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A review by aimawaymessage
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
4.0
3.5/5
“And what if I change?” It seems impossible that Varya’s future is already inside her like an actress just offstage, waiting decades to leave the wings. “Then you’d be special. ‘Cause most people don’t.”
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The premise is intriguing: four young siblings visit a fortune teller and learn the exact dates of their deaths. I appreciated the undertone of Jewishness kept throughout the book, but I felt this storyline carried an uncomfortable take on Romani culture near the end. Beyond that, the plot lines were predictable and the characters were frustrating to follow at times.
Overall: this felt more like contemporary historical fiction than a sci-fi novel. I don’t feel that the premise was entirely explored, but I still enjoyed reading it anyway.
“And what if I change?” It seems impossible that Varya’s future is already inside her like an actress just offstage, waiting decades to leave the wings. “Then you’d be special. ‘Cause most people don’t.”
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The premise is intriguing: four young siblings visit a fortune teller and learn the exact dates of their deaths. I appreciated the undertone of Jewishness kept throughout the book, but I felt this storyline carried an uncomfortable take on Romani culture near the end. Beyond that, the plot lines were predictable and the characters were frustrating to follow at times.
Overall: this felt more like contemporary historical fiction than a sci-fi novel. I don’t feel that the premise was entirely explored, but I still enjoyed reading it anyway.