A stunning piece of literary fiction that will pull on your heart strings and make you question so many truths. A powerful read.

The concept of Who Wants to Live Forever immediately caught my interest: a drug that can extend life by centuries—what does that mean for love, relationships, and society? The story explores exactly that: Yuki and Sam are a couple, but when Sam decides to take the drug despite Yuki fighting against it, something between them shatters.

I really liked the beginning. The story is told in two timelines, set in Tokyo and London, and the writing style drew me in quickly. I could understand both Yuki and Sam, especially their inner conflict: How do you deal with the fact that the person you love makes a choice you deeply oppose? I was eager to see how this would unfold.

But then… it started to drag. Around 40%, I felt like the story wasn’t progressing. There was a lot of talk about the drug, but not much happening—I missed the dynamic and variety. I also couldn’t form a deeper connection with the characters, and at some point, I simply lost interest. I ended up DNF-ing at 45%.

Maybe I’m not the right audience for this book, or maybe it just needed more momentum. But for me, Who Wants to Live Forever didn’t live up to its potential. A shame, because the premise was truly intriguing.

This was such a beautiful read, the questions it made me ask myself were very thought provoking. I was hooked by fantastic romance that was created,

This book really gave me something to think about. A tablet that can extend the lives of those who take it. Only the rich can afford it though but as humans can we really afford to extend our lives and still have a meaningful one?

I feel like I’d be on the side of living a natural life. I could understand the reasoning of those who did take the tablet to give themselves more time to fulfil their dreams but all it did was extend the procrastination and isolation. The rule for having to get permission to have kids further cemented the concept of longer lives to not be all it’s cracked up to be. You extend your life but you can still die by accident. The book really made you empathise with the whole experience of having such a choice.

I’m not sure I really cared for the characters though so I’m giving it four stars because I enjoyed the concept of elongating one’s life and the price you pay for that experience. Truly an interesting read. Thank you.

Well this threw me into quite the existential crisis. It centres around the concept of a 'miracle drug' that prolongs life by at least a couple of hundred years, slowing down your youthful years. Actually, it centres on the complications that brings to human life. A married couple, one who's interested in taking it and one who isn't. What it means to be human without looming mortality. What brings life meaning and the potential for regret. whatever path you choose.

This was evocative and confronting, while being totally accessible. It had a lot more heart than some of its literary peers. Focusing on the humanity, it left me with the most intense bittersweet feeling. I loved it and will be thinking about it for a long time.

3.25 stars.

I wanted to love this book. The concept was really interesting. An expensive drug is released that helps massively extend peoples' lives, having huge implications for relationships and family dynamics.
We follow a couple, Yuki and Sam, where one of them is vehemently against this drug, and one is willing to remortgage their house to take it.
It was well written, however I struggled to care. I felt like all the characters were unlikeable and self-obsessed, and not in an interesting way. I think I'm one of the few to feel like this though, judging by the reviews!

3.25⭐️

Who Wants to Live Forever follows Yuki and Sam across decades, from their dating days into the 2030’s after they separate due to Sam’s decision to take a life-extending drug called Yareta that is making waves around the globe. From Yuki and Sam, to a young ambitious woman climbing the corporate ladder, to the inventor of Yareta himself, the novel explores the disparities in health and wellness between the wealthy and poor, how extended life cements corrupt power that literally never dies, and asks how soulmates can endure if their morals are unaligned.

Speculative fiction is always interesting in how it often depicts people acting in their own self-interests to extreme degrees, no matter their generation. We get different POVs from those who are/aren’t in favour of Yareta, and we see how ultimately nobody is satisfied, regardless of their ambition or how much time they have. That being said, I sense that the intention of this novel was to leave a hefty impact on the reader, but with a lack of true grit and aversion to packing a brutal punch, I was left wanting more. We’re talking about living forever here! About the depravity of humanity in its pursuit of power! About feeling lost and unaccomplished and the misbelief that more time could lead to success, finally! About getting near the top but still being a woman!

