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A review by mezzarella
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, written by V.E. Schwab centers around themes of mortality, love, and loss. While most books center themselves in these classic themes, Schwab takes it one step further: What if a life only guaranteed one thing? What if a character only had their freedom? What if a character only had others' love? What if these guarantees came at a cost far grander than once imagined?
Schwab does not tell a story of grand adventure and never-ending twists and turns in this novel. Often times, hundreds of pages will go by without anything truly happening at all. Considering the main character Addie LaRue, this choice is fitting for the story. For the hundreds of years that LaRue has lived, she has only been able to observe the world around her, instead of participating in it . The writing is often lovely and the settings are in dazzling, beautiful, and romantic places. Dialogue between characters runs smoothly and realistically, letting relationships form beautifully within its pages.
While this book is not famous for its diverse racial cast, a small detail which I appreciated was the fact the two starring characters were casually and refreshingly bisexual. There were no coming out plotlines, awkward mixed acceptance conversations, the two characters in question were simply unapologetically and accepted members of the queer community. Their identity was only a small part of the rest of who they were, and frankly, one of the most normal. So many stories with LGBTQIA+ representation focus entirely on the character's sexual identity, and they are often beautiful and compelling stories. This aside, it was great to have representation in a story not inherently tied in sexuality (although instances of biphobia are briefly mentioned by a supporting character later on in the book.)
For those looking for a clear cut romance, simple spring read, or an uplifting fantasy, this may not be the book you are looking for. The story ends on a bittersweet note, and at the end, there is commentary on death and life which may be stressful for certain audiences. As Addie LaRue herself stated about her life, this novel can be easily seen as a modernized retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Mistakes are made, repairs attempted, and there is always someone who wins the final battle.
Schwab does not tell a story of grand adventure and never-ending twists and turns in this novel. Often times, hundreds of pages will go by without anything truly happening at all. Considering the main character Addie LaRue, this choice is fitting for the story.
While this book is not famous for its diverse racial cast, a small detail which I appreciated was the fact the two starring characters were casually and refreshingly bisexual. There were no coming out plotlines, awkward mixed acceptance conversations, the two characters in question were simply unapologetically and accepted members of the queer community. Their identity was only a small part of the rest of who they were, and frankly, one of the most normal. So many stories with LGBTQIA+ representation focus entirely on the character's sexual identity, and they are often beautiful and compelling stories. This aside, it was great to have representation in a story not inherently tied in sexuality (although instances of biphobia are briefly mentioned by a supporting character later on in the book.)
For those looking for a clear cut romance, simple spring read, or an uplifting fantasy, this may not be the book you are looking for. The story ends on a bittersweet note, and at the end, there is commentary on death and life which may be stressful for certain audiences. As Addie LaRue herself stated about her life, this novel can be easily seen as a modernized retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Mistakes are made, repairs attempted, and there is always someone who wins the final battle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Biphobia
This book is centered around mortality and follows two characters who have made deals which inhibit their abilities to fully live their lives as they once intended. One character in particular contemplated suicide and regularly abused alcohol before signing his deal, resulting in him only having a year to live. Plenty of thoughts are shared about his time running out, contemplations on how people experience death, and other details which could trigger those with fears. Another character is regularly abandoned, taunted, and reminded she is owned by another character, the same who signed her deal. .