Reviews with content warning for Death - The Immortalists

Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

78 reviews

helen464's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

At times I was really invested waiting to see what happens but at other times I was just reading to get through it. The characters aren’t that likeable but I still cared what happened to them. Simon’s story was a bit predictable but the other siblings were more original.

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baguettegay's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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whitneys_bookstack's review

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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rachelh913's review

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5.0

This book wrecked me. I devoured it in two sittings and sobbed through the last fifty pages or so, but loved every moment. It’s gritty and dark and makes me want to write a book report on the interplay between death, life, family, and the choices we make. Incredible.

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almel07's review

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Though I never found myself dying to jump back into this book, I always found myself hooked once I’d already pick it up.

This story felt like such a personal approach to the question: would you live your life differently if you knew exactly when it would end?

It follows the lives of four siblings who learn early on in the book the exact date in which they each will die. You then begin to see how this knowledge begins to impact their lives leading to their inevitable deaths. Though it followed four different storylines it never felt completely disconnected as each sibling always tied in with the others. However, because it followed all four of their lives individually it allowed the reader to experience different parts of the country through the span of different decades.

Overall it was beautifully written and thought-provoking. I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for something that ignites some discussion.

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josh_mza's review

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

A captivating irony of a dysfunctional immigrant family trying to piece together what it means to live.

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belleanndthebook's review

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dark reflective sad

3.0

After a few months worth of distance from this book. I can finally elaborate on my feelings towards it: This book creates a scenario with one set of expectations and then pivots and explores other themes almost entirely.

This book sells itself, both in the synopsis and the prologue, as a book that explores how knowing the date of one’s death shapes one’s life, a book thematically about—what I will attempt to summarize in one word as—mortality. However, immediately when we jump forward to the first sibling's perspective, the book begins to centrally explore another theme: grief. The siblings’ father dies, triggering the characters to begin thinking about death and thus begins the events of the story. Initially, the addition of this theme makes sense due to the proximity of mortality and death (and thus grief). However, the rest of the book very quickly becomes very repetitive.

The lives of the siblings become increasingly shaped mainly by grief as opposed to exploring how they grapple with their mortality. All of the siblings essentially struggle against their mortality and die in the exact same way

(self-sabotage and recklessness)

, and, until the literal climactic conclusion of the book, no other possibility of dealing with mortality is portrayed.

Thus, a book that I picked up expecting it to explore how people live their lives in the face and in spite of their inevitable mortality, actually turned out to be a book exploring grief, death, and dying over and over again without much meaningful variety. Don’t get me wrong, there was some merit in the siblings' stories individually and in the other themes explored; however, I think that many are going to find this book disappointing because the set-up in no way matched the pay-off.

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jordan_dobbs's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved the different points of view and story lines and how they all connected
Brought me to tears 2 or 3 times oh my goodness

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mcclintock1808's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The concept of The Immortalists initially drew me to the book in the first place, and while I still enjoy the concept of it, I don't think it was executed the best. The story is in four sections following four siblings, and some fell flat. Simon's was a good story; it follows and deals with both inner and outer problems. It did get a bit too descriptive with his love life for my taste, but nothing against the book. Klara's perspective was the best in my opinion. Her struggles, dreams, hopes, and desires all meshed into one was perfectly told. Daniel's was the worst. He was stoic, and I didn't understand his character arc at all, it seemed so random and just used as a plot device. Although Varya's was better, it wasn't great. It did incorporate important themes, but it did so randomly and more things just seemed thrown in as plot devices. The only other thing that struck me as odd, was how every child came to either resent, disagree or look badly upon their religion. I understand a change in beliefs, but it just seemed odd that religion was displayed so negatively in the entire book. Overall, the book covers important themes and is very interesting to reflect back upon life and death, and how people should be living.

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dixiecarroll's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this and found the concept to be incredibly intriguing and captivating. I do think that it fell a little flat in certain areas, but I was still eager to keep going and will recommend to everyone! It’s a sweeping family saga plagued with death - look up triggers before hand because it’s filled with them all.

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