Thank you NetGalley and Maddux for an advanced readers copy! This review will also be posted on Goodreads on November 19, 2025.

I so enjoyed meandering through Maddux’s mind in her memoir. She has such voice throughout the story through her dry humor and how intimately we get to know her family and friends. I audibly laughed many times, but mostly at, “I had a pony tail and she had a bowl cut and our primary shared interest was suffering”. Maddux seamlessly weaved relatability and morbidity and each story all had such character. Her memoir reads like a friend’s journal or letter, and she made an overarching morbid topic digestible.

Firstly, 10/10 for the stunning cover art ✨

I too have always had/ have death on my mind so when I saw the title and read the synopsis I was very intrigued.
This is a memoir where Maddux uses her experiences with death as the central theme taking us on her journey from childhood to adulthood.

My favourite chapters were those on girlhood/ coming of age and travel/ nature musings. I related heavily to Maddux's pondering, the questions she asked herself that no one around her seemed concerned about and the meanings she took away from her experiences in formative years.

That being said, I think being British prevented me from connecting to the chapters centred around her schooling and family dynamics/ religious influence but I think you'll find more value in them if you're an American who grew up in the Midwest or Mideast.

In parts I felt it meandered a little too long before reaching a point or linking back to one and sometimes the writing style felt a little monotonous despite the dry humour sprinkled throughout. However overall I enjoyed my time and will keep an eye out for other works by the author, specially if they explore female identity or travel writing.

Thank you NetGalley and Maddux for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review 🩵

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachael Maddux for providing me with an advance copy of Life Expectancy.

I was first drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, and I stayed for the brilliant story inside. I devoured this memoir in just one day, something I absolutely did not expect. Maddux tells her coming-of-age story while weaving in the theme of death and her anxieties surrounding it throughout. I found this approach both fascinating and innovative, something I have never encountered before.

In many passages about her anxiety, constant overthinking, and the dread of confronting mortality, I saw so much of myself reflected. In a strange but comforting way, it helped me feel less alone with these thoughts. It also highlighted how our daily exposure to frightening news in today’s world only intensifies these fears.

I also really enjoyed the dry humor woven throughout. There were several moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, and even more moments where Maddux’s beautiful writing made me sob. As someone who is not religious, I did struggle a bit to connect with the sections discussing her religious influences, but I think many readers will relate to them.

Overall, I really appreciated this book and will definitely keep an eye out for more from Rachael Maddux in the future.

This book was compared to Lady Bird and I agree. It gave me a similar feeling with a normal protagonist who has a mind that makes the mundanity of life whimsical. There were funny parts, sad parts, and existential parts. This really is the coming of age of a creative and thoughtful person. I related to how sensitive she was as a child. I’d love to read more of the author’s work. Plus, the cover art is gorgeous!

Thank you NetGalley and Vanitas Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though I don't agree with the characterization of this book as "The Year of Magical Thinking meets Ladybird" I found this book a unique approach to the coming of age memoir by exploring how to reconcile the experience of growing up with knowledge of mortality. I was especially struck by the chapters on the author's experience as a student in the wake of Columbine and other mass shootings. In the wake of recent school and campus shootings, that section felt particular resonant for understanding young people's relationships to mortality and vulnerability.

Life Expectancy is a thoughtful and often funny coming-of-age memoir that explores anxiety, mortality, and the small moments that shape us. I enjoyed Maddux’s dry humor and her ability to make heavy topics feel personal and relatable, especially in her reflections on childhood and travel. Some sections, particularly those focused on religion and family dynamics, felt harder to connect with, and at times the story meandered a bit. Still, her voice is engaging, the writing is intimate, and there’s a lot of heart in how she shares her experiences. Overall, it’s a reflective, heartfelt read that fans of introspective memoirs will enjoy.

Life Expectancy is a millennial coming-of-age memoir that centers around loss. It brings levity to themes of death, grief, mental health, young love, and figuring out feelings. I love that the stories meander through Rachael Maddux's young life; this story is somewhat but not entirely linear. I am also a millennial woman in the Southeast USA that grew up anxious about death (and other things) and tackled mental health issues, so I greatly resonated with this memoir. I teared up at some of the scenarios regarding death (real or philosophical). I laughed at her perception of Heaven, and so much more, despite the serious, deep topics covered. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

What first pulled me into Life Expectancy was the stunning cover art—but what made me stay was its different, and surprisingly intimate, angle on the coming-of-age memoir. Rather than focusing on the usual milestones, Rachael Maddux centers the narrative around death: the awareness of it, the fear of it, and the quiet ways it shapes us long before we have language for it.
I found it fascinating how the subject of mortality was woven through every chapter and across so many moments of the author’s life. It made me reflect on my own childhood and try to remember when I first understood that people die—and that one day, I would too. Some chapters resonated with me deeply, others less so, but overall this was a thoughtful and enjoyable memoir. For me, it landed at around 3.5 stars, which I’m rounding up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC, provided in exchange for an honest review.