The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue review

Book: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author: V. E. Schwab

Pages: 543

Date(s) Read: September 6^th, 2025 to September 30^th, 2025

Date Published: January 1^st, 2022

Rating: 4/5

Genre:  Fantasy, Romantasy, Faustian Bargain

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  3/5

Cover: 2/5

Format: Hard Cover Illustrated Edition

Date Bought: June 16, 2025

Book Cost: 32.04

Addie LaRue is compulsively readable and addictive; it's a really good novel...but is it a great novel? No, because there is something missing, something that makes the experience feel empty and hollow. What that is though, I cannot say.

 

Addie LaRue is a girl who makes a deal with a fickle god for more time on earth. He twists her words and curses her to a life of never being remembered, and for over 300 years, no one remembers her until she meets Henry Strauss.

 

Addie is a unique character, shes likable if not lovable. She makes interesting choices given her circumstances, and she's admirably resilient. I found myself wanting to know more about the other characters who are equally interesting.

 

Dual timelines keep this novel from ever feeling like it's dragging or overstaying its welcome. This novel is memorable and fast-paced. The ending isn't bad either, but there's still something empty about this experience that keeps it from reaching a 5-star rating for me. Why that is I may never know but I know for me there's something that makes me feel slightly unsatisfied, that being said it's a very good book and worth reading.

 

The edition itself isn't particularly worth it because the art for the most part is terrible. I don't know why they picked such awful art, only one piece is any good. 27 Dollars is a hefty price for ugly endpapers, an underwhelming cover, art that's not even good enough to be called mediocre, and a bookmark that unravels and disintegrates as you read. Buy the regular edition instead for a lot less money.

Unearthly review

Book: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Pages: 453

Date(s) Read: September 6^th, 2025 to September 18^th, 2025

Date Published: January 4^th, 2011

Rating: 5/5

Genre:  Fantasy, Romantasy, Angels

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 4/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: August 25^th, 2025

Book Cost: 2.50 

Review:

Unearthly is a fun and fast paced YA novel about a girl whose a quarter angel.

 

In this novel we follow the angelic but fiesty Clara whose mom is half angel, making her a quarter angel. With big wings comes big responsibilities, such as living up to her purpose -- the one reason she's there.

 

I loved everything about this novel, the main character, her mysterious mother, her uniquely different friends, and the love pseudo love triangle.

 

If you're looking for a quick read that will hook you with rapt attention this is a great novel to pick up.

Blood & Honey Review

Book: Blood and Honey

Author: Shelby Mahurin

Pages: 538

Date(s) Read: September 8^th, 2025 to September 15^th, 2025

Date Published: September 1^st, 2020

Rating: 4/5

Genre:  Fantasy, Romantasy, Witches

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  4/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Soft Cover

Date Bought: March 8^th, 2025

Book Cost: 7.99             

Review:

 

Blood & Honey is an excellent sequel.

 

In this fast paced novel Louise and the gang gather allies to help them take Morgane down once and for all. What could go wrong?

 

Returning characters are just as interesting and lovable as they were in the first book. Louise and Reid both see a lot of interesting character growth. New allies and enemies also show up that are just as interesting and multi-faceted as the ones in the first novel.

 

This novel was an engaging and fun read that I flew through, I read the last two hours in one sitting I was so engrossed. Blood & Honey is every bit as dramatic and action packed as Serpent & Dove.

Wrath of the Damned review

 

Book: Wrath of the Damned

Author: Ella Fields

Pages: 341

Date(s) Read: September 8^th, 2025 to September 15^th, 2025

Date Published: December 31^st, 2023

Rating: 3/5

Genre:  Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 3/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 1/5

Format: Soft Cover

Date Bought: July 10^th, 2025

Book Cost: 13.99

Review:

 

Wrath of the Damned is an arduous chore to get through of but worth it for Florian and Tullias ending.

 

I flew through the previous book but really had to force myself to get through this one. The pacing is agonizingly slow and very little happens for the first 2 thirds of the book. I'd have given this 2 stars had the ending of the book not wrapped up the duology so well.

Immortal Consequences review

 

Book: Immortal Consequences

Author: I.V. Marie

Pages:512

Date(s) Read: August 16^th, 2025 to September 1^st, 2025

Date Published: July 29^th, 2025

Rating: 4/5

Genre:  bipoc-main-characters, dark-academia, read, romantasy

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Hardcover (Fairyloot Edition)

Date Bought: August 1^st, 2025

Book Cost: 36.00

Immortal Consequences is a fun and fast paced romantasy novel. I just binged the last two hours of it moments okay and I have to say this book was very surprising. There's romance, banter, dark vibes, and lots of action in this dark academia novel.

 

In Immortal Consequences, we follow six characters: Wren, August, Emilio, Irene, Masika, and Olivier in a school for the unfortunate dead in the afterlife. While competing in the decennial for the prized position of ascended at the academy, the six students become embroiled in a long battle of good versus evil.

 

This novel is atmospheric, dark, and highly entertaining. There's a lot of diversity in this tale with six characters who are all very different and unique. You'll find yourself dying to know what happens next as the story cycles through the six different perspectives. I enjoyed my time with each character.

 

This novel has some interesting twists and turns that are revealed in a way that makes it worth the wait. The pacing is flawless as the groundwork is laid carefully for each reveal to hit right at pivotal moments that keep you hooked.

 

My only complaint is I would have liked to know more of the characters backstories but as this book is only book one in a series I guess I will have to just wait. The next book will definitely be a pre-order for me as there's no way I'll want to miss what happens next.

In the Veins of the Drowning review

Book: In the Veins of the Drowning

Author: Kalie Cassidy

Pages: 377

Date(s) Read: August 6^th, 2025 to August 30^th, 2025

Date Published: July 15^th, 2025

Rating: 2/5

Genre:  Fantasy

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 2/5

Story: 3/5

Ending:  1/5

Cover: 2/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: August 1^st, 2025

Book Cost: $26.90

Review:

I constantly found myself slogging through this book, having to force myself to continue. I can't think of anything that was bad on a technical level but there wasn't a single thing I could say I liked either than it's nice to have had a hot female lead.

 

There's some world building here but it's not the most coherent. I have more questions than I've ever had and the world history itself seems to be so recent that it makes it feel less immersive. If my grandfather actually knew Jesus he'd be harder to hold in such a grand esteem. It's similar for this book, the characters parents are old enough to have known or been Gods. It's just odd. How do they have such rituals when everything is still so new? How do they have whole libraries when the information isn't that old? These questions plagued me while reading and kept me from feeling full immersed.

 

None of the characters are particularly lovable or interesting. There's instant chemistry with Theodore and Imogen but not enough to warrant their desire for one another. None of the supporting characters felt compelling enough either to make up for our bland heroine who I still can't decide how I feel about her.

 

I didn't really like this one and won't be continuing the series. It's not super coherent, none of the characters are particularly likable, and the story isn't going in a direction that compels me to want to find out what happens. It just didn't work for me.