*I received a free copy of Firstlife from Harlequin Teen via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Firstlife by Gena Showalter Series: Everlife #1
Published by Harlequin Teen on 23 February 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Suspense, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
ONE CHOICE.
TWO REALMS.
NO SECOND CHANCE.
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, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime 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 wild tug-of-war between the two realms who 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 home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…
Firstlife is set in a unique world with very strong mythology and factions fighting each other for power over the realms, not only in the first life, but in the ever life as well.
In the very complex universe of Firstlife, there is a lot of darkness, and Ten’s story starts with horror. She’s a prisoner in an asylum, where her parents have sent her in order to make her sign her everlife with Myriad. She, however, wants to make her own choice, and she still isn’t sure if Myriad or Troika will be the best place to spend the rest of her existence. War between the two realms doesn’t make her decision any easier, and even in the asylum, between torture and hardly no food, there are labourers who are trying their best to sway her to sign on her second life to their faction.
I loved Ten, she’s smart, she’s extremely stubborn, and she learns from everything that happens to her – even the torture somehow builds her up rather than tear her down. The mythology in Firstlife is something that is closer to ancient mythology, and there is the theme of darkness versus light, but not necessarily with the undertones of good versus bad. Both factions seem to have both good and bad things going for them, and Ten want to make sure her choice is her own, not something her power-hungry father forces her into so that he can have riches in the firstlife.
Ten is supposedly very important for both realms, because she has a power that hasn’t been seen in a long time. She also has a very strong mind, and she is able to use her strength at moments when most other characters in young adult novels would turn over, whine, and not take any action towards making things better – neither for themselves or other. Ten, however, does both! She wants life, both the firstlife and the everlife, to be better for everyone. She yearns for peace, and she wants to feel that she belongs somewhere. She tries not to make rash, emotional decisions, and I really loved that about her. That, and all the ways she used numbers to guide her.
Written in first person point of view from Ten’s perspective, and in present tense, the novel managed to keep me at the edge of my seat, because I was truly right there next to Ten, through her many, many pains, and her few victories and heartfelt moments. There is romance and even a possible love triangle, but it didn’t take anything away from the main plot or story, and managed to show that both possible romantic characters were viable. It was also refreshing to not hear Ten denigrate herself or think she wasn’t worthy of the boys. I will be waiting anxiously for the next instalment in this series, because the ending is nothing but a new beginning.
I was born on the tenth day of the tenth month at 10:10 am. And, okay. All right. Maybe I’m obsessed with numbers because they always tell a story and unlike people, they never lie.
“Maybe not, but I’ll still make the offer. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, my actions matter.”
In that, I agree with her. I’ll even take it a step further. The most destructive or constructive actions begin with a single thought.
I can’t allow a momentary pain to eclipse and eternal decision. Feelings are fleeting, no matter how earth-shattering they seem; they never last, always change. A covenant is forever.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
What a complex world this is. I’ve seen it recced a couple of times, but the summary didn’t tell me enough as to whether i’d like it, especially the part about mythology. Thank you for an awesome review!
The summary is pretty vague, and I think that’s normal, so as to not give away too much of the plot. It was really interesting though, Veruska, and I hope you’ll enjoy it, too, if you pick it up one day.
I’m thinking I’d really like to meet Ten, Lexxie. I like that she’s a YA heroine who stands up for herself and others – who’s strong where others her age would fold. And I’m most curious about her obsession with numbers. 😉 Her parents were really creative with her name, huh?!? 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed Firstlife so well. It’s definitely going on my tbr! 😀
*BIG HUGS*
Yes! You will definitely enjoy Ten – whose full name is Tenley, by the way;) – she is such a refreshing YA heroine. I hope your week is off to a good start, my dear. *BIG HUGS*
Great review, Lexxie. I’m intrigued how she uses numbers. And even the love triangle sounds like it works for Ten. She sounds strong and smart, and yeah for not whining.I think that’s why I hate love triangles. The girl never seems to think she’s worthy, but Ten has a strong sense of self worth. I like her already.
The love triangle works both for Ten and for the story, and that’s not really something I say very often, Laura! And you may be right, maybe part of the fact why I don’t usually enjoy love triangles has to do with whining?
I’ve read some reviews where people complained about the MC’s inability to choose, and that this annoyed the reader. ON the other hand, sometimes characters make decisions that are too rash without thinking it through, so maybe not deciding is a good thing sometimes. I haven’t read this one yet, but I want to.
I think I would have been disappointed if she had made a rash choice, Majanka. Her choice would affect the rest of her lives, after all. Both the life she was living now, and the second life, the everlife that would start after her death, and where she would be transported to the realm she had chosen. I hope you’ll enjoy Fistlife as much as I did!
This sounds awesome! so unique. So different from Gena’s books I’ve read. I’m reading it as soon as I can. Thanks for the review Lexxie
It’s very different from Gena’s other books that I’ve read as well, Daniela. It is complex, and I really enjoyed the characters 🙂
Twitter: kbaby81
Okay, I’m kind of spooked about the factions part, but still really intrigued about it as well. I love dystopia, so I hope this can become a favorite of mine and not feel like a rip-off of so many popular series. Still, sounds good to me!
The factions aren’t like those in other dystopias I have read, Lekeisha, and I only called them factions for lack of a better words. It’s like two very different ways of seeing life, and religion, really. I hope you’ll pick it up one day, and that you’ll enjoy it as well.
I’m glad you liked this one so much, Lexxie! Ten sure went through a LOT, omg. I’m a bit in awe of her stamina. xD I so definitely want to see where the next book will take the story though…
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I know, right, the way she was always on the run, or recuperating from torture made me cheer for her. I’m glad you’re interested in the next instalment, even if this one didn’t completely blow your socks off, Cait 🙂
Twitter: talksupeblog
Sounds good, I won’t be surprised if this gets a movie deal at some point.
I really enjoyed it, Braine, there’s a lot of action, but there’s also a lot of introspection 🙂
Great review! First of all, I just love the cover of this book. The idea sounds really complex yet interesting. Ten sounds like a great character. I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I am adding it to my TBR pile.
Ahhh this book sounds very very good! I can’t wait to read it. 🙂
I kept passing over this because I just brushed it off as another YA dystopian, and now I regret this decision. It sounds interesting as hell!
It really is different, Lyn, and I enjoyed the dark, dark world this story unfolded in.