A Chaotic Philosophical Rant about The Invisible Life of Addie Larue (Spoilers) [cc]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- My thoughts on The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab.
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I couldn't agree more. She's around for 300 years and the author chooses only to show us her breaking into houses, business, stealing and eating other people's food. The only thing I got from Addie's personality is that she's selfish and narrow focused and she uses everybody and everything to survive, without really contributing. She's Belle from Beauty and the Beast, without the big heart and good soul. I like the question, "What is the takeaway of this book?" Because, in the end, I got nothing from it. It was a cool concept, but that's about it. YOU ARE SO RIGHT about the ending.
I couldn't agree more!!!
Am I the only one who thinks the ending isn't an ending at all?
It reads too much like a cliffhanger prior to a sequel. I'm 90% convinced there's going to be a second book.
Just finished the book and yeah I felt the ending was very "safe" like let me not upset the audience and find a way to keep her around to set it up for a potential sequel...but I think it took away from the sadness and tragedy of the ending in itself. @@justmemyselfandi7760
This book is just pure vibes, and that's the problem.
Thank you for articulating some of what I couldn't. Addie and Henry both drove me nuts, in large part because they defined themselves by their romantic partners. Like, every time we see Addie after she's left Villon, she's in bed or just getting out of bed or manipulating herself into bed with someone. The fact that Henry's addictions are played off as a personality trait that disappears when he's in love rather than a catastrophic problem really bothered me. Addie and Henry do so much casual drinking when it's clear Henry needs to be in AA/NA, and it's just set dressing rather than character development. Honestly, Luc is why I rated the book as high as I did. I'm a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, which she almost pulled off. Give me a book entirely about Luc chasing Addie across the globe while make pitstops to play Grim Reaper.
Maybe that's my next fanfiction....
Well if you do write that Luc/Addie fan fiction, let me kno 👀
did you find the fanfiction, asking for a friend,
Did you write it?
Imagine if the story was about a normal mortal woman falling prey to an immortal just using her for cruel entertainment. However, as she lives lifetimes she grows and matures, gaining experience and wisdom beyond what one could reach in a single lifetime. And as she changes, the immortal grows to fall for her and see a companion for eternity. She can discuss her experiences with them, explain the complexities of life and human nature in a way that has never intresed a creature who only viewed humans as playthings
And, when she finally experiences love, as Henry begins to age, coming to a time for him to settle and have a family she realizes how cruel it is to keep him in her life. She realizes all that she lost, but comes to understand all that she gained and the magnitude of her decision on that night so long ago. She can't tie him to an existence that will forever be forgotten and separate from his world
And with this she ends her sweet romance with fondness, and realized that her enemy, her companion for the last 300 years is the only one who can understand her experiences and reciprocate.
This begins an eternity to explore a relationship between a human who learned what it is to be timeless, and a timeless being who for once has begun to grasp being human
...and then we have this book
Listen...I will be the first to preorder this version of the book whenever you write it!
it would have been a better book with this plot!
Your version is 100x better!
Omfg you just 😭😭😭 literally what it could have been
TELL EM..... TELLLLLL EM thank christ for this review
AND THANK U for discussing how the arch for Henry just isn't touched like there is a time skip and he's good....and how Addie just DOESN'T touch whole continents like south America or aisa or Africa.... like if she wants to experience freedom i figure she would want to see ppl place and things that r unlike her life before
I don't get how Luc "falls in love" with Addie. Everything leading us to this just doesn't make sense to me. He claims to not be human and not have that capability or need for love but then he wants her? I don't get it. I also felt that the fact that she admits she doesn't know if she loved Henry, maybe he was her love, maybe it's just because he was the only one who saw her and remembered her. She gave up her freedom to save him but didn't love him? And her being with Luc and being so sure of besting him at the end? I don't get it; how exactly is he going to tire of you? And also, if both she and Henry survive, how can Addie not just see Henry again, even if she is with Luc? All she did was give in and decide to be with Luc, but can't she just go visit Henry again for some kind of closure? I don't get it, did she become a demon or spirit along with Luc and that's why she can't see him? It's not like she made a promise to never see him.
