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nickir's review against another edition
5.0
Thought-provoking (loved the sociological connections), great character development. A great reminder of quality over quantity of time on earth matters most.
jlanderson13's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Extra 1/2 star added for Julia Whalen’s narration. This story had so much potential, but it really fell flat for me.
maricard's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful reminder of our interconnectedness and the brevity of our lives. Intriguing and touching.
bekahkay's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best novels I've read in a long time. The chapters were quick and focused on different characters in the story which made it feel like a breeze to get through. And how their stories were intertwined and connected to the larger arch was beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It's one I could re-read again and again and get something new out of it each time.
kenderwolf's review against another edition
5.0
10/10. Exemplary. I loved it so much that I refuse to read other reviews because I don’t want other people’s thought to taint my opinion of it.
teenfox's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The book started off well, dragged a bit towards the middle, and picked up at the very end. Overall I did enjoy the book for it’s reflective attitude towards life and living.
tchristman's review against another edition
4.0
Super interesting premise. One day a small wooden box shows up for everyone in the world (21+) with their name and a piece of string indicating the length of their lifetime. In typical human fashion we handle it horribly with the knee-jerk reaction of hate and division. It's an interesting allegory to modern politics but it starts to feel a little bit preachy. But to me an interesting plot is always a winner so I definitely recommend!
chomicklmft's review against another edition
5.0
I challenge anyone to read this book and not reflect on their own lives, relationships, and choices. All I kept thinking about was what actually measures a life. Definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to contemplate the meaning of life.
alshal's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
The idea was interesting. I could picture junior high kids reading this for class (maybe high school because of some language?). I don't think I could really relate to any of the characters and the way they responded to the situation. The political aspect seemed pretty accurate. I did really love the ending. As a religious person who believes this life is to be lived in a way that gets you to the best afterlife, I was disappointed that none of the eight characters represented that. There was one character who was religious, but he wasn't someone whose pov we got.
It was an interesting read and thought-provoking, but I do think it could have been executed a little bit better.
The idea was interesting. I could picture junior high kids reading this for class (maybe high school because of some language?). I don't think I could really relate to any of the characters and the way they responded to the situation. The political aspect seemed pretty accurate. I did really love the ending. As a religious person who believes this life is to be lived in a way that gets you to the best afterlife, I was disappointed that none of the eight characters represented that. There was one character who was religious, but he wasn't someone whose pov we got.
It was an interesting read and thought-provoking, but I do think it could have been executed a little bit better.
jennifermilanovic's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0