annabananadel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Tbu
The beginning to the middle was so slow it took me weeks to get through it - not that I was bored but for some reason, I always get sleepy. It was pretty much text heavy so in return, my eyes was also heavy. Not that it stopped me from continuing the story. It was indeed very interesting but there were alot of small details that could have been left out (that’s what I thought at first).
After the middle mark, I was hooked. I’ve brought the book everywhere I go in case I have time for a read because I wanted to know how it goes. Would Addie and Henry have a happy ending or what? You just have to keep reading it. She told stories of the past and how she got thru them all - including the war too. What really shocked me was the love story between Addie and Luc because that was a fast ball I did not see coming. But after getting past that, I realized that it was going there and I was just blinded by Henry.
The ending though. Addie, you stubborn girl. I’d love to be like you one day.
(I love love love how this really feel like it was written by Addie herself.)
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Torture
Moderate: Suicide attempt and War
Minor: Drug use and Sexual assault
mchevvuri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Sexual assault
saturnpersonified's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Addiction, Death, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent and War
captainnat's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: War
msradiosilence's review against another edition
- 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
Full review to come. :)
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Classism, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Sexual assault, Violence, and War
Minor: Kidnapping, Stalking, Cancer, Confinement, Rape, and Religious bigotry
sebnia_05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Alcoholism, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: War, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kaziaroo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
But then Henry appeared. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the book more if I'd just skipped Henry's chapters. The story would have mostly made sense without them and I would have those hours of my life back. Although I related to some of his struggles with choosing his career path and specialism, and his situation is also sad, Henry's chapters were just boring. He mopes around all day and whenever he feels a little worse he just downs a mixture of drugs with gay abandon and no consequences the next day. His and Addie's "love" was totally unconvincing; compared to the other lovers we see her meet, Henry is by far the most dull and she only likes him so much because he remembers her. She becomes the only interesting thing about him.
I wish the book had either explored the world and history a bit more or been a couple of hundred pages shorter. I had no interest in watching Addie and Henry having nice days out and going to endless bars and clubs, or sleeping with everyone they meet. The flowery writing desperately tried to make me fall in love with the characters and settings, but it was all style over substance. My overall feeling about this book is disappointment after the hype.
I would recommend this to fans of Matt Haig's "How to Stop Time" and who want nice, deep-sounding quotes to put in their Instagram captions.
TL;DR: it was well executed for what it was but the writing was flowery, the male lead boring, the female lead unadventurous, and there was too much sex, drugs and rock & roll for my tastes.
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Alcohol, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Stalking
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Violence, Infidelity, War, and Vomit
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have found it really hard to sit down and write a review about it. I really enjoyed the book. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes curses, prophesies, the movie Labyrinth, pansexual characters, book shops, art and music, and croissants. (if that's you, don't read the review, just go and get the book)
Addie La Rue is a semi-mortal person who has been gifted and cursed by an old god, to have all the time she wants, but never be remembered by anyone longer than she is in contact with them. This includes writing anything down, breaking things, or appearing on cameras, but does not include people drawing her or writing down things about her. It's a really cool premise for a story and provides a lot of scope for her interactions over the centuries. The story is not told in fully chronological order, but you don't get lost.
How would you react if you ordered a coffee but couldn't get it unless it was delivered to your table number, rather than you personally, because you are literally "out of sight, out of mind"?
Addie develops a perverse relationship of sorts with the one entity who can remember her; the one who cursed her in the first place. This creature of Darkness who she names Luc, has a definite Goblin King vibe and much of the feel of their relationship, and the crap he pulls, could easily have been straight from the movie Labyrinth.. the parallels are not lost on me.
Running into someone who can remember her is incredibly emotional and goes against all the things Addie has learned in her last centuries of life. They spend time figuring out the limits of her curse, and why it is that it doesn't work on him.
Honestly, the story, the growth, the recurrent nature of having to go through first-time meetings (over and over again) is a captivating puzzle. My son who is interested in SCP found himself spending time pondering about the limits of such magical restraints, what she can or cannot do, and what might happen if she encountered someone else with different powers or limits.
I really love this book.
Graphic: Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Physical abuse, War, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content
irinalast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Death
kniveswins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual assault