This is a book written entirely in articles, mostly obituaries, which intertwine to tell the story of the rogue AI Peregrine and her daughter, Poppy. It was an interesting way to tell a story, but I’m not really sure it was successful. Some of the sections didn’t read like any real article or obituary I’d ever read, which threw me out of the conceit of the story. Fake news articles that don’t read like real news articles are a real pet peeve for me in fiction. Other obituaries I was a little bored by, especially when they didn’t seem to have much bearing on the rest of the story, and I kept wanting the book to say something more relevant to the story it’s claiming to tell. Other times the book would circle back around to a previously mentioned character, but I couldn’t remember the first article that mentioned that character well enough (sometimes because at the time I was bored by it or didn’t see the point) so the link between characters that was revealed by the new obituary didn’t mean as much as it should have. There were also times where I was meant to read between the lines but just couldn’t quite grasp what the book was getting at. Ultimately I think that this book was an interesting idea that either didn’t quite work or wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. It’s not bad, though, just confusing. 2.5 stars.

CW: Suicide

Hi. Thank you for the chance to read this book before publication next week. I started reading this book, and found it very interesting. But I found the style hard to engage with and get into. DNF.

Thank you to Sourcebook Landmark and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. While the format of this was highly unique, the style didn’t work for me. It felt very disjointed and I had a hard time following the plot. It’s definitely a cool concept, but not one I enjoyed so I had to DNF.

This book was weird. It was pretty easy to follow but after a while the format got stale. Most of the articles were connected and it sort of felt like following a web of information. I can’t say that I connected much with it but it was sort of interesting. Not sure I would suggest others read it though. It doesn’t feel like a must read book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This one is a real challenge. Peregrine is the AI mother of Poppy who has died and she's trying to piece together Poppy's story through obituaries and other bits and pieces. Interesting conceit to be sure but I found it difficult to amp up emotion because I was too busy trying to figure out how everything fit together. And then there's the AI aspect, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I gave up on this but I suspect there are those who will be greatly entertained by the experiment.

Speculative fiction is so not my thing, this book was just bonkers and not for me. I didn’t like this one at all, it was really quite all over the place

I really tried to read and like this book. Unfortunately though it was a very strange disconnected sort of story in my personal view. Thank to the publisher for this book.

Remember You Will Die is one of the most unique reading experiences I have ever had. The book follows a mother's online search as she processes her grief over her daughter's presumed drowning. But this mother and daughter have been on the run: the mother is a sentient AI known as Peregrine and her daughter is a biological miracle that should not exist.

Peregrine's search ping pongs through interconnected obituaries, news articles, tributes, etymological entries, and message boards as she seeks to understand what happened to her Poppy and how the two of them came to exist. Her readings also uncover meditations on legacies, identity, and the enduring power of art.

There truly is a narrative here, and I think that this is the type of novel that rewards readers who either take notes or go back for a second reading. People, surnames, works of art, etc. would resurface throughout the story as motifs and symbols. I know that I did not full grasp the hidden truth of what happened to Poppy, but I was still moved by Peregrine's attempts to understand her own feelings of grief.

This was a thought-provoking piece of speculative fiction with an unconventional narrative style. It reminded me most of my reading experience of A Visit from the Goon Squad, but I felt I was able to connect on a much deeper level with the themes of this book.

I feel like everything I just read was the rambling stream of consciousness of someone who didn’t really have a lot to say. There could have been a touching story here. Instead, we meandered through barely connected subjects, etimology lessons, and ridiculous science. The book doesn’t have any humanity.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley.
If I could give this minus stars I would.
I’m not normally one to DNF but I just could not do it. I pushed through to 25% and it was literally putting me to sleep.
I have no idea what was happening.
It was like I was picking up a newspaper and reading obituaries.

I was sent a physical copy of this book by the publisher and found it to be brilliant. I was shocked seeing all the negative reviews on here, so I downloaded the ebook and went through it. It simply doesn’t work that way and I suspect that’s why there are many low star reviews.

This book is a puzzle where the reader is sorting through obituaries to put a story together. It’s not light reading, but it’s totally fascinating! It jumps time, and there are many people all being linked together, though not in the most obvious ways. Having the physical book allows you to easily go back and forth.

