Book: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V. E. Schwab

Oh Addie.

You’ve lived so many lifetimes. Yet, you’re such a bore.

I don’t understand it. This was one of the top ten Goodreads books in their recent most impactful books list, the ratings are magnificent, influencers and people who’ve read it wax lyrical about it, but I’d like to ask you all a question; why?

If Schwab had cut about 200 pages from this, I reckon it would have been worthy of the ratings it got.

Now look. I understand that the whole concept is meta. It’s meant to be a lived experience, right? The reader endures the same life as Addie. And to a point, that is fine, and it works. But then it carries on. And on. And on.

I got to a point where I wished I could forget who Addie LaRue was as well.

Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a bad book. The writing was beautiful, the over-arching story was great, and I thought it had a very fitting, and well-constructed ending – which so many stand-alone novels fail at.

So, what’s my problem?

Well. It was boring. It was a bit of a snooze-fest and so little actually happens, and on such a grand scale, that it can’t even be considered a slice-of-life book. It’s almost an epic, it spans time, and the world, and somehow manages to still be a bit, well, forgettable.

Sorry, I’m well aware I’ll now be hounded out of existence and I’ll see you all in the next life.

3.0/5.0