Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

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

115 reviews

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

iolanderose's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

5.0

Incredible prose, Schwab is phenomenal at bringing places to life. From France to New York in different eras, the world's weaved feel real. Addie is perfectly flawed without being frustrating. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

helfire124's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

boba_nbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

This is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. 

I love the personification of the devil through Luc and the Faustian bargains that took place. It was incredibly interesting and showed a lot of history. 

That being said, it took me quite a while to get into the story. It wasn't until maybe the last 50% of the book that I really got invested in the characters and their fates. It just felt TOO slow-moving sometimes, focusing on one century over the other, and rushed in others. 

I enjoyed the banter between Luc and Addie and their characters, but Henry is the one character I felt was well developed since we got to see his life played. With Henry, the reader gets a peek behind the curtain at his motivations while Addie's true motivations aren't revealed until the very end. I guess that just adds to the enigma that is Addie LaRue. 

Overall, I did enjoy this novel and will be thinking about the plot for a while. It's one I need to delve into and could definitely reread at some point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing and War

thereadinghammock's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

I didn't quite know what to expect when I dove into this book finally. I was surprised, curious, intrigued, satisfied, and wanting more at every stage. I loved Addie's resourcefulness and tenacity, but was frustrated by her hubris and how it took her so long to learn how fickle Luc's moods and inclination to kindness could be. I was nervous for Henry almost every step of the way. I was so afraid Henry WAS Luc or some kind of specific obstacle put in Addie's path to cause her to misstep on her deal. 

While I should have seen it coming, and eventually I did, Luc falling in love with Addie still managed to surprise me. I think the vehemence that Luc fell for her was what managed to surprise me. I thought he would fall in and out of love with her, or once he finally had her, he would quickly grow tired of her. But he didn't. Once he finally had her, he wanted her more. Wanted to keep her for himself. A Persephone to his Hades. And Addie only saw the betrayal of it; the malicious intent behind his actions, to lure her into a false sense of security and make her give up her soul to him before she was ready. 

When I realized that this book was supposed to be a version of Henry's book, telling Addie's story, I loved that plot device. Subtle and witty. I legitimately cried when Addie read Henry's dedication to her in the finished novel, "I remember you." My heart broke and mended and grew and ached for them all at once. It was truly beautiful. And I love that it was perfectly paired with Addie's renegotiation with Luc at the end. She played his game of semantics with aplomb and I'm so proud of her. And Schwab kept us on that string until the very last sentence.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

marsmonny's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War

saturnpersonified's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent and War

msradiosilence's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

TLDR; 4.5 rating rounded up, I love monkey’s paw wishes, I love queer women, and I’m not gonna lie this book almost had me crying.


Full review to come. :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Rape, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Stalking

halliot's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, and Suicide attempt