Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

“A dreamer,” scorns her mother.
“A dreamer,” mourns her father.
“A dreamer,” warns Estele.

Most people only have ~80 years for growth and development. I don’t know, I’m 22 and feel like I’ve gone through significantly more character development than someone 3 centuries older than me. Also for someone that wanted to be free to see everything it seems only France, Italy, and Germany had memorable experiences. Even her being in mostly Europe, someone else mentioned that there were no Renaissance experiences. What was Addie’s experience with the Renaissance? The Reformation? The Age of Enlightenment? The closest thing to it was mentions of Voltaire. She could’ve easily spent a year in each country, just gone back and forth and built up a collection of the most amazing experiences instead of memories walking through Europe. At least I would’ve but I’m not her and maybe key to development is being remembered for the things you do and have done so people can guide you.

I enjoyed the writing although sometimes it got a bit corny and repetitive. It was both inspiring and heart-breaking. I looooved the relationship with the darkness and the manipulation at the end too. Henry was bland but I feel like sometimes people are actually just bland and that’s who he is.

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saturnpersonified's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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yarisbooksandbevs's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I didn’t think this book was bad. I actually overall enjoyed it. I did feel like the story was a bit slow and sometimes difficult to follow. I felt like sometimes extra information was added when it wasn’t necessarily needed. Making the story slower or longer.

I loved Henry. My heart ached for him and I just wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay. Addie had some character development.

Spoiler

it’s hard when you’ve lived 300 years and everyone forgets you. Not to mention she goes through developments and setbacks throughout that time

.

Overall it was a good book but I don’t think I would pick it up again. It was a bit slow and there were some lulls in the pace, but It was emotional and there were lots of great moments.

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captainnat's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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msradiosilence's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

TLDR; 4.5 rating rounded up, I love monkey’s paw wishes, I love queer women, and I’m not gonna lie this book almost had me crying.

Full review to come. :)

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myleejmiller's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It is not often I find myself without something to say after concluding a story written and published, or otherwise yet to be printed on paper. I have so many words to explain my absolute astonishment at this novel and what it entails, but not enough words to scribe my thoughts properly. Thinking of my own writing, I often consider the benefits of certain methods leading to literary excellence. This novel, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, made me question for the first time the benefit of writing a story in one popular way or the other, quieter way. One method, in which the author focuses on the plot, and the characters, and weaves a story of epic wonder and magic that makes you jump out of your seat while reading to evoke exclamations. Or, alternatively, a story which provokes such deep reflection and thought while and after reviewing it, that it changes lives due to its outstanding lean towards overarching theme and moral tension. Both, I feel are outstanding in their own ways. However, one provokes excitement while the other provokes memory. And unlike the thousands of books I've read over the years, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was merely the second book, and the absolutely better book, to ever channel tears from my eyes. The characters are exquisite in their anguish, the story is profound and encompassing in its bluntness. The world within it is deep and vivid and real, so much so that it makes for an un-put-downable standalone from start to finish. It is life-changing. Though it does have it faults, as every story (even with five star ratings) does, it is a book I am not likely to forget. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue paints the pictures of life so brutally real and in such vivid color that it is both memorable and provoking, long after its completion. V.E. Schwab, and her writing of this masterpiece, tells me that she is an author of deep thought and even deeper meaning. I cannot wait to dive into her future and past works, and let these alongside other stories like hers better my own perspective on reality, and also my writing of real and fictional worlds.

I could say so much more, and explain how much a story like this means to a person (of many flaws) like me, but I will simply end with this: Thank you. Thanks to V.E Schwab, the book itself, the agent who took it on, the publisher who printed it, and the readers who praised it so highly. You have made, altogether, an unforgettable tale of change, hope, and devastation. Thank you, from a reader who is just beginning to understand the impact a story can have.

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claudia_moreira's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It's a great book. Maybe it was me that could not find the right mood to read it, maybe I just felt it drag in some parts, but I can't give it more stars than this, even thought I know I will remember this story many times in the future.

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