The Fountain

by Casey Scieszka

A propulsive and deeply moving novel about eternity and mortality that asks what it would mean to live forever.

Vera Van Vulkenburgh hasn’t been home in one hundred and eighty-eight years. But now Vera, forever twenty-six and able to heal from any wound, has returned to the Catskills. Whatever made her family immortal happened here, and if she can uncover it, maybe she can reverse it. After nearly two centuries—an endless sequence of unnoticed, meaningless lives and a soul-shaking incident in the desert—she longs to be released.

Posing as a newly arrived forest ranger, she quickly blends into the upstate community and learns of something curious and disturbing. A mysterious, well-funded company is snapping up local property, no matter how high the asking price. But when her brother, a fellow immortal shows up, accompanied by a woman whose face is incredibly familiar to Vera, the purpose for her return gets clouded and Vera is in a race against time to find out what has caused her condition before someone else does.

Blending the spectacular with the everyday in a tale filled with humor and warmth, The Fountain explores what gives life meaning and how our understandings of our histories shape—and cage—us.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Speculative Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2026

About the author

Casey Scieszka is a born and raised Brooklynite who has lived in Beijing, San Francisco, Fez, and Timbuktu where she was a Fulbright Scholar. In 2013 she and her husband, artist Steven Weinberg, moved to the Catskill Mountains and opened the Spruceton Inn: a Catskills Bed & Bar, which runs an annual Artist Residency hosting world-renowned painters, bestselling authors, and Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalists.

Reviews

[Lydia Wallace]

Imagine if you could live forever. This story really is an eye opener. I fell in love with the characters and the plot. It was such a thriller till the end. Highly recommend.

[Shirley Freeman]

I'll admit, I chose to look at the advanced copy of The Fountain because of the author's last name. When I saw that she is Jon Scieszka's daughter I wanted to read it. This story of 4 accidentally immortal humans is thoughtful and well told. After 200 plus years of constantly reinventing herself so as to never divulge her situation, Vera has decided to go back to the New England farm town in which she was born. Her goal is to find the source of her immortality to try and reverse it. But some other folks show up with different goals - in particular a super wealthy guy interested in discovering the fountain of youth. As Vera finds herself immersed in the community, and unable to find the source of her secret immortality, life (and death) become more complicated. I really enjoyed this unusual but smart and kind story - it would be a fun book for a bookclub to discuss.

[Cass (the_midwest_library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun one, a really easy read from a debut author who I will keep my eyes on. There's a bit of a mystery, it's a bit speculative and has a lot of charm. I think the pacing was a bit rushed at the end and there were a lot of plot points that could have been resolved a bit more robustly for me at the end. I did like the female MC quite a bit and thought she had a really interesting perspective on immortality.

I did find a lot of the plot predictable, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. I would push this into the category of "airport" or "beach" read if that makes sense. It wasn't quite far enough along on the literary fiction spectrum for me but I did have a good time!

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was quite the introspective take on immortality. There’s a steady tension throughout, between Vera hiding her immortality from the townspeople and keeping her true feelings from her brother. There’s also a complicated dynamic between Vera, her brother, and the other woman in their lives that adds another layer of emotional strain.

I wasn’t entirely sure how things would play out or whether Vera would get a happy ending, which kept me invested. I really appreciated the depth here. You can feel her exhaustion and melancholy in a way that lingers. This was a slow-paced read that got a tiny bit repetitive but, overall, I enjoyed the story and our characters.

[Claire Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I most listened to this one - a debut that reminds me a bit of "Tuck Everlasting". Ma, Eli and Vera have mysteriously become immortal - while other members of their family die naturally. The novel explores the pros and cons of never aging, constantly moving, and reinventing yourself. When Vera suffers a trauma in Joshua Tree National Park, she decides she has had enough of the self healing, never ending immortal life, and returns to their home town in the Catskill mountains of New York. Vera is hoping that by discovering the source of her immortality that she will be able to reverse it and die.
Parts of the book were repetitive, and although I enjoyed the story and thought it would be a great choice for book clubs it was not my favorite narration. Most interesting to me was Vera's longing for a simple, true life and how she quickly became a part of her home town. Thank you to Netgalley for both the audiobook and ebook.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this novel and the premise. I can definitely see this being made into a limited series or a movie. I liked the characters and was surprised by the twist at the end. I know this will not be for everyone as there are holes in the plot and the idea is just completely unbelievable but I really liked it from the very beginning.

[Stephanie Peterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprisingly delicious read! Loved the rich descriptions of everyday life in the Catskills through the lens of an extraordinary human. I connected so deeply with each of the characters and fell so easily into the magical realism that I just couldn't put it down until I found out how this beautiful story ended... and I wasn't disappointed! I'm a sucker for an ending with an unlikely twist, and this was perfect.

Thank you so much to the author for the advanced copy! I will definitely be reading this again after it's officially published!

[Sarah Harney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for an ARC of The Fountain.

This was a super interesting concept for a story that really made me think about the implications of immortality and what a well-lived life means. Unfortunately the pace of the story was just a bit too slow for me and the ending much too abrupt. It felt as though the story never really reached a climax and I was left with so many unanswered questions. A lot of potential here but ultimately it didn't deliver for me.

3 stars

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me so emotional with heavy themes of mortality. Vera is a mesmerizing main character. The setting is beautifully written into the book so it feels as if you’re in the middle of it. I found myself reflecting on what it would be like for me in Vera’s place. A beautiful plot, great character development, and lots of reflective takeaways, this is a book to treasure for years to come. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had such a great premise but didn’t deliver for me. The characters felt flat, the plot was underwhelming, and while I enjoyed the flashbacks, there just wasn’t enough of them. Overall, not terrible, but forgettable.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the ebook and physical copy of this book.

📝 Short Summary

The Fountain follows Vera Van Vulkenburgh, a woman who has been immortal for nearly two hundred years and is more than ready for that to end. Returning home to the Catskills for the first time in 188 years, she hopes to uncover what made her family immortal in the first place and possibly reverse it. But once she gets there, strange things begin unfolding, including a mysterious company buying up local property and the arrival of her brother along with a woman who seems tied to Vera’s past. What follows is a story about mortality, family, meaning, and what it really costs to live forever.

Review

This was such a fun, easy, and fast read for me. Sometimes you pick up a book and it just flows, and that was definitely the case here. I was pulled in right away by the premise because anything dealing with immortality and what that actually means over time is always interesting to me, and this book took that idea and made it feel emotional, strange, and very readable.

Vera was easily my favorite part of this book. I really liked being in her head and seeing the world through someone who has lived for so long and is just tired of carrying that weight. There was something really compelling about her, and she gave the story a lot of heart. For a book that deals with such a huge concept, it still felt grounded because Vera herself felt so real in her exhaustion, curiosity, and the way she approached everything happening around her.

I also liked how quickly the story moved. This is not one of those books that drags forever trying to sound deep. It keeps things moving, and that made it really easy to stay engaged. There were a lot of plot twists throughout, and even when I could see some things coming, I still had a good time with it. Sometimes predictability does not ruin a book if the journey is still interesting, and that is exactly how I felt here.

The story itself kept me invested because there was always something unfolding. Between Vera returning home, the mystery of her family’s immortality, the company buying up property, and the people from her past and present colliding, there was enough going on to keep me turning the pages. I liked that it balanced bigger questions about life and death with a plot that still felt entertaining and accessible.

There is also a warmth to this story that I enjoyed. Even with the heavier themes, it never felt cold or distant. It had an emotional core to it, and I think that helped make the book stand out. It is thoughtful without being too heavy handed, and it gives you enough to think about while still being a genuinely enjoyable read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was interesting, fast-paced, and had enough twists and emotional depth to keep me hooked. Even though parts felt a little predictable, that did not take away from the experience for me. I had a good time with it, and I will definitely be picking up other books by this author.

✅ Would I Recommend It?

Yes, especially if you enjoy stories about immortality, family secrets, and fast-paced speculative fiction with an emotional edge.

[Yahaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

give me an existential crisis novel but make it fun and propulsive at the same time

--------------

Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This was incredibly propulsive and fun, even with (or maybe because of!) its undercurrent of existential dread. It’s the kind of book that keeps you flying through the pages because the blend of the town's unfolding secrets and Vera's hidden truth creates such a brisk, engaging pace.

Scieszka does a beautiful job making the Catskills come alive. The setting has a distinct, small-town feel where generations of families all know each other, creating a rich backdrop for the shifting social dynamics. There is real cultural friction as this tight-knit community faces an influx of urban transplants, especially when a mysterious, well-funded company begins aggressively snapping up local land. The people driving this buyout aren't standard developers; they have a deeply unsettling interest in what's hidden in those woods, adding great intrigue about what happens when a community's landscape and history are bought out from under it.

At its core, the novel is an exploration of immortality and the heavy question of what you should actually do with endless time. Does a meaningful existence have to be something massive—like the wealthy elites in the novel trying to bottle, market, and profit from a longevity drug? Or is a well-lived life found in all the small acts of care you show to the people around you?

After spending two centuries living a sequence of unnoticed, repetitive lives, Vera returns to the Catskills to uncover the source of her condition so she can reverse it; only to clash with that very same wealthy company trying to bottle and sell the longevity she views as a curse. While she's there, she constantly uses the vast skills and knowledge she’s amassed over the years to help her new friends. Because she can’t get hurt or die, she doesn't think twice about throwing herself into dangerous situations for them. Vera dismisses her own bravery, framing it as a low-stakes action because she physically has nothing to lose. But I have to disagree with her here: she actually risks everything. By drawing attention to herself, she runs the very real risk of being found out, which would force her to flee, lose the friendships and the life she’s cultivating, and start entirely over. She could always choose to do nothing and stay perfectly hidden, but she still chooses to act.
It made me think about how often people in the real world refuse to do even the smallest things to help others, even when it wouldn't negatively affect their day-to-day lives at all. You just have to look at the millionaires and billionaires who hoard their wealth rather than give to charity, when a life-changing donation would amount to little more than a pittance or an accounting error to them. Vera, despite having the ultimate excuse to detach from humanity, actively chooses to participate in it.

But honestly, my favorite way to read this was as a story about a delayed coming-of-age and feeling completely lost in your own life. Vera’s immortality is almost a metaphor for the walls we build to protect ourselves. She is so afraid of making real connections (grant it, this is part logistics but also rooted in trauma), and it’s deeply relatable to see her compare her own path to her brother’s more traditional wealth and success. Watching her slowly lower her guard to let in new friends, genuine happiness, and (finally!) a romance—all while staying completely true to herself, working as a ranger, and living exactly how she wants—was incredibly satisfying.

[Nicole Pardus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fountain is one of those rare books that doesn’t just explore immortality but makes the reader question whether forever might be less a gift than an unbearable weight. Casey Scieszka reframes eternal life not as wonder, but as exhaustion: a slow accumulation of grief, detachment, and longing that no one person was ever meant to carry. The result is a deeply moving story about an indestructible woman who has lived far too long and wants, more than anything, to be allowed to stop or at least to go home.

Vera is an extraordinary protagonist. Frozen at twenty-six yet centuries old, she feels both hyper-present and untethered, as though time has worn her thin. Her memories surface in vivid, almost tactile fragments that enrich the narrative without ever stalling it, creating a sense of a life (many lives) layered beneath the present. The Catskills setting is rendered with stunning specificity. The town itself becomes a kind of emotional anchor, a place where history lingers. The neighborhood dynamics and side characters are particularly strong; each one feels distinct, warm, flawed, and utterly real.

There is a lot happening beneath the surface: the mystery of her family’s immortality, the unsettling corporate land grab, the tentative emergence of connection after centuries of isolation. Yet the novel never feels crowded. Everything feeds back into the central question of whether a life without an ending can still have meaning.

And the ending, I genuinely loved it. It lands with both surprise and inevitability. It doesn’t betray the emotional core of the story; instead, it sharpens it, leaving you with a sense of strange peace.
This is a stunning debut, thoughtful, atmospheric, and deeply human despite its fantastical premise.

4.25
Thank you to Harper and Libro.fm for the advanced physical and audio copies.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - “People find evidence of what’s important to them in all kinds of way. Proof that what feels special to them is in fact so.”

