Started: 03/11/20
Finished: 10/12/20
Spoilers: No
No one is more disappointed by my rating than I am.
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. After all the waiting, and the hype, and VE Schwab herself declaring this book her 'magnum opus', all the years she'd dedicated to it, the hardship of writing it, I almost feel bad for being disappointed.
VE Schwab is my favourite author and still remains my favourite author. That hasn't changed. But this book, man. I hate to say it, I really do, but I'm nothing if not honest. This book was vanilla. It was bland and lacked excitement. And it was incredibly slow. It was SO slow.
Characters
The near-constant mention of Addie's freckles felt a little overkill in the end to the point where I got fed up reading about them. I'm just not sure it's realistic that every single person Addie meets would comment that her freckles look like stars. That's not a comparison I would think to make when meeting a person, and certainly not the first thing I'd say. Yet everyone says it.
I'm a little frustrated. So much time is dedicated to Addie's backstory, but then the first evening she spends with the only person to ever remember her is brushed over so quickly it almost feels unimportant. So by the end of the night when they part ways saying things like 'I like you. I want to see you again' I don't feel the connection between them because I haven't witnessed them grow close. This is a significant moment for Addie. THE most significant moment, and I feel like I blinked and missed it.
I think the most interesting character was the darkness. And he wasn't utilised nearly enough.
Plot
This is a fascinating idea that I've been anticipating reading for years, but for me, it didn't live up to the hype.
So her deal with the devil goes wrong and for hundreds of years, no one can remember her, until one day, someone can. This last part is the interesting hook of the book, and the whole time I was waiting for someone to remember her. This crucial storyline, however, doesn't begin to unfold until page 160. I don't mind waiting for the juicy parts, but 160 pages is too long. Sorry. By the time the reveal came, it didn't quite reach the level of anticipation I'd been building in my head because it took so long to get there.
As much as I liked Addie's flashback chapters, I feel a lot of those could've been placed after the crucial moment just to keep the momentum going.
But while we're on the subject of Addie's backstory chapters...what a wasted opportunity. The whole time she just drifts, not really doing a lot, not seeing a lot, not meeting anyone of interest. Sure, we're told how she's met all these famous artists and how she's influenced so many pieces of art over the centuries, but we're never shown any of these encounters.
This had the potential to be the most interesting aspect of the book, and it wasn't used at all.
Anyway, things start getting interesting again at the 271 page mark, but then once again immediately pulls the breaks. Did I mention this book is slow?
(Don't get me wrong, I love a deep, slow-burn, but the slowness of a book needs to be balanced with enough intrigue and excitement to make it worth the read. And though Addie LaRue doesn't necessarily lack in intrigue, it falls terribly short in excitement.)
If not for the audiobook, I probably would've given up. I never particularly felt excited to continue the story. There just wasn't enough happening to hold my attention. This isn't to say I need brain-melting-Michael-Bay-action in every single book I read, but I need something to happen. Something more.
The Secret History is an excellent example of a book with limited action but 100% engagement.
Setting
Um, yeah sure. I guess. *shrugs*
I don't know really what to say here. We see a lot of modern-day New York. A lot of historical France, which was cool, but so many of the flashbacks were in historical France. Like, really Addie? In 300 years you didn't really do much. Or maybe you did, and we just weren't shown those parts.
I think one of the reasons I found the book boring was New York.
Y'know where would've been more interesting and original than New York? Literally anywhere.
Addie could've traveled anywhere in the world. New York just feels a little overused at this point.
I mean, how cool and original would it have been if Addie went to Tokyo instead, or Oslo, or Havana, or Prague?
I really wish I could say more about the setting, but it's just New York. I didn't really feel a whole lot for it.
Writing Style
I really enjoy a bit of prosaic writing, so I'm a little miffed I didn't fall in love with this. Maybe the prose is a little too purple, or maybe it's the use of third-person present tense that I find grating, but I can't deny that I found the writing just a little bit pretentious.
Generally speaking, even if you're an art student, people don't talk like this. Trust me. *raises hand* Former art student here. We don't talk in prose. Wanna know how art students talk? Like every other young twenty-something. You'd be surprised how rarely art students actually talk about art. Art students talk about sex, how broke they are, and whether they had a decent shit that morning.
TMI?
Just saying. People don't talk in prose.
I think I heard this book was getting a TV adaptation, and I'm quite concerned. The best part of this book is undoubtedly the writing. Take the writing away (ie. An adaptation) and the book doesn't have a lot going for it. How will a TV show maintain engagement with an audience when the best quality of the story is missing?
I dunno, man. I just dunno.
Final Impression
I by no means hate this book. 2 stars equates to 'it was okay'. And this book was okay, but only okay.
I know it sounds like I'm being super critical, but this just didn't tick many boxes for me, if any, tbh.
I think the biggest irony of this book is how forgettable it is.
However, I'm very pleased for VE Schwab that this book is so popular. I'm sure my singular average review isn't going to affect the popularity of this book, nor deter anyone from reading it. I think Schwab will do just fine without my commendation, and I'm excited to see what she writes next.
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