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kaziaroo's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
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
kayceeisbookish'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
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Gaslighting, War, Terminal illness, Child death, Sexual content, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Suicide, Self harm, and Grief
Minor: Cancer
magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition
- 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
chasingpages1'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
Graphic: Violence, Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Stalking, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Homophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Self harm, War, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Religious bigotry
drtx_bwt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Death
Moderate: Terminal illness and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Biphobia, and Infidelity
miaaa_lenaaa'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
A bit predictable at times but made me cry and felt original plot wise
‘History is a thing designed in retrospect’
‘"It did not feel like courage… it felt as if I had no choice.”’
Graphic: Blood, Death, Body horror, Misogyny, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Addiction, and Suicidal thoughts
throwback682's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think the concept of the plot is really creative, and the author keeps track of a thousand little details of Addie’s curse that could’ve created a thousand plot holes.
At times it was predictable, but not in a way that spoiled my enjoyment.
This book made me want to savor every moment of life and love. It was entertaining but also thought provoking and heart-fire stoking.
Graphic: War, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Addiction, Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cancer, Classism, and Dementia
giulianalb99's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
He llegado a odiar y amar a los personajes de una forma inexplicable. Addie está durante sus más de trescientos años de vida anhelando un amor que nunca llega, porque el “amor” que siente por Henry y el “amor” que siente por Luc son ambos TÓXICOS. Está con Henry porque es la única persona que se acuerda de ella, así que decide aferrarse a ella al igual que Henry decide estar con Addie porque es la única que no tiene esa “bruma” en los ojos cuando la ve; con Luc, Addie siente una “atracción” y tienen una tensión sexual de la hostia, pero se aferra a él simplemente porque durante tantos años él es el único que la conoce y la recuerda. Eso de “eres mía” me ha hecho 0 gracia por todo el tema de que una persona no es una posesión OBVIAMENTE.
Me hubiera gustado haber visto más de la vida de Addie, como por ejemplo más eventos de su vida, porque, durante 300 años, solo parece importante decir que fue la musa de muchos artistas y pues aunque eso no es nada malo, me parece algo demasiado perfecto (no sabría ni cómo explicarlo😂).
Aún así, el final me ha hecho sentir totalmente vacía por dentro. No sé si 4 estrellas es demasiado para este libro, pero ahora mismo me parecen las adecuadas, y no voy a darle más estrellas porque, como he dicho antes, es un libro bastante lento y también creo que le sobran bastantes páginas.
Conclusión: Ten cuidado con lo que deseas y nunca le reces a los dioses de la noche.
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexism, Stalking, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
sarahbiegelsen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, War, Alcohol, Blood, and Death of parent