Thank you to HarperCollins for the gifted copy of the book and the Libro.fm for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

When I was looking into this book, I’d read that it was compared to Emily St. John Mandel and I was just like say less. The description alone really pulled me in and I was so excited to get to this!

This story follows Vera who is stuck at age twenty-six and immortal. She’s tired of living and is looking for a way to stop. Her plan is to return to the Catskills where whatever made her family immortal happened. But a mysterious company is buying up all of the surrounding land and she resolved to figure out what caused her condition before anyone else can.

Vera is an incredible protagonist. Her journey is unexpected and compelling. She’s lived so many lives and her feeling of insignificance is understandable. But between discovering more about her condition and what is happening with the land, she becomes formidable. There is a lot going on here between Vera’s quest to reverse her immortality, her brother returning as well, the land being bought, and a blossoming romance. But I never felt anything ever overpowered the overarching plot. It’s so fascinating and propulsive, and I couldn’t get enough.

The audiobook is narrated Megan Tusing, who does an amazing job. Her voice fits the story perfectly and she is able to convey such emotion, humor, and desperation. There were a few parts where I wish I had been eyeball reading, but that honestly didn’t matter too much when I got to that absolute banger of an ending. I can’t believe this is a debut and I can’t wait for whatever Casey Scieszka writes next.

[Michael Doane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fountain is a sharp, emotionally resonant speculative novel that reframes immortality not as a gift, but as an existential burden. Positioned somewhere between literary magical realism and grounded speculative fiction, it explores eternity through the lens of exhaustion rather than wonder.

Vera Van Vulkenburgh is a compelling anchor, forever twenty-six, physically indestructible, yet spiritually worn thin. The emotional engine of the novel is not simply her immortality, but her longing for finality. After nearly two centuries of detachment, loss, and anonymity, her return to the Catskills introduces both narrative momentum and psychological tension. The mystery of what made her family immortal, and whether it can be undone, functions as both plot catalyst and philosophical inquiry.

The corporate land acquisition subplot adds contemporary relevance, grounding the supernatural premise in recognizable modern anxieties: ownership, exploitation, and the commodification of the extraordinary. Meanwhile, the reappearance of her brother and the unsettling familiarity of his companion complicate Vera’s mission, layering emotional stakes onto the external mystery.

Stylistically, the tone balances warmth, dry humor, and existential weight. Comparisons to Tuck Everlasting “for grown-ups” are apt, but The Fountain distinguishes itself through its meditation on meaning, identity, and the quiet tragedy of living too long.

This novel will appeal to readers of literary speculative fiction who favor introspective protagonists, philosophical undertones, and magical realism grounded in emotional authenticity.

[Paula W · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Fountain, Vera is more than 200 years old while also being forever 26. She, her brother, and her mother all encountered something all those years ago that made them immortal. She has tested out that immortality theory numerous times, and right there in chapter 1, as well. Vera is tired. Weary. Sick of it all. She has outlived loves, family, jobs, communities, and her own will to live because how can life have meaning if it goes on forever? She has returned to her family property from all those years ago to find the source of her immortality and attempt to reverse it. As she gets connected with the community and still unable to figure things out, a mysterious company is buying up all the surrounding land.

Less lit fic and more bookclub or beach read, this is a very readable and fun magical realism book that looks at themes of immortality, family, and connection vs self-isolation in a familiar yet new way. My advance copy has quotes on the cover by some pretty cool people, and even one that calls it the Tuck Everlasting for adults. You guys, Tuck is in my top 10 children’s books. Maybe top 5. Let me think… yeah top 5. Does this book live up to that hype? Not quite, but that’s a very high bar. I loved this book anyway. 4.25 stars

Thanks to Harper, Harper Audio, Casey Scieszka (author), Edelweiss, and Libro.fm for providing an advance digital review copy and advance listening copy of The Fountain (narrated by Megan Tusing). Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.

[John Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when an author takes a well explored idea and manages to do something new and interesting with it.

In this book the main character, Vera, is immortal but seriously messed up. For her immortality has been a series of dead end jobs while she tries to stay under the radar to avoid becoming a laboratory specimen, and this culminated in four days trapped in agony under a landslide unable to die. This has left her traumatised and fed up of immortality and she just wants to die. The book is about her return to her home town to try to find the source of the immortality in the hope she can reverse it. Various adventures ensue, in the course of which she finds love and decides to live again.

It's a feel good book set in a small town where everyone is basically nice, and I finished the book with a foolish grin on my face. It's quite a slow moving book, but it's well written and I found it captivating. I read the entire book in a single day instead of doing all the chores I was supposed to (books are better than chores anyway!).

The book isn't without its faults. The author can't decide if the immortality is science or magic. It's presented as science but really it's at the Wolverine scale of scientific credibility - one of the (other immortal) characters is burned to a pile of charred bones and manages to regenerate to full health in two days. Also the ending, where we discover the source of the immortality, is a little underwhelming. Still, I loved this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes books that leave you with a warm glow.

[Sara M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a review of this book saying that it was like Tuck Everlasting for adults. Tuck Everlasting was my FAVORITE book in middle school, so I thought I would give it a shot. Wow. I loved this book. It was so freaking good!!! I loved everything about it. It kept me guessing until the end, I had no idea how anything was going to turn out/it was not predictable. I don't want to give away much of the plot of the novel, so I will just share the things that I really enjoyed about it:
- The main character, Vera, is so well written. She is 200 years old, but stuck in the body of a 26 year old. I loved the random memories of times past she had. She was someone that I would like to know, even if I didn't know that she was immortal. The character development as well!!
- The setting. It takes place in the Catskills in New York. It makes me want to go to there!! It sounds beautiful. She describes it so well and it is so dreamy.
- The romance subplot. At first I thought it was going a little too slow, but it made sense as the book went on. Vera opens her heart for the first time in a very long time and it is really satisfying.
- The ending.
I have read 22 books so far in 2026 and this one was my favorite!

[Jennie McGarvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. Incredibly thought provoking and well written. I started the book, skeptical it would be as good as I thought the synopsis sounded. Quickly, I realized that this was not just an average "what if you could live forever" type book. As the plot unfolded, I couldn't wait to see what would happen. How was Vera going to continue in this life with Eli and Lydia?

The only thing that stopped The Fountain from being a five star read for me was a few unanswered questions that were left nagging at me. I found that the entire story was full and rich, the main characters were developed in such a way that they felt like real people. However, I didn't really understand what made Vera make a huge choice that she did. I understand her up until that point and I understood the choice but what made her make it? I didn't feel like it was ever really explained. I also had a question about Lydia, but I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it alone. These questions didn't take away from the excellent writing or really great plot they just keep me wondering is all.

The narration is excellent.

Advanced listener copy provided by Harper Audio but all opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Publishing and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was incredible and hard to put down. It follows Vera, Eli, and their Ma, people who have been alive since the early 1800s and have to conceal their immortality from those around them, constantly moving and changing their lives to avoid being detected. I'd read that someone referred to it as a grown-up's version of Tuck Everlasting and while I can agree somewhat, I think that this provides a lot more depth to the idea of immortality than Tuck Everlasting did. What happens if you inflict significant harm on yourself? How did they become immortal in the first place? What happens to a sibling relationship that has lasted for hundreds of years when suddenly there's a new person in their life? I loved that these questions were all answered, though I felt like the ending was extremely sudden and I would've liked it to stretch out just a bit more.

Two parts of the book I loved: the small-town atmosphere was depicted perfectly, and Vera's descriptions of fishing/construction. The book was well-written and made a 5 hour plane ride go by quickly.

[Pam Mullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Vera, along with her brother and mother are all immortal however they don't know what phenomenon happened to make them this way. It has been hundreds of years when Vera returns to her home where it all started to try and find out. This is not a fantasy book, this is magical realism at its finest. I loved so much about this book. The found family along the real family was really good. I loved the small town setting and felt really immersed in the setting. It really explored just how daunting it would be to be immortal. I REALLY wish we could have had an epilogue! Is there a sequel coming out? I like a good cliffhanger but the ending left me with nothing but questions that made it really unsatisfying. I don’t expect all books to be tied up with a nice little bow but this one left the whole dang package unwrapped. Check your trigger warnings before reading.

I started reading this with my eyeballs and then switched over to an immersive read with the audio and it was so good. The narrator was the perfect voice for the book and did a wonderful job.