This pretty much summarises almost all my problems with this book. I wanted to enjoy this, but there were just too many flaws. The curse didn't make sense, the characters felt flat and one dimensional, and it felt very very white. It was baffling how a character who lived for three hundred years wasn't going to acknowledge that there are places in the world other than Europe and the U.S! For most of the book the main character just walks around complaining about not being remembered, and I felt strange, because I didn't think I would have remembered her even if she wasn't cursed to be forgotten! I mean, what else did she have aside from being really really stubborn? And seven freckles on her face which somehow reminds everyone of stars, and inspires artists to draw, paint, and make music based on her. When has anybody said oh, that girl must be so special because she has seven freckles on her face?
There could be so much done with Addie's character. I kept reading thinking this girl needs to be a freaking assassin! She could have overthrown governments and change wars. But what does she do? She walks around, looks at art, listens to music, reads books, and eats ethnic food from countries she doesn't even admit exist.
I'm pretty sure the writer was going for a Dorian Gray vibe where the character falls victim to their own creation of perfection and desire. And it should have worked but it didn't, because there were just too many things happening and so many useless side characters. What was the point about introducing Henry's family? You could have easily taken them out of the story and nothing would change. His friends were kind of useless as well, other than the fact that they added some very forced LGBT themes to the story so the writer could "show" diversity. This was also true about Addie's many love interests. Most of them didn't really play a part in the actual story. When Addie left at the end, I thought Henry was going to kill himself. And for a little bit it got interesting! I thought she was gonna come back and find him dead and realise she had lost something real for something fictional. But of course that didn't happen, because why go deep when you can only scratch the surface and be praised? Anyway, sorry for the long rant, but TH-cam does not have voice comments😂 excellent review btw
Haha love to see this long post! I completely agree with all of your thoughts and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Hahaha not to mention they reference Dorian Gray in the first chapter 😂
@@syda.c3040 I know, that was so on the nose😂
The book explains that she can’t kill people
i think the book is rlly beautiful but it was dry in a way like, this girl was on earth for 300 years and they showed the most boring apects of her life. i think the book had soo much potential to be something more but regardless v.e. schwab's writing was soo capturing.
btw am i the only one that shipped addie and luc 🤭enemies to lovers besties 💅
Haha I definitely would have preferred Addie and Luc instead of Addie and Henry!
@@JemilaBeReadin thank god i'm not the only one 😭
I just finished this last week and it was so underwhelming for me. I was extremely confused by all the mega hype the book received. Honestly it was boring for me and I loved your review and agree 100%. In 300 years addie didn’t really do much, yet can influence history but really doesn’t influence or do much. I mean 300 years we are talking about... I was confused. I think the cat was my favorite character.
Serving as an artistic muse would’ve been an interesting way to introduce the idea/help her figure out that she can influence history without being remembered. But to stop there? Even to see her try to change larger events and maybe fail??
YES hard agree on literally everything!! this 3-star read feels like a 1-star bc of how high the expectations were going in 😂
i hadn't yet ruminated on the fact that henry's story arc is nonexistent and makes no sense - add it to the hateful pile!!
people seem really enamored by this """love triangle""" story and i'm like WHERE. WHAT LOVE TRIANGLE. idk idk i'm just glad to see someone else speak my emotions!!
Yeah it’s funny because inherently this wasn’t a terrible book, but like you said - the expectations were high!
And yes, what love triangle? It didn’t exist! There was barely any romance between any of them!
I believe that she literally couldn't be an assasin. People forget her and her actions, she steals something and it's back there, the bird gets broken and afterwards is unbroken. So her murdering people would also just be undone. Of course she could inspire other people but she could not do it herself. The same way she can't draw or write something without it being gone seconds later.
she stabbed someone and his wound went away, so ik that wasn’t an option for her
"she'd probably have wanderlust in her profile" 😂😂
i haven't gotten on with ve's writing in the past, so i'd been wary of the hype that i'd seen for addie. now that more negative reviews have come in, it seems like i'm right to have waited. many oof the criticisms of this book are things i've had issues with with her in the past so i'm going to hard pass on this one. thank you for the thoughtful review!
Good thinking. Spare yourself! lol
I agree with you in everything but especially in that last point, tbh the last chapter made me cringe since it was Addie acting like a badass about something she assumed??? Like ma’m.. 😩
Lmfao I felt so embarrassed for Addie in that last chapter... like she really thought she was doing something lmfao
the reason we believe that addie knows that luc is incapable of love is from a previous conversation where he describes love as possession (which is interesting in itself, as humans have that problem sometimes too)
Girl I'm with you!! I was super underwhelmed by it!! I have so many issues with it, starting with the title... The INVISIBLE Life of Addie LaRue.. it implies that you can't see her but the truth is no one can remember her... Who is Luc? The devil? lucifer? Addie's drawing? A god? The darkness? ...so confusing. ...tons of one night stands and hook ups. Not into it... No character development ...i wish Addie had substance...
@Coco totally!! Believe me I pretty much forced myself to finish it because I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt ..🤷♀️
The disconnect is that Addie is forgotten and invisible but she is the center of the universe in this story. It’s almost like the reader doesn’t get the full feeling of how invisible she is because she is front and center, self-absorbed. No character development and she never grows from her flaws.
If she had learned an Asian language and explored Japan once it opened its borders in the early 1900s or explored colonization of native America as it was happening and did some “invisible woman” ish while she was in those situations, for example. Those would’ve given so much depth. As a Black woman, I could not relate to the book but… I get why ppl who have the privilege to relate would love this book.
I actually loved this book. I was going in having very low expectations. It was one of the free books on Audible, and as most free things, you don’t expect it to be amazing. But yet again, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
I get that it is a little annoying that she couldn’t do more with her 300 years, but I did enjoy the spread out lessons and experiences she had of an imperfect life. Like if we wish we stayed young or never died until we were ready, would we want to live a life like hers?
I did feel moved when Henry was going to die, and was counting down his hours and minutes. May be there was something that resonated with me there from letting go of a person who deeply means alot to you and not knowing if you would see them again, or knowing that you would not.
I liked the descriptiveness too, like I was imagining Estelle’s house, the tree over the grave, the village and the forest with her digging in with desperation.
May be I am slightly more “airy-fairy” 😂 but I felt uncomfortable and almost spooked by the whole Luke description and his interactions with her. Don’t know, May be resonated again…but I could visually see that torture and how he interacted with her.
There are a few reviews talking about all the different ways the book could have been improved in or doesn’t fully flow, but I still like it.
Cools video :)
I liked it too. Not perfect, but not much is.
This is the most in depth review I've seen. I love that your really go into the reasons it didn't work for you ❤❤❤
Thank you!
Finished the novel yesterday and have been watching a lot of youtube reviews. Just wanted to say your review is my favorite. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I agree with most everything you said.
Your channel was recommended to me by TH-cam! You’re such a breath of fresh air! Totally agree with all your points!
Ah thank you!
You articulated so many of the thoughts I had after reading this book. Loved this review and video.
Before I say anything about my experiences with reading this book can I say I loved this video and your energy!! Watching this downward existential spiral regarding the themes of this book was so funny and interesting to watch. I have to say that I actually loved the book. I completly agree with a lot of your points: the Eurocentric view; how Addie didn't actually do a lot; how she could have been involved in historical events considering how she'd be forgotten, however I couldn't help but love this book regardless of it's pitfalls. In response to your comment about the abstract nature of the book and how we don't really know who Addie is... I kinda loved it because I viewed is as a reflection of how she lives in the minds of the people she meets (e.g. a girl from a dream). I think we're sort of not supposed to know. Also I didn't mind that Luc's existence or role was not explained because it kinda fits in with my view of god - who he claims to be older than. I have very little knowledge in regards to religion (so anyone feel free to correct me), but if god just does exist and has all this omniscience, why can't Luc jump around and steal people's souls if he wants to. Me not caring so much about these facts may be because I haven't read as many heavily developed fantasies - who knows!!
Exactly my thoughts! Like… yes the writing is pretty… but PLEASE for the love of all things give me a damn plot. Also how the heck am I supposed to get in a groove when literally each chapter is 3 pages long and then we bounce into a whole other time or pov. I couldn’t get invested into a single timeline. I just felt like it was the exact same memory of Addie walking around and doing nothing the whole book.
Thank you for making this video. I had read so many 5 stars reviews that I thought I was reading a different book. I agree with you 100%
I just finished the book and am watching reviews and I agree,
I gave it 1 star and I hated the ending
Why doesn't this have more views!? you are so interesting to listen to and can really craft your criticism into a narrative. i agree with your criticisms so much - why so eurocentric!? also this is petty, but i couldn't handle that Addie spoke "Swiss"... that's not even a language! (they speak German/Italian/French there). The premise was super interesting but I just... couldn't get behind Henry and Addie's relationship - I wasn't opposed to it, but it just didn't feel authentic and it seemed like the only thing drawing them together was that they had been both marked by Luc. It was a nice mindless read, but I feel let down.
Thank you for articulating the fact that you didn't feel like you know the characters - i felt this too but didn't realize that until you said it!
Ah thank you! And wow, I didn't even clock the part where she said she spoke Swiss! And yeah, I felt very indifferent towards Henry and Addie's relationship.
yes! I didn't feel like Addie and Henry really had chemistry. They were just kind of thrown together, and were the only ones that could work with the other one.
Yes yes yes i agree with everything! also i made the mistake of reading this after reading the portrait of dorian gray for the first time, and all the discussion about the corruption of the soul that comes from living a long life without consequences to your actions are nule in addie's story
Yasss, your review was perfect. Just finished this book and it was so disappointing. This story might have done better if it was linear. Addie in Henry's pov is the manic pixie dream girl trope and there was no substance to their relationship. There were so many themes that could have been explored that just weren't.
This is excactly how i felt about this book
Just finished this book today after hearing the hype. I’ve not read the author’s other work. I’m still chewing on it but, frankly, I’m a little underwhelmed. Is Luc the devil/Satan? Is he one of the old gods as in Greek mythology? What pantheon is he from? Addie spends 300 years basically coming to terms with her immortality & surviving and that’s it. Henry’s character is unforgettable. I just couldn’t connect. The constant time jumps didn’t reveal much. I wanted to hear more about Estele. It felt so slow and then tumbled into this love triangle constructed by Luc. The ending…an “old god” falls in love?!? Nope.
I loved this book. I had a lot of fun with it. Granted, I have not dabbled too much into this genre so it could be the first of something that is already familiar to someone else. I liked your review and agree with certain points. Henry’s development in particular - I agree that for having shown his POV for a good moment midway - we should’ve had a little more wrap up with where he ended up health wise - mentally and emotionally. All in all, I do think you make very good points. Keep it up!!!
Thank you for this. I had high expectations because so many people loved this book and after reading it, I was like, "Why?" You nailed it in your review. So many problems. And, people say they cried. What?? What part of this book would illicit such an emotion? Also, Addie was exactly the same from the first time you meet her to 300 years later and Luke needed therapy, not a girlfriend.
I cry about everything so this isn't saying much but there were parts that made me emotional (it literally broke my heart when Remy forgot her then gave her money) but overall it was super disappointing 🤷🏻♀️
You make excellent points! I am part of the people who loved this book. I think I probably loved the writing style more than the story because Addie was immature and Henry was a man child.
Thank you! I can definitely see why people loved this book - it definitely has a sort of charm. But I couldn't help feeling let down by it overall. But I'm glad it worked for you!
Just finding this video and you were so thoughtful!! I think one of the main issues I had with this also had to deal with Addie's obsession with Diderot (if I wasnt currently working on my dissertation about that ugly ass man I probably would've enjoyed it way more), but this complete erasure of race and racism in the book, yet have Addie read the man who begun race theory and race science was just a bit weird to me and didn't make sense. I haven't seen alot of people talk about that and that has honestly made me despise the book way more than I did after I finished reading it
Oh wow, I’m not familiar with Diderot so I didn’t catch that bit in the book (I’m not gunna lie I kind of spaced out whenever Addie interacted with a “famous” person lol). Thanks for pointing that out!
