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kaziaroo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I liked the beginning, and the very end, but the middle not so much. While it's not my usual kind of book, and I have no patience for this kind of "lyrical prose" and over-romanticisation of everything, I was intrigued by Addie's situation and the bitter sadness of her not being remembered by everything. I struggled with some of the plausibility of it; that she would really be so desperate to avoid a quiet, comfortable marriage that she would make a deal with a strange eldritch being, and that she would never stray beyond Western Europe and the USA in her 300 years. Her relationship with the demon that cursed her was interesting, and so were the ways in which she learned to cope with and manoeuvre within her curse. I did find it tedious reading about her endless one-sided one-night stands, but I was willing to push through that.
But then Henry appeared. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the book more if I'd just skipped Henry's chapters. The story would have mostly made sense without them and I would have those hours of my life back. Although I related to some of his struggles with choosing his career path and specialism, and his situation is also sad, Henry's chapters were just boring. He mopes around all day and whenever he feels a little worse he just downs a mixture of drugs with gay abandon and no consequences the next day. His and Addie's "love" was totally unconvincing; compared to the other lovers we see her meet, Henry is by far the most dull and she only likes him so much because he remembers her. She becomes the only interesting thing about him.
I wish the book had either explored the world and history a bit more or been a couple of hundred pages shorter. I had no interest in watching Addie and Henry having nice days out and going to endless bars and clubs, or sleeping with everyone they meet. The flowery writing desperately tried to make me fall in love with the characters and settings, but it was all style over substance. My overall feeling about this book is disappointment after the hype.
I would recommend this to fans of Matt Haig's "How to Stop Time" and who want nice, deep-sounding quotes to put in their Instagram captions.
TL;DR: it was well executed for what it was but the writing was flowery, the male lead boring, the female lead unadventurous, and there was too much sex, drugs and rock & roll for my tastes.
But then Henry appeared. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the book more if I'd just skipped Henry's chapters. The story would have mostly made sense without them and I would have those hours of my life back. Although I related to some of his struggles with choosing his career path and specialism, and his situation is also sad, Henry's chapters were just boring. He mopes around all day and whenever he feels a little worse he just downs a mixture of drugs with gay abandon and no consequences the next day. His and Addie's "love" was totally unconvincing; compared to the other lovers we see her meet, Henry is by far the most dull and she only likes him so much because he remembers her. She becomes the only interesting thing about him.
I wish the book had either explored the world and history a bit more or been a couple of hundred pages shorter. I had no interest in watching Addie and Henry having nice days out and going to endless bars and clubs, or sleeping with everyone they meet. The flowery writing desperately tried to make me fall in love with the characters and settings, but it was all style over substance. My overall feeling about this book is disappointment after the hype.
I would recommend this to fans of Matt Haig's "How to Stop Time" and who want nice, deep-sounding quotes to put in their Instagram captions.
TL;DR: it was well executed for what it was but the writing was flowery, the male lead boring, the female lead unadventurous, and there was too much sex, drugs and rock & roll for my tastes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Alcohol, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Stalking
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Violence, Infidelity, War, and Vomit
halliot's review
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
elanuruysal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Minor: Vomit
blewballoon's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I struggled to finish this. I kept hoping it would get better, and I thought it might be when Henry joined the story, but the more time we spent with him the more I realized I wasn't interested in his character either. Addie isn't the kind of person I find myself rooting for or invested in, neither was Henry. Their choices felt arbitrary a lot of the time, like their dialogue. The chapters in the past never explored anything particularly interesting, just highlighted the overall misogyny of the past in ways that I didn't want to be immersed in. The past chapters stayed fairly far back in time without exploring more modern eras like the 50s-80s, which would have been interesting considering how much Addie lamented that women had no rights and women's rights changed a lot during that period. It feels like most of the book and plot take place in 2014. In general, the book is very repetitive. Overall things were just too sad yet uninteresting for me and it was a slog from start to finish. I am glad so many people liked it and I will try another V.E. Schwab at some point, but honestly I wish I hadn't wasted my time with this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexism, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: War and Vomit
antjeliest's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Cursing, Death, and Slavery
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Dementia
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and War
laurenleigh's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
A very delightful piece that I feel lived up to the hype! It really makes you consider what it means to be alive, to be human, to be happy. If you leave no mark and no one remembers you, were you even there? Addie exists fully and exclusively in the present when with other people (they forget her the moment they turn away or fall asleep or close the door), which is a fascinating way to be. I can see how at times this became lonely and depressing for Addie, but it was heartening to see what kept her going. Even being totally alone and basically homeless, experiencing (and influencing) art made her get up in the morning. A beautiful testament to the power of stories, in all mediums. Addie’s character is an example of dealing with depression, while her foil Henry battles with his stormy anxiety. I really appreciated Schwab’s portrayal of these modes of being, as almost everyone goes through them. But while Addie and Henry were great and all, TBH my favorite character was the Darkness. (AKA Luke but I found this naming too pedestrian for him.) I loved this “dancing with the devil” storyline, and Addie’s relationship with him was deeply intriguing. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star is its length. I think a bit of editing could have helped tighten it up. The action felt dragged out at times. Still, I definitely think this was one of my favorite reads this year so far!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit, Rape, Confinement, Alcohol, and Death of parent
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