Our Infinite Fates

Gr 8 Up–Branwen has known for the last 10 years that she is the latest reincarnation of Evelyn, an immortal eternally hunted by her enemy and true love Arden through every life and incarnation. When she or Arden kill the other, the murderer dies immediately after, always by Evelyn’s 18th birthday. Now in present-day Wales, Evelyn must find Arden and convince them to help her save her little sister before they resume their eternal murder-suicide cycle. Her sister is currently too ill for Evelyn’s bone marrow transplant, and Evelyn doesn’t want her mother to lose both daughters—but Evelyn’s birthday is days away. Can she convince Arden to work with her, break the curse haunting them, and save her sister, herself, and her love? The romantic adventure is broken up by glimpses of their past lives, which throws the pacing off even as it adds color to the characters’ backstories. Captivating at times and underwhelming at others, the novel makes it hard to root for a romance when the best scenes involve one character murdering the other. Steven paints a sensorial backdrop to Evelyn’s many lives, where she and Arden experience different genders and ethnicities across world history.