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The Forevers
What would you do if you knew the world was going to be destroyed by a huge asteroid in one month? The mesmerising YA debut from acclaimed crime writer and New York Times Bestselling author of We Begin at the End.
They knew the end was coming. They saw it ten years back, when it was far enough away in space and time and meaning.
The changes were gradual, and then sudden.
For Mae and her friends, it means navigating a life where action and consequence are no longer related. Where the popular are both trophies and targets. And where petty grudges turn deadlier with each passing day. So, did Abi Manton jump off the cliff or was she pushed? Her death is just the beginning of the end.
With teachers losing control of their students and themselves, and the end rushing toward all of them, it leaves everyone facing the answer to one, simple question...
What would you do if you could get away with anything?
They knew the end was coming. They saw it ten years back, when it was far enough away in space and time and meaning.
The changes were gradual, and then sudden.
For Mae and her friends, it means navigating a life where action and consequence are no longer related. Where the popular are both trophies and targets. And where petty grudges turn deadlier with each passing day. So, did Abi Manton jump off the cliff or was she pushed? Her death is just the beginning of the end.
With teachers losing control of their students and themselves, and the end rushing toward all of them, it leaves everyone facing the answer to one, simple question...
What would you do if you could get away with anything?
355 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2021
About the author
Chris Whitaker
8 books2,774 followersChris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, We Begin at the End, and The Forevers (YA).
His debut Tall Oaks won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.
An instant New York Times and international bestseller, We Begin at the End was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. The novel won the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world.
We Begin At The End has been translated into twenty-nine languages, with screen rights going to Disney, where ‘Hamilton’ director Thomas Kail and producing partner Jennifer Todd will develop the book for television.
Chris lives in the UK.
Follow him on Twitter @WhittyAuthor
And on Instagram @chriswhitakerauthor
His debut Tall Oaks won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.
An instant New York Times and international bestseller, We Begin at the End was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. The novel won the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world.
We Begin At The End has been translated into twenty-nine languages, with screen rights going to Disney, where ‘Hamilton’ director Thomas Kail and producing partner Jennifer Todd will develop the book for television.
Chris lives in the UK.
Follow him on Twitter @WhittyAuthor
And on Instagram @chriswhitakerauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
June 27, 2021
I have loved everything Chris Whitaker has written, but here he departs from his usual fare, focusing on YA in this pre-apocalyptic novel set a month prior to the destruction of the earth. 10 years previously, NASA's Juan Martin Morales identified Asteroid 8050XF11, named Selena, was set on a path for our planet, but optimistically it was thought that disaster could be averted. However, every attempt has met with failure and with not long to go, people are going off the rails, there are riots and suicides, amidst the fear, panic and terror, and the stark awareness there is nothing more to be done. Impoverished 17 year old Margaret 'Mae' Cassidy lost her parents when she was 10, and had to grow up pretty sharpish, having to take care of her prematurely born blind sister, Stella and her grandmother. She is responsible for providing for all of them, breaking into houses and stealing what she can.
At school she is isolated, despised and bullied by the likes of the privileged and popular Hunter Silver and her followers, spreading vicious nasty untruthful rumours about her. It is Mae who discovers the dead body of Abi Manton, a former best friend who had abandoned her after her family's fortunes improved. Hers is the third suicide at school, whose taped voice is heard at school, with Mae coming under suspicion for orchestrating this. However, after hearing how Abi had tried to get in touch with her, Mae feels the need to know what happened to her ex-friend. It is those tapes that reveal Mae and Abi were the first 'weirdos and creeps' to be the 'forevers', a concept that surprisingly gather a large number of followers, as it becomes glaringly apparent that threats, loss, grief, and other horrors reside behind the closed doors of so many, from rich new boy, Jack Sail, Hugo Prince who has everything and yet has nothing at all, to the overweight Sally Sweeny.
I have to admit that for quite a while I felt that this was not a book meant for the likes of me, and more geared to a younger audience, although it eventually redeemed itself for me through the author's wonderful trademark abilities in characterisations which won me around. From Mae's courage, willing to go out on a limb to connect and help others, even if they had made her life a misery, the brilliantly humorous exploits of close friend Felix Baxter to garner the attentions of Candice, to the incredible support the Forevers offer to their fellow 'weirdos and creeps'. This is a uneven, bittersweet read that I came to appreciate and savour, depicting a humanity that is coming apart at the seams as catastrophe and challenges looms. We see the best and worst of people, where the Forevers offer the unheard of opportunity to be the real you, and a source of comfort in both a personal and global crisis. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
At school she is isolated, despised and bullied by the likes of the privileged and popular Hunter Silver and her followers, spreading vicious nasty untruthful rumours about her. It is Mae who discovers the dead body of Abi Manton, a former best friend who had abandoned her after her family's fortunes improved. Hers is the third suicide at school, whose taped voice is heard at school, with Mae coming under suspicion for orchestrating this. However, after hearing how Abi had tried to get in touch with her, Mae feels the need to know what happened to her ex-friend. It is those tapes that reveal Mae and Abi were the first 'weirdos and creeps' to be the 'forevers', a concept that surprisingly gather a large number of followers, as it becomes glaringly apparent that threats, loss, grief, and other horrors reside behind the closed doors of so many, from rich new boy, Jack Sail, Hugo Prince who has everything and yet has nothing at all, to the overweight Sally Sweeny.
I have to admit that for quite a while I felt that this was not a book meant for the likes of me, and more geared to a younger audience, although it eventually redeemed itself for me through the author's wonderful trademark abilities in characterisations which won me around. From Mae's courage, willing to go out on a limb to connect and help others, even if they had made her life a misery, the brilliantly humorous exploits of close friend Felix Baxter to garner the attentions of Candice, to the incredible support the Forevers offer to their fellow 'weirdos and creeps'. This is a uneven, bittersweet read that I came to appreciate and savour, depicting a humanity that is coming apart at the seams as catastrophe and challenges looms. We see the best and worst of people, where the Forevers offer the unheard of opportunity to be the real you, and a source of comfort in both a personal and global crisis. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
December 4, 2022
An ok read, the world has one month remaining before an asteroid is due to hit earth and destroy everything.
17 year old Mae, discovers her ex best friend dead on the beach. Supposedly the third suicide so far, but is it really suicide?
A lot of different characters, I kept losing track of who was speaking and when. Pretty much everyone was unlikeable. But then I guess thats the point when everyone has stopped caring about anything.
The author does a good job of portraying the characters and their many flaws. There were just a bit too many, and near the end when the reveals were shown it went so quickly I still wasn’t 100% sure which man is was that
I guess it was just a lot, but still a good enough read
17 year old Mae, discovers her ex best friend dead on the beach. Supposedly the third suicide so far, but is it really suicide?
A lot of different characters, I kept losing track of who was speaking and when. Pretty much everyone was unlikeable. But then I guess thats the point when everyone has stopped caring about anything.
The author does a good job of portraying the characters and their many flaws. There were just a bit too many, and near the end when the reveals were shown it went so quickly I still wasn’t 100% sure which man is was that
I guess it was just a lot, but still a good enough read
July 29, 2021
Such an easy book to fly through and I’m such a sucker for any ‘world is ending in a few days what are you going to do’
I won’t lie this was depressingly addictive and I was genuinely interested in the plot.
I just found the writing a bit confusing at times and the characters weren’t overly likeable (but I think that was the whole point)
I won’t lie this was depressingly addictive and I was genuinely interested in the plot.
I just found the writing a bit confusing at times and the characters weren’t overly likeable (but I think that was the whole point)
July 4, 2024
three-and-a-half rounded up. a really great premise and a YA execution not up to his adult snuff, but still more to chew on than others of its ilk.
