This is one of the most well-crafted, thought provoking novels that I’ve read in a very long time and I highly recommend it.

If you could find out when you were going to die, would you? Inquisitive siblings Varya, Daniel, Klara & Simon ranging from 13 to 7 visited the fortune teller on Hester Street and quite possibly changed their lives forever. Did their awareness shape how they lived their lives? Was their knowledge a conduit to a self-fulfilling prophecy? Did they hear their fortune and never think about it again?

The story evolves as these children become adults. Life choices can lead to a long life or one cut drastically short. The siblings must cope with love and loss, the dynamics of a less than perfect family, expectations and what’s expected as well as their own hopes and dreams. And subconsciously some of them hear the clock ticking. Whether the woman was a true sage or a total quack is almost irrelevant, it’s what each believes and internalizes is what matters.

I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thoughts Ninjas. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. This novel asks, what if you knew the date of your death? Four bored young siblings decide to visit a medium who can (and does) tell them the exact dates of their death. The youngest, Simon, has the earliest date:

It’s the prophecy, too, something he would very much like to forget but has instead dragged behind him all these years. He hates the woman for giving it to him, and he hates himself for believing her. If the prophecy is a ball, his belief is its chain; it is the voice in his head that says Hurry, says Faster, says Run.

All of the siblings are affected by the prophecy and what it says to them. They take risks or avoid them to the point of paralysis; they make plans or discard them; they look to the future or the past. Varya, the eldest: “it was evident in Simon’s spirits, in Daniel’s tendency toward anger, in the way Klara unlatched and drifted away from them.”

Read if: You think you would like a mash-up of San Francisco in the 70s (think Tales of the City), magic shows, a meditation on duty to others, and another meditation on connection, all in a family saga.

This novel opens with four young siblings meeting with a clairvoyant who gives each of them the date of their death. The novel then proceeds in four parts, each outlining the life of the siblings in turn and how they were affected by their death predictions. A strong premise that began strong but petered out about halfway through.

4 young siblings visit a woman and don't like what they hear. But does what she tell them become a self fulfilling prophecy? A beautifully written story.

I actually cried when it was over. I think you should get this book ASAP and read it.

I received an advance review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Nina Review Team. All opinions are my own.

If you knew the exact date of your death, how would you life your life? Would the impending date loom over your entire life and cause you to leave in fear? Would you seek to live as full a life as you could, no matter how little or long you had? Or would you simply ignore the warning and live your life as you see fit?

Four young siblings sneak out of their house one day to seek out a woman who can predict the date you will die. Each sibling is given their own date in private, and the novel follows each siblings throughout their lives as they live (or don't) with the knowledge they hold hovering over them.

With characters who each have their own distinct voice and narrative, The Immortalists is an excellent novel exploring the possibility of a known death in a fun and exciting way. There was never a dull moment as the narrative raced towards the death dates of the protagonists.

This was highly enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to as many people as I could. I absolutely loved this novel!

This book examines the question: “How would you live your life if you knew the date of your death?” Would it cause you to live life to the fullest or live in fear? Four siblings visit a fortune teller and are each individually told their “death date.” The author focuses on one sibling at a time, and follows each through a portion of his or her life. Since they are siblings, each is influenced to some degree by the actions of the others, and lots of family dynamics are at play.

The storyline is creative and the characters are extremely well-developed. I almost felt as though I knew each of them personally, and could picture the psychological burdens they carried. The stories are interesting, touching on topics ranging from gay life in San Francisco in the 1980’s to performance magic to military medicine to scientific research on longevity. It brings up questions on the meaning of life, and does so in an entertaining manner. It shows how a single event can have far-reaching psychological repercussions. It explores how much of what one believes to be true leads to a self-fulfilling prophesy. Themes include science vs. religion, the power of words, dealing with uncertainty, the impact of knowledge (both good and detrimental). There was a bit of graphic sex in one of the parts, and another was a bit of a stretch on the suspension of disbelief, but overall, I found it almost spell-binding and particularly enjoyed the author’s elegant writing style.

Highly recommended to readers of thought-provoking literature.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own. After finishing this book I sat in my chair and had a moment of silence. I really don't know what to say that will give this book the justice it deserves. I honestly believe that this book will be one of the best books of 2018. It's simply that great. It's a strong plot with characters you can relate to. This should definitely be on your pre order list and prepare to ignore everything else while you loose yourself in the story.

Let me start by saying that I honestly thought that we would spend a great portion of this novel in funerals and grief. That’s not what happens at all. This novel is as much about life and the paths we take in it, as it is about a foreboding prophecy.

I’ve been reading a lot of books classified as suspense as of late, but this was a family drama that really gets to the heart of relationships. The plot takes us through five decades and I really love how the writing is grounded in time and makes just enough pop culture and historical references to really place us there with these characters. There are bits of nostalgia when we get to the 2000s that I remember from school! (Pink Motorola Razors anyone?)

Chloe Benjamin also handles the 50-year time span well. When I hear that novels take place over decades I always wonder how the writer is going to handle time, especially since we’re dealing with four different narratives, I thought that we might be referencing the same points over and over. That also didn’t occur.