I don’t need to be told over shown, but what I’m trying to get at is there was so much opportunity for edge, for an accurate depiction of how intense people could really be, how desperate we are to cling to life–the possibilities are truly endless in both their cruelty and hopefulness. Instead, the novel was lukewarm and meandering, with its overarching themes conveyed by the inner narratives of plants and rocks and the little flops experienced by each character. Maybe the biggest takeaway is, no matter how long you live, you cannot escape the reality that for most, life is banal and unextraordinary.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!

Well this is the book I was waiting for. Outstanding and incredible and this is why I read. I cannot recommend this enough.

I loved the sound of this book, I thought it was a cracking idea. However I struggled to like the main characters, which meant I didn't really care what happened to them. I wish I had been able to get over this but it did colour my judgement am afraid. Sorry but not a good read for me.

Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose is a compelling mix of near-future sci-fi and deeply human storytelling, making you question how you would react if faced with the same choices as the characters.

The Book Blends speculative fiction with significant emotional depth and explores a world where immortality is attainable—but at what cost? Written with emotional impact, it doesn't just ask whether we can live forever, but whether we should. It makes you ponder profound questions: What would you sacrifice for a longer life or immortality? How would that change the way you feel about time? How would it reshape society as a whole?

What truly makes this book stand out is how real the characters' actions and motivations feel. Their struggles, hopes, and fears are so believable that I genuinely cared for them, which made their choices all the more compelling. Uose's writing is immersive, balancing philosophical questions with engaging storytelling. The book perfectly captures the tension between technological advancement and personal consequence, making it both thought-provoking and gripping.

I was immediately hooked from the first few chapters and knew it was a five-star read. I immediately wanted to purchase a physical copy for my shelf. The narration is perfect, bringing the story's emotional depth to life and enhancing the experience.

I love books and media that address the possible future use of technology, like John Marrs' books and Black Mirror, and Who Wants to Live Forever fits perfectly within that category. The world-building is subtle yet impactful, with each small technological detail adding to the more significant questions the book raises. The characters are not just facing a decision about immortality—they are grappling with what it means to truly live, to find purpose in a world where time is no longer a limitation. The author's ability to weave such intimate human emotions into a speculative scenario is remarkable.

If you enjoyed the emotional complexity of Normal People by Sally Rooney mixed with the innovative storytelling of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, this is a must-read. It's a perfect blend of heart and high-concept sci-fi that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose is a poignant, thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, and the allure of immortality. When a miracle drug is introduced that can extend life indefinitely, Sam chooses eternity over the promise of growing old with Yuki, leaving behind the soulmate he once vowed to love forever.

What follows is an expansive, multi-perspective narrative that spans decades and continents, weaving together the lives of those affected by this world-altering breakthrough. The story is both intimate and sweeping, balancing deeply personal struggles with the grand, unsettling implications of a world where death is no longer inevitable. Yuki, in particular, is a beautifully crafted character whose emotional depth and resilience make her story all the more moving.

The book excels in its ability to make the reader question what it truly means to live—and whether forever is a gift or a curse. The ending is striking, delivering an emotional gut punch that lingers long after the final page. With its blend of speculative fiction and raw human emotion, Who Wants to Live Forever is an unforgettable, unconventional love story that will stay with you.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A highly original, beautifully written book I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. Recommended for literary fiction and spec readers

Ok, finished this in a day and half because I could not put it down. What an interesting and well developed concept. This was so many different things: scifi, speculative fiction, literary, a love story, a story of growth and a story about time, an ode to nature, a novel that travelled the world…
All of the characters were fascinating and dimensional, the multiple points of view and the shifting around of time worked seamlessly, and the ending was satisfying. This will appeal to a lot of people for different reasons which is also really to be celebrated. I thoughtful and quietly haunting book about aging and the decisions we make in life. Of finding and losing ourselves, and contending with the many versions of a person we will be through our existence.

This book is giving me "The Measure" feeling, as in, it's the kind of book that you read if you like books about life/death (ethical?) questions.

You are following not just the couple, but many more people through this book and how they react and interact with this new option offered to them to live for much much longer. You follow them over time (past, present, future).

While I enjoyed the idea behind it and there were some cool flow between different people at different times of their lives, there were some whimsical moments I didn't really get / didn't really match the rest of the story in my opinion.