July 15, 2021
Headlines:
Difficult plot to gel with
Unlikeable characters
Confused writing
I'm sorry that I don't have better things to say about The Forevers. I love the cover and I definitely found the blurb appealing but as it spun out, the plot was very difficult to like. When the end of the world is definitely coming in 30 days, this small community was pretty wrapped up in the death of Abi, not the big impending asteroid. That seemed a little out of kilter with my expectations.
Mae as a character was likeable but the rest of the characters weren't. The school, the forevers, the community were a messed up ball of intricate effed-up-ness. Added into this was the fact that the writing was really confusing at times. I was jarred when unnamed characters entered scenes and I never knew who that person was and so the plot point was lost. There were also occasions where I felt like a small chunk of narrative was missing, so again, I was confused. All that said, I was able to string the story together but it was a push to keep going with the aid of some skimming.
I liked the premise but sadly the execution didn't work for me.
There are many triggers in this book, so please look for those on other reviews or DM me if you want more information.
Thank you to Hot Key Books for the early review copy.
Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.
Difficult plot to gel with
Unlikeable characters
Confused writing
I'm sorry that I don't have better things to say about The Forevers. I love the cover and I definitely found the blurb appealing but as it spun out, the plot was very difficult to like. When the end of the world is definitely coming in 30 days, this small community was pretty wrapped up in the death of Abi, not the big impending asteroid. That seemed a little out of kilter with my expectations.
Mae as a character was likeable but the rest of the characters weren't. The school, the forevers, the community were a messed up ball of intricate effed-up-ness. Added into this was the fact that the writing was really confusing at times. I was jarred when unnamed characters entered scenes and I never knew who that person was and so the plot point was lost. There were also occasions where I felt like a small chunk of narrative was missing, so again, I was confused. All that said, I was able to string the story together but it was a push to keep going with the aid of some skimming.
I liked the premise but sadly the execution didn't work for me.
There are many triggers in this book, so please look for those on other reviews or DM me if you want more information.
Thank you to Hot Key Books for the early review copy.
Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.
September 13, 2021
She was seventeen years old.Mae has grown up knowing that she and her sister, Stella, won’t live long enough to become adults. Asteroid 8050XF11, A.K.A. Selena, is on a collision course with Earth.
She would die in one month.
So, what do you do when an Extinction Level Event is imminent? Some people put their faith in God and wait for a miracle. Others place their hope in science. If disaster movies have taught us anything, it’s that scientists will consistently fail until just before the credits roll. Then they’ll come up with a solution that’ll save the world. Surely they can do this in real life, too.
There are the leavers, people “who said their goodbyes or those that simply tired of the wait and disappeared in search of more.” Then there are those who are living like there’s no tomorrow. They figure if you’re not going to live long enough for the consequences to catch up with you, then you might as well do whatever you want.
The countdown is on. There’s one month to go until God performs a miracle, science comes through with the biggest win in the history of the world or everyone dies.
Mae and many others in West spend much of their final month attending school and working. I doubt I would be doing either if I knew the end was nigh. Mae’s also trying to learn the truth behind the recent death of Abi, her former best friend.
Impending doom doesn’t negate the usual high school drama, with popular kids, bullies and outcasts all featured. Some of these kids have significant difficulties in their lives, though, even if you ignore the whole 70 mile wide asteroid that’s going to obliterate them in the very near future thing.
I liked Mae but adored Stella, her eight year old sister, who stole every scene she was in. With such heavy content, I was especially grateful for the comic relief that came in the form of Felix. He was all about sleeping when he’s dead and becoming visible to the love of his life, despite the fact that she already has a boyfriend.
A lot of characters were introduced but I didn’t form a connection with a number of them, due to their personality or because I didn’t get to know them well enough. There’s practically an entire alphabet of content warnings at the end of my review, with so many important issues touched on. However, individual circumstances didn’t always have enough page time for them to be explored in the depth I would have liked.
The mystery of what happened to Abi faded into the background at times as the struggles of other characters were explored. There was a resolution, though, and many characters were given the opportunity to do what they needed to in order to finish their stories on their own terms.
Sometimes it took me a while to figure out which character was in a scene with Mae, especially when they’d only be referred to as ‘he’ for several paragraphs before they were named. Some scene changes felt jarring and for a while around the middle of the book I wasn’t even sure if I was enjoying it.
But this was a compulsive read and Mae and Stella’s relationship kept me invested. An ugly cry snuck up on me at the end and I’m still thinking about several characters. I’m definitely interested in reading more books by this author and I absolutely adored Muhammad Nafay’s cover illustration.
We made Forever for the creeps and the weirdos, the freaks and the outlaws.Content warnings include .
Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
May 18, 2023
La cât de mult mi-a plăcut “Începem cu sfârșitul” al lui Chris Whitaker, nu am stat pe gânduri când am văzut “Eternii” și mi-am spus că vreau să îi aflu povestea, coperta m-a atras, mi se părea extrem de drăguță și-mi transmitea că la fel va fi și povestea.
Nu m-am înșelat, deși nu am citit descrierea cărții și nu știam peste ce voi da, am avut parte de o surpriză plăcută, o poveste amuzantă și relaxantă, dar în același timp reală, dureroasă și tristă, pentru că un asteroid urmează să lovească pământul și mai este doar o lună până la impact. Într-o lună se pot întâmpla multe, însă ce alegi să faci? Să-ți continui viața ca și cum asteroidul nu amenință sau profiți la maxim de zilele rămase?
Chiar a fost simpatică povestea și mi-au fost dragi personajele, Mae și Stella, două surori rămase orfane, care locuiesc cu bunica lor, aveau una dintre cele mai frumoase legături, Mae era o dulce când o avea pe surioara sa alături și cum se comporta cu ea, îmi topea inima. O altă relație care m-a înduioșat a fost cea de prietenie dintre Mae și Felix, #relationshipgoals sincer, rădeam cu lacrimi când îi urmăream împreună, mai ales când vedeam eforturile lui Felix de a-și cuceri marea dragoste.
Multe alte personaje secundare care ieșeau din tipar, în ciuda prejudecăților din comunitate, dar care ajung să cucerească prin simplitatea și franchețea lor.
Personaje îndrăznețe, fiecare cu probleme în familie sau de personalitate, învăluite în secrete, terminate și dubioase…acestea formau Eternii și au avut curajul de a-și găsi Eternitatea și a-și înfrunta temerile, că doar vine sfârșitul lumii, ce mai ai de pierdut?
Ce e drept, nu m-a dat pe spate asemeni titlului “Începem cu sfârșitul”, sunt din genuri diferite, dar m-am bucurat de poveste, am ales s-o citesc la momentul potrivit și a mers ca unsă. Mă mai așteaptă și “Toate fetele rele”, sunt tare curioasă cum va fi povestea, dar vă pot confirma că tot ce se va traduce de la autor, voi citi 🥰.
Nu m-am înșelat, deși nu am citit descrierea cărții și nu știam peste ce voi da, am avut parte de o surpriză plăcută, o poveste amuzantă și relaxantă, dar în același timp reală, dureroasă și tristă, pentru că un asteroid urmează să lovească pământul și mai este doar o lună până la impact. Într-o lună se pot întâmpla multe, însă ce alegi să faci? Să-ți continui viața ca și cum asteroidul nu amenință sau profiți la maxim de zilele rămase?
Chiar a fost simpatică povestea și mi-au fost dragi personajele, Mae și Stella, două surori rămase orfane, care locuiesc cu bunica lor, aveau una dintre cele mai frumoase legături, Mae era o dulce când o avea pe surioara sa alături și cum se comporta cu ea, îmi topea inima. O altă relație care m-a înduioșat a fost cea de prietenie dintre Mae și Felix, #relationshipgoals sincer, rădeam cu lacrimi când îi urmăream împreună, mai ales când vedeam eforturile lui Felix de a-și cuceri marea dragoste.
Multe alte personaje secundare care ieșeau din tipar, în ciuda prejudecăților din comunitate, dar care ajung să cucerească prin simplitatea și franchețea lor.
Personaje îndrăznețe, fiecare cu probleme în familie sau de personalitate, învăluite în secrete, terminate și dubioase…acestea formau Eternii și au avut curajul de a-și găsi Eternitatea și a-și înfrunta temerile, că doar vine sfârșitul lumii, ce mai ai de pierdut?
Ce e drept, nu m-a dat pe spate asemeni titlului “Începem cu sfârșitul”, sunt din genuri diferite, dar m-am bucurat de poveste, am ales s-o citesc la momentul potrivit și a mers ca unsă. Mă mai așteaptă și “Toate fetele rele”, sunt tare curioasă cum va fi povestea, dar vă pot confirma că tot ce se va traduce de la autor, voi citi 🥰.
July 8, 2021
The Forevers is a compelling and original young adult mystery thriller and asks the question: what would you do if you could get away with anything? They called it Selena. Its real name was Asteroid 2012HWN – on an inevitable collision course with earth. Seventeen-year-old Mae has lived with the threat for a decade. She’s followed every attempt to stop it, gathered on the beach with the other kids in town and watched rockets rip through their sky. They call themselves the Forevers, but after each failure, forever has never felt more like a fairy tale. It’s now the last summer before the expected collision and Mae is spending her days in a school where the teachers have lost all control: bullies have become targets and the popular have become trophies.
At night she is desperately looking for a way to allow her sister to reach a safe place. She doesn’t have time for friends, or to fall in love. But then she meets Jack Sail, and her world begins to turn again. This is a compulsive, captivating and exhilarating story depicting what happens when, as the clock ticks down, people begin to realise there will be no consequences to their actions, and Mae finds each passing day might be just as dangerous as the rock hurtling toward them. Thrilling and romantic, this is a mesmerising coming of age YA debut from the bestselling adult crime and thriller writer. Imaginative, full of tension, drama, action, twists and chaotic surprises, I was engrossed from cover to cover of this pacey, well-woven yarn. Highly recommended.
At night she is desperately looking for a way to allow her sister to reach a safe place. She doesn’t have time for friends, or to fall in love. But then she meets Jack Sail, and her world begins to turn again. This is a compulsive, captivating and exhilarating story depicting what happens when, as the clock ticks down, people begin to realise there will be no consequences to their actions, and Mae finds each passing day might be just as dangerous as the rock hurtling toward them. Thrilling and romantic, this is a mesmerising coming of age YA debut from the bestselling adult crime and thriller writer. Imaginative, full of tension, drama, action, twists and chaotic surprises, I was engrossed from cover to cover of this pacey, well-woven yarn. Highly recommended.
August 19, 2021
You know how sometimes you have a favourite author, and then they suddenly do a 180 on you and write a book in a genre you don’t actually read? What’s a girl to do? I was obviously always going to buy ‘The Forevers‘ because I quite like having complete collections of favourite authors, even if I wasn’t going to read it. Yes, that is a valid reason for purchasing books. But in this case I decided, hell, it’s Chris Whitaker and I will read whatever he writes. Who cares that I can’t even remember anymore what being a YA is like. I think there were dinosaurs 🤔.
Luckily for me, ‘The Forevers‘ has all the elements that make me adore Whitaker’s books so much. The delicious small town atmosphere, a healthy dose of intrigue and the most incredible characters. I dare say nobody out there currently does the whole teenage angst and outsider thing quite the way he does.
Ten years ago, scientists predicted an asteroid was on its way to Earth with devastating consequences. Throughout the years, various attempts were made to divert it from its path but to no avail. Selena, for that is its name, is coming. Time is up. There is only one month left. What would you do?
Mae and her friends are a bunch of seventeen year olds, who should be partying it up, who should be looking to the future and planning the rest of their lives. Instead, they’re looking up into the skies, knowing there is nothing to plan for ever again. Still they go to school, still there is this odd normalcy about their lives that doesn’t seem to have any place her. Even though the end is nigh, they do still struggle with topics any one of us can relate to. Religion, family, money, self-acceptance and just wanting to belong while that tiny sliver of hope slowly but surely fades away to nothing. And in the middle of that, Abi Manton turns up dead. Did she jump off a cliff? Or was she pushed?
This is not an easy read. It is often quite uncomfortable. More than that, it definitely has the potential to depress the shit out of you. It probably would have, had it not been for the absolute marvel that is Felix. The comic relief, most of the time utterly unwillingly, is just one of those characters you will always be absolutely grateful for. Yet, Felix has problems like everyone else. And they do not only revolve around the fact that he doesn’t want to die a virgin.
Mae, what to say about her? Sarcasm and dark humour hide a multitude of hurts. But boy, is she strong! The way she takes care of her sister and her grandmother, who isn’t quite all there. Some might say what Mae does is wrong, even if she does it so her family can survive. All I know is that once again these characters are as memorable as Duchess and Manny. And if you don’t know who they are, I promise you you are missing out on extraordinary novels!
I couldn’t help but wonder why any of it mattered since everyone and everything would be gone in a month’s time.That’s the thing, isn’t it? What would you do, if you knew you had only one month left? What would you do, if you realised your actions would not have any consequences anymore? If you could get away with anything, what would you do? I must admit that ‘The Forevers‘ turned out to be far more thought-provoking than I bargained for. Events like these bring out the best and the worst in people and things are no different in Mae’s home town.
This wonderfully eccentric cast of weirdos and creeps, and this doom scenario had me glued to the pages. All of it is woven together with that beautiful writing I love so much from Chris Whitaker. He’s an incredible talent and it’s obviously official : I *will* read whatever he writes. ‘The Forevers‘ had a far bigger impact on me than I bargained for and just like with Whitaker’s other books, I can’t stop thinking about it. Or Mae, and Felix, and Stella. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author but I do know, I’ll be at the front of the line waiting to be sprinkled by the Whitaker magic once again. ❤️
Luckily for me, ‘The Forevers‘ has all the elements that make me adore Whitaker’s books so much. The delicious small town atmosphere, a healthy dose of intrigue and the most incredible characters. I dare say nobody out there currently does the whole teenage angst and outsider thing quite the way he does.
Ten years ago, scientists predicted an asteroid was on its way to Earth with devastating consequences. Throughout the years, various attempts were made to divert it from its path but to no avail. Selena, for that is its name, is coming. Time is up. There is only one month left. What would you do?
Mae and her friends are a bunch of seventeen year olds, who should be partying it up, who should be looking to the future and planning the rest of their lives. Instead, they’re looking up into the skies, knowing there is nothing to plan for ever again. Still they go to school, still there is this odd normalcy about their lives that doesn’t seem to have any place her. Even though the end is nigh, they do still struggle with topics any one of us can relate to. Religion, family, money, self-acceptance and just wanting to belong while that tiny sliver of hope slowly but surely fades away to nothing. And in the middle of that, Abi Manton turns up dead. Did she jump off a cliff? Or was she pushed?
This is not an easy read. It is often quite uncomfortable. More than that, it definitely has the potential to depress the shit out of you. It probably would have, had it not been for the absolute marvel that is Felix. The comic relief, most of the time utterly unwillingly, is just one of those characters you will always be absolutely grateful for. Yet, Felix has problems like everyone else. And they do not only revolve around the fact that he doesn’t want to die a virgin.
Mae, what to say about her? Sarcasm and dark humour hide a multitude of hurts. But boy, is she strong! The way she takes care of her sister and her grandmother, who isn’t quite all there. Some might say what Mae does is wrong, even if she does it so her family can survive. All I know is that once again these characters are as memorable as Duchess and Manny. And if you don’t know who they are, I promise you you are missing out on extraordinary novels!
I couldn’t help but wonder why any of it mattered since everyone and everything would be gone in a month’s time.That’s the thing, isn’t it? What would you do, if you knew you had only one month left? What would you do, if you realised your actions would not have any consequences anymore? If you could get away with anything, what would you do? I must admit that ‘The Forevers‘ turned out to be far more thought-provoking than I bargained for. Events like these bring out the best and the worst in people and things are no different in Mae’s home town.
This wonderfully eccentric cast of weirdos and creeps, and this doom scenario had me glued to the pages. All of it is woven together with that beautiful writing I love so much from Chris Whitaker. He’s an incredible talent and it’s obviously official : I *will* read whatever he writes. ‘The Forevers‘ had a far bigger impact on me than I bargained for and just like with Whitaker’s other books, I can’t stop thinking about it. Or Mae, and Felix, and Stella. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author but I do know, I’ll be at the front of the line waiting to be sprinkled by the Whitaker magic once again. ❤️
April 10, 2022
Confusing writing
The premise was really interesting but the writing style made it really hard to keep reading. Most dialogue wasn't labelled with who was speaking, a lot of parts felt like there were bits missing that were needed to understand the scene, felt very choppy and left me struggling to understand what was happening and completely unable to get immersed in the book at all.
Lack of character descriptions - a lot of them feel very 2d, barely any environment building and jarring stop start writing.
The premise was really interesting but the writing style made it really hard to keep reading. Most dialogue wasn't labelled with who was speaking, a lot of parts felt like there were bits missing that were needed to understand the scene, felt very choppy and left me struggling to understand what was happening and completely unable to get immersed in the book at all.
Lack of character descriptions - a lot of them feel very 2d, barely any environment building and jarring stop start writing.
August 14, 2023
3 stars. this premise was certainly an interesting one, and i normally love stories where the world is ending and the narrative is tinged with a sort of tragic inevitability. the characterisation in this book was its strong point, i'd say, and i very much enjoyed seeing how different people reacted to the slow realisation that they were living in a world where nothing really mattered. the writing style, however, detracted from the whole experience. it was a bit all over the place, and there would be pages, especially of dialogue that were really confusing. nevertheless, a quick, enjoyable read with a sweet - if you could call it that - ending.
February 10, 2023
I rarely give books 1 star, so I myself was very surprised when I thought “There’s no way I can give two stars”
I picked up the book for two reasons. I was/am very fond of the cover. Absolutely love it! The story was so interesting to me, I kept wondering what I would read. 30 days before the world is ending? Imagine the possibilities!
And I feel like Chris Whitaker didn’t see those possibilities.
THE STORY: it was rushed. There were so many plot lines, some thrown in literally three pages before the book ending. I have so many questions and not one was answered. Of course, writing about the world ending is hard, but this felt like there wasn’t even a story. I thought we were figuring out Abi’s death. I felt like I was figuring out which story line I was reading now. Both Abi’s death and the world ending didn’t get that much attention. The attention was “how many secrets can Mae discover in 30 days” and “which house hasn’t she broke into yet?”
THE CHARACTERS: Too 2D. I wasn’t attached to any of them. There were so many, all with individual story lines that got thrown in, without finishing or explaining, that I kept forgetting who did what. Couldn’t relate to any of the billions characters there were. If there were less characters that we would spend more time with, maybe it was different. Even Mae, the main character, didn’t gave us enough to warm up to her. I’m not even sure what 99% of the characters, buildings, places look like. They were either written to the detail or not at all. The romances weren’t written as well, so I wasn’t really rooting for two characters who felt like they barely knew each other or spend time together. Couldn’t keep track of who was dating who either, except for Felix.
The dialoges were all over the place. It wouldn’t always say who it said, so I was left to figure out who of the six (or more) characters in the room said it. I didn’t know the characters good enough (we barely spend time with them and don’t see them until they are necessary for the story) to guess. Sometimes it would say “She said”, which would narrow it down to four females in the room.
I understand that, when the world is ending, 30 days isn’t enough to fix a lifetime of mistakes and stories. Maybe that was the idea. But it felt rushed, unfinished, like I was reading a story idea someone had yet to write and this was a long summary. The ending was… Well, considering the last minute story line that gets thrown in, it was cringy in a bad way.
I picked up the book for two reasons. I was/am very fond of the cover. Absolutely love it! The story was so interesting to me, I kept wondering what I would read. 30 days before the world is ending? Imagine the possibilities!
And I feel like Chris Whitaker didn’t see those possibilities.
THE STORY: it was rushed. There were so many plot lines, some thrown in literally three pages before the book ending. I have so many questions and not one was answered. Of course, writing about the world ending is hard, but this felt like there wasn’t even a story. I thought we were figuring out Abi’s death. I felt like I was figuring out which story line I was reading now. Both Abi’s death and the world ending didn’t get that much attention. The attention was “how many secrets can Mae discover in 30 days” and “which house hasn’t she broke into yet?”
THE CHARACTERS: Too 2D. I wasn’t attached to any of them. There were so many, all with individual story lines that got thrown in, without finishing or explaining, that I kept forgetting who did what. Couldn’t relate to any of the billions characters there were. If there were less characters that we would spend more time with, maybe it was different. Even Mae, the main character, didn’t gave us enough to warm up to her. I’m not even sure what 99% of the characters, buildings, places look like. They were either written to the detail or not at all. The romances weren’t written as well, so I wasn’t really rooting for two characters who felt like they barely knew each other or spend time together. Couldn’t keep track of who was dating who either, except for Felix.
The dialoges were all over the place. It wouldn’t always say who it said, so I was left to figure out who of the six (or more) characters in the room said it. I didn’t know the characters good enough (we barely spend time with them and don’t see them until they are necessary for the story) to guess. Sometimes it would say “She said”, which would narrow it down to four females in the room.
I understand that, when the world is ending, 30 days isn’t enough to fix a lifetime of mistakes and stories. Maybe that was the idea. But it felt rushed, unfinished, like I was reading a story idea someone had yet to write and this was a long summary. The ending was… Well, considering the last minute story line that gets thrown in, it was cringy in a bad way.
May 6, 2021
TW: mentioned suicide, self-harm, mentioned parental abuse, depression
The Forevers by Chris Whitaker is about Mae along with people of a small town who've been engulfed in misery knowing an imminent asteroid named Selena will be hitting the earth in a matter of 30 days. Its presence and discovery have been clarified by NASA a decade ago. A lot of measures have been taken by NASA to halt the asteroid from striking the earth. It's interesting as we're introduced to different reactions of people to the pre-doomsday with emphasis on Mae's point of view. Most of their reactions circulate dark and heavy topics as mentioned above in TWs. Some of them thought living life to the fullest till the D-day is the only way to cope.
Now here comes what did I honestly feel about this book. The execution of the plot feels jagged to me because I couldn't piece back all the events that had happened in this book. I thought it's about a murder mystery because the beginning seems to foreshadow the notion of it. However, it's begun to steer off the main course of the story. I felt confused after that because the focus becomes so diverging to the point I thought it's a directionless kind of plot. Other than this, a lot of things get jumbled together in the final part. Hence, the pathway towards the ending feels rushed and convoluted for me to fathom.
