Synopsis:
Step one…you die.
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, 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 wild tug-of-war between the two 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…
Favorite Lines:
“The most destructive or constructive actions begin with a single thought. And, ultimately, a single action can decide the direction our lives take.”
“Hate is like drinking a vial of poison and expecting it to harm the other person, You’re not hurting the guy, only yourself.”
“What is isn’t always what’s supposed to be.”
“Flesh heals. The soul can fester.”
“Remember, the truth hurts for a little while. Lies hurt forever.”
My Opinion:
I saw this book in a suggested readings list for me on my Nook and honestly was drawn to it because of the cover art. Once I read the description of it, I put it on my wish list to read and when I was looking for a new series to start I thought “why not?”. I actually did enjoy this series, but I am not going to lie, I was mostly in it for the ship.
This series follows Tenley Lockwood or Ten as she tries to fight for control over where she will end after she dies. This was an interesting concept to read about and I thought it was really unique. The premise of the world created by Showalter is that your first life is just practice for the life you will live after you die. When you die you go to one of two realms: Troika or Myriad. The two realms are locked in a constant battle with each other and work hard to recruit living people to their side to gain the upper hand in the war. It is a literal battle of light vs. dark, which is a reoccurring theme in a lot of books. But like I said, Showalter introduced it in a new and unique way that is refreshing to experience.
The only thing I can think of about this book was that it had an amateurish writing style to me. To pinpoint an exact reason I feel this way, I think it is because there are a lot of events taking place and the story jumps around a lot. The flow was just a bit messy for my taste. But this is all personal preference and, if you read the book, you might not see any problems.
Summary:
Overall, this was a great book. It was full of action and adventure but also romance and emotion. It made us, as readers, take a closer look at what motivates humans and overall human behavior. I have always found topics like this fascinating, so it was interesting to have it intertwined in a story I would enjoy reading. I hope that the next books can continue based off of the foundation that this one laid and that maybe Showalter will be able to have a more concise writing style after she has gotten adjusted to the story. Until next time, happy reading!
Likely Story 
Great review!!
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