I enojed this book. The multiple perspectives within the same family made for a robust narrative. I would not use this in my high school classroom. One of the characters actively pursues sexual relationships and some of these are described in detail.

Chloe Benjamin has written an engrossing and deeply moving saga of four close siblings and how their life paths develop and eventually diverge. The characterizations illuminated their separate stories, and even descriptions of the supporting characters contributed freshness and realism. A worthwhile read!

This book was not what I expected and after a few chapters, I decided i could no longer continue. It was not for me.

Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC - I was unfortunately unable to read this one.

One summer day in 1969, four young siblings visit a fortune teller in New York to learn the dates of their deaths. Over the next several decades, the reader is transported from New York to San Francisco and back again as each sibling grows up--some older than others--and nears their foretold demise. With their morbid fortunes in mind, each sibling has their own way of seeking immortality, making this book a creative and beautifully told twist on the classic question: "What would you do if you knew when you were going to die?"

This is the story four children who in 1969 went to visit a fortune teller. This was no ordinary fortune teller - the only fortune she tells people is the exact date they will die. This fateful vist haunts each of the children their entire lives and the repercussions are enormous. Varya, Daniel, Klara and Simon have individual sections in the book that tell their stories and how the fortune teller's revelation influenced each of them.

A very interesting story. I don't think I would want to know the date of my death. Although it might help you prepare for it, it would affect your life in many ways.

This is the first book I've read by Chloe Benjamin and I enjoyed the writing style. The narrative flowed nicely and the characters were well-developed. I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the book.

Thanks to Chloe Benjamin and Penguin Group PUTNAM through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Such an interesting and unique premise! If you could know the date of your death, would you want to? Does knowing the date, make it become a self fulfilling prophecy? The story of the four Gold siblings over their lifetimes is certainly an interesting take on a coming of age story. While Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya are different as could be, I think there are truly identifiable qualities in each of them. On the last night of their father’s Shiva, they go to a fortune teller and learn the date they will die. It’s incredibly interesting to see how each sibling reacts and how their lives are shaped as a result. Benjamin certainly offers a ton of food for thought here.

Engaging premise, panoramic plot, and the what would you do favor is large.

Was not looking for depictions of graphic gay sex. Hard pass.

I was drawn to this book because of its gorgeous cover but the story inside is amazing. If you could know exactly when you would die what would you do? That's the question these characters answer for themselves.

Upon finishing this book, I have two words: Have. Mercy.

When I tell you this entire treasure was stunning, it’s not hyperbole.

Benjamin grabbed me from the first page, and didn’t release me until the last: this story flowed from page to page, like the River Lea, and it left me pondering a million questions about how true a life I’m actually living—how much of a student am I still allowing myself to be?

While the concept is presented as four siblings being given an opportunity to know their date of death—and what they do with that information—this is not just some fantastical tale of witch craft and gypsies. No, more than anything it’s a story about “free will”.

Whether you believe in God or not, you can’t deny the fact that we’re all entitled to our choices. Some of us choose to make good ones, while others of us do not.

How we choose to live our lives, according to whatever circumstances we’re provided, is the difference between one person’s tragedy and another’s triumph.

What struck me about the road each sibling takes, following the revelation of their death date—and Benjamin brilliantly allows each sibling to have their own section—is how having that knowledge guided them into decisions they may not have otherwise made.

I won’t give anything away because the beauty of this book lay in the tremendous storytelling of Benjamin; but as I devoured the journeys of Simon, Klara, Daniel, and Varya, I found myself wanting to truly define the role fate truly plays in our lives: do we have actual agency or are we simply puppets in a play? …And I asked that as one who is a believer in a Higher Power.

I cannot day enough good things about this book, and I will definitely be recommending it to a few friends once its officially released. It’s one that would be fantastic for book clubs and it will certainly inspire a mass of conversation in the circles I traverse on a regular basis.

I loved it!

Fantastic story of four siblings and their childhood visit to a fortuneteller who accurately predicts their date of death. A psychological thrill ride through their lives and destinies as each seeks to beat the clock and live the life of their dreams knowing too much. Poignant, funny, and character rich, this novel will keep you reading. Gritty and raw at times, this story feels very "real" and is thoroughly engaging!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

I will start by saying this book completely blew me away as I was expecting something completely different from what I got. The blurb itself doesn't really tell you much that there is to know about this book, and I actually love that.

I will also say this book is not going to be for everyone. It's a thinker for sure, and it also includes a couple gay sex scenes which I was not expecting. The descriptions were actually a little disturbing for me, not having read anything like that before. I wanted to point this out so other readers are aware.

Anyway, moving on, The Immortalists is my very first read from Chloe Benjamin and it will definitely not be my last. It is a pretty heavy read so make sure you go in knowing that. It was fairly depressing, but also hopeful at the same time if that makes sense. My heart really broke for this family and everything they experienced, and it really does take a deeper look into destiny vs choice like the blurb mentions.

