Month: June 2022

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab was an incredible book I recently finished. This book is centered around an enigmatic and charming young woman cursed with living forever but being forgotten by all. With such an incredible story spanning 300 years, traveling between the French countryside and the US, Addie LaRue was a page-turner if I’ve ever known one.

Adeline LaRue grew up in Villon-sur-Sarthe, France during the turn of the 17th century. As a woman in that time, the constrictions of her village began to chaff against Addie’s naturally adventurous and wild spirit. In 1714, when Addie finds herself facing the doom of marriage, she desperately turns to the darkness and hastily sells her soul for the promise of freedom to live the life she wants, uncontrolled by others. This deal is twisted beyond recognition as the impulsive words of a young woman who is abruptly faced with an unwanted future. Addie becomes doomed by another fate; that of life without any tethering whatsoever to another, freedom at its most extreme.

This curse wraps around Addie throughout the next centuries, until she meets Henry Strauss, who remembers her. A break in the matrix, a miracle, and a joy to Addie. However, as the two learn more about each other past though, they discover that the malign stealer-of-souls has plotted against them both yet again.

With the clock ticking on Addie and Henry’s time together, Addie has to come up with a way to save the one person who remembers her, who hears her, who knows her. Can she do it? And what will it cost?

Addie LaRue is a poignant, insightful, and wonderful work, full of captivating moments in history, and following a delightfully wild and clever character throughout her struggles against freedom’s darkest face; disremembrance. As someone who is always interested in historical fiction and fantasy, this book was perfect for my taste. I recommend Addie LaRue for any age group, although, of course, there are a number of sections that would not be appropriate for someone younger than the Jade Age Meter (JAM)—roughly 12 or 13.

Of course, though I absolutely loved this book, I would not recommend it to someone not interested in fantasy and fiction. Although it holds a lot of historical value, the story ultimately revolves around gods and immortality, which are, of course, fictional *wink wink.* So, if you are looking for an accurate book focused solely on history, Addie LaRue is not for you (that rhymes!). Nonetheless, this book was fantastic for someone who values scintillating fiction above boring, accurate history. Addie LaRue is 10/10 stars for me!!

Genre: historical fiction, Y/A fiction, romance

Age: 12+

Rating: 10/10 *chef’s kiss/standing ovation*

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The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat

The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat is a book that I’ve read recently that was written in a fascinating format. Danticat reserved each chapter of the book to transport the reader to a different location, perspective, and/or time. Although, readers soon figure out that all of the chapters and characters are connected throughout a large and mysterious plotline.

The book centers around the stories of many Haitian immigrants living in the US, as well as including sections of the books taking place on the island itself. The main storyline is that of a murderer, or “dew breaker,” who worked for the Haitian regime during the 1960s. The murderer’s story is told through the eyes of the people around him, including his daughter, wife, and tenants who rent out rooms in his house in New York City.

The Dew Breaker isn’t intriguing and difficult in the sense that its language is advanced. On the contrary, Danticat’s writing isn’t difficult to understand at all. Her plotline and, at times, the goriness of the story make up for the simple language she uses. Similarly, the fact that the book jumps around makes it just as difficult to read as Shakespeare.

I would recommend this book for many age ranges. It’s such an interesting and intriguing story, and the lack of complex language made it perfect for my middle-school level of reading and understanding. But, to be sure, this isn’t a children’s story, so I would specifically not recommend it to anyone under the age of 12 or 13.

The Dew Breaker was fascinating to me because it explored so many different plotlines and characters’ stories, and yet Danticat was still able to maintain a clear narrative. I’ve already said that Danticat’s writing isn’t complex, and she does use simple language and clear methods. But, what was much more complex about the story was Danticat’s method of narrative and storytelling. She used things like constantly switching between first and third-person narration, not to mention completing changing storylines every chapter. Because I’ve been exploring writing styles and methods during these past few months, I’ve become increasingly aware of authors’ methods of storytelling and how important that is.

I enjoyed this book not just because of its interesting theme of Haitian immigrants and trauma, but also because of the beautiful craftsmanship in its writing. Danticat truly created a wonderful book that I will continue to recommend to many people, including you!

Genre: fiction, contemporary/historical fiction, short stories

Age: 12/13+

Rating: 7/10

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Book Reviews Intro

Hi there! I’m Jade and if you didn’t already know, I’m an absolute bookworm. I love mostly contemporary fiction, fantasy, romance, and murder mysteries. I’m also only 15, so my knowledge and opinion of books are entirely based on my limited experience and understanding of the world. But, I’d love to be able to recommend and explain books to people who might be interested in reading as well. So, this page is a review and general recommendation for all the books I’ve read recently. I include my opinion on the book’s audience age range, as well as the genre and my own rating of the book. Comment and let me know if you’ve read any of the books I post about and what you thought of them! Bon voyage, readers!