Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

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

235 reviews

mrsdragon's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.5

I like magical realism, pretty prose, and slow burn stories so this one has popped up in a lot of places as I book I might like. And I did greatly enjoy the pieces of it, but it just didn't quite live up to what it could have been.

The author uses flashbacks and dual story lines to slowly dole out information and uses that mechanic well to up the intrigue and the mystery of the book. Unfortunately, sometimes she got so wrapped up in the details that even I started to wish she would move it along already. There were also "mysteries" that were so obvious it was painful how long it took for the truth to be recognized/explained.

I was here for the "dark mysterious god of the woods, maybe devil, kinda conjured from your drawing" trope, but aspects of Addie's relationship with the dark seemed forced, illogical, or contradictory. Despite the prose, there was a heavy-handed bit of "telling instead of showing".

And then there's the fact that while the main story follows Addie, a large chunk of the story follows another main character who is never mentioned in the jacket descriptions which...isn't really *wrong* but did seem weird.

The author also sets up a narrative device within the story that mimics the structure of the book (clever!) but which makes the first couple of chapters in the last section seem weirdly navel-gazey and self-referential. And the final chapter left me...sad.

Addie, saves Henry and instead give herself over to tormenting Luc. And yes, I get the "finally free!" arc, but there is nothing that says that counteracts her first contract, she didn't renegotiate for her soul, so she will still be cursed to be invisible?

I also just, generally had a lot of questions about

Addie + Henry (300+ year old + 29 year old find love because...they are curse compatible?), Addie's humanity (is she turning into a god? If that's true, how does the whole Henry thing square?), Luc's nature (he's a god not a human! No, but he loves her! No but he's incapable of love!).

I can squint and see answers, but I think it could have been handled more gracefully in the story.

That said, the conceit was a fun one, the "holes" the author found in the curse, she did a fabulous job with how the dark both granted and twisted wishes in a way that felt both natural and inevitable once the downsides were understood.

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thirza_joy's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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liviascott's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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larbster90's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

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alivotta's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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

5.0

Wow

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wowsmeows's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

"...history is something you look back on, not something you really feel at the time. In the moment, you're just... living. I didn't want to live forever. I just wanted to live"

Addie LaRue follows the story of a girl who has been 23 for the last 300 years, cursed to be forgotten until she meets a man who remembers.

I don't normally pick up books that are so long, but the premise had me really intrigued. I'm so glad I decided to read this as I absolutely loved it. I thought it was written so beautifully and I was desperate to consume the story.

I will admit that this is a very slow book, so I definitely wouldn't recommend if you're looking for a fast-paced adventure. It's slow and thoughtful and the story really only begins at around the 50% mark. It takes a while for the initial set up and for the book to really explain what is going on and how the curse works. But, even in these slower moments I still found myself absolutely hooked.

I know that this was a 5* book for me, as its been staying with me even after I finished each of my reading sessions. The story has really burrowed into my brain and I feel like I've been thinking and reflecting on it a lot.

It's not one for everyone, but I will definitely remember Addie LaRue.

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