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Firstlife
(Everlife #1)
by
I’ve been told history is written by survivors. But I know that isn’t always true. My name is Tenley Lockwood, and very soon, I’ll be dead. This is my story—but the end is only the beginning.
Tenley “Ten” Lockwood has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. She’s earned her rep as the craziest of crazies, but that doesn’t stop the torture. Ten can le ...more
Tenley “Ten” Lockwood has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. She’s earned her rep as the craziest of crazies, but that doesn’t stop the torture. Ten can le ...more
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Paperback, 438 pages
Published
February 22nd 2016
by Harlequin Teen Australia
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Is that a question or a statement, but it is true, the end is sad though.
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Firstlife (Everlife, #1)

The Written Review![]()
Latest BookTube Video is up - a totally serious take on writing Young Adult Lit!
An absolute dumpster fire
I do not say this lightly. This has (quite possibly) been the most difficult book I've ever forced myself through.
It violated the three "Big Three": Plot, Character and Dialogue. I can handle a book is a bit sucky on any one of those, or even two. But all three? The entire book? Are. You. Kidding.
The Plot (aka The Plotholes)
After you die on Earth, your Firstlife is over ...more

Jan 12, 2016
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
"A Conduit is the highest type of General, second only to King. Conduits are rare and precious, powerful both here and there. They absorb sunlight from Earth—which is more than just heat and illumination—and direct the beams to the realm. There are whispers about you,” she says, only to go quiet.Warning: Special Girl alert!
“Whispers suggesting I’m a Conduit?” Someone rare and precious? Powerful?
This book has whiny special snowflake written all over it. Even worse than the main character is t ...more

DNF at page 149
*sighs* Buckle up, folks, because this is going to be one long, gif filled review.
Firstlife was one of my most anticipated books of 2016. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed.
This book's premise was so interesting. Everyone in this world has a Firstlife, and they get to choose which Everlife to live in after they die? Hells yes! The two Everlifes (Everlifes? Everlives?) are at war, but our main character doesn't want to sign with either? Even more yes! And the cove ...more
*sighs* Buckle up, folks, because this is going to be one long, gif filled review.
Firstlife was one of my most anticipated books of 2016. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed.

This book's premise was so interesting. Everyone in this world has a Firstlife, and they get to choose which Everlife to live in after they die? Hells yes! The two Everlifes (Everlifes? Everlives?) are at war, but our main character doesn't want to sign with either? Even more yes! And the cove ...more

Apr 21, 2017
Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned,
science-fiction
Such a cool concept but the execution was a little lacking. I found myself asking a lot of questions that I never got the answers to and then the novel turned into a story about one thing that really just made me lose interest. A classic case of sounded great, started off awesome, and then just went downhill from there.

Wow. The very last word of this book left me with a huge smile on my face - It was a moment I'd been hoping would happen!!
After reading the White Rabbit Chronicles I can tell you this series is going to be much grittier, definitely raw and more mature (upper YA), with a major BAD BOY ALERT. The concept is intricate and genius. I'm blown away and so honored to have read an early copy! ...more
After reading the White Rabbit Chronicles I can tell you this series is going to be much grittier, definitely raw and more mature (upper YA), with a major BAD BOY ALERT. The concept is intricate and genius. I'm blown away and so honored to have read an early copy! ...more

At first I thought this book would be a favorite. It had this great idea: our lives are short, but our eternities are long, so each person has to sign-up with the place where they will spend eternity. There are two choices: Myriad and Troika.
Myriad is all about strength and winning. It is also in the dark, but there are parties and nighttime fun. If you are willing to sign up for Myriad, they will offer you all sorts of bonus packages to enjoy in your "firstlife", like fame and riches.
Troika is ...more
Myriad is all about strength and winning. It is also in the dark, but there are parties and nighttime fun. If you are willing to sign up for Myriad, they will offer you all sorts of bonus packages to enjoy in your "firstlife", like fame and riches.
Troika is ...more


Five stars is not nearly enough for this book. Firstlife deserves all the stars in the world. I truly believe this is Gena's best work and I am not exaggerating. I love everything she writes, I'm a huge fan, but Firstlife was from another dimension, she surprised me again and again. This is a book you do not want to miss, trust me. It'll shake you to the core and you'll never see things the same way again.
The grave is the end...more
And I will never accept that
I have been set free from the chains tha

