This novel is amazing. I was able to read this in one sitting on a Saturday and I am so glad I did because I was not able to put it down. The authors use of different POV's and time was refreshing and easy to follow. I could really connect with each and every character throughout the book. It really is a must read for everyone.

A lot of people will like this book. I am not one of them. It was written well, but it was so boring to me. A few times I got frustrated with myself that I was still reading it. That said, I'm glad I finished it because Vasrya's section was the best part of the book for me.

The novel The Immortalists (2017) seems to be cursed by the very premise it seeks to explore: the interplay between chance and destiny is not an easy subject to tackle. Benjamin's somewhat tamed approach to it, however, makes it sound like a bad omen. Sadly, by the end of the book, this prophecy will have proved to be a self-fulfilling one.

The book is a decades-spanning story of a Jewish immigrant family. It revolves around the four Gold siblings — Varya, Daniel, Klara and Simon. When the story begins, they are respectively 13, 11, 9 and 7 years old. It is the Summer of 1969 on New York’s Lower East Side, and the Gold children are bored and restless. When they overhear a rumour about a psychic on Hester Street who can predict their exact dates of death, they promptly make their way to her apartment. The mysterious fortune-teller then tells each child, separately, the date of his or her death.

From this moment on, the Gold siblings undergo a sharp transformation: as in a fall from grace, they cannot go back to what they were before having eaten this forbidden fruit – the knowledge of the day they will die. The book then jumps ahead, from New York to San Francisco and back, in four individual sections, from the late 70’s to 2010. Intertwined with four decades of American history, we follow the Gold siblings’ diverging paths into adulthood.

In the late ’70s, 16-year-old Simon, knowing he has little time to spare, drops out of high school and runs off to San Francisco, where he comes out as gay, trains with a ballet group, and becomes a dancer in a nightclub. Doomed to die young by the fortune-teller, Simon is reckless in his pursue of pleasure. Each of his choices seems to be magnified by the knowledge of his date of death. As AIDS is spreading among his acquaintances, we cannot help but share this knowledge with him.

Klara, Simon’s best friend and confidante, runs away with him to San Francisco and experiences everything first hand. Obsessed with illusionism (as “a different kind of knowledge, an expanded sense of possibility”), she trains herself to be a stage magician and becomes a professional illusionist dubbed The Immortalist. Gradually drowning in alcohol and depression, Klara increasingly blurs illusion and reality, until the point where she makes a tragic choice between both.

We then jump to 2006, when Daniel is a military medical doctor based in Kingston, NY. Although insisting he does not believe in the fortune-teller, he is still haunted by that day in 1969 – as well as by the deaths of Simon and Klara – “like a minuscule needle in his stomach, something he swallowed long ago and which floats, undetectable, except for moments when he moves a certain way and feels a prick.” Obsessed with revenge, he puts his own life in danger.

Finally, we come to Varya, the last of the Gold siblings. It’s 2010, and she has become a scientist, conducting a longevity study with rhesus monkeys. We soon learn that she suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and that she has a secret.

The novel’s core is the exploration of how each of the siblings reacts to the knowledge of his or her date of death: Simon’s recklessness; Klara’s unwillingness to give up her trust in magic; Daniel’s scepticism and thirst for revenge; and Varya’s longing for control. The Golds jump to their much-feared destiny at the precise moment they believe they are fleeing from it. In a way, all of them are disturbed by the knowledge of their death, as if it were a slow-spreading poison. As Varya puts it, “stories did have the power to change things: the past and the future, even the present”. The Golds’ belief in the psychic’s premonition shapes every aspect of their lives. And, precisely because of that, their stories are flattened out. We are left no room for ambiguity.

I feel the author set herself to explore the different ways the siblings were altered by this forbidden knowledge; I don’t think, though, that she has succeeded. In the surface, each of the Golds seems to have reacted differently; however, everything they do boils down to one same conclusion: their lives, no matter what direction they take, are laid out as self-fulfilling prophecies, forever cursed by the knowledge bestowed upon them by the fortune-teller.

While Simon and Klara’s stories are more layered and complex, I had a feeling the author didn’t quite know where to take Daniel and Varya. Their sections are rushed through, and forced. As she tries to make her point clear to the reader, it loses its lustre, its nuance. The second half of the book reads as if she were explaining a trick, instead of, you know, performing magic. The interplay between choice and chance is lost halfway through, as the author seems to have lost the control over her plot, precariously balancing it between predictable and highly improbable events, with nothing to hold the reader in-between. We are dragged to the end, as much as her characters are. As the Golds, we are left no margin for choice, no ambiguity, and no magic. The Immortalists cast their spell, but it is a short-lived one.

