Scan barcode
koplomps's review
- 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
nialiversuch's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence
cassidy_rain's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I absolutely adored this. I never annotate books, but this is the first time I wished I wasn’t reading a library book, because there were so many things I wanted to highlight!
This novel follows our main character, Adeline. Her life is passing her by and as she desperately prays for change, her life is completely upended when she strikes an unusual deal. It is a story of life, love, and loss as the limitations of this bargain follow her for centuries. It is written in third person, but we do get dual POV from both Adeline and Henry.
“The wonder in your eyes, at the sight of something new. I knew then I'd never win."
This is my first read from this author and I absolutely loved the writing style. I was hooked into the story from the very beginning and the writing is just beautiful. It reads almost like a historical fiction, but with added magical elements. I thought it was really fun and filled with wanderlust.
I really enjoyed the characters. I adored Adeline. She reminds me a bit of myself in the way she wants to see and do everything. Despite her struggles, she never gives up and always sees the beauty in the world around her. I loved the little nods to art/history at the beginning of each part. It was really interesting to see how Addie was able to shape the world in her own way, even when she wasn’t supposed to be able to.
Henry is a really raw character and I love his dynamic with Adeline. I was definitely rooting for him.
Luc is a very interesting character and antagonist. I found myself liking him, even though he is at his core the villain of the story.
“I remember you”.
I had a few theories of the direction the story was going, but they were all wrong. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the ending, but I actually thought it was well done and wrapped everything up nicely. I loved getting lost in this story and would highly recommend!
Moderate: Confinement and Suicidal thoughts
epeolatrist'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content and Mental illness
Minor: War and Confinement
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
msradiosilence's review
- 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
Full review to come. :)
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Classism, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Sexual assault, Violence, and War
Minor: Kidnapping, Stalking, Cancer, Confinement, Rape, and Religious bigotry
erebus53'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
I have found it really hard to sit down and write a review about it. I really enjoyed the book. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes curses, prophesies, the movie Labyrinth, pansexual characters, book shops, art and music, and croissants. (if that's you, don't read the review, just go and get the book)
Addie La Rue is a semi-mortal person who has been gifted and cursed by an old god, to have all the time she wants, but never be remembered by anyone longer than she is in contact with them. This includes writing anything down, breaking things, or appearing on cameras, but does not include people drawing her or writing down things about her. It's a really cool premise for a story and provides a lot of scope for her interactions over the centuries. The story is not told in fully chronological order, but you don't get lost.
How would you react if you ordered a coffee but couldn't get it unless it was delivered to your table number, rather than you personally, because you are literally "out of sight, out of mind"?
Addie develops a perverse relationship of sorts with the one entity who can remember her; the one who cursed her in the first place. This creature of Darkness who she names Luc, has a definite Goblin King vibe and much of the feel of their relationship, and the crap he pulls, could easily have been straight from the movie Labyrinth.. the parallels are not lost on me.
Running into someone who can remember her is incredibly emotional and goes against all the things Addie has learned in her last centuries of life. They spend time figuring out the limits of her curse, and why it is that it doesn't work on him.
Honestly, the story, the growth, the recurrent nature of having to go through first-time meetings (over and over again) is a captivating puzzle. My son who is interested in SCP found himself spending time pondering about the limits of such magical restraints, what she can or cannot do, and what might happen if she encountered someone else with different powers or limits.
I really love this book.
Graphic: Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Physical abuse, War, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content
esme_may's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, War, Classism, Drug use, Blood, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death and Cancer
espressoreader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
magic_multicolored_miracle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
That is the question at the heart of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. The novel follows a girl who trades her soul, and unknowingly the ability to be remembered, to a man who might be the devil or might be a Old God in exchange for an immortal life of freedom.
Full of romance and art and clever turns, the novel starts slow but soon builds into a crescendo. Alternating chapters between her modern life in New York City in 2014 where she meets and falls in love with the enigma of Henry Strauss and flashes of the life she lived over the last 300 years, mostly tangled with "anniversaries" with Luc, the being that she promised her soul to, the book does an excellent job of telling two stories twined into one. And though it is a complete piece on it's own, the story coming to a beautifully bittersweet ending, it teases a third at the close, promising that forever goes on and there is still hope yet.
It does not shy away from the horrors facing a woman alone through history, but reminds the reader that Addie is clever and strong and will make it through, and that no matter where and when she is, there are beautiful things to be find when she looks.
A definite must read for fans of trickster fae tales, doomed love, and the timeless power of art and stories.
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Self harm, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death, War, Alcoholism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic