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A review by lomeraniel
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
4.0
Review originally published at: https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-the-invisible-life-of-addie-larue-by-v-e-schwab/
This is the story of Addie, a twenty-three-year-old girl living at the beginning of the 18th century in a small French village. In order to avoid an arranged marriage and a life and death tied to the same place, she makes a deal with one of the gods she shouldn't have prayed to, one of the gods that answer after dark, to set her free from everything and everyone. This is how Addie begins her immortal journey of several centuries, a life of freedom but also a lonely one, as nobody will remember her after they turn their back on her.
This is a beautifully written book, almost poetical. Schwab's prose grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. In a way, the writing style reminded me a bit of This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. How the story was told was as important as the story itself, sometimes even more. The book is written in the present tense to emphasize the fact that Addie only has the present as any possessions and people from the past are completely out of her reach. She can only live looking forward, as looking back is desperation itself.
While this is not a completely original story, people selling their soul to the devil is a theme that has been written about since the beginning of times, I quite enjoyed this book. Some parts were quite repetitive, to illustrate how Addie's life consisted of meeting new people and soon being forgotten, but also to convey the idea of the very long time Addie was on Earth waiting for a miracle to happen. The writing style was lyrically beautiful but the book felt long-winded. The beauty of the prose and the intrigue to know what was going to happen to Addie and Henry was what kept me going. From the moment they meet, the story is told from each character's pov, alternating chapters. With each one, more and more is uncovered, and the appeal at this moment is that both have something to hide.
One of the issues I had with this book is that I wasn't able to relate to the characters. I understood their fears and worries, but the more we knew about them, the less I was able to justify the bad decisions they made again and again. The other issue was the length and pace of the story. Somehow, I think the same could have been told with fewer words, and as a whole, it would have worked better.
Julia Whelan did an astounding job with the narration of this book, just as I expected from other audiobooks narrated by her. She transmitted the raw emotions felt by the characters, and her steady pace and smooth voice were key in making listening to this audiobook a stunning experience.
This is the story of Addie, a twenty-three-year-old girl living at the beginning of the 18th century in a small French village. In order to avoid an arranged marriage and a life and death tied to the same place, she makes a deal with one of the gods she shouldn't have prayed to, one of the gods that answer after dark, to set her free from everything and everyone. This is how Addie begins her immortal journey of several centuries, a life of freedom but also a lonely one, as nobody will remember her after they turn their back on her.
This is a beautifully written book, almost poetical. Schwab's prose grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. In a way, the writing style reminded me a bit of This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. How the story was told was as important as the story itself, sometimes even more. The book is written in the present tense to emphasize the fact that Addie only has the present as any possessions and people from the past are completely out of her reach. She can only live looking forward, as looking back is desperation itself.
While this is not a completely original story, people selling their soul to the devil is a theme that has been written about since the beginning of times, I quite enjoyed this book. Some parts were quite repetitive, to illustrate how Addie's life consisted of meeting new people and soon being forgotten, but also to convey the idea of the very long time Addie was on Earth waiting for a miracle to happen. The writing style was lyrically beautiful but the book felt long-winded. The beauty of the prose and the intrigue to know what was going to happen to Addie and Henry was what kept me going. From the moment they meet, the story is told from each character's pov, alternating chapters. With each one, more and more is uncovered, and the appeal at this moment is that both have something to hide.
One of the issues I had with this book is that I wasn't able to relate to the characters. I understood their fears and worries, but the more we knew about them, the less I was able to justify the bad decisions they made again and again. The other issue was the length and pace of the story. Somehow, I think the same could have been told with fewer words, and as a whole, it would have worked better.
Julia Whelan did an astounding job with the narration of this book, just as I expected from other audiobooks narrated by her. She transmitted the raw emotions felt by the characters, and her steady pace and smooth voice were key in making listening to this audiobook a stunning experience.