Scan barcode
marissasa's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the start and central premise of this book - a woman's desperate plea to the gods in search of freedom from a life where she would belong to someone else is only answered by a devil in the dark, and she accepts a deal as her only way out. She receives immortality, for the price of her soul and the catch that no one will ever be able to remember her and she cannot leave her own mark on the world. However, the rest of the book that followed was lackluster to me. V.E. Schwab writes beautifully with rich descriptions and atmosphere, but the plot ached along so slowly and I never found Addie compelling or interesting enough to root for her. She had her clever moments, but that's a bare minimum trait for any person who lived for 3 centuries and remembered and learned from every day of it. I didn't find Henry super compelling either and didn't enjoy them as a couple since the only reason they liked each other was because he was the only one who remembered her, and she was the only one who wasn't already affected by his deal to be loved. The best character in the story was Luc, and we didn't get to see much of him until the last 10% of the book when the plot really picked up. Although I liked the beginning and the ending, the story overall left me wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
classicpseudonym's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
yknow, i meant to write this review two weeks ago when i finished this book, but because this wasn't a super fast paced with some plot twist of an ending or a really heavy depressing book that made me question my whole entire life and casually spiral into an existential crisis, i didn't feel compelled to rant about my thoughts on this book nerd website immediately after i finished the book. but to the (probably not even) one person that reads these (hi angela moon if you're out there :)), don't you fret, the long-awaited review has arrived B)
and also shoutout to emma because this was the book i annotated for her birthday gift. if emma ever reads this (woah that'd make two people reading this), hi emma.
okay anyway :))
this was a pretty good book, ve schwab really outdid themself with the writing. every single chapter was beautifully written, and there were so many one-liners except they were deep wise and philosophical thoughts all beautifully packaged into singular sentences for use in my day-to-day contemplation of life? it was great, honestly.
as a disclaimer before i start picking apart this book, i did enjoy this book overall. i promise.
meanwhile, it was a slow read for my taste, and there wasn't much of a plot? the book was pretty much entirely dependent on the characters and the interactions between them, which is good if you're into that, but i personally am not.
to elaborate on the slight lack of plot, i feel like the concept of a life and a person that nobody remembers is decently fascinating (but got a slight bit repetitive somewhere in the middle of the 400 pages), but other than that this book is a typical girl meets boy kind of thing. oh except it involves deals with the devil, 300 years of one-night stands, and some really sad (depressing actually) shit that makes you question everything. so maybe it's not that generic and i just hate romance and feel the need to cancel every book in existence because they all involve a boy and a girl. oh well.
yeah, i would recommend that people read this book for the prose-like writing and really nice imagery and details woven into the text, but i personally wouldn't read it again for the reasons i just rambled about.
anyway, that's all B)
and also shoutout to emma because this was the book i annotated for her birthday gift. if emma ever reads this (woah that'd make two people reading this), hi emma.
okay anyway :))
this was a pretty good book, ve schwab really outdid themself with the writing. every single chapter was beautifully written, and there were so many one-liners except they were deep wise and philosophical thoughts all beautifully packaged into singular sentences for use in my day-to-day contemplation of life? it was great, honestly.
as a disclaimer before i start picking apart this book, i did enjoy this book overall. i promise.
meanwhile, it was a slow read for my taste, and there wasn't much of a plot? the book was pretty much entirely dependent on the characters and the interactions between them, which is good if you're into that, but i personally am not.
to elaborate on the slight lack of plot, i feel like the concept of a life and a person that nobody remembers is decently fascinating (but got a slight bit repetitive somewhere in the middle of the 400 pages), but other than that this book is a typical girl meets boy kind of thing. oh except it involves deals with the devil, 300 years of one-night stands, and some really sad (depressing actually) shit that makes you question everything. so maybe it's not that generic and i just hate romance and feel the need to cancel every book in existence because they all involve a boy and a girl. oh well.
yeah, i would recommend that people read this book for the prose-like writing and really nice imagery and details woven into the text, but i personally wouldn't read it again for the reasons i just rambled about.
anyway, that's all B)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Death of parent
pidgepodge's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
zeppelinnyx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3.00
This is certainly an…interesting read. The characters are definitely intriguing, but the relationships between them don’t really feel… sincere? I guess it feels like Addie’s connections with people are supposed to be the most important part, but none of them really feel compelling to me.Even with Henry or Luc. Her feelings for Henry— and his feelings in return, I think— seem to only come from a place of deep loneliness. That’s very impactful, for sure, but it doesn’t make me feel much other than sadness. Maybe that’s the point? I’m not sure. Then Luc only knows obsession; that’s obvious. Addie’s feelings of attachment to him only shows her loss of humanity, in my opinion. Especially when it’s obvious that she still has a deep hatred and resentment for him. The pacing is slow for my tastes, but I recognize that that’s the type of story being told here. The prose in this novel is very dramatic and stirring; I appreciate that, but the plot drags a bit. The ending of this novel definitely leaves you with a lot of mixed emotions, but it’s solid. Hard to swallow if you’re not a fan of open endings, though.
Quality of Writing: 8/10
Pacing: 5/10
Plot Development: 5/10
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyability: 6/10
Ease of Reading: 3/10
Ending: 6/10
This is certainly an…interesting read. The characters are definitely intriguing, but the relationships between them don’t really feel… sincere? I guess it feels like Addie’s connections with people are supposed to be the most important part, but none of them really feel compelling to me.
Quality of Writing: 8/10
Pacing: 5/10
Plot Development: 5/10
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyability: 6/10
Ease of Reading: 3/10
Ending: 6/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and War
itssthestars's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
im so easily enamored by books, and this is no exception. i told my friends multiple times that it felt like i was distilled into a book, and i related so much to henry it definitely hurt sometimes.
the format is so perfect for the content, and it will be in my favorites for a very long time.
the format is so perfect for the content, and it will be in my favorites for a very long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content
Minor: War
healthetank's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
ju_harue's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Eu adorei essa leitura, e que bom que esperei o hype passar, porque me ajudou a não criar expectativas, sabia pouca coisa da história, o básico, se tivesse esperado algo, talvez não gostasse tanto quanto foi a minha experiência.
A forma como Schwab vai delineando a história, em linhas temporais diferentes, que se cruzam e costuram a vida e história de Adeline, me pegou demais. Schwab trouxe a tona uma personagem exuberante, vivaz, no amplo de sentido da palavra. E os coadjuvantes também são bem cativantes, a sua maneira.
Embora seja uma leitura longa (é preciso aceitar isso e estar preparado rsrs), tem algumas repetições que poderiam ser suprimidas, sim, mas ainda assim, achei que condiz muito com a personagem e sua longa jornada (e pessoalmente, estava acostumada a livros mais rápidos, então pegar um novo ritmo, no princípio, foi mais delicado, mas depois eu curti, me reconectei com a questão do ato de ler e absorver, não somente seguir, aproveitar o caminho rsrs filosofei toda, tá feliz, VE Schwab?!). Foi aquela leitura prazerosa, onde lia bastante e ainda assim, tinha muito mais a conhecer e acompanhar, um livro a ser degustado com tempo. O final eu achei que fechou com primor, condizente com todo o arco.
A forma como Schwab vai delineando a história, em linhas temporais diferentes, que se cruzam e costuram a vida e história de Adeline, me pegou demais. Schwab trouxe a tona uma personagem exuberante, vivaz, no amplo de sentido da palavra. E os coadjuvantes também são bem cativantes, a sua maneira.
Embora seja uma leitura longa (é preciso aceitar isso e estar preparado rsrs), tem algumas repetições que poderiam ser suprimidas, sim, mas ainda assim, achei que condiz muito com a personagem e sua longa jornada (e pessoalmente, estava acostumada a livros mais rápidos, então pegar um novo ritmo, no princípio, foi mais delicado, mas depois eu curti, me reconectei com a questão do ato de ler e absorver, não somente seguir, aproveitar o caminho rsrs filosofei toda, tá feliz, VE Schwab?!). Foi aquela leitura prazerosa, onde lia bastante e ainda assim, tinha muito mais a conhecer e acompanhar, um livro a ser degustado com tempo. O final eu achei que fechou com primor, condizente com todo o arco.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Outing, and Abandonment
melv32's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Boring, repetitive, slow and there were no stakes until the very end
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction and Death
kell_xavi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
2.0
This book is quite long, and my difficulty was that I didn’t like anyone in it, or find many of the characters all that interesting. Some of the scenes—painting on the walls, Remy—were nice, but they faded amidst the gothic yearning and anxious joy and hipster innovation of New York.