I usually don't like reading this kind of book because it has a high possibility in drifting my attention span out of a lane though I like how the author trying to attempt philosophical proses that make me ponder about little things I have never noticed before. Some of the characters are memorable and they're the reasons for me to continue on - Felix because he's effortlessly funny and Hunter because she's a baddie. If you're not looking for some fast-moving plot or any groundbreaking actions to stop the asteroid from blasting off the earth, but instead to indulge in people's everyday lives battling with their inner struggles in preparing for the end of the world, then this book is for you.
Thank you Definitely Books for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Forevers by Chris Whitaker is about Mae along with people of a small town who've been engulfed in misery knowing an imminent asteroid named Selena will be hitting the earth in a matter of 30 days. Its presence and discovery have been clarified by NASA a decade ago. A lot of measures have been taken by NASA to halt the asteroid from striking the earth. It's interesting as we're introduced to different reactions of people to the pre-doomsday with emphasis on Mae's point of view. Most of their reactions circulate dark and heavy topics as mentioned above in TWs. Some of them thought living life to the fullest till the D-day is the only way to cope.
Now here comes what did I honestly feel about this book. The execution of the plot feels jagged to me because I couldn't piece back all the events that had happened in this book. I thought it's about a murder mystery because the beginning seems to foreshadow the notion of it. However, it's begun to steer off the main course of the story. I felt confused after that because the focus becomes so diverging to the point I thought it's a directionless kind of plot. Other than this, a lot of things get jumbled together in the final part. Hence, the pathway towards the ending feels rushed and convoluted for me to fathom.
I usually don't like reading this kind of book because it has a high possibility in drifting my attention span out of a lane though I like how the author trying to attempt philosophical proses that make me ponder about little things I have never noticed before. Some of the characters are memorable and they're the reasons for me to continue on - Felix because he's effortlessly funny and Hunter because she's a baddie. If you're not looking for some fast-moving plot or any groundbreaking actions to stop the asteroid from blasting off the earth, but instead to indulge in people's everyday lives battling with their inner struggles in preparing for the end of the world, then this book is for you.
Thank you Definitely Books for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2021
Chris Whittaker's previous book, We Begin at the End, is one of my favourite novels of all time. I'm not really a YA reader but the premise to The Forevers is so ingeniously simple I couldn't wait to read it. Luckily, I got my grubby fingers on the finished hardback, which seems like it varies quite a lot from the proof/ARC based on some of the other reviews. That's really unfortunate because I found The Forevers to be incredibly moving and beautifully written.
November 9, 2022
"𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘂𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁."
This YA debut from Chris Whitaker is a thought-provoking read. If you've watched disaster films such as Armaggedon, 2012 or The 5th Wave, this book is perfect for you. The end of the world is in a few weeks, after a decade of an asteroid named Selena hurtling towards Earth, and multiple failed attempts of changing the course of Selena, people start losing hope and question their remaining days. The focus is on Mae and her town's people, how they experience the last days and the choices they make.
"𝗔 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲."
This novel is more than an 'end of the world' story. Whitaker makes the reader think and ask the question, 'What will I do if I knew the end of the world is in sight?' Will you break the law, will you make amends or will you continue as before and wait it out? I enjoyed the setting of this novel, especially because I enjoy end-of-the-world movies. From the first chapter, I knew this is going to be a good read. The short chapters add to the tension of the story, allowing the reader to understand time is running out. Sometimes I had to reread a few sentences because I felt there were jumps and I missed something, scenes changed abruptly. Other than that, this book was well written and the characters were relatable.
"𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴����𝗲𝘁. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆."
I liked the thought of the Forevers and what they represented. This cover is one of my favourites and the moment the cover makes sense is so satisfying. This story is appropriate for ages 14 and I recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA, thought-provoking reads as well as 'end of the world'.
Many thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This YA debut from Chris Whitaker is a thought-provoking read. If you've watched disaster films such as Armaggedon, 2012 or The 5th Wave, this book is perfect for you. The end of the world is in a few weeks, after a decade of an asteroid named Selena hurtling towards Earth, and multiple failed attempts of changing the course of Selena, people start losing hope and question their remaining days. The focus is on Mae and her town's people, how they experience the last days and the choices they make.
"𝗔 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲."
This novel is more than an 'end of the world' story. Whitaker makes the reader think and ask the question, 'What will I do if I knew the end of the world is in sight?' Will you break the law, will you make amends or will you continue as before and wait it out? I enjoyed the setting of this novel, especially because I enjoy end-of-the-world movies. From the first chapter, I knew this is going to be a good read. The short chapters add to the tension of the story, allowing the reader to understand time is running out. Sometimes I had to reread a few sentences because I felt there were jumps and I missed something, scenes changed abruptly. Other than that, this book was well written and the characters were relatable.
"𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴����𝗲𝘁. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆."
I liked the thought of the Forevers and what they represented. This cover is one of my favourites and the moment the cover makes sense is so satisfying. This story is appropriate for ages 14 and I recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA, thought-provoking reads as well as 'end of the world'.
Many thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2021
I was lucky enough to get a copy of the final book, not the proof. It seems that the final version is very different, so I highly recommend getting your hands on that before reviewing.
Long story short: I loved this book. LOVED it. So much so that I felt compelled to write this review, which I never normally do. I may not be the target age group for it, but it transported me back to my teenage years in a very sincere, emotional and unpatronising way. The premise may sound like something you've heard before, but there's so much more to the story - it's complex, thought-provoking and an all-round enjoyable ride. Chris Whitaker is truly a master of creating characters that you grow to love and care about more than members of your own family (or maybe that's just me...). I defy anyone not to fall in love with the hilarious Felix and his Barry White obsession, or shed a tear when you read what Mae and her classmates have been through.
I wish I'd had this book when I was younger. It's a beautiful story about acceptance; not only for the things we can't control (e.g. an incoming world-ending asteroid), but also for our true selves. Whether you're a creep, weirdo, freak or an outlaw, it'll make you laugh, cry and gasp in equal measure. In short, you'll want to be a Forever too.
Long story short: I loved this book. LOVED it. So much so that I felt compelled to write this review, which I never normally do. I may not be the target age group for it, but it transported me back to my teenage years in a very sincere, emotional and unpatronising way. The premise may sound like something you've heard before, but there's so much more to the story - it's complex, thought-provoking and an all-round enjoyable ride. Chris Whitaker is truly a master of creating characters that you grow to love and care about more than members of your own family (or maybe that's just me...). I defy anyone not to fall in love with the hilarious Felix and his Barry White obsession, or shed a tear when you read what Mae and her classmates have been through.
I wish I'd had this book when I was younger. It's a beautiful story about acceptance; not only for the things we can't control (e.g. an incoming world-ending asteroid), but also for our true selves. Whether you're a creep, weirdo, freak or an outlaw, it'll make you laugh, cry and gasp in equal measure. In short, you'll want to be a Forever too.
January 26, 2022
I'm still on the fence about this one.
In all honesty, it's likely not the book for me right now and I would probably enjoy it more another time. Partly because I read this while distracted by another more exciting book and partly because I had went into this one with wholly different expectations.
I thought this would be a dystopian thriller-mystery but the whole end-of-the-world thing is actually just a backdrop. Instead, it's a character-driven novel that focuses on the townspeople and their dynamics that reads more like literary fiction. While I have no issues with character-driven stories and literary fiction, I would have preferred to know what I'm getting into beforehand.
It's also a very heavy read, not just because there's so much social commentary about mortality. The story also has bullying, rape, parental abuse, domestic violence, suicide, murder, self-harm and more. Again, I would like to have known beforehand.
As much as I like Chris Whitaker's writing, even in this book, I found the storytelling here quite disjointed and confusing. The protagonist was also mostly unlikeable. On the bright side, this book has lots of brilliant lines and humour despite its bleak plot.
