Sure he used to bang everything that moved but Tenley tamed him with just a look. Oh, and he's Irish because he says Lass. The Summary aka this is literally me the entire time Me vs. After all my complaining, there is something positive that can be gained. If this can be published, anything can happen. Never give up on your dreams. A book a friend doesn't recommend P. With many thanks to Angela's Booked for "not recommending" this book. I will be reading Book 2 solely to "not recommend" it to you. Jun 27, Ryan rated it did not like it Recommends it for: Firstlife was one of my most anticipated books of 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? The two Everlifes Everlifes? Just look at that cover! Then I opened the book. And now I'd rather just keep looking at the cover. The book starts off with a series of emails between a Troika Laborer someone in charge of recruiting the Unsigned and their "General", and I kid you not , this is the first line of the book: A heads-up would've been nice.
Can you say whack shack? Maybe it's because of the absurd amount of fantasy I read; I was a little caught off-guard when I heard a teenager talk like a normal teenager and not the Queen of England in the 15th Century. So I got over that - until I read the General's reply. One of the General's emails was titled: Your little-girl heart skipped a beat.
What kind of high-ranking General would phrase something like that? Aren't they supposed to be formal, or "in charge"? It seemed like a failed attempt at being "hip with the teens". Again, I kept reading. More ridiculous emails and many torturous pages later, we meet our main character: A teenage girl with trust issues and an affinity for numbers.
Can we just focus on the fact that her name is Ten and she likes numbers for a second, please? That's basically like naming a kid "Word" because they like to read, or "Sport" because they're athletic. I tried liking these characters, believe me, I did. But I couldn't do it. They were all just so forced. Like carbon-copies of all stereotypical YA characters. The main girl, a "special snowflake" who is different for the rest.
The funny sidekick that is really just there for comic relief, and will probably become a love interest for said special snowflake later. The hot, mysterious guy that the main girl refuses to fall for, and, of course, falls for anyway. Because we wouldn't want to upset the trope-gods by creating original characters, now would we? Tenley has spent the last thirteen months trapped in the Prynne Asylum don't ask me how to pronounce this, I'm in the same boat as you.
This institution is for all teenagers who are Unsigned and "destined for The Land of Many Ends", where you supposedly go if you don't sign with either Troika of Myriad. Tenley and the rest of the inmates have all been brutally tortured by this asshat named Vans. Which leads to to my next subject: Tenley's parents actually condoned this.
They literally gave their permission to have Tenley tortured by a psychotic middle-aged man, who would probably have been Professor Umbridge's soulmate if either of them had the capacity to feel any emotion besides burning hatred. For example, "We aren't given forks or knives, ever. Not that it matters.
I can do bad, bad things with a spoon. Is this just me? Tell me this isn't just me. I think the biggest problem I had with this book was the writing style. I couldn't wrap my head around the cheesy lines, the awkward phrasing, and the weird, random things Tenley thought. It sounded like the author thought all teenagers talked like this, and for me, it really took away from the story.
And if I had to endure one more page of Tenley internally shouting "Zero! Now as you could probably tell from the opening of this review, I DNFed this book not even halfway through - I had been struggling through it for a week, and I needed to finish other books on my July TBR. Will I ever come back to this book? Firstlife just may be destined to lie on my shelf as the biggest bookish disappointment of View all 57 comments.
Apr 21, Hailey HaileyinBookland rated it liked it Shelves: 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. Feb 04, C. Drews rated it liked it Shelves: The first thing I will adamantly shriek is: I felt a little bit like Afterworld? But Firstlife was much more detailed and complex. The basic gist is: Multiple opportunities at life! The book isn't really my favourite. I shall tell you why in a second, calm your little hearts. And even if it's not a favourite I still think it was really interesting and actiony.
O The first thing I will adamantly shriek is: The book starts in a sort of "prison" Basically you have to sign a contract with either Troika or Myriad. Like they both have good sides and bad sides?? And they both war?? Either choose or you go live in a sort of hellish purgatory place. The issue with this? I have no freaking clue why she wouldn't decide. Her parents wanted her to sign with Myriad so they'd get money or something and when she wouldn't they locked!! I'm a bit sickened, yes? Except she didn't want to "rush" into a decision???
Like "Dude, I would rather get tortured out of my brain and watch all my friends die than choose. But it was really actiony which was awesome. There are barely any breathers, before you're thrown into struggle after horrible struggle. Definitely one of the more violent YAs I've read in a loooong time. And of course, the roooomance. Um, it is a love triangle? But I felt it was pretty obvious that Ten was going to choose the mysterious, violent bad boy over the bubbly talkative boy, so I barely consider it a triangle.
