cheesebagel's reviews
219 reviews

I wanted to be meaner about this book than I’m going to be but as I read more of it I sort of started to see what the author was trying to do with it. Honestly I was going to review this on my blog but for some reason I feel like I can’t anymore so these are just my random thoughts.
This took me forever to read and I didn’t like it. Absolutely nothing happened in this book at all, it was super vague and surface-level about everything. The writing style was borderline bad except that I think it was intentional which honestly might be even worse.
What exactly was the point of italicizing all the dialogue? I would love to know. Also why all the book name dropping? Why did half of the characters go unnamed? Why?
I gained nothing from this book and it was really disappointing because the synopsis sounded so good. I hope the next book I read is better.

words aren’t enough to describe this

This is the first book I've read from Victoria Schwab and it really surprised me. I'm not sure why I had it in my head that it wouldn't be good, maybe because I just never felt drawn to any of her YA fiction? Regardless, this book was exquisite.
There are so many little things at play in this book that must have required significant effort like writing at various points in history spanning 300 years and linking Addie’s character with famous artwork (although I’m not sure how many of those were made up, at least a few). It must be so challenging to write scenes from so many points in time and in so many different countries, and Schwab did it so well. I found the interlacing of moments in her life and their connection to art pieces beautifully executed and it made for a book that felt magical to read.
I loved the characters, especially Addie and Henry, and it was so pleasant and fulfilling to be able to connect to them. I don’t usually come across books that have characters that are about my age, 23, or have similar anxieties to me, like Henry, so when I find one it’s extra special. Addie’s desire to be unrestrained by a husband and her desire to live no matter the cost is so important and validating for young women who feel the same way. As I read, though, I found myself relating more to Henry, who just wants to be loved and feels like his life is comprised of failure after failure. It’s so refreshing to read characters who are having quarter-life crises, so to speak, like his. It was fantastic, too, how Schwab wrote Henry as bisexual and included other LGBTQ characters, but in a subtle way that didn’t force stereotypes or any sort of character trope.
The way this book gripped me isn’t really something I can describe by talking about elements like characters and setting. I’m always unsure whether I’m being too generous with a 5 star review, but I think this book is going to stick with me for a while. Every time I put it down I needed 10 minutes to remember what world I actually belonged to, and that’s exactly what I look for in a story. So thank you, Addie LaRue.
https://thebookmartian.wordpress.com/2021/04/19/the-invisible-life-of-addie-larue-by-v-e-schwab/

tough read but actually good. not sure I’m capable of a rating and review though.

This book was probably as enjoyable as a romance novel could possibly be for me. Or maybe I just lack perspective because I never read romance novels... https://thebookmartian.wordpress.com/2021/05/09/get-a-life-chloe-brown-by-talia-hibbert/

This book was wiiiiiiild. I'm not normally a big fan of the haunted house novel because I find them overly predictable but this one was so refreshing and special....
https://thebookmartian.wordpress.com/2021/05/20/mexican-gothic-by-silvia-moreno-garcia-review/

I’ve had this book on my bookshelf for years and finally picked it up to read because of the mini series that just came out. I read somewhere that... https://thebookmartian.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/liseys-story-by-stephen-king-review/

https://thebookmartian.wordpress.com/2021/07/29/six-of-crows-duology-by-leigh-bardugo-review/