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A review by kell_xavi
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
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, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and War