A book review of The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Post contains affiliate links.
The Immortalists begins in 1969 in New York’s Lower East Side. We meet the gold children - Simon, Klara, Daniel, and Varya. The children have learned that there is a fortune teller in town and they make their way to visit her. They each go in one at a time and come out forever changed. She told each of them the day that they would die.
The story is then broken into 4 parts. Each part focuses on one of the children. Some of the children grow up and go far away, some stay close, some stay attached strongly to their Jewish heritage, some rebel.
Each character, Simon, Daniel, Klara, and Varya are so beautifully developed. You feel like you know them. You care about them.
You watch as each character creates their life and how much it has been influenced by them being told the day they are going to die. Rather or not they believe the prophecy, it still impacts them and how they live their lives. Along the way, several issues are covered, the beginning of the AIDS epidemic as well as animals in labs for research.
I really enjoyed this book, though parts of it were sad and some even made me flinch. The story is well written and the characters very well developed.
I received an ARC of the book.
Tina Culbertson says
I need to ask, the parts that made you flinch...was it involving the animals? It just tears my heart out to read about animals suffering. Sometimes it's part of the story and it's short but man, nothing tears me up like an animal abused or suffering.
Pam Greer says
Yes, there were some difficult parts to read about the animals. I am the same way. I skipped over some of them.
Tina Culbertson says
Thanks for the heads up!
Sandee says
I wouldn't want to know and if I did I wonder if anything would change in my life. I would hope not, but one never knows. Sounds like a great read.
Have a fabulous day, Pam. ♥