Omg the wanderlust comment is too true 😂😂😂 I also agree that there was so much historical context that was missed and it was really a shame they chose such a narrow lens. The premise had way more potential than what they did with it
Extremely well said (especially the Neil comment!). I loved the prose, but I know what you mean about it lacking intention. There were some lines that were really grabbing but not anything that fully stuck with me. I liked Addie, but I kept expecting more from/for her. I never really felt like she grew up or learned anything. Henry was boring to me. It was almost like Addie in reverse. Sam and the celebrity friend she made were better characters, and I had been hoping they would come back.
I know I’m late here, but this was an excellent review! I still like the book, but I would love to see the concept taken by someone else and expanded on.
Aaaaaaa, aaaaah, ahhh! So, I just finished the book… always I look for the reviews to hear from other people what they think about the book. I think you I agree with your explanation of the book. For me at some point it seemed to long. Could be finished at least 100 pages before at some point in the story. Clearly the author is very clever and as you said, in an abstract sense there is a lot of great stuff but, somehow she got tangled in her own path of telling the story so we ended being tangled too. I didn’t think of all the stuff you mentioned about the characters but you are right. It’s weird that she said a lot but in the same time missed the substance of them.
300 years and all we learn about is her sleeping with random strangers and getting upset they don’t remember her each time. Don’t know what she’s doing in between those. Doesn’t even go into depth on how she got captured by the Germans, that would’ve been interesting. But nope.
The intro took me straight to Infinity War..Why is Addie La Rue
Okay so the algorithm just suggested this video and I'm so pleased it did! Great video- someone did a rewrite of Addie to make the story better, which I'd recommend. Love your videos and the thumbnails are lovely :)
It's like hearing myself talk! I kept wishing Neil Gaiman had written this book too!
That's exactly what I felt after reading this book. I was expecting too much because the premise of the book was making the deal with the devil. But everything (the romance, the characters)about this book was underwhelming.
I liked the book until I saw this video LMAOO. You are so right on every point and now I'm like mmmm
Couldn’t agree more, I’m 70% through this book and it feels like it’s going nowhere and frustrating plot. Don’t think I can finish it
First off, I absolutely love your personality! I really enjoyed watching your review! I can’t wait to watch more of your videos!!
Secondly, I 1000% agree with your thoughts and review!! I finished this last night, and I’ve been searching for a review that explains how I feel. This is it! Everyone raves about this book.. and I think the biggest thing for me, was that Addie didn’t change and you put it in words exactly, she could’ve been a spy and killed Hitler!! And I didn’t realize until your review, but you’re so right! She literally ONLY stayed in the “white” countries... interesting... this book just fell flat. Thanks for your review!
Thank you! And glad to hear you agree!
I read this book at the recommendation of a friend, and it kind of reminds me of the Casca series by Barry Sadler, The story of the man who killed Jesus, a Roman centurion, now cursed to live forever.
I agree 100% this book is all overhyped and no flava
Omgg yes yess. FINALLYY someone sayingh what i feel!!!
This book was so overhyped.
The endingggg?! Why did she turn on luc?. Literally nothing backed up the way he felt about her. It would've been better if the last 2016 part just did not exist. If it ended where henry publishes the book it would've been a little better than turning Addie over luc. There was no point of the last 2016 part.
ALSOOO I very much felt that if the summary did not say that she'd meet someone who remembered her it wouldve been a good plot twist. Bcz reading the summary everything else was logically expected. From Henry's deal to addie sacrificing her soul.
Going into this book i wanted to get something out of it. How to live, what is there in the world to see and etc...
The book could've been so much more if it made more sense. Yes ofc it is a fantasy, but we need context?!
U telling me In a course of 300 years have she never met 2 friends one of th had to go to the bathroom and then when they comes back they dont remember who addie is? And the other friend notices and questit like?! Or when she hangs out with guys do they never idk go to the bathroom or idk, anything ?!
The pacing was really off for me. I started the book and loved it, but it seemed to then really drag, and then suddenly at the end wrapped up super quickly. I just didn’t quite understand what actually happened at the end.
She fell in love with him because he remembered her. That's it, he remembers. Like the bar is so low.. it's in hell.
I just bought this book and read like 31 pages out of 500s, now I'm feeling super terrified to continue on, imagining me being confused and lots of non-sense informations just- I- tysm for this book review, that's all lol
Honestly, I have the same expectations as you when I first heard the premise of this book, but now knowing how the book really is,i don't think I'll be picking it up anytime soon
omg! I agree with all of this 💛
A bit late to the party but hey! I just finished the book and I’m with you! Thank you for putting my thoughts and concerns and irks about it in such a concise way. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who thinks this book is very white and Addie is basically your Pinterest brown-haired white girl with romanticized aesthetic life since she literally wakes up in apartments lmao
Another question I have is that in three hundred years, since Addie was supposed to have learned a lot, had she ever learned about other beliefs/religions than the ones she did in Villon? What if she asked for help to the other “gods” ? Idk it’s just a thought ahahah there just could’ve been more to the story it’s frustrating
I agree with it being Eurocentric! I had the thought like… 300 years… only Europe and US? …ok
I agree. I wanted Addie to talk about the civil rights movement or womens rights. But she never does. Seeing so much change, you would think that she would be profoundly changed afterwards. but the character sticks to eurocentrism. one thing though. She couldnt assassinate anyone. One time she stabs a guy but finds out later that he is completely healed. she cant do anything that has a lasting effect on anyone and cant make her mark. only other people can do that for her. that was where the artists came in.
I haven’t finished this video but I had this theory midway through the book that Addie was affected by Henry’s curse since he can make people see what they want in him and that Addie’s loneliness all these years could manifest into him being able to remember her and I think it would have been so interesting if they were to explore that :00
I agree with everything except the end bit about Luc, only because I feel like he’s shown throughout the story to be abusive and with the power dynamic between the two there’s no way they could have a healthy relationship.
I had the same reaction to My Dark Vanessa. I didn't like it, but I kept thinking about it after. I like Addie b/c I've been in many situations where I just had to survive. It looks selfish but that's just the space you're in; the only thing you can do to get out is use people. You don't want to, and no one understand, but you want to live like all the others. I had a passion project, too. I finished writing it and then I hired a beta reader who said so many bad things about my protagonist, I tossed the book in a dark corner. A lot of time a passion project needs a lot of time; more than a decade in many cases. Anyway, i like this idea of a girl who is always forgotten. It's a story of so many female muses; fucked, lost and forgotten. And I lived in Europe for over a decade; it's very Eurocentric the same way America is self-centred and for decades you couldn't see a translation of a European book anywhere. I would like for you to review THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO if you feel like it.
The way the author goes on an on about this book as if it's an artistic masterpiece and written to "give all forgotten women a voice!" (I'm paraphrasing something the author said), when it focuses on a self centered white woman who couldn't give a damn about other women and actually believes she's better than all other women (like ALL of Schwab's female protagonists) and uses her 300 years of life to travel Europe (does Schwab know there are other continents?), steal and ignore all issues in the world...
Civil rights? Racism? War? Nope. The real tragedy is that I'm Addie LaRue and no one remembers me!!! Sure, I did choose to make this deal myself, but I'm still a tragic character, somehow? Who cares about other people!
Tbh Addie LaRue feels like a huge self insert. No talk of social change, no effort to make the world a better place. The only thing Addie (Schwab) cares about is to be remembered because... she's better than you and it's time you realize it?
Idk it really put me off.
This book did not give a voice to all women forgotten by history. It didn't even give a voice to all women LIKE Addie. It only gave a voice to Addie, full stop. If you're not Addie, you don't matter enough to be remembered.
The message could have been:
you know what? being remembered is not that big of a deal as long as you leave something good behind you; people won't remember your face or voice, but they will FEEL the positive effect your presence had on their life!
Or alternatively:
you don't need to be an exceptional individual or leave a mark to be remembered by those who love you; you are enough and worthy even if you don't do anything big and bold.
But no. The message is: Addie LaRue is the best because... reasons? Because she's a Schwab self insert? And she's better than you?
I feel like this book embodies a lot of "white woman feelings" (victimhood, entitlement, willful ignorance of social issues) and that's why it got so popular despite the purple prose and flat characters.
It's a comfortable read for all people who are only concerned about themselves and no one else. It supports their view of the world.
