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tildy08's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! Showing how knowing the future doesn’t necessarily allow us to change it, but may actually cause us to live up to the future that was written for us.
sunbreak's review
I believed Richard Russo's quote on the back that I would care deeply about these characters but wow was he wrong. Couldn't get past that, and a lot of the trite writing didn't help. I gave up when there was a reference to dead fathers hanging out together in heaven.
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
3.0
The book is split into four sections, each covering one of the four siblings who visited a fortune teller in the first pages of the book. I was evenly split on the sections - two of the sections I found wonderful and two I got through because of the better ones. For all that, I really enjoyed the skill it takes to write from different perspectives and even more appreciated the book's interplay between fate and free choice.
stephtherose_'s review
3.0
5 stars for this book because of how beautifully crafted it is. The writing is amazing.
For my personal rating? 3ish stars. It’s very character driven which I don’t typically read. I found myself pretty bored and not super connected to any of the characters.
For my personal rating? 3ish stars. It’s very character driven which I don’t typically read. I found myself pretty bored and not super connected to any of the characters.
shmarvie's review
3.0
My feelings about this book keep bouncing back and forth between like and dislike that I’m rating it right in the middle.
Concept: great
The way it played out: not so much
While reading the prologue I was getting hyped up for this story. Four young siblings find out the days they’ll die from a fortune teller, good start. Now the book begins and it’s split in to four parts; each siblings story up to their death.
(Spoilers ahead)
Simon’s story starts and I start to really flip pages, breezing through his story. However, I was very disappointed in how cliche she went with him. I did love Robert. I was annoyed with the fact that he really started to make something of himself and yet the only reason he started making absolutely reckless decisions was because his supposed death day was coming.
Klara’s story I enjoyed too up until the end. She followed her dreams of perusing a career in magic. She started a family. Everything was peachy. Then she decides to commit suicide because it’s her death date.
(I just felt like their deaths could have been more creative. Morbid? Maybe)
Rinse and repeat my feelings about Daniels story..liked it until his death.. also O’Donoghue made me roll my eyes and why was he so close by? Just seemed far fetched..but it’s fiction after all so forgiven.
Varya’s story was the only one I truly enjoyed all the way through..maybe because her death wasn’t played out and she wasn’t stuck on her death day. She actually redeemed herself from her boring, monotonous life and started living for something.
That’s my feelings with out giving too much away.
Also:
There are some cringe worthy writing moments, for example, Varya’s mentioned pubes and Simons dislike for vagina (cabbage folds? I promise you this isn’t what gay men think of vaginas).
Concept: great
The way it played out: not so much
While reading the prologue I was getting hyped up for this story. Four young siblings find out the days they’ll die from a fortune teller, good start. Now the book begins and it’s split in to four parts; each siblings story up to their death.
(Spoilers ahead)
Simon’s story starts and I start to really flip pages, breezing through his story. However, I was very disappointed in how cliche she went with him. I did love Robert. I was annoyed with the fact that he really started to make something of himself and yet the only reason he started making absolutely reckless decisions was because his supposed death day was coming.
Klara’s story I enjoyed too up until the end. She followed her dreams of perusing a career in magic. She started a family. Everything was peachy. Then she decides to commit suicide because it’s her death date.
(I just felt like their deaths could have been more creative. Morbid? Maybe)
Rinse and repeat my feelings about Daniels story..liked it until his death.. also O’Donoghue made me roll my eyes and why was he so close by? Just seemed far fetched..but it’s fiction after all so forgiven.
Varya’s story was the only one I truly enjoyed all the way through..maybe because her death wasn’t played out and she wasn’t stuck on her death day. She actually redeemed herself from her boring, monotonous life and started living for something.
That’s my feelings with out giving too much away.
Also:
There are some cringe worthy writing moments, for example, Varya’s mentioned pubes and Simons dislike for vagina (cabbage folds? I promise you this isn’t what gay men think of vaginas).
stacylaughs's review
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicide, and Death
erinlikestoread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
tishywishy's review
4.0
Started off with the audiobook and I'm happy I didn't quit the book entirely. The narrator wasn't horrible but it made the pace of the book way too slow and the story line entirely humdrum. I returned the audiobook and got the physical book and it was a game changer.
This is not my typical genre, contemporary fiction, but it has elements that I adore. A woman who can tell you the date you die, queer characters, magic, POC characters, individual story lines that intermingle fluidly, and the list goes on. I learnt a bit more about Jewish culture, felt a pang with each story line and resonated with Robert and Raj (the two characters of colour). I want to share more about these two and why I really enjoyed their presence but this would turn into a spoiler review.
A great read, one I would recommend (but not the audiobook).
This is not my typical genre, contemporary fiction, but it has elements that I adore. A woman who can tell you the date you die, queer characters, magic, POC characters, individual story lines that intermingle fluidly, and the list goes on. I learnt a bit more about Jewish culture, felt a pang with each story line and resonated with Robert and Raj (the two characters of colour). I want to share more about these two and why I really enjoyed their presence but this would turn into a spoiler review.
A great read, one I would recommend (but not the audiobook).
therealmadmags's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5