Initial Thoughts: DNF - I just can't go on anymore. Unnecessarily complex, yet another world that didn't make sense, unlikable main character who refuses to sign towards one of the main factions for no reason. All delivered with choppy writing.
---
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
Going into Firstlife, I was optimistic about the two lives concept, where you have two chances to live. Myriad believes in wealth and reincarnation, that your first life is merely a ...more
---
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
Going into Firstlife, I was optimistic about the two lives concept, where you have two chances to live. Myriad believes in wealth and reincarnation, that your first life is merely a ...more

Mar 18, 2017
Dana
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
not even my worst enemy
Shelves:
insta-love,
the-price-is-right,
terrible,
young-adult,
wtf,
zzz,
2017,
fantasy,
bin,
le-fromage
Very interesting premise, that had me entranced for the first half. Soon however this turned into one of the most disappointing books I have ever read. Talk about bait and switch. I loved the originality of this story but it felt “off ” a lot of the time. Nothing really meshed together, the writing... I couldn't tell if my struggle to enjoy this was a cause of the author trying too hard or not trying hard enough.
The characters were also supposed to be in their late teens, yet they had the menta ...more
The characters were also supposed to be in their late teens, yet they had the menta ...more

Jul 25, 2017
Rachel E. Carter
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
have-paperback
Dialogue/humor = perfection. I will admit that I'm still la bit lost on some of the events/world building (or maybe I just kept zoning out during audiobook?) but the writing was just so good I didn't care. This is the first time I've read anything by Gena and now I'm adding all her books to my TBR because she has such great humor in her writing -I can't even count the number of times I laughed out loud listening to the audiobook, just the perfect amount of sarcasm and snark. Oh, and the characte
...more

Dec 15, 2015
Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-book-read,
kindle-books
Believe it or not this is my first Showater book and I could literally kick my own butt beccause of it. To say the very least, I fell in love with her imaginative world, her endearing but tough characters, and the whole world she created and it makes me wonder why I waited so very long to try her.
This book is a hard one to go into detail about without spoiling anything so I will keep this review short and sweet and stick to the basics.
This is a series you don't want to miss out on.
If you are t ...more
This book is a hard one to go into detail about without spoiling anything so I will keep this review short and sweet and stick to the basics.
This is a series you don't want to miss out on.
If you are t ...more

Oct 05, 2017
Penny
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
y-read-young-adults-fantasy,
reviewed
Actual Rating: 1.5 stars
Repetitive and objectiveness. There are too many missing things here to be cohesive or engaging.
I have to say that the cover is great, though. It really gets your attention.
Repetitive and objectiveness. There are too many missing things here to be cohesive or engaging.
I have to say that the cover is great, though. It really gets your attention.

Tenley "Ten" Lockwood has spent the last thirteen months of the seventeen years of her life in an asylum. She was sent there by her parents for not making covenant with Myriad, the realm her parents want her to side with in the afterlife. See, it's an accepted fact that Firstlife is simply a rehearsal for what comes after death. In your real life, your Everlife, you sign with one of the two ruling powers: Myriad or Troika. Myriad and Troika, deadly enemies, have been at war with one another for
...more

Jul 06, 2020
Madison Warner Fairbanks
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cmcon21-reading-challenge,
fantasy-worlds,
series,
hard-copy,
sci-fi,
young-adult,
dark,
cliffhanger
Firstlife by Gena Showalter
1st book in a trilogy. Young adult dystopian fantasy.
Extensive world building. Extreme torture of the heroine trying to force her to make a decision for her Second life. Underhanded manipulations and deceiving friendships.
Basically a super dark story where the heroine is under constant pressure and hardships in her “first” life on earth. Next book will be based on her decision as the worlds war.
1st book in a trilogy. Young adult dystopian fantasy.
Extensive world building. Extreme torture of the heroine trying to force her to make a decision for her Second life. Underhanded manipulations and deceiving friendships.
Basically a super dark story where the heroine is under constant pressure and hardships in her “first” life on earth. Next book will be based on her decision as the worlds war.

