Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

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

113 reviews

ailiaris25's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

unboundbooklover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

peggy_racham's review against another edition

5.0

"If it cannot be love, well, then, at least it is not lonely."

Angry women, gods you shouldn't pray to and an intriguing answer to the question: what would you do with forever?
The answer is nobody wants to be immortal.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

claire_leibovitz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Biphobia and War

hdoomk's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

nineinchnails's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

this is definitely a no plot just vibes type of book and very slow paced so i can absolutely understand why so many people didn't enjoy this or even manage to get through it, HOWEVER i loved this. i am a sucker for pretty prose though and the prose was gorgeous in this book so i'm a little biased. most of the criticism for this book is warranted but this story and its characters really appealed to me. i wish we got more on addie's time in new orleans though, it seemed like it would have given some more insight into

her and luc's relationship + would've given luc more depth. it feels like we barely got to know him

.

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!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Child death, and War

Maternal mortality/Death during childbirth

tranquiltides's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing 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

5.0

VE Schwab does it again! First book of 2024 is a 5 star. Honestly I can’t believe I waited so long to read it! This book had me laughing and crying, and thinking and feeling and honestly… isn’t that what we all want out of a good story? 
It’s emotional in a longing sort of way, but anyone who enjoys a twist on “The Villian gets the girl” romance stories will certainly enjoy this read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Terminal illness, and War

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

rachaelreadthat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Biphobia, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment and War

kelly_e's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• 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

Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
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." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War

teaand_tomes's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-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

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an absolutely magnificent book. The way V.E. Schwab writes is enchanting, painting an entrancing story that feels like pure poetry. It is easily one of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read.

The unexpected mystery surrounding the man who finally remembers Addie adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. It keeps you engaged and wanting to uncover the truth alongside the characters.

The dual timelines in the story are so captivating that I found myself torn between them, never wanting either to end once they've started. The way the author seamlessly weaves together Addie's past and present is masterful.

While reading, I couldn't help but hold my breath, much like Addie herself, waiting for the spell to break. The constant anticipation of the curse creeping back into her life adds a sense of tension and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is truly a masterpiece of literature. Despite having an ending that may not be conventionally happy and is mildly open-ended, I am left utterly speechless by how amazing this story is. It is a testament to the author's skill and storytelling ability.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates beautifully written stories that captivate and leave a lasting impact. It is a remarkable tale that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism