instead of being sent on his way, a deal that seemed too good to be true and has caused him much regret in the following 200 years. Alice Spiegel is so distracted by Charlie’s appearance that she postpones her suicide while getting pulled into the web of intrigue stemming from the mysterious message. Perspective shifts between the two give deep looks into their inner lives. The book occasionally gets bogged down by these emotional landscapes, but it recovers quickly with funny, snappy dialogue and decisive action. Gigl successfully mixes human tragedy and comedy and creates a world worth coming back to. Agent: Hannah Brown Gorden, Foundry Literary + Media.

Starred review from September 15, 2016

The tasks of ensuring that souls leave this world and travel to the afterlife is apparently a bureaucratic business like any other. Charlie Dawson is the most successful Ferryman in the history of the Institute, called in whenever a transfer goes sideways. But he's burning out, having been in the position for over 250 years. Then he gets a mysterious message during the job to usher suicide Alice Spiegel, offering him the chance to save the girl and finally stop being a Ferryman. But breaking all the rules of the Institute has consequences, and Charlie and Alice are soon on the run from Javrouche, a fanatical internal affairs inspector. VERDICT While grim reaper stories are not exactly rare in fantasy, this debut brims with wit and thrills. Recommend to fans of Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job.--MM

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2016
As an immortal Ferryman, Charlie Dawson excels at escorting the deceased to their afterlives, but a 250-year perfect record has left him feeling listless. When he has the opportunity to stop Alice Spiegel from committing suicide, he takes it, and they become fugitives as the Ferryman Institute attempts to track them down. With zest, debut-author Gigl sends Charlie and Alice on an amusing adventure, which eventually results in a bittersweet (with an emphasis on the sweet) ending. Though cute and fantastical, this tale has a serious core as both protagonists work through their own forms of depression. Gigl's writing comes to life in Charlie's and Alice's sarcastic or self-deprecating quips, and their hyperbolized metaphors and wacky insights will incite chuckles, even as the sadness and truth they express invite reflection. The inner workings of the institute are a whole lot of fun to learn about as Gigl subtly examines the multiple ways people view, fear, and approach death. A witty, heartwarming, modern-day fairy tale highly recommended for fans of quirky stories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)