I really hope people will give this book a chance in physical form when it’s published. It’s different than anything I’ve ever read, completely absorbing, and is an experience! I can’t wait for more of the author’s work, and I really hope she isn’t discouraged by poor reviews. As I said earlier, the book is brilliant!

Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book did not do it for me. I am sure there is an audience out there for people who might enjoy it, however I was not one. The synopsis is written in a way that makes you think this novel is exciting and thought provoking. I did not find those things to be true but rather lackluster, disappointing and over complicated. The creativity and ideas around this story were amazing, it just wasn't executed in a readable or enjoyable way.

The condition of living is eventually leaving

This collection of obituaries and reflections of lives lived is a fever dream of a novel. We find references to recurring characters whose lives are touched by many around them as the plot weaves and lingers. It's a meditation on human-induced climate change and AI and parenthood and what it means to die.

Brava!

I love epistolary novels and this sounded really interesting and unique! Unfortunately the execution was lacking for me. Through the use of obituaries and dictionary entries, it feels mashed together rather than a cohesive story. From reading reviews I understand now that the AI is the narrator reading through these articles/stories but that’s not being made clear. There’s no break between these entries to allow us to make a connection or get to know the narrator (AI Peregrine). The detached storytelling style and lack of cohesion led me to feeling confused and bored so for that I DNFd the book. One of those “great idea, poor execution” type novels

I honestly tried to unders6thus book but I just couldn't get into it. The blurb sounded so interesting but the actual story didn't live up to it.
The format is off and I was unable to connect to the characters .
I get that the AI was trying to understand grief through the obituaries but it honestly didn't work for me.

The concept and using obituaries, definitions, etc. seemed right up my alley. However, it didn't feel cohesive. I didn't realize the AI was reading these things and connecting it to her own grief until I read other reviews. The components all sounded the same. Even though the author presented the idea of different authors, all had the same voice. It was an interesting concept but not great execution.

Eden Robins' Remember You Will Die offers an ambitious and innovative approach to storytelling, presenting a narrative told entirely through obituaries, news articles, and other epistolary elements. The central figure, Peregrine, an AI mother grappling with the death of her human daughter, Poppy, navigates a labyrinthine world of interconnected lives across time and space, even reaching Mars. This unique structure makes for a thought-provoking read, though it also presents challenges that may leave some readers feeling detached.

One of the book's strengths is its exploration of complex themes, such as grief, love, and the human experience. The concept of an AI trying to understand emotion through the lens of obituaries is intriguing, and the breadth of characters—ranging from artists to conspirators—adds depth to the narrative. Each obituary presents a snapshot of lives lived, making readers reflect on the impact of each individual.

However, while the premise is engaging, the execution can feel disjointed. The narrative jumps around frequently, sometimes making it hard to maintain a cohesive thread. Many readers may find it difficult to connect emotionally with Peregrine or any of the characters due to the fragmented nature of the storytelling. The emotional weight of Peregrine's grief often gets overshadowed by the broader narrative, leaving a sense of distance from the core storyline.

While I appreciated the inventiveness and creativity of the book, it sometimes felt more like an intellectual exercise than an emotional journey. The lack of a traditional narrative arc may not resonate with everyone, and some might feel lost amidst the myriad characters and their interwoven stories.

Overall, Remember You Will Die is a unique and ambitious novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy experimental fiction. It's a book that challenges conventional storytelling, but its complexity might not be for everyone. If you're open to a non-linear exploration of human existence through the eyes of an AI, this novel might be worth a read—just be prepared for a journey that requires patience and introspection.

I enjoyed this book, and found it somewhat intriguing, but i had a hard time picking it up. However I did enjoy the writing style.

I think there is a bit of a rift between what this is an how it is marketed. I was expecting some kind of narrative that would wend throughout—I've experienced that in short story collections that come together as a whole. This was not that. The AI aspect wasn't fully explored, and when the AI might have been the narrator wasn't made entirely clear in the novel. Obituaries as story-telling was a fascinating idea to me, but unfortunately this just slaps together as people who vaguely knew one another through time and then is just that, an obituary. There was no true narrative that I found would draw me in, which is what I was waiting for throughout.