A fortune teller has come to town, four inquisitive kids who want to know when they will die visit her with all their savings. This is how the story begins. A silly visit, just innocent curiosity- but it stays with them all their life.
Klara and Simon move away from home, Daniel pursues medicine and Klara’s life shifts between taking care of her mother and devoting her life to research on life and ways to live longer. Each of the siblings chooses a way of life and pursues it. But somewhere, the constant knowledge of knowing exactly when they are going to die lives with them .
Simon embraces his sexuality, goes on to become a ballet dancer- a Simon much different to what he was when with his family. Klara has always been drawn to magic. She wants to become a magician like her grandmother- but bills and responsibilities get in the way. She ploughs on, and does become a magician after all. Daniel aims to become a doctor and becomes a doctor for the army. Varya aims to study and become successful, but the loss of her dear family members forces her to change her decision and come back to her mother. This does not stop her from pursuing her dream of going into research.
They are all different, bound together by the blood running in them. Each adopts a course of life they see fit. Were their choices influenced by their knowledge of their inevitable end? Or is that how life is? Are we truly responsible for the way life is, or are we just puppets in the hands of destiny. This book explores choices, decisions and life itself.
The first two parts of the book left me very irritated. I felt it was filled with immature choices, rash decisions and just lives led without much contemplation. However, isn’t that how youth is? The second and third parts were more mature and really brought the book together. I felt I did not enjoy the book as much; a few parts were dull maybe because they were just too plain and real. But overall, it was a book that made me think.

Clever and heartbreaking, THE IMMORTALISTS is propelled forward by the immediacy of its characters and the intensity with which each one sets out to answer big questions about purpose, destiny, and love.

It pains me to say that this simply either wasn't at all my style or just wasn't a very good book. Cloying, overly sentimental, and yet somehow entirely too detached from reality and emotions. I can't remember exactly when I gave up on it but I really hope that what was a misfire for me will be enjoyable for someone else.

«...didn’t God make the fortune teller, just as He made Varya’s parents? In synagogue, Varya tries to pray, but God never seems to respond. The rishika, at least, will talk back.»


That was what Varya thought when she and her siblings finally got the courage to visit local fortune teller and found out when they were going to die. And that knowledge, whether they believed in it or not, would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

From that point onwards the book is divided in four parts, each told from the point of view of one of the siblings until the moment of their death and how they chose to build their lives while carrying inside them doubts and fears planted in their by rishika.

Chloe Benjamin knows how to create realistic and memorable characters. And even though the four siblings were the main focus of the book - the side characters and also the events in each part of the story contributed to the development of their personalities and showed us their choices, their mistakes and their dreams.

Raj was one of the side characters that stood out the most to me. He was present throughout Simon’s, Klara’s and Daniel’s parts of the story, and he was a major influence in the way Klara’s life turned to be. Besides, he was the author of one the most memorable quotes:

«Why do you think I don’t talk to you about my problems, real problems? It’s ‘cause you can’t take it. You don’t have space in your head for anyone’s problems but yours.»


Which reminded me a lot of the society in general and how everyone is deeply disturbed by their own problems, without realizing that every other person that they see, meet, speak to, is going through something as well.

Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya - four siblings who chose very different paths and whose stories captured my attention from the very first pages. I cried with them and for them, I disapproved their actions and I mourned their losses; making this the first book on my 2018 Favourites shelf!

Four siblings visit a fortune teller and learn the date of their deaths--and that knowledge has profound affects on how they lead their lives into adulthood. This was a well-written and intriguing story with an original premise and well-drawn characters. I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinions.

On a summer day in 1969, the Gold children decide to visit a fortune teller they have heard about, a woman who can tell you the date of your death. What they thought would be a fun way to pass the time, however, turns grim as they face the thought of how little time they have on this earth. The prophecy impacts the way each of the Gold children live their lives. Simon, the youngest, moves out to San Francisco in the late '70s to live his life to the fullest. Klara, initially inspired by the mystery of fortune-telling, becomes a magician, hoping to inspire others to see the magic of life. Daniel becomes a doctor, taking a position in the army post-9/11 to determine which men are healthy enough to go to war. Varya, the oldest, obsessed with the possibility of getting sick or dying, becomes a research scientist focusing on lengthening the human lifespan.

Simon and Klara's decision to pursue their dreams is markedly different from Daniel and Varya's decision to follow a more traditional career path. For that reason, I suspect that readers may relate more to either the first half of the book (Simon and Klara) or the second half of the book (Daniel and Varya). This story had a unique premise, and it was interesting to see what the author did with it. Other than the fortunes that take place at the beginning of the book, the story is firmly set in reality. The characters are all realistic, with hopes, flaws, and feelings clearly expressed. I suspect this story will stick with me for a while.

Truthfully, I didn't find this novel that interesting or entertaining. Where the description made it seem like a fantasy/magical story, it really wasn't. It was more a coming of age story following the four siblings who happened to visit a psychic while young. The psychic was the extent of the fantasy plot line. None of the siblings were all that interesting or well fleshed out so it was difficult to be vested in the story. I chose not to even finish once I reach the section detailing the last siblings life.

This book is the perfect mix of beautiful and strange. Siblings are given the date of their death at a very early and impressionable age and how it drives there decisions... I was transfixed. This novel is truly special and had me thinking long after I closed the final page on how an idea can change our lives, for better or worse. HIGHLY recommend.