Thank you to Harper Books for my gifted copy of the book as well as Harper Audio and LibroFM for the audiobook.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Books for a physical ARC of this book and to Libro.fm for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Stuck at age 26, Vera returns to her home in the Catskills to find and reverse whatever made her immortal. After 200+ years of lived experience, Vera has had enough. She's smart and tough and guarded and tired of living a careful, lonely life. With light sci-fi and fantasy undertones, this story didn't come together for me, and didn't offer a fresh perspective on the fountain of youth storyline I was hoping for.

I did find the writing to be crisp and descriptive, and the character development was done very well. I really enjoyed getting to know the people living in the small town who came to be Vera's friends as the story progressed. Megan Tusing's narration allowed each personality to shine and gave the natural surroundings appropriate reverence. Vera is a strong lead and someone to root for.

The pacing of the book was very uneven for me, building extremely slowly at the start and then feeling rushed at the end. I would have liked to see more exploration of some of the plotline resolutions as a few of them felt much too tidy.

[Katie Katieneedsabiggerbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vera is over 200 years old, but hasn’t been “home” in over one hundred and eighty years. Stuck forever any age 26, she can heal herself from any and all wounds, and is tired of always being on the run. So she returns home to find the fountain. The fountain that made her, her brother, and her mom this way. If she can find it, she can reverse it.

This book had me hooked from the synopsis alone, and once I started reading that held up! It certainly went in directions I did not expect, but I found myself rooting for Vera every step of the way. I loved all the side characters and friendships she made along the way, and her DIY spirit made me want to start another home project! I did catch on to one piece while reading that truly came together in the end, which I just loved and ended the book on the exact right note!

Thank you to @harperbooks and @jopiazzaauthor for my gifted copy of this book!

[Karmen Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is Tuck Everlasting for grown-ups. It is also for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I'm impressed that a debut novel filled these shoes so well!

Vera is over 200 years old. She's tired of everyone leaving her and having to start over. She knows whatever happened to make her, along with her brother and mother, immortal happened at their original home in the Catskills.

Even though they've sworn never to return, she goes back to find a way to reverse it and finally be able to die. She never expects that her brother would break his vow too and be working for a startup company advertising healing and immortal life.

I really enjoyed this one after DNFing some popular books! It really made me think about the impact we want to leave on the world. The audio was very well done! I also love this cover for a March 17 release!

[Amy Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story! After living one too many lifetimes, Vera returns to her original hometown to search for the source that caused her, her brother and mother to stop aging. Vera is desperate for a cure to her immortality and seeks an escape (which may be a tough part for some readers).

I really enjoyed the read! The main character was well written as were the supporting characters. The pacing was steady with some peaks as the story progressed. The reader develops some friendships and roots in her community even while trying to maintain distance.

I listened to this on audio and the narration was well done. Thank you to Harper for access to a copy of this audiobook via LibroFM's ALC program.

This book would be a good fit for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Overall, this read was a 4.25/5 star experience for me with a current Goodreads Rating of 4.24.

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced read copy and libro.fm for an advanced audiobook version in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book. What a debut! Immediately a Casey Scieszka fan and will be recommending this. I love that this is a tale of immortality that is decidedly not fantasy or paranormal. It's contemporary and actually seems plausible..stranger things have happened. I predicted some plot points and the twist, but it was no less enjoyable for that. Excellent audiobook narrator if you decide to go that route.

4.5 stars!
Content warning: self-harm, suicide

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few books recently with immortal main characters who have to hide the facts that they quickly heal and don't age. This is another interesting example of this premise, which gives the author a chance to show the immortal characters' reactions to changes in society over a few centuries and to ruminate on the downsides of not having the ability to die.

[Madelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book as part of a giveaway and I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I was drawn into the story. This book kept me hooked and I did not want to put it down! I can't wait to see what else this author writes.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who devoured this type of book as a teenager, this one didn’t stand out. The pacing needed work and I wish the book would’ve started near the middle and kept going. The longer I think about it, the more I think the book would’ve been better if it followed Vera’s mother instead.

[Emilie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your classic “If you could live forever” story. How living so many lives can lead either madness or clarity, and the damage of isolation without community.

Definitely a Tuck Everlasting for adults.