I found some of the writing about mental illness weird and didn’t like the rhetoric of needing to find a purpose or something to do with one’s life. Robbie seems like a bad, self-oriented and pushy friend. The idea that people don’t dream of working in a bookstore is… simply odd, and there’s a lot of shame around Henry that isn’t questioned and doesn’t begin to heal. I tried to relate to him—his depression, religiosity, sense of not being enough, love of books and quiet—are feelings I’ve had, but I didn’t connect with him, found him bland.
I was curious about Addie’s madness, how one stops being mad, her explorations without the dark, but it kept going back to him and skipping so many of the things she found wonderful. I didn't find him, or their relationship, interesting. The main characters all came across as static (and somewhat unredeeming). I wasn’t entranced, I was waiting for the end.
I found some of the writing about mental illness weird and didn’t like the rhetoric of needing to find a purpose or something to do with one’s life. Robbie seems like a bad, self-oriented and pushy friend. The idea that people don’t dream of working in a bookstore is… simply odd, and there’s a lot of shame around Henry that isn’t questioned and doesn’t begin to heal. I tried to relate to him—his depression, religiosity, sense of not being enough, love of books and quiet—are feelings I’ve had, but I didn’t connect with him, found him bland.
I was curious about Addie’s madness, how one stops being mad, her explorations without the dark, but it kept going back to him and skipping so many of the things she found wonderful. I didn't find him, or their relationship, interesting. The main characters all came across as static (and somewhat unredeeming). I wasn’t entranced, I was waiting for the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and War
the_books_music_life's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
The invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a love letter to/for artists of every kind. This book holds so much in it’s pages, not just a story of a girl who made a deal; but of grief, guilt, stubbornness, love and loss, power dynamics and struggles of everyday life.
Addie LaRue might be one of my favorite characters ever written. She is stubborn, wise, loves with her whole heart and tries to make the best out of bad situations and has grown stronger because of it. She makes mistakes but she shows growth from those mistakes, she takes responsibility for them and while she may regret them she doesn’t wallow in the unfairness of it all.
The prose in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is so incredibly beautiful and the many, many, many quotes I’ve tagged in this book that made me feel something or made me think could fill up a whole other book.
Every character -no matter if it’s a main character, a side character, or a character we meet once- is written like a real person. They have wants, needs, problems, passions and you hardly ever see that in a book. Especially one that spans over so much time as Addie’s story does.
I don't think I have the words to express my thoughts on this book, not really. This book touched something in me and broke something in me; if my 10 minute cry fest at the end of the book says anything.
I will admit I’ve restarted this book 3 times, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the story itself, I’ve just been getting over a reading slump and I still have my moments where I don’t read for a bit and I forget and have to start over. Which I honestly don’t mind because I really love what I’ve read (3 times so far 😂) so far.
I love the narrator of the audiobook, she does a wonderful job and the fact she can speak and can do a french accent is perfect. (I don’t know if the narrator is in fact French or not)
Overall I would recommend this book a million times over and it deserves all the awards in my opinion.
Addie LaRue might be one of my favorite characters ever written. She is stubborn, wise, loves with her whole heart and tries to make the best out of bad situations and has grown stronger because of it. She makes mistakes but she shows growth from those mistakes, she takes responsibility for them and while she may regret them she doesn’t wallow in the unfairness of it all.
The prose in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is so incredibly beautiful and the many, many, many quotes I’ve tagged in this book that made me feel something or made me think could fill up a whole other book.
Every character -no matter if it’s a main character, a side character, or a character we meet once- is written like a real person. They have wants, needs, problems, passions and you hardly ever see that in a book. Especially one that spans over so much time as Addie’s story does.
I don't think I have the words to express my thoughts on this book, not really. This book touched something in me and broke something in me; if my 10 minute cry fest at the end of the book says anything.
I will admit I’ve restarted this book 3 times, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the story itself, I’ve just been getting over a reading slump and I still have my moments where I don’t read for a bit and I forget and have to start over. Which I honestly don’t mind because I really love what I’ve read (3 times so far 😂) so far.
I love the narrator of the audiobook, she does a wonderful job and the fact she can speak and can do a french accent is perfect. (I don’t know if the narrator is in fact French or not)
Overall I would recommend this book a million times over and it deserves all the awards in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
minor prostitution, attempted rape,