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A review by lizziehutchings
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
5.0
~~edit 02/26/22~~
"And there in the dark, he asks if it was really worth it.
Were the instants of joy worth the stretches of sorrow?
Were the moments of beauty worth the years of pain?
And she turns her head, and looks at him, and says, 'Always.'"
Okay. I have been thinking long and hard about this review. I read this book just over a year ago (also on midwinter break - how cool), and now I am having an equally taxing struggle on whether I should rate this book 4 or 5 stars (according to the goodreads system).
I ultimately decided to rate each section on a five star scale, then average it out afterwards - because this book certainly wasn't perfect but, man I forgot (ha) how good it was. (also I used french because it felt fitting).
remembrance ★★★★★
partie un ★★★★
partie deux ★★★★★
partie trois ★★★★★
partie quatre ★★★
partie cinq ★★★★
partie six ★★★★★
partie sept ★★★★★
...and that averages out to 4.5. Perfect. "Remembrance" was a letter that Schwab wrote for the Anniversary Editions of this book, and honestly, I think that's what made this read so much deeper and better than the last.
Some of the most prominent complaints about the book, I found, I could combat with reasoning, but that doesn't, by any means, make this book flawless. V.E. Schwab said it herself in Remembrance that it took her ten years to draft this book, and "in the pursuit of making it perfect [she] would make nothing."
So I went into this book with that mindset, and my eyes were opened. Not before did I feel such a powerful reflection of V.E. Scwhab than I have in any of her other novels.
It's no secret that V.E. Schwab's books have parallels. Parallel characters (e.g. Cassidy and Mackenzie, Eli and August, Jacob and Cole/Will, Wesley and Alucard, Kate and Lila, Leo and Victor, Maxim and Henry Flynn), parallel themes (e.g. morality, mortality, power), parallel lines.
But Addie LaRue seems just so unique. It seems more from Schwab's heart while her other novels are from her brilliant mind.
This lovely book is so much more than a romance. In fact, I didn't even find myself rooting for the "main couple." I took a lot of notes in this book and discovered far more prominent themes - the things, I think, that V.E. really wanted her readers to come away with.
Invisibility
Loneliness
Belonging
Freedom
Sacrifice
Human nature
I mean, other than the fact that he worked in a bookshop, I didn't even like Henry as a person. But what astonished me about this character was that he felt so . . . real. The (figurative) demons that haunted him seemed relatable - even scarily so. I don't even believe that he and Addie were in love by the end. They just both needed someone. Someone who cared about them.
I haven't even talked about Schwab's enchanting writing. The atmosphere she sets in this book is so cozy-read-by-the-fire-place-on-a-rainy-day. Some reviews hate her abundant use of metaphors, but I am a sucker for V.E.'s language and description. This Scwhab-a-thon was a wonderful way to see V.E. grow from [b:The Near Witch|6931344|The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1299080471l/6931344._SY75_.jpg|7162375] to this lovely book.
Also that audiobook was fantastic. The narrator captured everything perfectly, and she made this book even better than just reading it.
I absolutely cannot wait to see what V.E. Schwab will do with [b:Gallant|58064046|Gallant|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635862579l/58064046._SX50_.jpg|61346994]. Have a wonderful afternoon.
~~original~~
4.5 stars
ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygoodheavens please save me from this wreckage of emotional damage and tears.
Oh, wait. It's too late for that. So long as the name V.E. Schwab is on a book, I know I have committed myself utterly and completely.
"Nothing is all good or all bad," she says. "Life is so much messier than that."
Honestly, I was not sure what I was getting into picking up this book, having heard that it is quite different from other V.E. Schwab books. Given that all other V.E. Schwab books are masterpieces, you can see why I was a little worried.
No need. No need. This book just had everything for me, and yes. It was very different from other books in the Schwabiverse, but this book just--agh. It tore my soul in half, to say the least.
Characters. It's no secret that Queen Victoria Schwab is a master at character work, and this immortal tale proves that to be true still. Addie's emotional battles, pride, and motives were well planned and well portrayed also. There was so much passion and emotion that we got out of her and her character, and it was fantastic and rattling. ALSO, um Luc?? Coolest character ever. Sure, I hated him. For like the entire book. But he was sooo good. Such a good villain, and an amazing representation of the devil and all the selfish desire and trickery that comes with the package. And Henry. Agh. AGHFKHDDhdfjshfs. I feel like those words say enough.
Plot. It's also not secret that Queen Victoria Schwab is a master at plots. My one criticism comes in this aspect for me. The plot and flashbacks were a little slow at parts for my preference. And ending was pretty guessable--BUT THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THE IMPACT THAT IT HAD ON ME. The concept was absolutely amazing, and I thought that every part of it was delivered beautifully and fantastically.
Writing. OKAY. This honestly was probably one of my favorite parts of this book, as it almost always is for Victoria's novels. After having recently read some of her earlier novels--[b:The Archived|10929432|The Archived (The Archived, #1)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1338729878l/10929432._SX50_.jpg|15846509] and [b:The Unbound|13638131|The Unbound (The Archived, #2)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361898093l/13638131._SX50_.jpg|19250879]--I think this is the thing that our V.E. Schwab has grown the most in over the years. Every description, every thought, every everything that I read was written so beautifully, poetically, and I just know that if Victoria's books aren't held to the same esteem as Charles Dickens' is 100 years in the future, something will have been utterly wrong with the world. She tells a beautiful and engaging story in beautiful words, and agh. It was amazing and fantastic.