Each section is beautifully crafted bringing us to a different moment in the siblings’ lives. I never felt like this book was dragging. There was always something happening and there was a purpose to each section. Even when there is a brief reflective section it feels natural and is compelling at that point in the story.

I ended up reading this novel in about three days because I was so drawn in by the characters. Not only are the three siblings unique, three-dimensional characters, but each of their lives is populated with characters just as well-formed.

I could not put this book down! From the beginning, when the four siblings visit the fortune-telling gypsy who reveals the date of each one's death, the plot and characters took hold of me and did not let go until the end. Broken into sections that tell the story of each sibling, the book is well-balanced as the stories overlap. The author broaches the subject that the ancient philosophers wrote about, and that is, if we know our fate, is it avoidable? Does it make us live our lives .carelessly or carefully? I am so glad to have been able to read this book. The characters and themes will stick with me for awhile. Much thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gobsmackingly gorgeous. I am recommending this to everyone. A perfect winter's tale for the times.

This book was not my cup of tea. I tried a couple of chapters, but couldn't get into it.

Chloe Benjamin's The Immortalists is an eerie, yet gorgeous exploration of youthful follies and how they impact our adult lives in myriad and unexpected ways. When the four Gold children set out to visit the fortune-teller rumored to have taken up residence in their neighborhood in 1960s New York, they have no idea that day will haunt them for the remainder of their lives. As they go in, one-by-one, they learn from the old woman the exact date of their deaths. But is it real, or just a scam? And can they ever forget what they've heard? Or defy it? The Immortalists is a beautiful study of how the choices we make can cast long shadows over the lives we live.

My Rating: 5 Stars

A great story-line, a fresh and original idea: a great novel. Have you ever thought about the day of your death? Have you considered the consequences, how that little piece of information could influence the rest of your life?

In the year of 1969, four siblings are told by a fortune-teller the exact date of their demise. In time, the brothers Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya follow their own lives, considering their choices, their actions and choosing the opposite in desperate attempt to avoid fate. But can you really or everything is already laid down for you?

This debut novel is everything I could want in a novel. It's original, attention-grabbing and it makes the reader question what exactly is fate and it exists or not.

The plot is brilliant; it's well-developed and beautifully told. The novel is divided into sections: the lives of Simon and Klara; and those of Varya and Daniel, which leaves enough space to get to know them individually throughout the novel. It does make you think and question if we truly have a hand in our fate if we know when we're going to die what and how we would our lives. One of the first lessons of this novel for me: some things aren't meant to be known.

The style of writing is melodically beautiful; Benjamin is a great storyteller. For me, it's a very important factor to grab my attention right from the beginning of a book and Benjamin makes it seem effortless. The details of the characters and their lives are revealed slowly, in a very subtle way, involving way.

The characters are complex and have a great depth to them. The sections of the novel were well thought and the reader gets to see the two sides of the coin: the siblings that moved away and take the foreknowledge seriously and the other two that stay with their family and take a more grounded approach to life, trying not to give the foreknowledge a lot of thought. Even though there are four siblings, I really enjoyed reading about the connection between Simon and Klara. They leave together to San Francisco which shows their great connection and their closeness.
As characters, they are all different and all aspire for different paths: Simon dreams of living in a big city where he has the freedom to be himself without the pressure of his parents, and Klara the quiet and obsessed with magic dreams of showing her talents to a big public no matter the cost. Varya and Daniel have a more grounded approach and both take careers dedicated to helping others and researching longevity. As they didn’t have the chance to “escape”, they are envious of the freedom that their siblings have. But in the end, everything comes together perfectly and family wins.

The author did a brilliant job in representing the family and how the foreknowledge influences their choices. Even though at times there are reckless and act without thinking, they are making choices and take chances that they might never have taken without that knowledge. The way they rationalise and the way they consider their options made me consider how would I react or even do in a similar situation if I knew the date of my death.

I recommend this book to all the lovers of fiction that enjoy a new concept, a fresh narrator and a brilliant story.

The Immoralists starts strong with a story of 4 siblings who learn the date they will each die. As the plot unfolds we see how this information shapes the choices they each make, or don't make. I was enthralled with the first half or the book, but felt it lacked in the middle. Sometimes it struggled when point of view changed and a new "voice" was needed. Regardless, this novel is worth the read. I couldn't stop thinking about it and the questions it made me ponder, long after I put it down.

I really loved this book! Could not put it down and will be recommending this to everyone as soon as it comes out in January. It will make a great book club choice with so many themes to discuss - family, choices, what makes a meaningful life. Can't say enough about this one!

If you could know the day you will die, would you find out? The Immortalists is a story of four young siblings that visit a fortune teller in 1969 and find out their dates of death. The book is divided into four sections, one for each sibling, that shows you how they each "live" their lives. It's interesting to see how each sibling creates a life with this information. As in real life, this book shows that children can be raised in the same house and become very different people. The Immortalists makes you think about what it means to live and experience life.

