Following four siblings who have been told the exact day they will die, and how that shapes the outcomes of their lives, The Immortalists is a truly incredible book. Benjamin seamlessly takes you from the life of a troubled young man suffering through the AIDS crisis to his wild and free sister who dreams of becoming a magician. Their older brother feels responsibility for the family, and the oldest sister watches from her solitude as everything falls apart.
This book may actually be the greatest things I’ve read all year. Truly made me rethink my outlook on mortality and life itself. So many heartbreaking beautiful stories in such a well written way. It’s split into four parts for the four siblings, and while I had favorites (Klara) I can honestly say that I enjoyed each and every one of their stories. Each broke my heart in entirely different ways, and I found myself crying multiple times throughout the novel. I think the lessons in the novel could really change someone’s life trajectory, just as it did for the characters within the novel. I truly wish I could give this novel a higher rating than five out of five, but unfortunately the scale only goes so high.