The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in Debating bout Books

May 17, 2021 Lorelei rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2021-books, owned

~~~2 Stars~~~

Is it bad to say I was bored? This book was very repetitive. Nothing happened that I really cared about. I have nothing to say about this book because I really just didn't like it. ...more

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Nov 08, 2020 Sasha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars

“Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.”

This is a book that'll definitely end up in a lot of people's favourite shelves this year.
But not in mine.

When I first read the plot, I was really excited because the concept sounded so intriguing and different.

It is such an incredible theme, if only the story turned out to be just as good.

So the story starts when Addie, a French girl from a small village, tries to get out of a forced mar ...more

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Feb 01, 2023 Audrey Beadle rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, fantasy, young-adult, read-1-time, 4-star, reviewed, 2023

Spoiler-Free Thoughts:

Broad Thoughts:
I loved the format, writing style, characters, and story! Addie was a protagonist who I could definitely root for, and I liked the love interest. Also, the reason that the plot was the plot actually made sense and wasn't just "ooh he's the chosen one because of this obscure thing that happened this one time". Over all, really good, and I haven't LOVED many if any of the books I've read this year (other than my Hunger Games reread, ofc), so it was nice to love Spoiler-Free Thoughts:

Broad Thoughts:
I loved the format, writing style, characters, and story! Addie was a protagonist who I could definitely root for, and I liked the love interest. Also, the reason that the plot was the plot actually made sense and wasn't just "ooh he's the chosen one because of this obscure thing that happened this one time". Over all, really good, and I haven't LOVED many if any of the books I've read this year (other than my Hunger Games reread, ofc), so it was nice to love this one!

Description:
Addie LaRue, born 1691, prays to gods- just never the ones who answer after dark... until none of the others answer her and she is being forced to marry someone. The dark god who she prays to offers her a wish in exchange for her soul. The terms of this deal are simple - she will live forever until she tires of her life and gives her soul over to him. Oh, and, of course, no one she meets can remember her after their first interaction. For three hundred years, she does just that. She travels and she lives, and she is forgotten. Until one day... someone remembers.

General Thoughts:
The format of this book was so good! We started with her past/present, then their pasts/present, then his past/present, then back to her past/present. That sounds kind of confusing, but I think it transitioned really well, and the outcome was AMAZING!
I've seen a lot of criticism for this book be that it's really slow for the first half, and while I agree, I have two thoughts on it:
1) I listened to it on audiobook for the first two-thirds, while I was at work, so I wasn't exactly bored, because I was multi-tasking
2) I think it's supposed to feel that way, because that's how Addie felt for three hundred years not being remembered?
The characters definitely aren't going to be all-time favorites or anything, but I still thought they fit the story well, and I liked them in general.

SPOILERY THOUGHTS:

Mostly, I'm going to talk about the ending, because I didn't have that many spoilery thoughts on the book as a whole. I loved the ending! I think it fit with the characters and their arcs. I love that the author confirmed that the story was actually true within the world with the last two chapters, and not just something Henry made up. Addie surrendering but also not-surrendering was sad but wrapped up the story perfectly. I honestly think it was the only way the story could have ended really perfectly.

The one thing I think I would have liked would have been more info on Luc, because I felt that that was lacking, but it would have to be in a spinoff/prequel, because it really didn't have a place in the book.

Wrap Up: I loved this book! The vibe/atmosphere was on point, character arcs completed well, and the ending was perfect. ...more

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May 09, 2022 Guada rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favs, 2022, fisico, borrowed

victoria schwab no decepciona

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Feb 28, 2025 Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

DNF page 160 - this book was very slow and felt like it was dragging on and on 🥲 It kills me because I know so many people love this book, but I really couldn't keep going 🥲 ...more

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Jan 13, 2022 Sara Narro R. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: si-recomendaría, llorar-y-así, libros-que-votaría-para-presidente, heartwarming, favoritosss, my-romance, hits-close-to-home

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥? 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥- 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩, 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦."

5 / 5 estrellas

¿Conocen esa sensación agobiante en el centro de su pecho, cuando se dan cuenta que nunca volverán a su niñez, a su juventud, que está es su única vida y tienen que aprovecharla al máximo? Bueno, esa sensación es este libro.

Me he dado cuenta que suelo sentirme atraída por cualquier tipo de arte que ...more

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Nov 16, 2020 Ishita Tanwar rated it it was amazing

This book gave me a rollercoaster of emotions. I don't really like flashbacks in movies/series/books. But despite of that this book is just something else. ...more

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Jan 06, 2021 Anne rated it liked it · review of another edition

3 stars for the exquisite writing and HENRY, who did by the way saved this by a far mile.
also the metaphors of this book, were at first surprisingly poignant and then cringingly redundant, i liked how schwab tucked in proses of poetry into paragraphs. i dont see how this deserves more than, at the very extreme four stars, and youve got people inexplicably gushing how unforgettable addie larue supposedly is. dudes, she has no personality. she steals like lila bard, from adsom, she is Not lIkE tH 3 stars for the exquisite writing and HENRY, who did by the way saved this by a far mile.
also the metaphors of this book, were at first surprisingly poignant and then cringingly redundant, i liked how schwab tucked in proses of poetry into paragraphs. i dont see how this deserves more than, at the very extreme four stars, and youve got people inexplicably gushing how unforgettable addie larue supposedly is. dudes, she has no personality. she steals like lila bard, from adsom, she is Not lIkE tHe oTheR GIRLS (from kate harker), splashed all over the worst parts of the book, she has no impetus in life except leaving her mark and besting luc or was it luke, and even near the end of the book, she is there where she started. the one thing i can corroborate with luc is that she is still child, as he says to her somewhere.

it took me so long to get through the parts which were so irrelevant to the overall facade, i found myself skimming them. near the middle, the pace strode out of my tedium and i was allured again, but then, with absolutely no chemistry and no reason (apart from that he remember HER), they get together, flitting around blissfully from new york to new york.
Also i was right, i was right i was right this is so....abhorrently white--the only black character is the best friend and surprise surprise shes gay) and overbearingly contoured around europe and america so i do see why the americans like it. if not the countries at least mention what was done to them. history of anything apart from these continents is horrendously inconspicuous. i mean, youre a well renowned author, well in your thirties with a plethora of people pursuing your books, the least you can do is research more, but hey i get it youre not obligated to anyone, right? but if you do, please dont wrong them like this.

Onto the salvation which was henry, he was coalesced so much on schwabs own life ist was like perusing her autobiography. as he lamented on time and lack thereof, on how the years fall away like leaves and wanting to douse the throbbing pain festering in your head, some part of my frustration and anger began to splinter and ebb.
moments of henry registered as brief but evocative,
moments of addie stretched banal and unbearably obnoxious.
get it now?
...more

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Dec 08, 2021 Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-stars

Okay, let me break two things down. The authorship of this novel is genuinely beautiful, and it is the redeeming factor of this book. However, the novel itself was fairly boring, the relationships and drama a bit convoluted, and the honestly the plot points themselves were utterly frustrating half the time. However, I related to the fear of being forgotten and how that singular point was well written. I just felt it could have been cut in half.

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