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A review by birdbrainbooks
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Torn between a 4 and 4.5 - I think this is a book that I’m going to find myself thinking about a lot, for a very long time. The concept is fantastic—in 1714 Addie LaRue is desperate to escape her established, limited life track and makes a deal with a god of night, maybe the Devil, to live forever. In exchange, she is destined to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Until 300 years later she meets a man who doesn’t forget her.
.
I’m most blown away by how incredibly detailed and vivid every scene of this book was. This is my first by Schwab and it did not disappoint. It’s clear this was a passion project of hers. I found the dual timeline intriguing between the distant past starting in 1714+ and the 2014 NYC present. I honestly was engaged throughout—I know some felt it was slow but I didn’t feel that. My only critique is perhaps the character of Henry not being quite as compelling beyond the fact that he remembers her, and not feeling particularly interested in his own back story. But Addie and Luc’s characters will stick with me for a long time to come.
.
I found myself feeling anxious and existential dread nearing the end, completely influenced by the story, so that was compelling but also stressful.😅 I highly recommend this one and will probably be up half the night trying to figure out how I felt about the ending.
.
I’m most blown away by how incredibly detailed and vivid every scene of this book was. This is my first by Schwab and it did not disappoint. It’s clear this was a passion project of hers. I found the dual timeline intriguing between the distant past starting in 1714+ and the 2014 NYC present. I honestly was engaged throughout—I know some felt it was slow but I didn’t feel that. My only critique is perhaps the character of Henry not being quite as compelling beyond the fact that he remembers her, and not feeling particularly interested in his own back story. But Addie and Luc’s characters will stick with me for a long time to come.
.
I found myself feeling anxious and existential dread nearing the end, completely influenced by the story, so that was compelling but also stressful.😅 I highly recommend this one and will probably be up half the night trying to figure out how I felt about the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use