This is the book everyone will be talking about this winter; it's already getting big buzz.

I was really loving it until the very end, which was set largely in a research facility testing on monkeys. There was nothing terribly graphic about it but it was sad and jarred me out of my enjoyment of the rest of the book. I'd love to hear Benjamin's reasoning for this setting and imagine it will be the topic of interviews.

Until then, I was captivated by this book which is the story of four siblings who visit a fortune teller. The dates of their deaths are revealed and how they navigate their lives with that knowledge is interesting. For some, it has a greater direct impact than for others but their own date sticks with each of them. I liked Daniel the best and wish I'd had more time with him. He was the most interesting of the siblings.

I must begin with sincere thanks to Penguin/Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this novel before its publication in January 2018.

The Immortalists is an ambitious novel that follows the lives of four siblings, starting from the late 60s in New York. This ‘sibling saga’ offers an excellent pretext for unobtrusive meditations on death, life, identity, faith/religion. At a young age, the curious siblings, two brothers and two sisters, visit a fortune-teller who tells each of them the time of their death. The novel paints their lives and how they make choices based (or not) on this knowledge, using a clever construction that threads their individual accounts consecutively, each starting where the previous one ended, arranged in the increasing order of the siblings’ lifespans. This story-building technique created a powerful narrative crescendo and effectively combined the linearity of more classic novels with the multiple point-of-view storytelling that is so en vogue among contemporary writers.

The plot is carefully constructed around historical and scientific facts, covering an impressive, though not excessive, range of topics, all well researched, one featured in each sibling’s story: ballet, magic, military medicine, nature science (the latter reminiscent of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, but done much more elegantly).

As the individual stories progress, we discover how each child's encounter with the fortune-teller took place. We learn about their personalities, their weirdnesses the others are not aware of, the tiny or big secrets they have, what fear of death does to each of them. They meditate on each other's lives, as well, but it is hard to decide whether or not they learn something from what they see as their siblings' good or bad choices.

Chloe Benjamin’s writing style is quite attractive. Her sentences flow easily, tone changing as appropriate. It is vivid in the childhood scenes that involve all the siblings; boisterous in depicting Simon’s carelessness; bittersweet on the pages that paint the glamour of Klara’s magic shows; joyous in the passages that describe Daniel’s falling in love; coolly detached when relaying Varya’s scientific observations; and even stereotypically humorous in the Jewish matriarch’s airtime.

Time and temporality are important factors in how the author builds her story. The reflective tone lets the reader know that there is more to come, that the events are told through the prism of other, later events. To achieve this, she uses verb tenses most effectively, with the reassuring accuracy of what we were taught about them in school: present events are told in present tense, past events in past, future ones in future.

With some cleverly done magical realism, feminism, and non-judgmentally worded ethics, the book creates a thought-provoking context for raising interesting questions. Is abandoning the path set by our family in order to ‘be ourselves’ truly a brave choice, or quite the opposite: an act of cowardice, as we have no one to whom we should be accountable? To what extent is our newly chosen life courageous, considering that it has detached itself from the greatest source of struggle and burden, i.e. family? Does knowing the date of our own death, as well as that of our beloved ones, change our attitude towards life and towards them? Or – and this was the most important one for me – does this alleged knowledge in fact propel the actions that will lead to that death?

Some of the turns and scenes with emotional potential were perhaps handled too casually; the conclusions felt a bit hasty in two of the siblings’ stories and slightly unconvincing in the other, but these imperfections did not detract much from the exciting reading experience. The one thing I disliked and I strongly hope will be edited out from the final version was the explicitness in describing Simon’s affairs. This sort of detail is misplaced in a book of this caliber.

The Immortalists offers no bestsellerish or genre-typical answers to the philosophical questions it raises and therein lies its greatest value and strength, in my opinion. Is it a subtle praise of moderation? Or a balanced reconciliation of seizing the day and self-imposed restriction? It is up to each reader to decide. Either way, this book is a very enjoyable and aesthetically satisfying read.

5 HUGE STARS!!!!! Chloe Benjamin has completely blown me away with The Immortalists!!!

The novel starts out in 1969 in NYC with the four Gold siblings (varying in age from 7-13 years old) getting their fortunes read from a traveling psychic. Among other personal facts about themselves, the psychic reveals the dates of their deaths. The children's reactions differ, but, regardless, a seed is planted that they cannot be reversed.

I was thoroughly mesmerized by the journey Chloe Benjamin had mapped out for each of the Gold children. I felt like a fly on the wall as we followed the Gold's from the 1970's to the present day. Their struggles, triumphs, self-discovery, tragedies, spirituality, familial bonds and relationships are all woven into this brilliant storyline. The characters were well-developed and the pacing was perfect. I love a book that makes you think/question and Chloe Benjamin did a fantastic job with that (I honestly cannot stop thinking about it)!! I haven't read anything from Chloe prior to The Immortalists, but I will definitely be 1-clicking anything she comes out with in the future!! I highly recommend The Immortalists-- you won't want to miss this gem!!!