Harry is a kalachakra, one of a few humans who are born with an ability. Harry lives and dies a life like any others but when he dies, he goes back to the beginning and starts again. He is always the product of a rape between the rich son of the manor and his mother a housemaid. His mother dies in childbirth and the wealthy family he belongs to are appalled at the thought of raising him. So he is raised by the gardener and his wife and learns about landscaping.

But with the help of the few other kalachakras, he always gets out of the rural landscape. In his various lives he lives all over the world, practicing various professions and becoming richer. There is a club for those of his sort and they help each other. Harry is a subset of the kalachakras as he never forgets anything from life to life while others do. That makes him the best candidate to stop another man who is trying to end the world in his attempt to know everything.

Victor is a friend of Harry's and then his enemy. Vincent wants to build a machine more advanced than anything even imagined in physics that will contain all the answers of the world. Unfortunately, it will destroy the world but Victor regards that as a fair price to pay. Harry helps Victor for ten years but comes to realize that their work is wrong and then determines to stop him, no matter how many lives it takes.

Again and again, the two men chase each other through lifetimes. Victor wipes out the clubs wherever he finds them as he isn't sure who is behind the attempts to stop him. Harry works his way next to Victor and pretends that he has no idea of their past histories. Who will win this ultimate battle?

This is Claire North's first major work. She started writing at age fourteen and her name is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb. She writes in the fantasy genre and recently has focused on retelling the Greek myths surrounding the Trojan War. Her work introduces the reader to Harry and makes them ponder what they themselves would do with the ability to live life over and over. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Archived prior to download. I stopped reviewing for this time period. I've heard good things about this book and may pick it up in the future.

A novel that will keep you reading to see just what is going on. Harry August is about to die. Again. He has died ten times before. Before he dies a little girl appears and tells him she needs to send a message. This novel is unique but will require the right type of reader to stick with it.

I love the premise of this book. After reading I suggested it to my students and to our librarian at the time.

I read this book here and then bought it. I think this was such a good book to come out when it did; it got in on the time loop narrative early and worked really well.

A book I almost put down, a book I am so glad I finished. Compelling, fiercely intelligent, bewildering, an examination of what humans might be capable of doing to each other in the knowledge they can live over and over. Sometimes difficult to read, sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes laughably complex. But just a stunning read, in the end. And a vindication of not giving up on books, because sometimes they reward you beyond measure.

I thought this book was really interesting! It was hard to understand at first (because the author didn't really explain what was happening), but I understand why she chose to do it that way. It was a little slow at times to me, but the second half of the book made up for it. I wouldn't recommend it for those who get bored easily, you'll end up putting it down before it gets good. Otherwise, I loved it!

Due to unexpected circumstances, I was unable to finish this selection. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity.

I did not realize that I had not submitted my review for this book. My apologies.

Honestly I can't give this one a rating because I haven't been able to finish it. I have now tried reading it three times, twice on my kindle and once as an audiobook, and I just cannot make it through no matter how hard I try. I read a lot of reviews stating it starts off slowly and does pick up if you can stick with it but I just can't. I loved the idea behind the book and I did enjoy this authors other two books but I just have too many other books I want to read to try this one a fourth time...

Harry August is born on New Year's Day of 1919....over and over again. As a Kalachakra, he is born, lives and dies in perpetuity. In his early lives, he struggles to make sense of his situation when he comes into contact with others of his kind and joins the Cronus Club. On one of his death beds, a messenger comes to him warning that the world is coming to an end and the rate of its demise is accelerating. Thus begins a race forward and back again in time to apprehend the architect of this destruction.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August offers up interesting questions as to the consequences of our actions and the nature of time. The order of Harry's lives is somewhat jumbled which I believe is done in order to emphasize the continual nature of a life lived as a repetition, but it can be a bit disorienting at times.

Sorry, requested but did not find the time to review.

The story has a great premise — Harry and a small number of others like him are destined to live their lives over and over again. No matter how they die, they are reborn and live the same life. Nothing ever changes … until someone in their group begins interfering.

The book was promoted as a time travel story, but it really isn’t. It’s more like Groundhog Day, only Harry remembers and repeats an entire life instead of just one day.

A lot of people loved this book, and I thought I would too, but I had a difficult time getting into it. It was a slow read for most of the book, probably because I had trouble caring about Harry’s lives. Plus his lives are presented out of order making it a little more confusing than necessary to follow the timeline.

The mystery of who is changing things and why kept me interested enough to keep reading. The last quarter of the book does pick up and we finally find out what is happening, but it was an arduous journey to get there.

A little slow initially, but in the end a good read.