Reviews

Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Only show reviews with written explanations

I give this book 4.5 stars

MINDBLOWING!!!! This book..just...sigh..gave me so much feelings!!
Loved it from the very first page until the very last, even though there are numerous moments you just want to rip your own heart out of your chest, bury it and face plant yourself next to it..
#FangirlProblems

Extended review on my blog, in DUTCH:
https://melissasbookworldblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/recensie-first-life-gena-showalter/

tuckeralmengor's review

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2.0

melisz94's review

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adventurous challenging sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thehawk72's review

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3.0

Oh you know. Just your traditional YA novel

jurassicreads's review

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3.0

Living, or your ‘Firstlife,’ is only the beginning of your journey. You are allowed to make mistakes, crimes, etc as long as you are affiliated with a belief in one of the major realms of power: Troika or Myriad. These two realms have been at odds with one another for as long as anyone can remember. Once you die and enter the Everlife, your realm dictates what kind of experience you have. Our protagonist, Ten, is a seventeen year old girl living in an asylum in her Firstlife. Her parents are not happy that she has not decided to commit herself to one realm or the other and have decided her time in the Prynne Asylum will help her realize that the right choice will be. But Ten is headstrong and doesn’t feel like she is old enough to make a decision that will follow her for the rest of eternity.

I am generally really interested in books that play with a different interpretation of religion, life, and death. Upon reading the synopsis for Firstlife, I was really pumped to hear about a scifi/fantasy interpretation of the afterlife. However, there are definitely a lot of issues with this book. Personally, I am not a fan of relationships in my Teen books because they are often blown out of proportion with their importance. Firstlife presents this with the introduction of an unnecessary love triangle. I feel like Ten could have been extremely driven and confident without the boys she falls for, so this was the biggest downfall for me. Aside from this, I felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions that could have been summed up in this book being a one-off. Firstlife is the first in what is now a trilogy and may continue, but it didn’t have to be that way. By the end of this book we are viewers of the Everlife that is mentioned early on, and I would have been happier if it ended the way this first book did.

swiftie1977's review against another edition

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4.0

At first I didn't know what to think or make of this book. It was a little confusing at first. But after a few pages in I understood it. This book is told from 3 p.o.v.'s really. Ten is a young female who gets locked away in a building for those young people who havent picked a side for their after life. Myriad and Troika are realms that are fighting a war on whose side is basically better. For Ten she doesn't want to pick. She is close to being 18 and believes it shouldn't be forced upon her to pick a side. The workers at the place torture people to get their way. But Ten withstands all of that, their are two guys trying to convince her to pick a side. Believing one side is better. But can Ten stay true to herself and not pick? They threaten her friends to get her to choose.
But will not picking make a mess of everuthing even more?

demilee1369's review

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5.0

There is a lot to say about this story, from the characters to the defining event it pulls you in and keeps you captive. I love the tug of war the main character does. She bends and bows but is still strong to her core, even if it tortures her to be. I am not a big fan of the ending and had hoped it would go a different way but it also wasn't a terrible ending to a first story. I look forward to continuing the series

remin's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

jessicad90's review against another edition

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4.0

Hoewel in het verhaal van Eerste leven ook genoeg clichés zitten, vind ik het boek in het algeheel origineel. Zelfs de driehoeksverhouding is origineel ingestoken en maakte het verhaal extra leuk. De wereld is erg interessant; de wereld van het eerste leven, en bovenal de wereld van het tweede leven en wat daaruit voortkomt. Het verhaal heeft mij vooral in de tweede helft weten te verrassen en laten meeleven, en ik kon het boek dan ook niet meer wegleggen. Genoten heb ik van de dynamiek tussen Tenley, Killian en Archer, maar zeker ook van de wijsheden en mooie quotes. Mooi is ook de opbouw van het verhaal waarbij dingen die benoemd zijn in het begin, op het eind terugkomen. Eerste leven is een fijn en makkelijk boek om te lezen, en wat mij betreft een aanrader.

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recensie volgt op www.reviewsandroses.nl
en uiteraard bespreken we dit boek op 20 april tijdens de eerste bijeenkomst van The Awesome Book Club in Drachten!