It's worrying that Schwab worked on it for 10 years. Really makes you wonder about how much she cares about others.
Just another case of rich, white author trying to write something Deep and Aware and falling flat IMO.
You can't write something deep and aware when the only person you care about is you.
To sum up how I felt about this book I will never that part of my life back.
I've only ever finished one booky by Schwab, one of her earlier books, The Archived. And the thing that kept me from finishing any of her other books is that I find her writing style to be kind of pretentious. I like purple prose, when Laini Taylor does it. But Schwab's writing has never worked for me.
As an older person, I have a hard time relating to 20 year olds. How does a 300+. year old female from Europe relate to 20 year olds in New York? I understand the night stands but How does she relate?
7:48.... facts!
Watching spoiler reviews because I’ve tried to read this book 3 times and I can never get passed 50% without dnfing it 🙄😭
I am so torn, um not sure if I like it or if I'm disappointed. Similar to you I thought it would be more hard-hitting, I wanted it to be really emotional. But I barely felt any connection to most of the characters (which is weird because I usually connect easily to Schwab's characters). I agree with everything you said, she lived for 300 years yet barely did anything. But at the same time I think it kinda made sense that she didn't really do anything. I doubt many of us would have truly done a lot if we were dealt such a sad life, being forgotten by everyone. And she actually did spy for the French during WWII. Also I thought, I know so many people that never left their country, not even their towns they were born in - so Addie only travelling within Europe kinda makes sense. In the end, I guess the story was never supposed to be about her adventures but about her emotional journey. But unfortunately I didn't feel an emotional connection to Addie. I don't even know what her personality is like? Also I'm still kinda confused whether Luc truly loved her or didn't. And I guess for a time she did truly love Luc? But not anymore? Also, someone else mentioned it: it makes no sense that she offers herself to break Henry's deal if she didn't truly love him. Plus, I don't even see why Henry fell in love with her either (sure his course didn't work on her but besides that).
The fact you called Estelle "Ester" says everything! This book is definitely "eh" and forgettable. I was super disappointed!
did they ever explain the leather jacket or did that just go right over my head? 🥴
I agree with everything you said. To me, I feel like this book should be a YA. It was so mundane and lacked mature depth and storyline.
Addie & Luc 💜 not sure if I'm messed up for prefering them to Addie & Henry lol
I've only read comments to your video (will watch the video when I finish the book), but I can already see there are comments on here I agree with. The book is too wordy and it seems like the author only wanted to prolong the story and its conclusions, which is why she kept writing on and on. I want to like the book. Recently I read some overhyped books and ended up disliking them because of the flat and one dimensional characters. I'm sincerely hoping that the book turns out better by the time I finish it.
I laughed a lot. Who is... who is LUC:-D Same thought man.
Spot on.
I'm a guy and I want to read it I just bought it you think it's appropriate for a man or is it more of a lady's book?
No poc history spoken about. Huh ?
I hated that, which is why I typically choose non white authors.
The problem is that the author wanted to focus on superfluous issues of Addie's ego. As someone like her who was almost coerced into getting married, she never contemplates how women have achieved their rights and independence. She neither mentions the female artists forgotten by history, nor the marks of war, the point of leaving poc out of history, was expected at this point. The book would have been great if it had taken the focus out of Addie's shallow visions.
can't hear you very well
it was definitely overhyped! And just plain bland. DAMN!
Everyone says this book has a bad plot but good writing...but like I compared some of the prose to VE's older stuff and it is objectively worse. It's repetitive and juvenile writing, not nearly as complex as her older stuff. I think she caught the brainrot or something. And ik you say "no hate" but literally...im hating lol 😤 It's bad and I'm kinda disappointed to get something this mediocre from VE
Eurocentric? Seriously?
👏👏👏🙌🙌🙌
Your review is so on point!!! I really wanted to like this book - I too felt like there was so much potential for the inclusion of more interesting stories and people from across the globe, and addie could have used the power of her situation (she referred to herself as a "spy" I think once or twice) for more humanitarian goals....WHY IS LUC??? lol my sentiments exactly. That fuckin ending. Why does he want/need souls??? This felt so important but was never addressed.