This book was beautifully written and I was completely engrossed in it; I definitely had a hard time putting it down. I think this will be a very fast read for most people as well. My favorite Gold child was Klara, and I really loved reading her section. I think that is because of the magical aspect to her story. This book is also descriptive enough for me without going overboard like a lot of books do in my opinion.

Also, in small world randomness, this book mentions the college of St. Olaf which happens to be very near the place I grew up! I love when I can pick things like that out of the books I read.

Overall this was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.

Four young siblings visit a fortune teller who provides them with the exact dates of their deaths. How does this information affect their futures and the ways they choose to live their lives? Chloe Benjamin's profound novel provides intriguing insights into the power of knowledge, and whether too much knowledge provides control or instability. These real, deeply flawed siblings are dropped into four distinct and incredibly descriptive settings, backgrounds, and writing styles, resulting in a beautifully woven tale about life, love, guilt, and the power of knowledge.

This book can be divided into four sections which makes sense since this is about four siblings who are told the date they are going to die and therefore each section explores each one. The first and fourth ones are the strongest while the second and the third are just okay. The difference between these sections' strength depends on how obsessed the character is with the fated death day approaching. The ones that are obsessed are the weaker stories. I loved how the last one ended with SPOILER Varya not dying as opposed to her other siblings' sections always ending on their death.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book in return for an honest review .

This book caught my interest immediately & I was eager to get to reading. It is true what they "Not every book is for everyone ." While this book was not bad, by ANY means at all, it was just not my cup of tea.
I do feel that there is a big group of readers that will enjoy this book.

On a lark, four young siblings visit a psychic to find out the date of their death. One by one, Benjamin traces how their lives play out in response to that knowledge. Some are more interesting than others (I'd be happy to read an entire book about just Klara's life) but the concept and family dynamics drew me in. I couldn't put it down.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We've all thought about what we'd do if we were told we'd die at the end of the day, or tomorrow, or the end of the week. But what if someone told you your exact date of death 20 years from now? 30 years? 50 years? 70 years? How would you consciously or subconsciously lead your life knowing that your death date has been set in stone?

The Immortalists is about 4 young siblings and their trip to a fortune teller who ends up telling them each of their dates of death. Some get to lead long lives, while others were foretold that they'd die young. We then follow each of them to see how this one stranger's predictions ended up impacting their lives.

This book has an interesting structure where we follow different characters until they die and it picks up with the next person to die up until the last one. I think Simon's story and Daniel's story utilized the decades they were in well, whereas Klara and Varya's seem like they could have existed in any decade. The first 2.5 stories did a good job capturing my attention, but the last 1.5 seemed to have petered off, particularly in the middle of the 3rd story. While the last story wraps the book up well, I think that the book didn't end as strongly as it started.

It's hard to say how much of their lives ended up being a self fulfilling prophecy, or if the fortune teller was actually omniscient. But it's clear to the reader how much the characters allowed the fortune to dictate their lives.

4.499/5 rounds to 4. 4.5s round to 5 and I couldn't do that based on how weak the third sibling's story ended up being.

This book was so excellent. I couldn’t put it down. It is a story of four siblings who encounter a fortune teller who predicts the day of each of their deaths as the consequences they face after hearing that. This book is heart breaking, moving and beautifully written. I love how it is told from four points of view and each character has a distinctive sound and character. Very well done.

This was an incredible ride of a family drama... I don't know quite what I expected, but it wasn't what I got - but not in a bad way. The story starts out with four siblings headed to a "fortune teller" in New York City - a woman rumored to be able to tell anyone who visits her the exact date of their death. That fateful trip sets their lives on individual courses that are intense, insane, and incredible - with the never-answered question being whether the prophesy drove their lives or their lives drove the prophecy...

After the opening chapter, the book divides into timeline narratives chronicling each sibling's life and experiences as they live under the knowledge of their prophesied death date. The stories can be rough - particularly the first two, for the youngest siblings. This is raw, gritty life - and death. The four sections are all well written, and the characters' voices are distinct and strong (even when the characters themselves are not), exploring the particular personality quirks and foibles that make each sibling unique and eminently human. Some of the stories resonated more strongly with me than others; this is not a particularly astute observation, I suppose, since the life that each story relates is so different, but it surprised me nevertheless to find myself skimming chunks of some stories and poring over each line in others. Benjamin's writing is lovely and poignant and delicately difficult to bear at times; she has a marvelous talent for highlighting human weakness in a way that resonates like a raw nerve. It's rough going at times, but you can't help but learn something about yourself in the process - kind of like living life...

I don't know that I could re-read this one; knowing the heartbreak facing this family (particularly their poor mother, eek...) I don't think I could keep turning pages again - but the initial read was a devastating trip I am extremely glad I took.