Here is a review by Larissa: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2146554963

https://wordpress.com/view/bibliophagistinlove.wordpress.com


Reviewed this ARC I received from Netgalley on my blog. Check it out!

I admit that I am not naturally drawn to the sci-fi/fantasy genre but I was extremely intrigued by the concept of a world where everyone lives knowing the day they will die. What I am naturally drawn to are characters and the connections they form and this book delivers with 3 strong lead characters.

So when I started this book I wasn't prepared for how heart broken I would be discovering how living with these expiration dates would divide society and impact how everyone measures their self-worth and the value of others. It made the first chapters of this book difficult for me to read but I am so glad I pushed through because once our three characters are united and begin to reveal the extent of their true connections to one another is when this book begins to shine.

This book is unique in it's use of a 3 POV format and each of the three lead characters brings an interesting perspective to the story. I found the connections between the characters both beautiful and heart breaking at the same time.

It's clear this is the first book of a series so you can expect a cliffhanger but the cliffhanger I was left with wasn't exactly the cliffhanger that I was expecting. I can't wait to read what happens next.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a great compelling, action-packed read! I loved every minute of it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I have been a fan of the Ritchie sisters for years now. I was a little wary of a YA book, but OMG they hit another one out of the park. Just nailed it out of the park.

We meet Franny first on the day before her deathday. My heart broke for her and I wanted to rage at that bank teller. We think we've seen the last of her in the alley.

Then we meet Court, can I say I think I liked his POV the best? We learn him and Mykal have survived their deathdays. They have been together for a year and are linked together, which I find so fascinating. The rest of the story revolves around these three being linked and the only thing they have in common is that they all survived their deathdays.

They are trying for 3 of 5 spots on the StarDust ship so they aren't found out. Court seems to be the one that has the most desire to escape as he feels someone is out to kill him. So he teaches Mykal and now Franny how to act like an Influential. (one of three classes of their time)

Not only do you fall in love with Mykal, Court, and Franny; but the side characters as well. Kindred, Zimmer, Gem, etc.

This book lays the foundation for a great series.

This book had me hooked so quickly! The character introductions were compelling and they did an amazing job of introducing this new world without overwhelming me with terms and places.
I loved the world building, the descriptions of the icy planet were interesting and such a fresh, new idea.
It had such a great use of secondary characters, of telling you who they are and what they're like without overshadowing the main characters or the plot.
The authors also gave us such a great understanding of the link between the three main characters while keeping me super intrigued by the plot. The romance in this book was strong and sweet in its subtleties and I adored it.
There was also such great characterisation in this book. By the end of the book I had such a good understanding of Court, Mykal and Franny and their motivations and personalities and I truly cannot wait to see what happens to them next.
The ending was so compelling and I'm so excited to read more.
What I loved most about this book is that I haven't read anything like it before.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fantastic book. I couldn't put it down.

I really liked the sounds of this one, and the writing was even great! But I couldn’t deal with feeling other people’s emotions and being linked. It was just too weird of a concept for me. I’m sure others will like the book, though!

I don't read much science fiction or fantasy because it never seems to hold my interest. However, if Krista and Becca Ritchie write it, I'm going to read it. Due to the genre I was nervous, but I should have known that I could trust the dynamic duo to deliver. The beginning was a little slow as I was learning about the world and the characters, but then it picked up steam and I was hooked. It was unique, engaging, and perhaps most important for me, full of heart. The connection Franny, Court, and Mykal shared wasn't easy, but the friendship that blossomed was unshakeable.

I loved having three main characters instead of just two. Each was strong in his or her own way. Court was mentally strong. His evolution throughout the course of the story was actually my favorite. Mykal was physically strong, plus he had a huge heart. I immediately adored him. Franny was emotionally strong. She didn't give herself enough credit, especially considering Court and Mykal had shared their connection much longer. While there was a romance in the book that delighted me, it was not the main focus of the story.

One thing these authors do well is creating secondary characters you love and hate. They all added something to the story, and I even found myself warming up to some I didn't care for early on. The action in the book really ramped up in the last quarter, and I was equal parts excited and scared to find out how it would all end. I loved the progression of Court's relationships with both Franny and Mykal, but my heart was definitely in my throat by the book's conclusion. The sequel will definitely be one of my most anticipated books of 2019.

* 3.5 but rounding up *

Right off the bat I was a little nervous because the first few chapters of this book reminded me a lot of ‘They Both Die at the End’ and I wasn’t sure how that was going to play out but thankfully the similarities began and ended quickly so I was able to dive deeper into the story and really enjoy it as it went along.

This book has kind of a rocky start as we learn the mechanics of this new world order and how your life expectancy directly translates to your social standing in society with our main trio clawing their way to the top in any way they can. It really picks up about midway through as we see them try to manage their deep connections to one another, a quality which mimics in part to that seen in Sense8, the trials of their past and most importantly selling their con.

This book manages to draw you in near the end when the plan starts to reach its final stages and all the secrets and past enemies come forward and force a bloody confrontation leaving our group with no other choice than to face it head on and deal with the consequences later setting up a cliffhanger that not many, including myself, should see coming and it will be interesting to see just how they manage to survive these new revelations in book 2.

**big thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**