In all honesty, it's likely not the book for me right now and I would probably enjoy it more another time. Partly because I read this while distracted by another more exciting book and partly because I had went into this one with wholly different expectations.
I thought this would be a dystopian thriller-mystery but the whole end-of-the-world thing is actually just a backdrop. Instead, it's a character-driven novel that focuses on the townspeople and their dynamics that reads more like literary fiction. While I have no issues with character-driven stories and literary fiction, I would have preferred to know what I'm getting into beforehand.
It's also a very heavy read, not just because there's so much social commentary about mortality. The story also has bullying, rape, parental abuse, domestic violence, suicide, murder, self-harm and more. Again, I would like to have known beforehand.
As much as I like Chris Whitaker's writing, even in this book, I found the storytelling here quite disjointed and confusing. The protagonist was also mostly unlikeable. On the bright side, this book has lots of brilliant lines and humour despite its bleak plot.
August 3, 2024
Just… no. The premise is so promising and the first few chapters are thrilling, but the plot is a mess, the writing style confusing and pointlessly trying to be “deep” or “philosophical”, the characters flat and unlikable… I felt depressed after every reading session and that can’t be the point of a book, dude
August 20, 2023
this was so disappointing. the blurb really intrigued me and i was so excited to start this book. but it just makes no sense at all and the characters were really unlikeable. the cover honestly is so beautiful and that’s part of why i bought it. yet i was still really dissapointed because, hello, a book about the end of the world? yes please. but this one was not it, and it was just horrible. sorry.
May 22, 2023
pls I beg you don't read this, you'll want to kys😀
March 16, 2022
It’s really hard for me to describe this book with any other word instead of depressing.Although this book was quite sad,it was also calming and it helps the reader appreciate and think about the small things in life.The writer shows the dark side of humans and their actions,the hardships some have to face in their life and the good nature some people have even though they have gone through hell.The characters are really well written , and it’s shown that even some bad people like Hunter for example,are driven to this point cause of some certain actions and are capable of being kind.This book had a lot of representation for many different people and talked about all kinds of stigmas society tends to imprint on some of its members.Despite all that Mae (although she had a hard life)kept believing in the kindness in people and accepted them,each one with their own differences,and helped them feel free and loved (especially Jack)by joining the forevers.The end,even though not everyone can describe it as a happy end,was the best possible outcome the story could have,all the forevers witnessing Selena in their final moments together,while they had already cleared their consciousness and ended their grudge’s towards all the people they knew.In conclusion this book deserves a 5 star review from me,because in addition to all the above,it also contains a lot of young peoples thoughts about everyday life and modern society.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2024
Naarmate het boek vorderde, vond ik het steeds beter worden. Soms wel heel verwarrende schrijfstijl van de auteur en de personages zijn vrij ‘droog’. Desondanks zie ik er een super mooie betekenis achter, namelijk acceptatie. Acceptatie van zaken die je niet in de hand hebt/ kan controleren maar ook van jezelf, en al de dingen die daarbij horen. De laatste hoofdstukken vond ik oprecht heel goed en ik was enorm benieuwd naar hoe het verhaal zou eindigen.
July 8, 2021
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
It’s no secret that my book of last year (and probably EVER!) is We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. The book broke my heart into a million pieces and will remain with me forever. I heartily recommend everyone reads it. And I’m not the only fan as it was also Thriller of the Month at Waterstones and it recently won the CWA Gold Dagger. But we’re not here to talk about WBatE! We’re here to talk about Whitaker’s stunning new YA novel, The Forevers. Chris excels at writing memorable teenage characters in his adult fiction so his first YA novel was a thoroughly exciting prospect and one I couldn’t wait to read!
Mae is seventeen and about to die. Along with the rest of her friends, her family and probably most of the world. Asteroid Selena is hurtling towards earth and is due to crash into the planet in 30 days time. But this isn’t new news. The world has been aware of its impending destruction for 10 long years. Attempts have been made to redirect Selena. So far, all attempts have failed. As the deadline approaches, emotions within the small community are heightened. Several teenagers take their own lives. But did Abi Manton jump or did someone intentionally kill her? Mae is determined to find out what happened to her childhood friend. But the devastating secrets she uncovers along the way will have far reaching consequences for the local community…
The Forevers is a beautifully written, emotional tale of grief and loss, of secrets and lies, and of falling in love. Of facing your own mortality and in Mae’s case, staring it down. It’s about belonging, about having something to cling on to when all hope has gone and about being true to yourself. All of the books I have read written by this author have left their mark on me. The Forevers is no different. It made me question my own mortality in a way. It made me consider how I would feel in the same situation as Mae, and how I would spend my last thirty days. What I found fascinating was the path the author chose to take his characters down. It probably isn’t the one you would immediately expect. I can promise you they don’t all head to Alton Towers and ride Oblivion until they puke (which is probably what most of the teenagers I know would do!). I loved the steady, intriguing pace of the book. I was fully immersed in Mae’s investigation, following in Abi’s footsteps to try and find out what had really happened to her once-friend. All the i’s were dotted and the T’s crossed and it all just felt….right.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Forevers is a beautifully dark but totally beguiling story. I sobbed big, fat, ugly tears at points throughout the novel which just goes to prove that the author has pitched it just right for this reader, because books don’t normally make me cry (unless it’s a book by Chris Whitaker it seems!). Reading The Forevers felt to me like I had been on a journey – it had been an experience – which is a feeling I think most writers aim to leave their reader with, but doesn’t always happen. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Forevers and I cannot wait to see what the author writes next. One thing is for sure, I will be at the front of the queue to read it! Highly recommended.
It’s no secret that my book of last year (and probably EVER!) is We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. The book broke my heart into a million pieces and will remain with me forever. I heartily recommend everyone reads it. And I’m not the only fan as it was also Thriller of the Month at Waterstones and it recently won the CWA Gold Dagger. But we’re not here to talk about WBatE! We’re here to talk about Whitaker’s stunning new YA novel, The Forevers. Chris excels at writing memorable teenage characters in his adult fiction so his first YA novel was a thoroughly exciting prospect and one I couldn’t wait to read!
Mae is seventeen and about to die. Along with the rest of her friends, her family and probably most of the world. Asteroid Selena is hurtling towards earth and is due to crash into the planet in 30 days time. But this isn’t new news. The world has been aware of its impending destruction for 10 long years. Attempts have been made to redirect Selena. So far, all attempts have failed. As the deadline approaches, emotions within the small community are heightened. Several teenagers take their own lives. But did Abi Manton jump or did someone intentionally kill her? Mae is determined to find out what happened to her childhood friend. But the devastating secrets she uncovers along the way will have far reaching consequences for the local community…
The Forevers is a beautifully written, emotional tale of grief and loss, of secrets and lies, and of falling in love. Of facing your own mortality and in Mae’s case, staring it down. It’s about belonging, about having something to cling on to when all hope has gone and about being true to yourself. All of the books I have read written by this author have left their mark on me. The Forevers is no different. It made me question my own mortality in a way. It made me consider how I would feel in the same situation as Mae, and how I would spend my last thirty days. What I found fascinating was the path the author chose to take his characters down. It probably isn’t the one you would immediately expect. I can promise you they don’t all head to Alton Towers and ride Oblivion until they puke (which is probably what most of the teenagers I know would do!). I loved the steady, intriguing pace of the book. I was fully immersed in Mae’s investigation, following in Abi’s footsteps to try and find out what had really happened to her once-friend. All the i’s were dotted and the T’s crossed and it all just felt….right.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Forevers is a beautifully dark but totally beguiling story. I sobbed big, fat, ugly tears at points throughout the novel which just goes to prove that the author has pitched it just right for this reader, because books don’t normally make me cry (unless it’s a book by Chris Whitaker it seems!). Reading The Forevers felt to me like I had been on a journey – it had been an experience – which is a feeling I think most writers aim to leave their reader with, but doesn’t always happen. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Forevers and I cannot wait to see what the author writes next. One thing is for sure, I will be at the front of the queue to read it! Highly recommended.
September 7, 2022
DNF AT 20%
I tried, I really did but I hated this book, maybe it's me, it's probably me, but something about Chris' writing just doesn't work for me, it's fast paced so you'd think I'd adore it but it's such a pace that I'm constantly going back and rereading parts because I have no idea where I am. I understand why he does it, the story is about 30 days to the end of the world, but it just didn't work. Maybe it's me going into the book with the wrong impression, I thought this would be about Mae, who tries to figure out the death of her old friend as the end of the world nears, something about a need for closure and grief as central themes, instead two pages are dedicated to finding Abi, the first two pages, and another three with the police, and that's it for as far as I got. Mae's decided not to care, and well so have I.
I've got a personal conspiracy theory that this book didn't have beta readers, because the dialogue tags are horrendous as are some of the writing decisions, sentences feel choppy or weirdly written because there's no way any self-respecting editor would just let the lack of clear dialogue tags and choppy writing go.
This is what I mean, the entire book has dialogue tagging like this, where the other has a character talk, removes your attention from that character back to Mae, and then has the character say something new making you have to go back and reread to make sure you're following, the next few dialogues are just as bad as this. At one point Mae and Felix are whispering while another character, a teacher, is talking, but there's no dialogue tag indicating this so you end up thinking they straight up interrupted or are talking trough to conversation.
The writing is also dense in a bad way, the best way I can explain this is by the fact that this story is set in a sea-side town, but I kept forgetting that and imagining it in a wooded area because I felt so stuck, and not in a good, oh this is what the author wants, but in a, oh the writing isn't engaging me or making me imagine what the author wants me to see.
Also to PROVE this didn't have good editing, here's a line from page 47 the beginning of chapter eight.
There's a double apostrophe just there, not to mention sentences that are fine grammatically but could have easily been rewritten to flow better and not make me do a double take. This may seem petty, but if I'm paying for a book, I expect most of it to be edited well, I can manage with one or two spelling or grammar mistakes later on, but on page 47 of 300? I shudder to think how many more were left unchecked.
The characters were okay, I only got 70 pages in before I gave up, but Mae very slowly kind of grew on me, kind of like a rash, the character's aren't good people and it threw me for a loop at the start, but I grew to like it there were some choices made in having Mae's friend, Felix, be a black guy who's also an incel who's creeping on another girl, but I grew to kind of be interested on what weird shit he'd pull next it almost made me want to keep reading.
This book also suffers from "I hear you preach Chris" a lot of the times I'd just read something and feel the author leaning over my shoulder like did you get the metaphor do you get the themes, I get it's YA but teenagers aren't stupid, and they are going to notice weird scenes in which people act more like caricatures than people. There are some good lines and bits here and there, but mostly I honestly hated this book. I might come back and finish it when I have nothing else to read, but there's other books I'd rather spend my time enjoying then gritting my teeth and looking for something to like about this.
I tried, I really did but I hated this book, maybe it's me, it's probably me, but something about Chris' writing just doesn't work for me, it's fast paced so you'd think I'd adore it but it's such a pace that I'm constantly going back and rereading parts because I have no idea where I am. I understand why he does it, the story is about 30 days to the end of the world, but it just didn't work. Maybe it's me going into the book with the wrong impression, I thought this would be about Mae, who tries to figure out the death of her old friend as the end of the world nears, something about a need for closure and grief as central themes, instead two pages are dedicated to finding Abi, the first two pages, and another three with the police, and that's it for as far as I got. Mae's decided not to care, and well so have I.
I've got a personal conspiracy theory that this book didn't have beta readers, because the dialogue tags are horrendous as are some of the writing decisions, sentences feel choppy or weirdly written because there's no way any self-respecting editor would just let the lack of clear dialogue tags and choppy writing go.
"Did you feel it?" Mrs Baxter said, climbing out. "Global warming, Mae. It's like we've broken our world."
Mae opened the boot and grabbed a shopping bag.
"Pineapple this week, gone like it never was."
"I don't remember the taste," Mae said.
This is what I mean, the entire book has dialogue tagging like this, where the other has a character talk, removes your attention from that character back to Mae, and then has the character say something new making you have to go back and reread to make sure you're following, the next few dialogues are just as bad as this. At one point Mae and Felix are whispering while another character, a teacher, is talking, but there's no dialogue tag indicating this so you end up thinking they straight up interrupted or are talking trough to conversation.
The writing is also dense in a bad way, the best way I can explain this is by the fact that this story is set in a sea-side town, but I kept forgetting that and imagining it in a wooded area because I felt so stuck, and not in a good, oh this is what the author wants, but in a, oh the writing isn't engaging me or making me imagine what the author wants me to see.
Also to PROVE this didn't have good editing, here's a line from page 47 the beginning of chapter eight.
'That was Abi's personal trainer,' Luke Manton said as he came back in.''Everyone calls, like there's anything left to say.'
There's a double apostrophe just there, not to mention sentences that are fine grammatically but could have easily been rewritten to flow better and not make me do a double take. This may seem petty, but if I'm paying for a book, I expect most of it to be edited well, I can manage with one or two spelling or grammar mistakes later on, but on page 47 of 300? I shudder to think how many more were left unchecked.
The characters were okay, I only got 70 pages in before I gave up, but Mae very slowly kind of grew on me, kind of like a rash, the character's aren't good people and it threw me for a loop at the start, but I grew to like it there were some choices made in having Mae's friend, Felix, be a black guy who's also an incel who's creeping on another girl, but I grew to kind of be interested on what weird shit he'd pull next it almost made me want to keep reading.
This book also suffers from "I hear you preach Chris" a lot of the times I'd just read something and feel the author leaning over my shoulder like did you get the metaphor do you get the themes, I get it's YA but teenagers aren't stupid, and they are going to notice weird scenes in which people act more like caricatures than people. There are some good lines and bits here and there, but mostly I honestly hated this book. I might come back and finish it when I have nothing else to read, but there's other books I'd rather spend my time enjoying then gritting my teeth and looking for something to like about this.
April 8, 2023
Finished reading: February 17th 2022
“We've all got our shit to deal with, Mae. A giant space rock doesn't change that.”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
July 8, 2021
The Forevers - ARC Review
(2 stars)
The only thing that made this book a 2-star read and not 1-star is the idea and the main character. I was really excited to start this book because I loved the idea of “the world ends in 30 days, what do we do?”. And the main character was really interesting and I liked her. But that’s all the good that I can think of.
First of all, where are the trigger warnings? I had to look up reviews from other people in order to find ALL the trigger warnings. And there is a lot. I did NOT expect this book to be so heavy and INSENSITIVE. There is so much talk about self-harm and suicide, but no one even cares. (trigger warning at the end of the review)
Of course, I expected this book to be a bit dark because of the whole apocalypse theme, but I also thought this would be a fast paced thriller. Well, I was wrong.
There was just so much wrong with this book, I don’t even know how to describe it.
I also want to talk about the insensitive use of slurs in this book. I’m not sure if the characters can reclaim the slurs, I don’t think so, but it absolutely SHOCKED ME. The use of the r-slur and the d-slur is so unnecessary. It genuinely made me feel so mad, disgusted and confused.
Even the writing was confusing. The plot was poorly executed and I spent most of the book being confused. Some things happened OUT OF NOWHERE and I felt like I was losing my mind (in a bad way). The pacing was also so off. I thought a few days passed, but apparently it was almost a whole month. Great.
