For fans of family stories who like a little twist and magic. This story draws you in and doesn’t let up. My favorite 2018 book so far!

Thanks PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and netgalley for this ARC.

Do you believe someone could really predict when you'll die? These siblings lives can't escape this prediction. It's a wild ride that you won't forget. Loved the messiness, real life emotions, and epiphanies.

This novel has an interesting premise. Four siblings visit a gypsy woman who is rumored to be able to give the exact date of a person’s death. After hearing her predictions, each child deals with the news in their own way, although their knowing seems to deeply affect the choices they make in life.

As children, they were very close, but as adults, they barely have a relationship with each other. In fact, I felt all of them led a very lonely existence. Obviously, this is a dark, depressing story.

Once they hit adulthood, the focus is on each sibling’s life until the day of their death. We see how their stories merge and how each death affects the remaining family members.

I can’t say I really liked the story, but I was compelled to keep reading, mostly out of curiosity. Readers should be aware that there is some explicit sexual content and suicide mentioned in the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/GP Putnam’s Sons for allowing me an advance copy to read and give my honest review.

I’m so conflicted about The Immortalists. On the one hand, it was compulsively readable and at times rather hard-hitting, and on the other, I found the effort as a whole rather trite. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly striking or memorable.

In the novel’s prologue, in 1969 New York, the Gold siblings – Varya, Daniel, Klara, and Simon – visit a Romani fortune teller, who tells each of them the date they’re going to die. The Immortalists is told in four sections, one for each of the siblings, and one by one, we see a snapshot of each of their lives, ending in each of their deaths.

It’s a chilling and intriguing premise, but Chloe Benjamin doesn’t really do a whole lot with it. My problem with this book is that it was just so… obvious? Imagine you’re told beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re going to die young. You’ll probably shape your life decisions around the short-term, and live in the present, and these are the very careless actions that will probably end your life. This is the premise of the book, and each of the Gold siblings’ fates unfolds in a similarly straightforward manner. I really wanted something more, I wanted Benjamin to dig in a bit further, to explore this theme from a less obvious vantage point. But I ultimately didn’t get much more out of this book than if I’d stuck to reading its summary.

As a whole, the four sections are rather well balanced. I think everyone is going to have a preference for which sibling’s story they prefer, but each is similarly well-researched, and I don’t think there’s a clear objective frontrunner, or one that’s notably weaker than the others, which is a good thing for a novel of this format. Unfortunately I did find that each of the sections suffered from the same issues – unclear timeline, emotionally manipulative plot points, the role of certain characters being ridiculously contrived (notably Eddie).

Though this book is relentlessly depressing, the only part I found viscerally difficult to read was Varya’s section, and the descriptions of the experiments Varya’s lab conducts on primates. Though it was a comparatively small part of the book (if each of the siblings’ sections comprises 25% of the book, the plight of Frida the monkey is only about 25% of that 25%), I found myself so upset by this one scene that I almost regretted reading this book at all. Thankfully Chloe Benjamin acknowledges her passion for the welfare of primates who have been used for lab research in her afterward, but animal lovers, approach this section with caution.

I have no doubt that many others will love this book, but I can’t help but to be somewhat underwhelmed. One last thought – maybe people with siblings will feel a stronger connection to this story than I did?

Thank you to Netgalley, Putnam, and Chloe Benjamin for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading The Immortalists, the story of four young siblings and a moment of fortune telling that may or may not affect their future. The book tells each sibling's story in turn, while mixing in the original moment that seems to set their fates.

THE IMMORTALISTS was an interesting story about 4 siblings who, at a very early age, find out the date of their deaths. This information shapes their choices and leads them to live very different lives. We follow each one in turn and see how they turn out.

Simon– the dreamer who wants his proposed short life to be lived to the fullest

Klara– the magician who wants to live in the spotlight

Daniel– the practical one who becomes an army doctor who decides if someone is healthy enough to go to war

Varya– a researcher who wants to discover and share the secrets to long life

This story started off with all the siblings young and daring enough to ask a traveling psychic when their date of death will be. They each have different feelings about how accurate she actually is, but with the date in mind they all become tainted with the information.

This story is broken into sections with a focus on each sibling, going from soonest date of death to furthest. At it’s core, this is a book about siblings and how different they can be. Indeed all of these characters choose very different paths for themselves, even with the information they are given in their childhood.

To be honest, the date of death for them is not the point of this story. This could have been about any four people who live their lives to the fullest of their ability. It was hard to keep in mind that these four people were related because they all were so very different.

I enjoyed both Simon and Klara’s stories. They both want the most out of life and I think they lived exactly as they wanted. Both endings were sad and I missed them as the story progressed beyond them. I resented both Daniel and Vayra for having longer lives that felt wasted on bigger questions without much living going on.

At some point, around Daniel’s POV, the story takes a very unbelievable turn. Daniel’s story didn’t bring much to the table. He does ask some big questions about religion, but then his story fizzles out as he goes on a quest. His quest is spurred on by a detective who has no business in this story, in my opinion.