When I first started to read this book, I knew it I would love it.
This book is one of a kind, different than everything I have read so far.
I absolutely loved the characters and how they are build, some I wanted to kill, some I loved it all my heart (Asher💕), and one that I wanted to hate but LOVE with all my heart too (Killian) and of course that's Ten, who I admire for the strength she got and how she could admitted to herself what she was feeling and of course she is my favorite character ...more
This book is one of a kind, different than everything I have read so far.
I absolutely loved the characters and how they are build, some I wanted to kill, some I loved it all my heart (Asher💕), and one that I wanted to hate but LOVE with all my heart too (Killian) and of course that's Ten, who I admire for the strength she got and how she could admitted to herself what she was feeling and of course she is my favorite character ...more

DNF at 60%
I really can’t be bothered wasting my time reading about a main character who literally! thinks! in! exclamation! marks! and makes the most illogical decisions ever :)) I tried to ignore it y’all I really did but I just can’t, the main character irritates me so much I give up. I hardly ever DNF books and I honestly think this story had so much potential if the writing style had been a bit better and the main character more sensible 🌚
I really can’t be bothered wasting my time reading about a main character who literally! thinks! in! exclamation! marks! and makes the most illogical decisions ever :)) I tried to ignore it y’all I really did but I just can’t, the main character irritates me so much I give up. I hardly ever DNF books and I honestly think this story had so much potential if the writing style had been a bit better and the main character more sensible 🌚

This was just what I needed to get out of my year-long reading slump!
I was nervous to read this, seeing as I didn’t enjoy Showalter’s previous YA novel, Alice in Zombieland (not a fan of zombies), but I was pleasantly suprised! If you like Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Scythe by Neal Shusterman, you’ll absolutely love this because it’s just perfect. One of my new favorites.
I was nervous to read this, seeing as I didn’t enjoy Showalter’s previous YA novel, Alice in Zombieland (not a fan of zombies), but I was pleasantly suprised! If you like Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Scythe by Neal Shusterman, you’ll absolutely love this because it’s just perfect. One of my new favorites.

An Electronic Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Tenley or as she's nicknamed Ten is locked up in a mental asylum by her Myriad parents. She lives in a world your first life is just a pre-condition, where you must choose one or the other warring factions: Myriad or Trokian. Once a person vows one of the sides they are part of that lifestyle for all eternity. Both sides want her for she is supposedly a general in her second life. She meets two boys, both a ...more
Tenley or as she's nicknamed Ten is locked up in a mental asylum by her Myriad parents. She lives in a world your first life is just a pre-condition, where you must choose one or the other warring factions: Myriad or Trokian. Once a person vows one of the sides they are part of that lifestyle for all eternity. Both sides want her for she is supposedly a general in her second life. She meets two boys, both a ...more

Firstlife by Gena Showalter tells the story of ONE CHOICE.
TWO REALMS.
NO SECOND CHANCE.
Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.
There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.
In the Everlife, two realms ...more
TWO REALMS.
NO SECOND CHANCE.
Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.
There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.
In the Everlife, two realms ...more

Too much profanity and inappropriate remarks in the first fifty pages for me to want to continue.

In a World where your death doesn't mean that your life is over but another one begins, you have to make a choice on where you want to end up with.
Who boasts about autonomy...bliss...indulgence.
They don't care about Firstlife, only Everlife matters to them and they are willing to nagotiate with you for you to chose them.
or
Who is known for structure...constant study...absolute conformity.
They do care about Firstlife as much as Everlife and they don't nago ...more
• Myriad
Who boasts about autonomy...bliss...indulgence.
They don't care about Firstlife, only Everlife matters to them and they are willing to nagotiate with you for you to chose them.
or
• Troika
Who is known for structure...constant study...absolute conformity.
They do care about Firstlife as much as Everlife and they don't nago ...more

Dec 30, 2015
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dnfed
The DNF Q&A [no rating]:
->Did you really give Firstlife a chance?
Yes – I made it about halfway through before setting it aside.
->Have you enjoyed other books in the same genre before?
I’ve loved a lot of things from the YA genre, although I admit lately I’ve had less patience for teen angst in general. I haven’t read anything quite like Firstlife before, but it had vague similarities to these other titles, which I enjoyed (mostly):
The Sweetest Dark - Shana Abe
Firelight - Sophie Jordan
Rush - Eve S ...more
->Did you really give Firstlife a chance?
Yes – I made it about halfway through before setting it aside.
->Have you enjoyed other books in the same genre before?
I’ve loved a lot of things from the YA genre, although I admit lately I’ve had less patience for teen angst in general. I haven’t read anything quite like Firstlife before, but it had vague similarities to these other titles, which I enjoyed (mostly):
The Sweetest Dark - Shana Abe
Firelight - Sophie Jordan
Rush - Eve S ...more

Nov 04, 2015
Ⓐlleskelle - teamSøren♗ ⊲I like big b00ks⊳
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
02-coming-soon
Such a pretty cover!
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS !

...more
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS !

...more

"Ten tears fall, and I call. Nine hundred trees, but only one is for me. Eight times eight times eight they fly, whatever you do, don't stay dry. Seven ladies dancing, ignore their sweet romancing. Six second to hide, up, up, and you'll survive. Five times four times three, and that is where he'll be. Two I'll save, I'll be brave, brave, brave. The one I adore, I'll come back for."
This book has been the death of me. I can't even right now.
It's brilliantly beautiful, it made my heart expand and ...more
This book has been the death of me. I can't even right now.
It's brilliantly beautiful, it made my heart expand and ...more

Her FirstLife was only a dry run for her eternal life, a place called the Everlife. Tenley Lockwood must choose the realm she will commit to and her refusal to pick begins a chaotic journey fraught with death, blood, battles and deceit. Choosing is an eternal thing and Ten will not be forced to commit, no matter what, but if her heart gets entangled, will it color her decision? Two realms, the Troika and the Myriad battle for her soul, because she may be the deciding factor in the eternal fight
...more

TJ's Blog: https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
Within seconds, Firstlife pulled me in. Within minutes, I was engaged. I found the premise to be refreshingly unusual. Firstlife is a full-fledged action story, with just the right combination of character development, witty dialogue, and thought-provoking content.
The Characters
I was immediately intrigued by the three main characters, Archer (Bow), Killian, and Tenley. I loved Tenley’s quick come-backs. To Killian. To Dr. Vans. To everyone. She’ ...more
Within seconds, Firstlife pulled me in. Within minutes, I was engaged. I found the premise to be refreshingly unusual. Firstlife is a full-fledged action story, with just the right combination of character development, witty dialogue, and thought-provoking content.
The Characters
I was immediately intrigued by the three main characters, Archer (Bow), Killian, and Tenley. I loved Tenley’s quick come-backs. To Killian. To Dr. Vans. To everyone. She’ ...more

Watch my Audiobook review here: https://youtu.be/EPliPy1wHWg
My initial reaction? What a mess. And I'm really disappointed.
I really liked Showalter's White Rabbit Chronicles (Alice in Zombieland, etc) series, so I just assumed I would like this one. As with any book, there are pros and cons. Unfortunately there are more cons in this case.
First off - that cover! It immediately drew me in. I think we can all agree that this is probably the best thing about the book. It promises greatness. It is stu ...more
My initial reaction? What a mess. And I'm really disappointed.
I really liked Showalter's White Rabbit Chronicles (Alice in Zombieland, etc) series, so I just assumed I would like this one. As with any book, there are pros and cons. Unfortunately there are more cons in this case.
First off - that cover! It immediately drew me in. I think we can all agree that this is probably the best thing about the book. It promises greatness. It is stu ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
A court of books ...: * Who is reading along. | 4 | 13 | Apr 22, 2017 09:15AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Firstlife by Gena Showalter --> Restarting March 8th 2017 | 73 | 93 | Mar 18, 2017 12:24PM | |
Young Adult Book ...: Giveaway for SIGNED editions of Firstlife | 1 | 25 | Feb 27, 2017 09:07AM | |
Gena Showalter Fans: Firstlife (Everlife #1) | 8 | 55 | Aug 17, 2016 09:27AM | |
Crazy for Young A...: Firstlife (Everlife #1) by Gena Showalter → Start Date: June 8, 2016 | 14 | 27 | Jun 23, 2016 07:21PM | |
Libri Labra Book ...: Firstlife *SPOILERS* | 7 | 37 | May 01, 2016 06:36PM |
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family an
...more
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“I think I need to avoid the world today. There’s no way I
can adult.”
—
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can adult.”
“If at first you don't succeed, kill your opponent.”
—
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