Began reading: 14.9.2016
Completed reading: 23/9.2016
Overall rating: 4.1 stars
I’ve been told history is written by survivors. But I know that isn’t always true. My name is Tenley Lockwood, and very soon, I’ll be dead.
Tenley ‘Ten’ Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl… who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live – after she dies.
There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal and real life begins after death.
In the Everlife, there are two realms in power: Troika and Myriad, long-time enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a tug-of-war between realms that will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t where the boy she’s falling for lives? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…
Firstlife by Gena Showalter is a young adult novel that contains fantasy and romance. I have wanted to read this for a while, but just kept putting it off. I shouldn’t have, because this book was awesome! I’m really looking forward to the next novel!
There were some spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book, but overall it wasn’t too bad. I thought that the story was well-structured, which was another positive. There were some great quotes scattered throughout, including:
Counting is my passion, and numerology my favourite addiction. Maybe because every breath we take is another tick on our clock, putting us one step closer to death… (p. 26).
…I’d rather dig my heart out of my chest with a rusty spoon than date again. Yes, the rewards are tremendous, but the risks are more so. When everything comes crashing down – and it will – I’ll be shattered into a million pieces. I’ll have to rebuild. Again (p. 28).
The most destructive or constructive actions begin with a single thought (p. 34).
‘Fate is an excuse, a way to remove blame and therefore guilt for poor decision making. Free choice decides the outcome of your life, not fate’ (p. 61).
Friends have the power to hurt you in ways enemies never can (p. 237).
Hope empowers. It’s the reason we rise. The reason we keep moving forward (p. 394).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I also liked the quotes from each realm at the beginning of each chapter. I was considering whether or not to add them in my list of notable quotes, but it would have taken up a lot of room. I really liked that they sometimes contradicted each other – emphasising that the realms are completely different. I thought it was unique. Similarly, the facts about certain numbers are interesting. Some of them were ones that I already knew, but others were really surprising, which I thought was fascinating.
Again, I really enjoyed seeing how the realms differed from each other. I was able to consider which realm I would join if I were in Ten’s situation, and I came to the conclusion that I’m a Troika girl. This was even before I found out about how poorly Myriad treated their Laborers. I’m really happy that so many of my favourite characters pledged for Troika. If you don’t want to know which realm Ten chooses until the end of the book, I strongly advise that you avoid reading the last page. While I was reading, I somehow ended up on that last page, and it ruined the twist for me.
There were quite a few plot twists and emotional moments, which is always a good thing. For example, the deaths of three particular characters pulled at my emotions, and I tried not to cry in public. It was sad, but good at the same time. I hope there are more of these in the next novel!
Now, we get on to what I didn’t like about the book. I found the love triangle to be very annoying. It reminded me too much of Twilight. I understand that they kinda had to fight each other to win Ten, but I don’t see it as romantic. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* Furthermore, why the hell didn’t Ten see that the Laborers were just trying to win her over? She kept falling for Killian, even when Archer kept telling her not to.
I found the whole Many Ends thing to be confusing - I mean, can Ten stop dying already? I just couldn’t imagine what it would have looked like. It sounded like something out of an acid trip, which I have no experience with (don’t do drugs, kids). It was just too out there, which made me dislike it.
Ten’s escape from Prynne was also confusing, especially after escaping from Vans. Like maybe I just zoned out, but I was finding it difficult to follow. I also found Ten’s ‘Zero!’ outbursts to be stupid and irritating. I get that it’s better than cursing, but seriously?
My favourite character was Ten, as she was strong, courageous, sassy, feisty and loyal. I could go on, but yeah. Archer and Killian are notable characters because they were interesting in their own unique ways.
*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* I knew from the start that Ten shouldn’t have trusted Sloan. I felt that she was easily persuaded and she has a history of being a bitch. But I felt sorry for Clay, Ten’s mum and Jeremy. They were so innocent, yet they died anyway. It was just so emotional.
My favourite parts of the novel were Ten’s experiences in Prynne, as well as her death at the end. Prynne was eye-opening, and demonstrated how desperate Ten was to escape. As for her death, it was a relief when she finally knew which realm to choose, and I can’t wait to see how she goes there!
Recommendation time! If you like the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr, and Valentina by Kevin McDermott, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Kill Bill, Kill Bill 2, the Twilight series, and The Hunger Games series.
I will be reviewing the rest of the Everlife series when the books become available. Keep an eye out for that!
Happy reading!
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