Review Detail

OUR INFINITE FATES is a lush and riveting YA fantasy romance. Telling a story across time but anchored in the present, this book captures the link between Arden and Evelyn, who have been dying before their eighteenth birthday and being reborn for thousands of years. The story is told from Evelyn's perspective, who knows that she will often fall in love with whoever Arden has reincarnated into, but that one of them will kill the other before their eighteenth birthdate.

While Evelyn only remembers some of their past lives and does not recall what started this cycle of death and rebirth, Arden does seem to remember - and is unwilling to share it with her. Ultimately, theirs is a star-crossed love story that spans lives and deaths, forever linked by love and betrayal.

What I loved: I was absolutely riveted from the very beginning of this story and with wondering whether Evelyn in her current reincarnation would be able to to save her sister and figure out who Arden is before he ends her as well as what started the cycles to begin with. The story is primarily told in the present, but it goes back through key moments of their past lives in between. This storytelling mix worked incredibly well and tells many small stories amidst the larger one of their love.

The mystery of what started this pattern keeps the reader guessing as the pages were turned - and I have to say that the twist of the why and how was infinitely surprising. I loved the shock of it and the way that the ending was resolved. One of the major themes of the story was the beauty and power of love, as an emotion and a force, and this was conveyed through many small stories as well as the overarching one. Their love story was tragic at times and lovely at others, but it was a great romance, spanning thousands of years and lives. Beyond the romance though were themes of love for family and friends that they became close to in their reincarnations, particularly in the present with Evelyn's sister, Gracie, who she is determined to save (she is the only match for a needed marrow donation), and her mother.

Beyond love, other themes around betrayal, sacrifice, difficult choices, religion, connections with others, and souls/essence were also really strong and thought-provoking. I found Evelyn to be a compelling character, as well as Arden, and particularly their incarnations in past lives. These take the reader to some dark places, but they are also powerful examples of history, love, and hope. Ultimately, I loved the story, the stories within it, and the ending that brought it all forward beautifully.

Final verdict: OUR INFINITE FATES is a lush and lovely YA fantasy romance about the power of love, connections with others, and the beauty of life. Highly recommend picking this one up!