Have a spectacular evening
"And there in the dark, he asks if it was really worth it.
Were the instants of joy worth the stretches of sorrow?
Were the moments of beauty worth the years of pain?
And she turns her head, and looks at him, and says, 'Always.'"
Okay. I have been thinking long and hard about this review. I read this book just over a year ago (also on midwinter break - how cool), and now I am having an equally taxing struggle on whether I should rate this book 4 or 5 stars (according to the goodreads system).
I ultimately decided to rate each section on a five star scale, then average it out afterwards - because this book certainly wasn't perfect but, man I forgot (ha) how good it was. (also I used french because it felt fitting).
remembrance ★★★★★
partie un ★★★★
partie deux ★★★★★
partie trois ★★★★★
partie quatre ★★★
partie cinq ★★★★
partie six ★★★★★
partie sept ★★★★★
...and that averages out to 4.5. Perfect. "Remembrance" was a letter that Schwab wrote for the Anniversary Editions of this book, and honestly, I think that's what made this read so much deeper and better than the last.
Some of the most prominent complaints about the book, I found, I could combat with reasoning, but that doesn't, by any means, make this book flawless. V.E. Schwab said it herself in Remembrance that it took her ten years to draft this book, and "in the pursuit of making it perfect [she] would make nothing."
So I went into this book with that mindset, and my eyes were opened. Not before did I feel such a powerful reflection of V.E. Scwhab than I have in any of her other novels.
It's no secret that V.E. Schwab's books have parallels. Parallel characters (e.g. Cassidy and Mackenzie, Eli and August, Jacob and Cole/Will, Wesley and Alucard, Kate and Lila, Leo and Victor, Maxim and Henry Flynn), parallel themes (e.g. morality, mortality, power), parallel lines.
But Addie LaRue seems just so unique. It seems more from Schwab's heart while her other novels are from her brilliant mind.
This lovely book is so much more than a romance. In fact, I didn't even find myself rooting for the "main couple." I took a lot of notes in this book and discovered far more prominent themes - the things, I think, that V.E. really wanted her readers to come away with.
Invisibility
Loneliness
Belonging
Freedom
Sacrifice
Human nature
I mean, other than the fact that he worked in a bookshop, I didn't even like Henry as a person. But what astonished me about this character was that he felt so . . . real. The (figurative) demons that haunted him seemed relatable - even scarily so. I don't even believe that he and Addie were in love by the end. They just both needed someone. Someone who cared about them.
I haven't even talked about Schwab's enchanting writing. The atmosphere she sets in this book is so cozy-read-by-the-fire-place-on-a-rainy-day. Some reviews hate her abundant use of metaphors, but I am a sucker for V.E.'s language and description. This Scwhab-a-thon was a wonderful way to see V.E. grow from [b:The Near Witch|6931344|The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1299080471l/6931344._SY75_.jpg|7162375] to this lovely book.
Also that audiobook was fantastic. The narrator captured everything perfectly, and she made this book even better than just reading it.
I absolutely cannot wait to see what V.E. Schwab will do with [b:Gallant|58064046|Gallant|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635862579l/58064046._SX50_.jpg|61346994]. Have a wonderful afternoon.
~~original~~
4.5 stars
ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygoodheavens please save me from this wreckage of emotional damage and tears.
Oh, wait. It's too late for that. So long as the name V.E. Schwab is on a book, I know I have committed myself utterly and completely.
"Nothing is all good or all bad," she says. "Life is so much messier than that."
Honestly, I was not sure what I was getting into picking up this book, having heard that it is quite different from other V.E. Schwab books. Given that all other V.E. Schwab books are masterpieces, you can see why I was a little worried.
No need. No need. This book just had everything for me, and yes. It was very different from other books in the Schwabiverse, but this book just--agh. It tore my soul in half, to say the least.
Characters. It's no secret that Queen Victoria Schwab is a master at character work, and this immortal tale proves that to be true still. Addie's emotional battles, pride, and motives were well planned and well portrayed also. There was so much passion and emotion that we got out of her and her character, and it was fantastic and rattling. ALSO, um Luc?? Coolest character ever. Sure, I hated him. For like the entire book. But he was sooo good. Such a good villain, and an amazing representation of the devil and all the selfish desire and trickery that comes with the package. And Henry. Agh. AGHFKHDDhdfjshfs. I feel like those words say enough.
Plot. It's also not secret that Queen Victoria Schwab is a master at plots. My one criticism comes in this aspect for me. The plot and flashbacks were a little slow at parts for my preference. And ending was pretty guessable--BUT THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THE IMPACT THAT IT HAD ON ME. The concept was absolutely amazing, and I thought that every part of it was delivered beautifully and fantastically.
Writing. OKAY. This honestly was probably one of my favorite parts of this book, as it almost always is for Victoria's novels. After having recently read some of her earlier novels--[b:The Archived|10929432|The Archived (The Archived, #1)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1338729878l/10929432._SX50_.jpg|15846509] and [b:The Unbound|13638131|The Unbound (The Archived, #2)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361898093l/13638131._SX50_.jpg|19250879]--I think this is the thing that our V.E. Schwab has grown the most in over the years. Every description, every thought, every everything that I read was written so beautifully, poetically, and I just know that if Victoria's books aren't held to the same esteem as Charles Dickens' is 100 years in the future, something will have been utterly wrong with the world. She tells a beautiful and engaging story in beautiful words, and agh. It was amazing and fantastic.
Have a spectacular evening