Because Ten is, duh, a special snowflake. What I don't get though, is why the bosses of Archer were like "let's send him to Ten in a girl's body". Did you want to recruit her??? Why didn't you send Archer as a boy??? It was a solidly good book, but I was growling through a lot of it. Mostly at the characters? I didn't care about them and I'm getting a bit tired of the love-triangle and unemotional kickass girl who gets into trouble because she's And it did feel tedious. So I call that a winner. View all 22 comments. Aug 24, Wendy Higgins added it.
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!! The concept is intricate and genius.
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I'm blown away and so honored to have read an early copy! View all 9 comments. Nov 04, Jilly rated it did not like it Shelves: At first I thought this book would be a favorite. It had this great idea: There are two choices: 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 At first I thought this book would be a favorite.
Death Walkers: Shamanic Psychopomps, Earthbound Ghosts, and Helping Spirits in the Afterlife Realm
Troika is all about forgiveness and equality. It is a light realm, but there are rules that must be followed and the good of others should come before your own good. They don't offer anyone special bonuses to sign up, they only offer their fellowship, comfort, and help if you ask for it. Each of these realms sends out "laborers" who are basically recruiters for their team. They are supposed to help the undecided pick out where they want to go for their "Secondlife".
Yes, but as usual, the execution of this idea was the problem. It's the old "Expectation vs. So, with this great idea comes a special snowflake who is the most important human being on Earth. A 17 yr old girl who is in an insane asylum. She is also a poet.
Oh, and a badass. So, there are two guys from the two different places that will do anything to win her to their side. She falls in love with them, but won't choose because of reasons. That's right, all of the cool ideas for this interesting world and it evolves into an angsty YA novel with a love triangle. 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 And I will never accept that I have been set free from the chains that Five stars is not nearly enough for this book.
The grave is the end And I will never accept that I have been set free from the chains that bind me. I know "Death has lost its victory" Is a lie, because there is no greater truth than this: Firstlife is a bit complicated to explain in a few words and without giving anything away so I think you should read the official synopsis.
It explains things pretty well. I've never, in my life, cried as much as I did while reading a book.
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- Les hittites et leur histoire : Tome 3, Lapogée du nouvel empire hittite (Kubaba) (French Edition).
And I'm an emotional person, I cry fairly easily but Firstlife completely undid me. I'm emotionally drained, I think Gena ruined me. She is an exceptional writer, I just don't know how she does it. I felt so much while reading, so much. Each word is deeply rooted in my soul. Gena's inspiration for this book was the scriptures, life vs.
I've read the bible and I found Firstlife even more interesting and intricate. I am not saying you have to read the bible to actually enjoy and understand this book, not at all but, for me, personally, having that knowledge really enhanced the experience. I spotted lots of things that clearly made me think of a specific verse etc and I loved it! Once again, you do not have to know the bible or anything religious to actually love and understand Firstlife, not at all. Gena wrote this book for everybody, this is my personal reading experience. I absolutely loved Ten, the heroine.
She intrigued me from the start, she's a very special character. I loved her obsession with numbers, Gena really did her research with this, she deserves an award for this alone. All the numerical facts were super interesting and made the story even better and Ten's character even more peculiar.
Gena wrote such a strong heroine, Ten is selfless, always willing to help, she's smart and knows how to throw a good punch. She doesn't have an easy life, you will discover this right from the start but she never gives up, she has hope and, yes, she can be stubborn but it only makes her more endearing.
Me, a little girl with little might. But what you don't know about this lass is that she's super determined to kick your ass. I totally fell for him and hard. I remember the first time I read about him, I was already fanning myself and drooling all over the book and he hadn't said more than two words. Killian is Ten's laborer from Myriad the "dark" side —a laborer is someone whose job is to recruit people, convince them to pledge their lives to their realm and so, when the person dies Firstdeath , she goes to live in that realm forever—and he's ready to use his manly charms to convince her to pledge her life to Myriad.
I loved his cocky attitude, his confidence no matter the situation but what I loved most was his character's development. He became real with Ten, showing her his true self, he was vulnerable and I absolutely adored them together. He presses his forehead against mine and cups my nape, his thumb stroking up, into my hair and down, under the collar of my shirt. Even still, his admission makes me tingle.
He's the light to Killian's dark. Don't be fooled though, he's as badass and fierce as our bad boy. Archer is Ten's laborer from Troika the "light" side , he's after Ten for the same reason as Killian, he wants to recruit her but nothing is that easy with little miss numbers. I loved Archer so much, as much as Killian but differently.
Killian is the love interest and Archer is the big brother, the one you can count on, always. The one who will do anything to protect you and care for you and that's exactly how Ten sees him and how he sees Ten, as a sister. Their bond was beautiful and I love Gena for not writing another annoying love triangle.
Twists after twists, you won't see them coming. The world, or worlds, Gena created are incredible. Everything is so well written, Ten writes poems and I've highlighted them all because they're actually so beautiful and meaningful. I love Gena's writing style but there was something more in this book, it made the story even more vivid to me, I could see everything clearly in my head, I felt everything Gena wrote. There are so many things I'd like to say, I can't really express how I truly feel, you just have to experience it for yourself, don't hesitate to dive in.
