Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

113 reviews

escapismforlife's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 "Ideas are wilder than memories. " 
So this was a reread for me. I was just as emotionally  drained as I was  reading  it the first  time around last year. 

Addie LaRue's  life is so adaptive because  of her circumstances. It's  crazy how a monster like Luc gets to control her life. I enjoyed how she is a women who picks up this new life she has to endure. One that's sad but also makes her a character who is hopeful and smart. 

She has to consider every action. And  makes them in little clever ways with artists work and what she steals despite no one being able to recall her. It was her endurance of these little mark's she left of three centuries  that me root for her. 

I love that she doesn't let her deal of endless  life  show throughout her immortal and invisible life. Otherwise it would have been pointless  and disheartening to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

crabcake's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Schwab has managed to write so fluidly and immersively that despite the narration not being in first person, every time I had to break away from reading I would forget that I am not

living under the same curse as the narrator, because Schwab introduces the idea of the curse and its rules and development and aftermath (or lack thereof) so well

(spoiler free comment: living the same life as the narrator). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

luluslittlelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of my all-time favorite books. Addie is such a well-developed and relatable character. The book is pretty slow-paced (at times) but it was never boring because VE Schwab's writing is so beautiful and I savored every word of it. This is the only book of her's that I have read, but she automatically became one of my favorite authors and I am definitely going to check out her other books next. I will say that I didn't care very much for the plot at certain times and I had some issues with some of the other characters. I also

didn't like the ending at all

.  I found myself wanting more chapters about Addie's past and what her life was like leading up to the main plot of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Death of parent

allegrafreya's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

what did i just read... that was SO GOOD? id say phenomenal for my standards but gawd damn... 

minus points bc the first 200 pages are REALLY slow and hard to get thru and i put it down alot because i hated seeing her being cursed like that and im not used to the world of addie larue yet (like the world building did not pull me right in bc its extremely similar to our world rn so it wasn’t exactly a new universe), probably my fav book of all time like its def not an easy read, idk i consider it a heavy topic n a layered plot and its unpredictable and super smart n clever for the author.

the writing is the MOST poetic shit ever like i swear i cant even pinpoint the good writing bc its all just so equally astonishing? the words flow so perfectly together n its super super pretty n totally gets the point across in such a different manner, might just be my fav writing style!!

the way the authors builds the characters is so engaging and makes it so visceral. like even the stuff that i wouldnt know how to feel bc ive never experienced it: I FELT IT ALLLL like how?? they all feel so realistic and flawed and HUMAN. NOT LIKE A FICTIONAL CHARACTER legit probably a true story ngl its all just so entrancing idk i feel like this world is my world rn?? wtf good job miss schwab i loved this so! much!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Violence

runitsthepopo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

claragweny's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I listened to the audiobook without having read the synopsis and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! I generally really enjoyed the book. The relationship between Addie and Luc is very compelling if you like an enemies to lovers type trope. The audiobook narrator did a good job with all the accents and different characters making it really easy to just fall into the story. 

I must admit, the book has had me literally dreaming of strange darkness and turbulent travels. Very few books have made a big enough impression on my subconscious to interfere with my dreams and somehow it feels completely right that this book would. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Xenophobia

hannahbanana8's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is absolutely beautiful! The writing is so amazing a clever and I am just so obsessed with this book! It's really one of a kind and I am so glad I was able to read it.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

valpuri's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

+ interesting & fun concept
+ really liked the relationship between addie and luc
+ addie was, at times, an entertaining protagonist
+ luc was a fascinating character
+ lgb characters

- lots of missed opportunities, considering the time periods and places the book covers
- eurocentric & extremely white
- boring setting (come on, nyc?)
- weird to throw in some real-life historical persons for no reason
- repetition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Child death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

katrinarose's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was a disappointment for me. Slow paced books are supposed to shine in the character development but all the characters felt so empty and one dimensional. It was super repetitive (which I understand is meant to mimic Addie’s existence but still, a book is still meant to be enjoyed) but with no payoff. The ending was just as predictable and boring as the rest of the book. I gave it 2.5 stars only because it wasn’t horrible, I just don’t see all the good a lot of people do. If it wasn’t so long for no reason I may have rated it higher.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent

misszoe's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Suicide attempt