It was fine but I wasn't blown away. But that's probably just the kind of writing that I am personally getting a bit confused about, try it if the rest appeals to you!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Octopus Books for access to the ebook against an honest review.*

An interesting book, a great premise, multi-layered characters. It was quite scary in a way because I think the goings-on in this book are not too far away from us in reality, and that is frightening to me. It had some issues with pacing and getting into it, but overall it was an interesting read.

This is one that I will think about for long after I have finished it. I loved Hanna's writing so much, it was so compelling and I never wanted to put the book down! Yuki is my favourite character but all of them were so well fleshed out. I will be recommending this to everyone. I think it will be an amazing book club book because there is so much to discuss (especially given the current climate) and I think everyone will have such varied takes.

There’s nothing better than finding a soul mate book. A story that comes along at exactly the right time and feels like it could have been written for you. Who Wants to Live Forever was that book for me.

This is a book about mortality, but it’s mostly about living a life on your own terms.

The story centres around an expensive wonder drug that dramatically increases life expectancy. Living in a time of such advanced scientific developments, it really didn’t feel so far out of the realm of possibility.

This is a hugely character driven story and the characters themselves were authentic and flawed. They each had to come to terms with this new world where immortality was suddenly in reach, what it meant to them and what they were willing to sacrifice in the process.

We all know that time is the most valuable currency. How often do we tell ourselves all we would do and achieve if we only had more of it… but would we? Or would we continue to make the same excuses as we do now?

I saw traits of myself in one of the characters that made me feel ashamed, and I saw values that I aspire to in another. Reading this made me want to change, made me want to stop wasting time and live every moment of my life, more so than a lot of non fiction books do.

I highly recommend this one, a thought provoking examination of humanity reminiscent of Station Eleven and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

I loved this book. The concept is so intriguing and the execution was well thought-out by the author, who included world building details that would feasibly be real things that would have to be considered in a world with some people living for centuries. The characters were believable, and the relationships were heartbreaking at times. I loved the fact that the story took place over 3 different continents, it showed how different cultures would react differently to the same things. It was really cleverly written, and it made me think a lot. An absolutely gorgeous read.

I loved this. It's one of those books that I got into straight away. The plotline is fantastic and i didnt want the book to end, it kept me up reading into the early hours of the morning. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. A definite 5 star book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was not ready for this. Romantic, breathtakingly bittersweet, time bending and beautifully poetic - Who Wants to Live Forever is a timeless tale about humanity, love and loss.

Starting with immediately crafting the most stunning settings - a cool spring in Tokyo, 2039 or a rainy London afternoon in 2019 with such vivid intensity that I could smell the cherry blossoms and wet grass; and it only got better, with tiny details that created in-depth scenes, small notes that fully immersed us in the story.

The story moved weirdly, but it works — almost dreamlike, moving easily from scene to scene and slipping from the past and future and across continents with brilliant pacing, meandering through different stories and places first, taking just enough time to let us settle before time marches slowly onwards.

We meet Yuki as a young idealistic liberal woman; speaking out against the political, social and healthcare concerns an untested immortality drug could bring and I fell in love with her. Strong, outspoken, realistic but always desperately hoping for good things and not accepting reasons why they’re not possible. And of course, she makes us wonder too — what would we do in that situation?

As we watch Sam and Yuki, scientist and creator Frank, new loves and the other players from above, snapshots of life - science, heartbreak, love, friendship, work - slowly merging together to create a complex tapestry of people and places — fragmented little moments that work together and create one amazing story. Almost like a fly on the wall, we watch all the characters in the third person moving between them; at first it was dizzying switching so quickly but it soon falls into a familiar and easy to follow style that resembles a dreamscape more than a straight narrative. And while we look away for a moment, we see how society has changed around our cast - people living more, or being even more scared of dying, people dividing and new rifts and communities forming all around.

If you’re looking for something neatly wrapped up, this isn’t going to give you that satisfying rounded conclusion; at first the ending felt entirely out of character based on the style of the storytelling throughout but once I’d sat with it for a moment, it worked in an oddly real way.

Love a sweepingly thoughtful sci-fi with a side of romance and existential moral crises? Here you go!