Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

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

309 reviews

brittaneenash's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a beautiful, poetically written novel that had me instantly hooked. I'll admit that I was hesitant to read this book - I never thought I would have much interest from what I had heard about it, until I saw a TikTok that finally convinced me that I just needed to read it. I tell you what, the person who posted that TikTok is now owed the credit for my second five-star book of 2023, & I'll give you a few reasons as to why without hesitation:

• As someone who fears death & the thought of missing out on my life, Addie's choices & actions throughout the book make so much sense to me. She's an entirely relatable character (though there are times where I definitely didn't want her to be relatable), who just felt so real to me despite the epic circumstances she's been thrust into because of the choices she's made. 
• The personification of the devil? Luc? Perfection. It felt so close to the biblical adaption of the devil: charming, cunning, entirely too irresistible for mere mortals. Because of this, his relationship with Addie is portrayed perfectly. 
• Henry Strauss. Henry fucking Strauss. I feel like that's all this point needs to say, but I'll add more. Though I predicted what would happen with his story, I found it just as intriguing as Addie's. I was utterly hooked from the moment we met Henry, until the moment their story together ended. As I've said about both Addie and Luc, he felt so undeniably real, so relatable in ways that you mightn't want him to be. All of the characters in this novel are executed perfectly, but Henry felt particularly so. 
• The entire ending of the book had me bawling. Not a lot of books make me cry in the way this one did. It was equal parts the relatability of not being ready to let something go but knowing that you have to, & the beautiful writing style Schwab seems to have perfected. I don't often buy the physical copies of audiobooks that I listen to, but this one will be an exception to that rule. I will be adding it to my personal collection to annotate as soon as possible. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Death

Minor: Death of parent

bookycnidaria's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: War

magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Is forever worth your soul?
That is the question at the heart of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. The novel follows a girl who trades her soul, and unknowingly the ability to be remembered, to a man who might be the devil or might be a Old God in exchange for an immortal life of freedom. 
Full of romance and art and clever turns, the novel starts slow but soon builds into a crescendo. Alternating chapters between her modern life in New York City in 2014 where she meets and falls in love with the enigma of Henry Strauss and flashes of the life she lived over the last 300 years, mostly tangled with "anniversaries" with Luc, the being that she promised her soul to, the book does an excellent job of telling two stories twined into one. And though it is a complete piece on it's own, the story coming to a beautifully bittersweet ending, it teases a third at the close, promising that forever goes on and there is still hope yet.
It does not shy away from the horrors facing a woman alone through history, but reminds the reader that Addie is clever and strong and will make it through, and that no matter where and when she is, there are beautiful things to be find when she looks. 
A definite must read for fans of trickster fae tales, doomed love, and the timeless power of art and stories. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Self harm, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death, War, Alcoholism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ericius's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.75

a bit too long, somewhat slow to read and a bit sad, but i forgive it because it was an emotional journey it made me cry and smile and i loved it

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

notjust_irene's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

takarakei's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Re-read. This remains one of my favorite books of all times. Sobbed just like I did the first time reading it. I also did a combo with audiobook (narrated by the queen Julia Whelan). The ending of this book makes me feral.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Misogyny

Minor: War, Addiction, and Sexual harassment

throwback682's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

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

5.0

I was so scared to finish this book. I almost quit because I couldn’t bear the idea of the sad ending I imagined.

I’m so glad that I stuck it out. The ending wasn’t what I expected at all (although some might see through it more easily) and it wasn’t happy but it was very satisfying. Henry’s last pages had me near tears.

I think the concept of the plot is really creative, and the author keeps track of a thousand little details of Addie’s curse that could’ve created a thousand plot holes. 

At times it was predictable, but not in a way that spoiled my enjoyment.

I knew almost right away that Henry had also made a deal, but there were plenty of details I didn’t foresee, too.

This book made me  want to savor every moment of life and love. It was entertaining but also thought provoking and heart-fire stoking. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Addiction, Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Cancer, Classism, and Dementia

kathyovalle01's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical content, and War

Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

alliejm00's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

gemmalewis1110's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

A reflective book about the meaning of life and what it means to be satisfied. Quite long and the modern day parts are much more interesting than Addie's historical adventures.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness and Death