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alexlynx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Be patient with this book. It follows paths that you feel like you don't want to take. Give it time. I personally have a love-hate relationship with books that jump between time so much that at some point you can barely make out where the plot starts and where it ends. But this book has a very definitive start and end, only the middle is blurred. I got lost in it, and it was beautiful, and sad, and madning, and insane, inspiring, wonderful. Her writing is addictive to a point where I'm almost annoyed at myself for how long it took to finally continue reading this book. And I also want to scream at her for the things these characters have to go through, and for how attached to them I got.
Insanely beautiful.
Insanely beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
lilcassieg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
jessicadoom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
I've put off reading this book for so long. Everyone would tell me they loved it with all their heart. That it became their favorite book after they read it. (Except my sister, who simply described it as "okay.) Hearing that kind of praise always intimidates me. I'm worried it won't live up to the hype and that somehow I'm going to disappoint my loved ones if I don't love their favorite books.
(Can you tell I'm a chronic people pleaser?)
But, we're moving soon and I'm trying to work on my physical TBR. With that, I'm trying books that I'm not sure I'll love enough to keep. This fit the bill, and the audiobook was available on Hoopla. So, I dove in.
For the first, oh, three-quarters or so of the book, I was in love. I couldn't wait to see where the narrators took us. How would their stories end? And, with this, I begun writing my own ending to their stories in my hopeful little head. (Writers....)
This is not the ending we received, however. I hit part six and all of a sudden my mood towards this book shifted a bit. Yes, the writing was still beautiful. No one can say that the style of this novel isn't lyrical, poetic, artistic, etc. However, the plot (or lack thereof) took me to a place I wasn't ready to go. So, we ended at a solid four out of five instead of that glorious five stars I planned to issue.
The highlights for me were the blatant queerness of both narrators, the history we were able to witness through Addie's eyes, and the small reveals that really did help to drive the book forward. Would I read it again? Probably not. But I'm certainly not upset that I did give this one a try. It just might not be something I take with me to my next home library.
(Can you tell I'm a chronic people pleaser?)
But, we're moving soon and I'm trying to work on my physical TBR. With that, I'm trying books that I'm not sure I'll love enough to keep. This fit the bill, and the audiobook was available on Hoopla. So, I dove in.
For the first, oh, three-quarters or so of the book, I was in love. I couldn't wait to see where the narrators took us. How would their stories end? And, with this, I begun writing my own ending to their stories in my hopeful little head. (Writers....)
This is not the ending we received, however. I hit part six and all of a sudden my mood towards this book shifted a bit. Yes, the writing was still beautiful. No one can say that the style of this novel isn't lyrical, poetic, artistic, etc. However, the plot (or lack thereof) took me to a place I wasn't ready to go. So, we ended at a solid four out of five instead of that glorious five stars I planned to issue.
The highlights for me were the blatant queerness of both narrators, the history we were able to witness through Addie's eyes, and the small reveals that really did help to drive the book forward. Would I read it again? Probably not. But I'm certainly not upset that I did give this one a try. It just might not be something I take with me to my next home library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content, Stalking, and War
questionable ability to consent, plot? what plot?juan_adhd_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
I have never cried as much with any book as this one, and this is not hyperbole. This was such a lovely story; beautifully written; and it was fantastic, sad, epic, everything I expected it to be and still managed to surprise me. It is probably one of V.E. Schwab’s best works and the reason she will forever be my favorite author.
I have nothing else to say for now, as I just have finished the story. Will probably come back soon to write a full review, but for now I feel completely satisfied and very hopeful about the ending. Highly recommend!
I have nothing else to say for now, as I just have finished the story. Will probably come back soon to write a full review, but for now I feel completely satisfied and very hopeful about the ending. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
kathrynok's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
hdoomk's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
ankiaisreading's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
inkysplodge's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Classism
flovvergirl's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Would not recommend reading this review unless you've read the book or don't care about spoilers.
Let's split this into sections because I'm feeling conflicted.
The Good:
The Good:
I related to the characters, especially Henry. I enjoyed the way that Schwab wove the stories together. I know that her method of back and forth doesn't work for everyone, but I find it engaging and it really kept me wanting to read more. I think that Addie was a believable, flawed character, and I had a good time learning about her and what was important to her. I liked her tenacity and temerity, I liked that she was harsh and able to do what was needed to survive. I sobbed. Like, so hard that I needed to take an ibuprofen. I thought that Luc was a fun antagonist in the beginning, and a good display of a manipulative, abusive partner. His actions shaped Addie's actions, and he effectively used the situation he created against her to get her to do what he wanted time and time again. I enjoyed the relationship between Henry and Addie. I think that it was clear that Luc putting them into one another's paths was a mistake on his part. They helped each other grow, and I believe they loved each other. I also like their dates and the way their relationship was explored in small--if whimsical--vignettes. It successfully brought a magical feeling to their relationship while making it relatable and imparting the inherency of their end. I liked the description of depression (particularly the storm cloud analogy), though I would have liked to see at least a little more of it in that year-ish of their relationship. I enjoyed the imagery and thought it was well used to create meaning throughout the novel.
Some of the imagery felt like it was overused, particularly the: ideas are like roots. Though I really enjoyed that idea, I would have liked to see expansion on it instead of it just being said over and over again. It was hard to suspend disbelief that Addie was able to spend so much time with people without them forgetting her. What did she do when they had to pee? As a chronic water drinker, I had a hard time with that issue. Luc got less interesting by the end. I would have liked to see him behave more cruelly, or maybe I would have liked Addie to be more aware of his cruelty or more hurt by his actions? I'm not sure. I think that part of the reason that abuse works is this sort of need for approval, and I don't think that that relationship and its effects were deeply explored with growing awareness on Addie's part. There was one point--and I don't know if I just misunderstood it--where Addie said it was the first time she'd ever had Champagne, but a few chapters earlier, she'd said she drank a bottle of Champagne. I double-checked the timing and everything and it seemed like it was a contradiction. This is kind of a nitpick, but eh.
In Conclusion:
I found this book moving. I felt that it had a good exploration of ideas about life and beauty, but ultimately, it felt melancholic. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes life is melancholic. I enjoyed the book and I think it was a valuable thing to read, but it wasn't a fun thing to read, really. Even when exploring the whimsy and excitement of Addie and Henry's blossoming relationship, there was this undercurrent of doom. I ached with the characters, but I couldn't set aside the inevitable the way they did. The emotion was executed excellently. Some of the ideas could have been explored more, and I wish that Luc served as a better representation of an abusive relationship, because that's what his relationship with Addie was. I don't think that Schwab romanticized it, though it does feel that she shied away from peeling back its layers and showing the rotten truth of it. Overall, that's why it's getting a four. It was great, but there were a few serious flaws that kept it from really surpassing my expectations, which admittedly, were high. Schwab was and still is one of my personal favorite authors and I will continue to read everything she puts out and work through her backlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Emotional abuse
wombat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail