The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author: V.E. Shwab
Pages: 444
Overall: 4/5
Setting: 3.8/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Cheers Factor: 3.75/5
Pairing: Aged and Confused

When making this my mom mistook the name of the infused brand for “Aged and Confused” as opposed to “Aged and Infused”. However, it felt like it matched Addie’s vibe and I also think it was one of those drinks that felt like it was different enough that it would fit Addie.



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Ingredients
-2 oz apple, ginger and cardamom infused vodka from Aged & Infused
-2 oz pear juice
-Ginger beer
-orange slice for garnish

Directions
-Combine all ingredients in a copper mug
-Stir thoroughly and garnish with optional orange slice
-Enjoy responsibly

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"What a luxury, to tell one's story. To be read, remembered."

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"Take your echoes and pretend they are a voice."


Take a Shot: Addie LaRue is not like other girls. You’ll meet her and then forget she ever existed and your interaction will float into the wine with her. That’s because she made a deal with the devil back in the 1700’s when she was a young woman who wanted more than her life could offer. She wanted to see the world and he gave her the ability to do so. But then a sweet boy from a bookstore, he remembers, he remembers her and then her world doesn’t feel so small anymore.


Setting
Honestly the setting is the most boring part of the book. It’s really not all that life changing given our character has lived for hundreds of years and undoubtedly traveled to many cool places. But like we get a handful of locations and they feel lackluster. No granted, the story is our focus not the setting, but I can’t objectively say that the setting was all that great given other pars of the novel were quite good and opposite to this.


Characters
I love Luc. He gives me Darkling vibes even though I think the darkling is yucky. I could not get enough of him. I also loved sweet Henry. He’s nerdy and cute and sweet. I liked Addie for her sheer tenacity as a person. She’s fiery and strong despite having grown up in a time where women were not favored to be such. I did love the LGBTQ+ representation. The fluid love of both Henry and Addie was quite intriguing as well as refreshing to read. Sometimes I don’t ove the blatant LGBTQ+ storylines, but I really liked this one and the way that it was so subtle as a way of informing us to both of the characters. Truly a job well done.

Plots and Themes
I loved the twist. And no I won’t spoil it, but I thought it was really well done. Now did I feel as sad as some of my counterparts on the internet did? No, no I did not, but I did feel attached to them all individually. I thought they were all so entwined in the story that it felt really nice to feel so attached to them individually in their journeys. Overall, did I predict the ending? Yes. Was I mad about it? No. So I did feel satisfied with the ending and moved quite honestly.

Overall
I wouldn’t say this is the best book I read, but I have to give props to the way it was written. It’s truly so well done and absolutely stellar in the writing style. Story, plot and characters aside the writing makes the book so amazing. I would love to read more of her work because I was truly blown away and would recommend this book solely on this principle.

Too Strong - Tall, dark and sexy man was the villain, for real (you can’t do this to me), Where was the cool settings?!?!
Raise a Glass - THE. WRITING. GETS. YOU. 


"History is a thing designed in retrospect."


Warning spoilers if you click read more. Proceed at your own risk.

"You cannot blame me for every loss. I know I can be cruel, but nature can be crueler."


I predicted Henry having some kind of bargain from the get go. Also the subtle hints led you to think Luc would come back and he would know and for some reason he was letting her live that fantasy. Also like why was everyone mad?!?! He may not be human and capable of love but like he does love Addie. Do not convince me otherwise it will not work. He reminds me of the Bargainer in Rhapsodic who is similarly damned and comes back in flashbacks. The set up reminded me of Rhapsodic and with better writing which is no offense to Rhapsodic. I didn’t like it at first and now feel very inclined to read it again actually so that’s a good thing. That being said I really did love Luc and see him as a darkling we should like so in theory I didn’t get the whole “revulsion” of this character. Maybes that’s just me but. Oh well. Other than that i said most of my thought sin the spoiler free section. I liked it but it felt predictable that Henry was running out of time while she had nothing but time. Like obviously that would happen to prove the mortality purpose duh. I do feel slightly curious as to the metaphor behind the feeling too much and whether that’s meant to represent people with depression feeling more feelings than those without? Not that I agree or disagree, but an interesting take to then not elaborate on. It’s almost made to be a mythical concept and one that was the onset of the problems when it’s genuinely just a facet of Henry’s personality.


"Addie does not hate him anymore. Has not for a long time."