By the time I got to Varya and her eccentricities, I was pretty turned off by this story. We missed a big part of what happened to Varya when she was younger and I felt it was a cheap trick for the author to spring that on the reader after disclosing so much about Klara and Simon.

I am torn on how to rate this. I did enjoy this book for the most part, but I felt it veered off course from it’s promising beginning. Although I found this book interesting, I felt very disconnected from the characters.

I would give this book 4.5 stars.
The Immortalists is a beautifully written family saga weaving together magic, love and loss. The book is split into four sections that focus on each of the four Gold siblings' lives after they each learn the date of their deaths from a fortune teller when they are all children. I found each section compelling and each story unique and thoughtful. The narrative slowly builds on the story of each sibling and progresses to a compelling ending that provides a deeper understanding of Varya, the oldest sibling, and completes the stories of her three siblings, Simon, Klara and Daniel. This novel is a soft blend of magic and realism, and I really enjoyed the grey area that the story lives in. The only thing keeping me from giving this book 5 stars is just that when I finished I wasn't... amazed or completely blown away by the book as a whole. However, I still really really enjoyed The Immortalists, and I can’t wait until it comes out in January!

This is a book that answers the question: If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

In disbelief? To the fullest? In fear? Trying to change the outcome?

Four siblings visit a neighborhood psychic and learn the dates of their deaths. This information shapes the rest of their lives in different ways. We follow each of the siblings on their various paths.

I liked the book a lot. It's probably a 4.5 star for me. Some of the characters and scenarios were more developed than others, but all were good. The family is Jewish and that always adds extra enjoyment for me. It was fast paced and engaging and interesting to see the various outcomes. Definitely would make for some good discussion.

Many thanks to NetGalley, GP Putnam's Sons, and Chloe Benjamin for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel - outstanding!

The premise of this novel is so intriguing. The 4 Gold siblings, Daniel, Varya, Karla and Simon, are growing up in NYC in the late 1960s. Rumor spreads about a psychic who can tell you the date that you will die. Intrigued, Daniel convinces his siblings to visit her. One by one, they go into the room where the psychic tells them this information. Shocked afterwards, most of the siblings keep the information to themselves. But how does this information affect you? Even if it's not true, how does it change the way you live your life? The book follows the siblings over the next 5 decades.

At the heart of this novel is the bond between these siblings, which is sometimes overshadowed by anger and regret, as well as the responsibility to their parents.

A warning to those who would be offended by descriptions of gay sex, but otherwise this book drew me in and wouldn't let me go until the last page was turned. It's a step back in time too, watching the siblings interact in the past.

Highly recommended!

“If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?”

Chloe Benjamin’s The Immortalists tells the story of four siblings who visit a woman on Hester Street during their impressionable youth to learn of the day they are going to die. Although they are young, this visit sets into motion the rest of their lives. Each sibling took a different approach based on their fortunes: Simon, the youngest, escapes to San Francisco with his sister, determined to live his life to the fullest; Klara, dreamy and introspective, pursues her dreams of being a magician and eventually ends up in Las Vegas; Daniel becomes an army doctor and aims to live a safe life to avoid his ultimate fate; and Varya becomes obsessed with longevity research in pursuit of extending her life as long as possible.

The characters themselves were not my favorite. They were selfish, and as a result, they became estranged from each other as they grew into adulthood. Each became obsessed with their respective “date” to the point of putting that above all else – even their own siblings. It soon becomes clear that Simon, Klara, Daniel, and Varya each have their own set of issues (which are explored in their separate sections), and how they deal with those issues – and their ultimate fates – says a lot about their characters.

I think the toughest part of the book, for me, was the fact that the characters themselves were so estranged from each other. You’d think something so traumatic would serve to bring the siblings closer together, but it had the opposite effect. Because of this, each section almost read like a ¬short story, with an overall theme threading them loosely together, and essentially read like individual character studies about how four different people dealt with knowing the date of their death.

Even though the characters themselves weren’t always the greatest and the plot wasn’t always developed to its fullest potential, I did really enjoy The Immortalists: not only does it tackle ideas of living versus being alive, but it also explores the boundaries between predestined fate and the choices we make, between reality and illusion, between the living and the dead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group PUTNAM for an advanced copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

The Immortalists is one of my favorite books of the year. Though the premise sounds fantastical (four siblings learn the date of their deaths), to me, this book felt more like realistic fiction. Especially since it never seemed clear whether these dates were set in stone, or whether they were true because of the actions the characters took. I'd love to read it for book club, to answer that question and so many others the book dealt with: How does the power of suggestion shape our lives? How much responsibility do we accept for other people's actions? What role does story and history play in our lives?

I tore through this book, which follows each sibling one at a time. I didn't find Daniel's story quite as compelling as the others, but since I loved the others, that's not saying much. The characters were interesting and relatable, and though it's not really an action-packed book, I never wanted to put it down. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advanced copy of this book!