Firstlife is a book I'll hold forever close to my heart. 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 seconds 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.
View all 20 comments. Dec 22, Jeann Happy Indulgence rated it did not like it Shelves: 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. 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 Initial Thoughts: Myriad believes in wealth and reincarnation, that your first life is merely a rehearsal before reaping the rewards in the afterlife.
Obsidio (The Illuminae Files, #3) by Amie Kaufman
They believe that your soul is reborn after your second death. What Drew is drawn to is Christ in her and the light that shines from her because of the Holy Spirit. At some point, we must use words to present the gospel, but until the Lord presents that opportunity, the light of our lives should proclaim Him just as clearly. Let your light so shine before men. There are a number of different approaches to take when witnessing to an atheist, but the first question that must be asked is, does he or she have an interest in discovering the truth?
The answer to this question determines the approach. People who are antagonistic toward the Bible and Christianity will not usually listen to sound arguments no matter how scientific or factual they may be. Usually it is the demonstration of love and compassion that has an impact on them. The goodness of God leads you to repentance.
Apologetics is the branch of theology concerned with the defense and rational justification of Christianity. Another effective approach is to start with Creation and the concept of an intelligent designer. His invisible attributes are clearly seen. The book of Romans is an excellent place to take a questioning atheist. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Chapter 8 Dealing with Fear Ben is struggling with intense fear because of what he has discovered about the invaders. The Bible says that fear does not come from the Lord; however, there are two kinds of fear: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. The concept of alternate dimensions is not new.
Physicists have theorized about such realities for many years, and it has been a favorite theme of science fiction since its inception. But actually, God told us about His "alternate dimension" from the beginning: Ecclesiastes is correct when the preacher states that "there is nothing new under the sun. It parallels their resistance to accept the truth of Creation versus that of the big bang theory. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Because we live in a fallen world, we are susceptible to tragedy.
Jesus warned us that we would face trials in this life, but He has given us all the tools necessary to overcome them and be victorious in spite of them. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. The Bible states that, at the very least, some angels carry swords. Evidence for this is found in the following verses. The Bible also tells of men who have seen into the spiritual realm and tried to describe it.
The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning. The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
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Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. Jesus came from heaven to testify of its reality and to show us the way home: Chapter 13 Betrayal Drew felt betrayed by Jake and his mother when they arranged for him to meet Dr. Betrayal hurts worst when it is done by someone you love.
Jesus felt the sting of betrayal too when Judas, one of his closest friends, gave him over to the chief priests to be crucified. From that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. He is a Savior whom we can turn to even when we feel betrayed. We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize. The war began when Satan Lucifer became prideful and rebelled against God.
How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. What might be the risk of loss for angelic beings? Whatever the answers are to these questions, it is important to know that God has already determined the end of the war. God is victorious, and we will rejoice on that day. It is difficult to say just how vulnerable man is to the attacks of demons, but it appears to range from simply causing distress to taking life.
Two biblical examples give us a glimpse into the capabilities of these fallen angels. All is destroyed, including his sons and daughters. A second example relates to Paul and the attacks of Satan. A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan. He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations.
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Jesus tells a story of a man who helped another who was robbed and beaten. He uses the story of the good Samaritan as a teaching point for us all. Jesus also states that the greatest love a person can demonstrate toward another is by laying his life down for him. The purpose of demonic attack is to hinder the work of God and the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Satan and his demons are the enemy of truth, but we should not be discouraged by his attacks because God is with us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed. To ask other readers questions about Death Walkers , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Clear, pragmatic, and illuminating. Mar 27, Candace Talmadge rated it it was amazing Shelves: How fitting that I completed reading this amazing book on Easter, the Christian day of resurrection. This book, however, explores how everyone has an afterlife, not just Jesus of Nazareth. Based on his extensive experiences as a shaman helping souls move into the Light the psychopomp , author David Kowaleski, Ph. Most moving are his accounts of his soul encounters. One of them was abo How fitting that I completed reading this amazing book on Easter, the Christian day of resurrection. One of them was about of a deceased young man caught in the violence of Mexico's drug wars.
This soul was ashamed of what he did and did not want to go into the Light because he feared judgment and did not feel worthy. When Kowalewski, present in spirit to help this soul out of his despair, describes Our Lady Of Guadalupe, who the young man had venerated while alive, appearing and reaching out to pull him to his feet and escort him into the Light, I was moved to tears. This book will fill readers with hope and joy while exhorting them to think about death so that they may live to the fullest now.
It offers the gift of invaluable wisdom. Kimberly Lohr rated it liked it Sep 12, Brandy rated it really liked it Dec 04, Laura Giles rated it really liked it Apr 03, A very readable, practical and thorough study of psychopomp! I highly recommend it! Lisa rated it it was amazing May 13, Lee marked it as to-read Feb 17,