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nineinchnails's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
it definitely could have been condensed just a little because "no plot just vibes" isn't much of an exaggeration and i'm not sure how it managed to be 500+ pages long but i can enjoy a slow book when i like the writing. the ending did feel slightly anticlimactic but it was more bittersweet than anything else to me. not sure if i would recommend this because the it really is slow but i definitely enjoyed this!!
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Alcoholism, War, Biphobia, and Child death
Maternal mortality/Death during childbirthcarefulfearanddeaddevotion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I hate to say this because
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Mental illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Sexual assault
Minor: Kidnapping, War, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
koplomps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Grief, and Misogyny
Minor: War, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, and Confinement
smleeth93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, War, and Sexual violence
Minor: Addiction
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: October 6, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Imaginative • Quiet • Tragic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
💭 T H O U G H T S
It's quite possible I am the last person to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, as this book took Bookstagram by storm upon release. Personally, I was glad some of the hype had receded, as it afforded me the opportunity to go at my own pace and develop my own thoughts and feelings free of being bombarded with reviews and hype. And to be quite honest, the whole experience was rather dizzying and don't exactly know how I ended up feeling.
On the one hand, V.E. Schwab's writing was mesmerizing, atmospheric, and haunting. Although I didn't always know what was going on, I was transported into the story so vividly. Addie, herself, is a fairly unlikeable character, yet I could find myself empathizing with the why. There's such a strength in what this unique and clever story attempted to do.
Yet on the other hand, because of the structurally necessary repetitive descriptions I was never compelled to keep reading. I never found myself thinking about the narrative or characters when I wasn't reading. It lacked a depth I craved so badly. This sense of detachment made it feel longer than it actually is.
And finally, I found myself completely satisfied with the ending, meaning I finished on a high note and that's kind of what I focus on when I think back to my time with Addie. Taken in pieces, there are a lot of mixed feelings, yet it is a real testament to making the most of the time we have.
I do certainly understand why The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is beloved by so many. It's such a unique and fascinating idea, yet for me the reading experience was tedious. I am not sure I have been convinced to explore more of V.E. Schwab's work, but you just never know.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife
• readers who like unique stories
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Nothing is all good or all bad,' she says. 'Life is so much messier than that.'"
"Live long enough, and you learn how to read a person. To ease them open like a book, some passages underlined and others hidden between the lines."
"And perhaps it is just that happiness is frightening."
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual harassment, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexism, Addiction, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, War, Violence, Blood, and Cancer
madalina0_0's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death
Minor: Bullying and Murder
helfire124's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Confinement, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Police brutality, Death of parent, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Violence
ravenh's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Minor: Misogyny
laurenbaggy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Stalking
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Misogyny, Death, War, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Grief