Recently I blogged about GALLANT, another book by V.E. Schwab. I really like it, so I decided it was time to dive into another of her books on my TBR shelf, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE. There was a lot of buzz around the release of this book. When I first heard the premise, I was interested enough that I bought it. There it sat on my TBR pile which keeps getting higher. So many awesome books. So little time!

Premise of ADDIE LARUE

When Addie makes a deal for her soul, she gets to live as long as she wants. Only when she’s tired of living does she need to hold up her end of the bargain. However, the devil is in the details. She is given a curse, causing everyone she meets to forget her. Then, one day after three hundred years, she meets a man who remembers her.

Just the premise piqued my interest. I had so many questions. Why did she make this deal? How could she survive that way for hundreds of years and still keep her will to live? Who is this guy who remembers her? Why does he remember her? What does that mean for Addie and for the deal she made?

I can’t imagine how difficult day-to-day survival would be if no one remembered me each time I was out of their sight. How would I keep a job? Where would I live? How would I survive without friendship and love?

Recommendation

I would recommend this novel, but with a heads-up. Personally, I had a hard time getting into it. Therefore, this isn’t exactly a “rave review.” The first third didn’t hook me, but the book had so much hype about it, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. Sure enough, I became invested in Addie’s life. By the end, I was glad I stuck with it. Schwab concludes with a satisfying ending.

Keep in mind that Schwab‘s books are all very different. If you liked one, it doesn’t mean you’ll like another. She certainly doesn’t follow any kind of formula. So, if you pick up one of her books, don’t judge it based on another of her works.

When you buy THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V. E. Schwab (or any other books), please consider supporting “mom and pop” independent bookstores through bookshop.org.

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Robin’s Rave Reviews – 2022

GALLANT by V. E. Schwab was a welcomed change of pace for me. Although it wasn’t my typical read, I really enjoyed this one! GALLANT felt like director Tim Burton took The Secret Garden and molded it into a Grimm fairy tale. Now that’s a description, isn’t it?

Maybe you’ll recognize one of the previous titles of V. E. Schwab books like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the Shades of Magic series, or Vicious. If you’ve read V. E. Schwab before, keep in mind that she purposely tries to write very different stories that will attract different readers with each of her novels. So, if you’ve read something by her before and either liked or disliked it, that doesn’t mean you’ll feel the same about another Schwab book.

YA readers will especially enjoy Gallant, although adult readers can appreciate it as well. It’s a fast read with a simple (but interesting) plot and clear writing style. Don’t get me wrong – simple here is good, as long as adult readers aren’t looking for more depth or complexity in this gothic fantasy.

SUMMARY

Olivia has grown up in Merilance, an orphanage and school for girls. As a mute who sees ghouls, she doesn’t fit in with the other children. The only thing that consoles her is her mother’s journal, her only connection to family. In the journal, her mother warns her to stay away from Gallant, but it also seems to display her mother’s descent into madness.

Olivia, now a teenager, receives a letter from her uncle who stresses she is wanted and asks her to come to Gallant, the family ancestral home. When she arrives at the gothic mansion, her uncle is dead and her cousin doesn’t want her there. She realizes her cousin is hiding secrets about the family, his sickness, and the house.

When Olivia finds a gate in the ruins of a stone wall on the property, she discovers a dangerous duplicity to our world where she will find herself connected to both sides. She is drawn into danger in hopes of understanding her mother and untangling the mysteries of the journal.

When you buy Gallant by V. E. Schwab (or any other books), please consider supporting “mom and pop” independent bookstores through bookshop.org.