DNF @ 40%

It doesn't usually take me long to get through books and even the ones that do take multiple days, I do at least want to get back to them this one... just isn't gripping me. I stopped caring about Addie.

Mostly... probably a writing style that doesn't vibe for me. Her other series I LOVE, but it did take effort for me to jive with as well, so I think this is more of a me problem. Especially with the lack of dialogue. So, bummer.

This novel TORE MY HEART INTO PIECES.

This was one of the first times that I ever, while reading a novel, had to stop what I was doing to throw together a playlist to listen to as I was reading. I felt so deeply connected to sweet Addie and to the story that spun between the past and the present. I was left gutted and bawling by the end of it, but reeling through the entire journey.

This novel is perfect for anybody who ever watched Age of Adaline and wondered, “What if this was darker and made me want to die?” but I mean that in the best way possible.

I would read another story continuing Addie’s saga, and I would devour a movie or mini-series made from this. I loved the ending, loved the way that her story got to continue to live on.

Thank you SO MUCH for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I can't believe that it's taken me this long to write a review for it. I was fortunate enough to have it as an ARC and as soon as the book got into my store, before it even hit the shelves, I had a stack of them and was putting my staff pick sticker on them. I regularly recommend it to anyone browsing in that section.
It was my first exposure to V.E. Schwab and I'm absolutely hooked.

Fantastically rich, multilayered story with an appealing heroine and a cruelly manipulative antagonist who provides a dark, suspenseful undertone.

"France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name."
Looking forward to reading.

I read this book so long ago, but so many details have been burned in my brain for years. This felt a bit like a twisted Grimm fair tale, where Addie is given the “gift” of living forever, with the curse of having everyone she meets forget her completely the second she is out of their sight. Addie’s story was so intriguing and heartbreaking, and I could have read a whole book of just her life throughout the millennia as she navigates such a lonely existence. The book was only made more interesting when she met Henry, the only person who is able to remember her. I loved their love, though to be honest I did wonder how much of her love was born out of the fact that he was the only person she could truly form a connection to. This book was so twisty and lovely and sad, and that ending was so unexpected and fun. I love Addie!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for honest feedback

Beautiful prose, a stunning story, another all time favorite from Schwab.
One of those novels that when you finish you want to flip right back to page 1.

I love Victoria Schwab. This was not my favorite novel by her. I know that so many people love this book, but for me, it was just alright. I kept waiting for more to happen and when it didn't, it made the novel a slog to get through.

This book was so good. Beautifully written. It was long, but I would have read 1000 more pages if I'd had them.

This is such a beautiful story and I truly loved it.

BUT it took me way too long to read it and the ending was a little disappointing because I wanted her to end up with Luc. Sorry, not sorry.

4.5 stars really.

What I liked about this book most were its themes. It explores the idea of freedom vs. connection and the idea around what being loved really means.

This is mostly Addie's book. The book hops all over time, beginning in New York City in 2014. There, Addie is living her life, finding ways to make her life have meaning even if she is doomed to be forgotten by all who meet her as soon as she leaves their sight. (What about animals? This is never brought up and I really wondered about it. Could Addie have a pet?) Addie has found a way to leave an impact upon the world despite a curse that doesn't allow her to make any changes to it. She is a muse to artists and those artists create works that show her impression upon them. I was fascinated by Addie and her curse. In flashbacks we see how she learns the parameters of her curse and how her relationship with the being that bestowed the curse upon her develops.

There's a romance here too. Addie finds that Henry (why do so many romance writers like this name?) does remember her and it's because of a curse of his own. Henry has asked to be loved, but that love means that the people he meets overlay their perception of him with whatever their ideal person is and never truly see him at all, in a curse that is sort of a parallel of Addie's. What I liked most about Henry is how the author described his depression "storms". That felt real to me as someone who deals with depression. I'm not sure her depiction of addiction was as accurate.

Addie's story is great! Henry's, maybe not so much. These two end up as a couple because they can't end up with anyone else, and that feels like a bit of a cheat to me. Their choices have still essentially have been taken away. It's each other or nothing at all. And I'm not sure that Addie loved Henry yet. And I'm not sure that the way her relationship with the supernatural power that created the whole situation ended up is great either.

As much as I wanted to love this book, I think it was either too hyped, or just not for me. V. E. Schwab is obviously a very talented writer, and her prose is beautiful, but that is really all there is to this novel. The plot is very sparse, and I found the characters to be uninteresting. I was very excited for Addie’s journey through time, and the possibilities of living through all of those important moments in history, but there was none of that. She was merely a bystander as history unfolded around her. These seemed like a missed opportunity for me, but obviously that’s not what the Schwab wanted this story to be about.

While those are my feelings about the novel, I can recognize the fact that I’m in the minority here, and that most people will love this title, which is why I will recommend it during reader’s advisory.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books, and V. E. Schwab for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book still speaks to my soul even years later. The way this book makes me feel seen is utterly magical.

One of my favorite reads of the year. Such rich story telling. The character development and the plot just really drove it home for me

It kind of breaks my heart to say this but I just did not like this book. Not once did I connect to a character, and worse, I just didn't *care*. I adore Schwab's writing and I love the way she creates her characters—so much attention and care go into them. And yet it did absolutely nothing for me. This was a challenge for me to finish—it just DRAGGED.

Everything written from Victoria is a masterpiece ! This is my all time favorite book and it has a special place in my heart

I wanted to love this book so much, but I just couldn't get into it. I found Addie irritating and difficult to connect with and I just didn't care what happened to her.

It is easy to see why this book was all over the place and seriously hyped up. Although really it was not hype, just facts. This book is well written and based on a very interesting premise. Even folks who are not big fantasy type fans could surely enjoy it, and it might be a great introduction to the author.

This one has my whole heart. As someone who hasn't loved other works by this author, i went it a little skeptical about this one, but i was pleasantly surprised. I would even go to say this is one of my favourite books of all time.