The characters were horrible. Apart from the main character, I didn’t know what to think about the rest. Everyone’s actions were unreasonable and stupid, and you can’t justify it by simply saying “oh, the world is ending”. Also, those bad decisions could literally be murder and no one cared because the world is ending… Everyone was just so UNFAZED, it was shocking.
Overall, I am so disappointed and I would NOT recommend this book.
(rant over)
.Trigger Warnings: Slurs, Suicide, Self-Harm, Abortion, Eating disorders, Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Homophobia, Paedophilia, Child Sexual Abuse, Fatphobia, Bullying, Slut Shaming and references to Rape
(2 stars)
The only thing that made this book a 2-star read and not 1-star is the idea and the main character. I was really excited to start this book because I loved the idea of “the world ends in 30 days, what do we do?”. And the main character was really interesting and I liked her. But that’s all the good that I can think of.
First of all, where are the trigger warnings? I had to look up reviews from other people in order to find ALL the trigger warnings. And there is a lot. I did NOT expect this book to be so heavy and INSENSITIVE. There is so much talk about self-harm and suicide, but no one even cares. (trigger warning at the end of the review)
Of course, I expected this book to be a bit dark because of the whole apocalypse theme, but I also thought this would be a fast paced thriller. Well, I was wrong.
There was just so much wrong with this book, I don’t even know how to describe it.
I also want to talk about the insensitive use of slurs in this book. I’m not sure if the characters can reclaim the slurs, I don’t think so, but it absolutely SHOCKED ME. The use of the r-slur and the d-slur is so unnecessary. It genuinely made me feel so mad, disgusted and confused.
Even the writing was confusing. The plot was poorly executed and I spent most of the book being confused. Some things happened OUT OF NOWHERE and I felt like I was losing my mind (in a bad way). The pacing was also so off. I thought a few days passed, but apparently it was almost a whole month. Great.
The characters were horrible. Apart from the main character, I didn’t know what to think about the rest. Everyone’s actions were unreasonable and stupid, and you can’t justify it by simply saying “oh, the world is ending”. Also, those bad decisions could literally be murder and no one cared because the world is ending… Everyone was just so UNFAZED, it was shocking.
Overall, I am so disappointed and I would NOT recommend this book.
(rant over)
.Trigger Warnings: Slurs, Suicide, Self-Harm, Abortion, Eating disorders, Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Homophobia, Paedophilia, Child Sexual Abuse, Fatphobia, Bullying, Slut Shaming and references to Rape
October 17, 2021
The premise of this book had me invested all the way through. There was mystery tangled with the whole 'we know we are going to die' aspect and I found that really, really interesting. Especially because it was from the point of view of teenagers and they were all just doing... stuff and not really caring about much.
But, boy oh boy, where all the kids messed up. They all had issues and... wow. I mean, maybe it was because they had spent a large portion of their lives with the knowledge they were going to die that caused this, but... wow. What a little messed up town.
Whilst I really loved the premise, I definitely found the writing style confusing. It jumped around a lot and at times even felt like things were missing. There were some things I guess weren't answered to my liking and some things were left up in the air. It all did semi tie together in the end, but a lot was left. Maybe that was the intention, but it bothered me.
As a whole, a really great story that has stuck with me over the past days since finishing. I just didn't gel with the writing style as much as I would have liked.
But, boy oh boy, where all the kids messed up. They all had issues and... wow. I mean, maybe it was because they had spent a large portion of their lives with the knowledge they were going to die that caused this, but... wow. What a little messed up town.
Whilst I really loved the premise, I definitely found the writing style confusing. It jumped around a lot and at times even felt like things were missing. There were some things I guess weren't answered to my liking and some things were left up in the air. It all did semi tie together in the end, but a lot was left. Maybe that was the intention, but it bothered me.
As a whole, a really great story that has stuck with me over the past days since finishing. I just didn't gel with the writing style as much as I would have liked.
February 3, 2022
Really interesting plot! But I found the book and writing kind of confusing a lot of the time.
I really liked Mae (the protagonist) and her relationship with her younger sister Stella.
Note: there were some sensitive topics in this book
I found this book thought-provoking, emotional and it had such an captivating overall idea: ‘what would you do if the world was going to be destroyed in 30 days time?’
I really liked Mae (the protagonist) and her relationship with her younger sister Stella.
Note: there were some sensitive topics in this book
I found this book thought-provoking, emotional and it had such an captivating overall idea: ‘what would you do if the world was going to be destroyed in 30 days time?’
June 15, 2022
not sure i understood it all
but good story and characters and it’s good to have an dif ending
3.8 stars
but good story and characters and it’s good to have an dif ending
3.8 stars
November 17, 2021
I loved the premise of this book and was excited to read it. A 70 mile wide meteor is hurtling towards the earth. The human race has 10 years notice to try to solve the problem - but how does it cope in the meantime, as rockets are launched and nuclear bombs exploded to try to change the trajectory of the object that will most certainly cause an extinction level event?
This is a YA book and as such the story is told through the eyes of a 17 year old girl. Not one of the cool kids but also not a complete outsider, Mae looks after her young, blind sister Stella after their parents died when Stella was a newborn baby. She spends time with her best friend Felix but also recalls happier times with her other close friend, Abi, who is found dead at the beginning of the book. The blurb suggests this is a bit of a murder mystery, but really nobody thinks that anything suspicious has happened to Abi apart from Mae, who takes it upon herself to discover the truth. As the world only has 30 or so days left anyway, it seems like murder isn't foremost of people's worries.
However - to me, this was not the main point of the story at all and there were various other sub-plots tackling some serious issues like child abuse, eating disorders, self harm and homophobia.
The main thing that let the book down was that there were various scenes, with various characters, some of which were very engaging and well described, but it was SO disjointed. The book would jump from one scene to another and I would be lost entirely, trying to work out the point at which the characters had got from scene A to scene B with no preamble. New characters would appear and indicate that Mae, Felix or another lead character was now in fact somewhere else but that would be our only clue.
Ultimately the mystery behind Abi's death was solved - again, another shocking revelation but it wasn't this mystery that kept me reading. If the story itself had been executed more smoothly, this was such a great idea for a novel and it's a real shame that it lost some of its impact (ha ha!) along the way in the muddled, overlapping scenes. I really wanted this to be 4 stars!
This is a YA book and as such the story is told through the eyes of a 17 year old girl. Not one of the cool kids but also not a complete outsider, Mae looks after her young, blind sister Stella after their parents died when Stella was a newborn baby. She spends time with her best friend Felix but also recalls happier times with her other close friend, Abi, who is found dead at the beginning of the book. The blurb suggests this is a bit of a murder mystery, but really nobody thinks that anything suspicious has happened to Abi apart from Mae, who takes it upon herself to discover the truth. As the world only has 30 or so days left anyway, it seems like murder isn't foremost of people's worries.
However - to me, this was not the main point of the story at all and there were various other sub-plots tackling some serious issues like child abuse, eating disorders, self harm and homophobia.
The main thing that let the book down was that there were various scenes, with various characters, some of which were very engaging and well described, but it was SO disjointed. The book would jump from one scene to another and I would be lost entirely, trying to work out the point at which the characters had got from scene A to scene B with no preamble. New characters would appear and indicate that Mae, Felix or another lead character was now in fact somewhere else but that would be our only clue.
Ultimately the mystery behind Abi's death was solved - again, another shocking revelation but it wasn't this mystery that kept me reading. If the story itself had been executed more smoothly, this was such a great idea for a novel and it's a real shame that it lost some of its impact (ha ha!) along the way in the muddled, overlapping scenes. I really wanted this to be 4 stars!
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