"You're the one trying to convince yourself the world is rational, like there's anything you can do to put a dent in death. You're telling yourself that they died because of x, and you lived because of y, and that those things are mutually exclusive. That way you can believe you're smarter; that way you can believe you're different. But you're just as irrational as the rest of them. You call yourself a scientist, you use words like longevity and healthful aging, but you know the most basic story of existence - everything that lives must die -- and you want to rewrite it."

I finished The Immortalists late last night and am still pondering it this morning. It was not at all what I expected it to be.... but it still made for a very interesting read.

This book captivated me right out of the gates. Telling the story of four siblings and their individual reactions to a question common to most people: What would you do if you knew the day of your death? What kind of a life would you live, holding that knowledge in your hands? I fell in love with these characters hard, and in concluding each chapter I'd think I couldn't get more attached. I was wrong. This book is a treasure that I will need to find a hard copy of asap.

A digital copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not at all what I was expecting, in a surprising way. When I read the description, I was thinking more along a mystical journey with drama and magic playing a large roll in driving the story. But it was quite the opposite. The Immortalists provides an intimate look into family relationships and the power of an idea.

This novel starts with four young siblings messing around one summer. They decide to see a fortune teller who claims to be able to tell you the day you will die. The story then follows the lives of each of the siblings individually, starting with the youngest and ending with the eldest. Simon moves to San Francisco in order to explore his sexuality, Klara becomes a magician (“The Immortalist”), Daniel is a doctor for the army, and Varya studies longevity in primates.

Going into the book, I was most excited for Varya’s story, as it is still fairly uncommon to have female scientists as prominent characters in stories, at least characters that are portrayed convincingly. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Klara’s the most. All four of the stories, but hers especially, exuded this feeling of dread and impending doom. Nothing specific about the story brought this about. It was more the background knowledge of their death clock. And then, after the completion of their story, the wonder “would this still have happened if they hadn’t heard the prophecy?” There was this ambiguity that could go either way. Did the fortune teller predict things, or did the children make her predictions come true? And for that, I really enjoyed the novel.

What a thought-provoking read! When 4 brothers and sisters, ranging in age from teenagers to youth, decide to visit a fortuneteller, their lives immediately change. She tells the family what turns their lives may take which presents each one with a dilemma of their own. Do they believe her and plan their lives accordingly or let fate take them where it may?
The idea, as well as the writing, will keep you on edge. This is a book definitely worth discussing with your book club!

I really enjoyed Simon and Klara's stories and how they dealt with their impending death date foretold by a Fortuneteller as children in NYC. They really came alive compared to older siblings Daniel and Varya. Quite an accomplished first novel by a young writer. Reminded me a little of Anne Patchett's "The Magician's Assistan."

In today’s world we are all constantly reminded to be present, be in the now but with the knowledge of when you are going to die can one do this? This was the mindset I chose to have while reading The Immortalists. Outstanding premise to be sure as that truly is the one thing each of us has in common with the other is we are all going to die. I was grateful the author chose to have four characters, all siblings receive this info and as children even as it allows the story to be told from four perspectives. It does alter how they spend their days. I am thinking as I type these very thoughts, am I spending today as I would if I had this knowledge.
I highly recommend this for Bookclubs and wish I could hear each of the conversations Benjamin inspires

If you could have the answer in a heart beat, would you want to know when you'll die?
Even if you knew, what would the knowledge change and how could you live your life with the burden of knowing? These questions contract within the heart of The Immortalist, a thoughtful tale of siblings who seek the answers - and are thrust into a journey to discover whether they can outrun their own fates. I loved the pretense of The Immortalists, the characters Klara and Simon, and the life they throw themselves into out of both defiance and acceptance of whatever the futures holds.

Personally, I couldn't put the book down and I highly recommend it.

Rating 4.5/5 Stars

I absolutely adored this book and could not put it down once I started. Chloe Benjamin wrote an incredible story that tears at your heart strings through every step of the way. All the characters felt like my own friends and I went through everything right on the side of them. The set up was amazing, following each siblings up right until the day of their death and then the next part picking up with the next one who is meant to die. I found it extremely interesting that it went from the youngest to the oldest in the order of passing away, and it was never something quick and easy such as passing away in their sleep but rather a death that is impactful to the readers. I cannot wait to recommend this book to anyone and everyone who asks me what they should read next

This was a interesting premise. Four siblings go to see a gypsy psychic who can tell you that day you die. They range in ages of 7 to 13. That's pretty crazy and pretty young to be receiving information like that. However, was the gypsy right in her prophecies or do the persons who are told this prophecy slightly make that death day happen?

I really liked the first part of this book. I was about 22% through the book when I figured out why the young boy dies so young. So sad! However, I am not a fan of magicians and skipped a bunch of those pages. I still got the gist though. I did the same during monkey girl's days at work, as well. Other than my lack of interest in those occupations, I found the book very interesting, sad and a great read.

I loved the inclusion of historical events. Especially the ones that most people can relate to. It just made it so much more real and engrossing for me.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.