I'm still processing this read as I try to write the review. Would you want to know the day of your death and, if you did, would it make you live a fuller life or throw caution to the wind? Would your age determine who you reacted to this news? THE IMMORTALISTS by Chloe Benjamin is about four siblings (Varya, Daniel, Klara, and Simon) who visit a woman as young children and she gives them the dates of their deaths. The rest of the book plays out in four sections where each section follows one of the children as they grow up and approach their date. The reader is constantly asking themselves if date of their death is determining their choices in life. If they are trying to beat death or accept it. This book is dark. When you are done, you will cycle through your own life and ask if there are things you would do differently. In addition, sections of this book are uncomfortably graphic which made the first section difficult for me personally to get through. However, this book is packed with emotion and historical references and the writing is very good. Varya's section was really compelling as her choices in life are determined by everyone else's choices and she has to face the consequences of that. And let us not forget Gertie, their mother, who may have changed the course of the book if even one of her children had thought to talk to their mother about what they heard. Overall, I can think of many people that will appreciate this novel when it comes out in January and many interesting book club discussions will occur because of it.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a fascinating story. Almost everyone like to know their destiny. "When they will die" is a even more intriguing questions. This novel expand this notion to four characters in the 1980 and following their life to
pursuit of happiness and life's meaning.

This is one of the most unexpected, yet refreshing novels of the year. A brief encounter with a fortune teller sets the life paths for four siblings with each interpreting the teller's message in different ways. The back and forth between the path and present, sibling to sibling, lays out a life line for a family that has more than its share of lows. The highs, however, are extraordinary, yet short-lived. The youngest brother lives life on the edge, but his sister literally lives by a thread. The older siblings are more reserved, but they, too, cannot escape the past prediction and move on to a solid future. The stories of two brother and two sisters are simply fascinating! Like the title suggests, the characters aren't easy to ignore, escape or forget.

A sprawling family drama with a mystical twist. Recommended for people who like family dramas, books about siblings, an interest in fiction set in NYC.

Will leave this unrated as this book was not s good fit for me. Too many sexual situations which made me very uncomfortable. Thank you though for the opportunity to read.

I had wanted to read this book so very much and it started out great. What I wasn't prepared for was the very graphic sex. I don't think of myself as a prude but the entire chapter about Simon is about his sexuality and his blatant sexual encounters with anyone and everyone. Not for me :(

Since I didn't finish this book I will not post to public media because I believe this is probably a great book, just not for me and I wouldn't recommend it to my friends or customers

What would you do if you knew the date of your death? The Gold children find out these very details visiting a fortune teller during their youth. The Immortalists follows the lives of the siblings and their life decisions based on what they learned during their childhood. Such a gripping novel that you will want to slowly devour and enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for allowing me to review this book for an unbiased review.

I absolutely love the premise of this novel and that first sentence is what made me request the title. I couldn't wait to find out how knowing their death dates would shape each sibling.

We immediately start the journey of the the four siblings - Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya- as the story jumps from the late 1960s to the early 1970s -1980s with Klara and Simons stories. Simon is the youngest and only 16 when his life takes a drastic change. He came across as quite a lost soul and out of the 4 he was my least favorite character. One of the huge positives for me about this book was the author's ability to bring each and every character to life. They were SO vivid and each was so well developed even though many were only briefly in the story. The authenticity of the characters and the flow of the narrative kept me reading through the first 35% when I wasn't sure if this would get above a 3 star rating for me. Long story short...it did!

I was so invested and immersed in the remainder  of the story that I flew through it in one sitting. I had to find out if the psychic's predictions were true and if so how would these characters I had come to like and care for die? I will be honest and say I found a resolution with Daniel way too convenient and not in alignment with what I knew about his character. A minor issue. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful story about fate, living life to the fullest and living it authentically. I never highlight in my kindle but there were many sentences toward the end that stopped me in my tracks and I knew I wanted to remember those thoughts. To me, that's a sign of excellent writing. I really enjoyed this story and I can't wait for Chloe Benjamin's next novel.

Review comes up on my blog, Goodreads and Amazon on January 9th.


I picked up The Immortalists thinking it would be a magical realism story which focused on the magical side, especially since it's classified as fantasy on Goodreads. But really, it's focused a lot more on the realism side, with small hints of magic here and there, and a gorgeous family epic at its core.

The Immortalists is the story of the Gold family through five decades, starting at 1969, when the four Gold children visit a woman who claims to be a psychic who can tell when a person will die. Each of the four children is more affected by the knowledge of their own dates of death differently, and throw themselves at a chance to live life in their own way before the fateful day arrives.

This story is a lovely, intricate, raw tale of Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya, telling a bit of their stories as they deal with their doubts whether their date of death is true or just charlatanism. It touches on faith, fate, belief vs. non-belief and the power of thoughts. I found each of the stories very enthralling and I was immediately immersed in them, except for Daniel's. I also wish Klara's part had been longer (it was the most magical and she had such an interesting personality), but apart from that, I don't have much to complain about this novel - it was beautiful, raw and felt so real. It was truly something to see the characters grow as the years pass, and some memories staying frozen or seen through a different character's point of view.

I hope there had been more magic in it, but that was my own fault for not reading the blurb a lot before picking this up. If you love family epics, you'll love this story for sure.