Take a photo of a barcode or cover
“She’d tell herself that what she really wanted was not to live forever, but to stop worrying.”
This book begins with a visit to a fortune teller in 1969 New York City, where four siblings are told the exact dates of their deaths. The novel then unfolds in four interconnected sections, each focusing on one sibling’s life and how their prophesied end shapes their choices, relationships, and sense of identity. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of fate, free will, and the power of belief.
Chloe Benjamin is a relatively young author whose first novel, <em>The Anatomy of Dreams</em>, was also well-received. She has mentioned in interviews that her writing often explores the intersection of science and spirituality, which is clearly evident in <em>The Immortalists</em>.
In a way, this novel felt like four short stories connected by the thread of the siblings’ shared encounter with the fortune teller. Normally, I find short stories a bit exhausting, as they require reconnecting with new characters repeatedly. But, in this book, the shared experience of the fortune teller grounded the story and made the transitions between sections more cohesive.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this book was its psychological depth. It made me constantly question how much of the siblings’ fates were shaped by the fortune teller’s predictions versus their own belief in them. Was it self-fulfilling prophecy or true destiny? This lingering question keeps you thinking long after the last page.
Although the character development was pretty strong, I found it hard to deeply bond with any of the siblings. I suspect this is largely due to the segmented “short story” structure, which didn’t leave as much room to fully immerse in their lives. Still, each sibling’s story felt real and layered, even if the emotional connection wasn’t as deep as I might have hoped.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy pondering the human condition. It’s not predictable or kitschy, and it kept me engaged from start to finish. While the characters didn’t completely steal my heart, the story left me with plenty to reflect on, which is a mark of a worthwhile read in my book. If you’re looking for something thought-provoking and uniquely structured, give it a try!
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Abortion, Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic
We follow 4 siblings who, in childhood, are each told the day they will die. We follow each sibling through their life stages and until their subsequent death.
MILD SPOILERS:
The premise? GREAT!
The set up? Amazing! Having them siblings could add so much nuance and mystery.
The execution? Lacking.
Me and my reading buddy, who I unfortunately dragged into reading this with me, felt like the pacing was this books weakest aspect. You're following 4 siblings and so expect their life's to intertwine, their deaths to have vast and meaningful impacts. Instead, each character section takes place YEARS after the previous siblings death. This not only jars the reader out of the setting and characters we were just following, but also makes the previous chapters lack any true influence on the narrative going forward.
The story would often pick up narrative threads in a sibling's life, such as Kara being able to hear her death brothers knocks on walls. These threads influence the character we're following in interesting ways and just as their narrative is ending you expect these threads to continue, develop, change. But no. They're dropped entirely and never mentioned again.
This happens MORE THAN ONCE, and by the end of the book, me and my reading buddy wondered what was even the point?
I've rated this 2.5 as I did find myself connecting and enjoying individual POVs, I just didn't enjoy how they were worked together.
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Abandonment
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol
das Leben der vier Geschwister wird in diesem Buch nacheinander dargestellt. Alles beginnt mit dem Tag, an dem sie ihren Todestag erfahren. Eine einschneidende Erfahrung für die Kinder damals, die sie ihr ganzes Leben begleitet. Es werden glaubhaft dynamische Familienbande gezeigt, der Einfluss von Religion und Spiritualität auf das Leben wird behandelt und Sexualität und mentale Gesundheit wird angesprochen. Dir zentrale Diskussion jedoch, die ebenfalls gen Ende sehr elegant direkt in den Text eingewoben wird, ist, Leben vs. Überleben. Wie verhält man sich im Angesicht seines eigenen Ablebens? Geht man lieber auf Nummer sicher und versucht die Zukunft doch noch etwas zu beeinflussen oder nimmt man die Zeit, die man hat und macht das beste draus? Lieber im Jetzt leben oder im Potential der Zukunft?
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Antisemitism, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment