Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - La Vida Invisible de Addie Larue

This book was absolutely heartbreaking and lovely, and one I will never regret reading. I’m glad I finally picked it up bc it’s one I never wanted to put back down. It’s times like this that make me appreciate the hype around a piece of literature because The Invisible Life of Addie Larue was truly meant for me. I laughed, I cried and fell as though my life’s been changed, as silly as it sounds. It’s unfortunate that it took me this long to read after years of being on my tbr but it was truly worth the wait. Now I can happily recommend it to others looking for a wishful, low stakes novel full of magical realism, romance, heartbreak, and a cunning yet fierce fmc.

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flovvergirl'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Would not recommend reading this review unless you've read the book or don't care about spoilers.

Let's split this into sections because I'm feeling conflicted.

The Good:

I related to the characters, especially Henry.
I enjoyed the way that Schwab wove the stories together. I know that her method of back and forth doesn't work for everyone, but I find it engaging and it really kept me wanting to read more.
I think that Addie was a believable, flawed character, and I had a good time learning about her and what was important to her. I liked her tenacity and temerity, I liked that she was harsh and able to do what was needed to survive.
I sobbed. Like, so hard that I needed to take an ibuprofen.
I thought that Luc was a fun antagonist in the beginning, and a good display of a manipulative, abusive partner. His actions shaped Addie's actions, and he effectively used the situation he created against her to get her to do what he wanted time and time again.
I enjoyed the relationship between Henry and Addie. I think that it was clear that Luc putting them into one another's paths was a mistake on his part. They helped each other grow, and I believe they loved each other. I also like their dates and the way their relationship was explored in small--if whimsical--vignettes. It successfully brought a magical feeling to their relationship while making it relatable and imparting the inherency of their end.
I liked the description of depression (particularly the storm cloud analogy), though I would have liked to see at least a little more of it in that year-ish of their relationship.
I enjoyed the imagery and thought it was well used to create meaning throughout the novel.

The Bad:

Some of the imagery felt like it was overused, particularly the: ideas are like roots. Though I really enjoyed that idea, I would have liked to see expansion on it instead of it just being said over and over again.
It was hard to suspend disbelief that Addie was able to spend so much time with people without them forgetting her. What did she do when they had to pee? As a chronic water drinker, I had a hard time with that issue.
Luc got less interesting by the end. I would have liked to see him behave more cruelly, or maybe I would have liked Addie to be more aware of his cruelty or more hurt by his actions? I'm not sure. I think that part of the reason that abuse works is this sort of need for approval, and I don't think that that relationship and its effects were deeply explored with growing awareness on Addie's part.
There was one point--and I don't know if I just misunderstood it--where Addie said it was the first time she'd ever had Champagne, but a few chapters earlier, she'd said she drank a bottle of Champagne. I double-checked the timing and everything and it seemed like it was a contradiction. This is kind of a nitpick, but eh.

In Conclusion:
I found this book moving. I felt that it had a good exploration of ideas about life and beauty, but ultimately, it felt melancholic. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes life is melancholic. I enjoyed the book and I think it was a valuable thing to read, but it wasn't a fun thing to read, really. Even when exploring the whimsy and excitement of Addie and Henry's blossoming relationship, there was this undercurrent of doom. I ached with the characters, but I couldn't set aside the inevitable the way they did. The emotion was executed excellently. Some of the ideas could have been explored more, and I wish that Luc served as a better representation of an abusive relationship, because that's what his relationship with Addie was. I don't think that Schwab romanticized it, though it does feel that she shied away from peeling back its layers and showing the rotten truth of it. Overall, that's why it's getting a four. It was great, but there were a few serious flaws that kept it from really surpassing my expectations, which admittedly, were high. Schwab was and still is one of my personal favorite authors and I will continue to read everything she puts out and work through her backlist.

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