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.

'Maybe the prophecy did plant inside him like a germ.'

Perhaps prophecy is like an infection, if you cling to it, empower it, and give it your lifeblood. The Immortalists is a question and an answer, do you believe or not? Does it make a difference? 1969, New York City and the Gold children (Daniel, Varya, Klara and Simon) seek a mystic to find out what day they will die. Not everyone is promised a long life, and some are far too short to make anything of. Is it self-fulfilling, poisoned by the lies of a fraud, or is it fate that leads the siblings on their paths?

Each siblings embraces their death date and makes life changing decisions, sometimes against logic, sometimes not fully believing yet afraid not to, and builds a life upon it. Actions pull some closer, and divide others. The baby of the family, Simon takes off with Klara to the West Coast, where he lives with the shadow of death chasing him. He knows time isn’t a guarantee, and must give life to his true self. Klara lives and breathes magic, she and Simon are the misfits, out of step with her siblings and the expectations their mother Gertie places upon the “Gold” name. There is madness in her otherworldly ideas, but one thing is certain, she could never plant herself in an average life. Aiding and abetting her brother to shirk duty, both Daniel and Varya point blame in her direction. Daniel is against the rishika’s prediction, as far is he is concerned it’s ludicrous, he has a plan and becomes an army doctor. Order and control is the key, and he knows no one control his fate except for him. Varya seems to be the most retreating of them all, still and waiting and the one with the longest fate, if the ‘foreseer’ is to be trusted. She puts her faith in the future and research into the aging process. She is also the character that felt out of my reach. Maybe because her story is last?

Benjamin did a wonderful job creating siblings who are different from one another. Simon and Klara have the most fire, and the wildest urges. They are somehow present and absent at the same time, fleeting beings. Daniel and Varya are solid rocks, but less alive. The meat of the novel is in the idea of thoughts, the threat of them, the force and power over us as we allow them to guide or sink us. It’s often true we remember the ugly things people say more vividly than we do the kindnesses, not quite the same idea here but the heavy stuff, it can poison or on the flip side, it can push us to greatness! How differently would the lives of the Gold children have been had they never gone to see the mystic? It’s fruitless to entertain the thought as much as it is to wonder at the direction any of our choices take us and yet what an idea to play with! How much power do we put in others hands, when it comes to who we are, what we become whether we cower and give in to the demands and expectations of others or stake our faith carelessly in the whisperings of ‘prophets’ (fraudulent, or genuine)? We can be just as directionless with our free will as we can in grasping at the visions of fortune tellers! I could go on forever and beat this thing to death, but we can be as dangerous as anything we put our faith in. We can let a thought born in our own mind paralyse us, stunt our growth as much as any ‘omen’ can.

All lives are self-fulfilling, in the end, aren’t they?

Throwing caution to the wind, scattering, grasping every sparkling bit of life one can before your last breath, attempting to correct wrongs, dazzling the world with magic and flirting with the veil between past and presen, or turning to science to give life meaning, the Gold siblings have no idea what they are starting when their curiosity about a fortune-teller has them sneaking out into the night. The ending had me a bit bummed, again- it may well be my lack of bonding with Varya, but I do like it

A unique novel that manages to be magic realism and yet not. It’s a freshly provocative story about psychic belief and family bonds. I really like this author, Anatomy of Dreams was a fun book for me too and I can’t wait to see what she ‘conjures’ next.

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Penguin Group

G.P. Putnam’s Sons

If you could know the exact date of your death, would you want to know? In 1969 the Gold siblings learn about a woman who can tell you the exact date you will die and they each go in one by one and find out their date. How would this impact your life to know when you would die? The story is told from the siblings' point of you where you see what they do with their life with the knowledge of when each of them will die. A very detailed story, which honestly at multiple points got a bit boring for me but all and all a good book.

If someone offered you the chance to know the date of your death, would you take it? How would knowing this most important date change the way in which you would live your life? Would you make the most out of everyday or would you spend your life running from it?

In the Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin the Gold siblings (Simon, Klara, Daniel, and Varya) are faced with this very question. The story begins in New York in 1969 when Daniel overhears a story about a fortune teller, or seer, passing through town. He rushes back to his siblings and tells them all about what he heard, how she can predict the date of their death, and how he wants them all to go to see her.

The story that follows spans from 1978-2010 and is broken into four sections with each section following a different Gold sibling. We see how this single event from their past has gone to shape each of their lives both individually and as a collective as they have grown up.

The Immortalists is about family, the bonds between siblings, love, and regret. The characters are well developed and come alive on the page leaving you wanting more. Benjamin takes you back to the historic settings with her rich descriptions, especially the Castro of the 1980's.

I would like to offer a trigger warning as there a few passages of fairly explicit homosexual sex. That being said, I would highly recommend this book and am looking forward to more by Benjamin.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

The Gold siblings growing up in New York, 1960's. They decide to visit a fortune teller, she tells each of them the day of their death.

I had a hard time getting into this story and was rather bored. I ultimately decided, I just don't care. The book separately focuses on each individual sibling, gay Simon, magician Klara, army doctor Simon and research scientist Varya.


2☆

This book is a really excellent character study of four siblings who are told the date of their deaths by a fortune teller while they are very young. Each sibling's story is told with a depth of emotion that reaches out to the reader and draws them in to share with the love, the guilt, the fear, and the anxiety each one feels. I highly recommend this one.

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

The entire novel focuses on this question. In 1969 in New York's Lower East Side, the four Gold siblings find out that there is a psychic traveling in their area, giving out fortunes. Curious and skeptical, the Gold children seek out the psychic to learn of their own fortunes. After that day in 10969, the Gold siblings' - unambiguous Varya, imperious Daniel, magic-driven Klara, and fanciful Simon - lives change forever.

What the woman tells the children not only impact how they lived, but also affected the siblings' relationship with one another. It divides the two older siblings -Varya and Daniel - from the two younger siblings - Klara and Simon. All Klara wants is to pursue a career as an illusionist and leaves New York to San Francisco with Simon. San Francisco becomes the place where Simon finds himself and is able to be who he is and love who he wants and not be the son that must take over the family business. The two younger siblings wind up living reckless lives, counting down the days to their death date. Every day is lived to the absolute fullest, away from home with little contact with their mother and other siblings.

On the other hand, the older siblings live careful lives, both taking up stable careers - Varya a researcher on longevity and Daniel a mlitary doctor - and take care of their aging mother. Both siblings are angry at their younger siblings for being reckless and believe that if what the psychic told them hadn't affected them as much, they would live long healthy lives. Varya lives a careful life where everything is structural and straightforward, whereas Daniel lives a relatively normal life with a wife and a nice home. However, both have secrets that slowly causes them great guilt and anxiety.

The novel itself is amazing with a few plot twists. The format of it goes through the lives of each sibling from youngest to oldest, often crossing with each other in terms of dates. My only complaint was that at some points the timeline can be quite confusing and jumps around.

Overall, the novel was very well written and I'm still in awe over it and how well Benjamin was able to write each character. It makes me wonder, would I want to know my death date? If so, would I let it affect the way I lived my life?