"It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes."

Spell-binding and acutely observed, The Immortalists spans over a hundred years of American history. Centred around the lives of the four Gold children, quiet and reserved Varya, academic and ambitious Daniel, free spirited Klara and romantic Simon, a family brought up with tradition but distanced by differences. 

Intrigued by the fortune teller on Hester Street, the children pool together their pocket money in search of their destinies. But what the mystic has to tell them is not a story of magic or fortunes. She simply gives each of them a date. A date that will irrevocably change their lives forever.

The Immortalists traces not only the personal highs and lows of the Golds, but also of the American people. Following the hippy movement, the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic, the boom of entertainment, the digital revolution and the future of longevity research. Chloe Benjamin weaves the Golds' story into the rich fabric of modern America.

I was amazed at the directions this novel went in, completely different from the Ransom Riggs / Lemony Snicket gothic tome I thought it was going to be. I loved the transitions between the siblings' narratives and the decades of context they each represented. The leap-frog movements through the years felt both electrifying and authentic. There wasn't one stage where I felt yanked from a character or pulled out of the narrative. It's immersive, sublime and above all convincing. This is a very thoughtfully constructed book and one I will remember for a very long time.