The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - Book Talk

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What would you do if you were cursed to be forgotten by everyone you meet? Join us as we celebrate the milestone of our 10th episode and unravel the mysteries of "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by Victoria Schwab. This episode promises a thought-provoking journey through themes of immortality, memory, and the essence of human connections. We discuss the fascinating themes, characters, and the overall impact of this unforgettable novel.

SPOILER WARNING! 
Start:      7:07
End:     58:15

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to the Lazy Girl Library, the podcast, where
reading is a pleasure andcaptivating adventures happen
from the comfort of your couch.
I'm your host, darby, and I'mMikayla, and if you've ever
spent more time rearranging yourbookshelf than your priorities,
then you, my friend, are in theright place.
Episode 10 the invisible lifeof Addie LaRue.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
book talk time, episode 10 already.
Oh my gosh, we did it.
We made it double digits.
Yeah, incredible.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
I'm excited.
I'm really excited to talkabout this book.
I feel like we're gonna have agood discussion.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yes, I think so as well.
So welcome back to our booktalk, this episode.
We're talking about theinvisible life of addy larue, by
victoria schwab I can take itaway and read the book
description.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Take it away, darby.
So the book description forthis book is a life no one will
remember, a story you will neverforget.
France, 1714.
In a moment of desperation, ayoung woman makes a faustian
bargain to live forever and iscursed to be forgotten by
everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinarylife of addie LaRue and a

(01:24):
dazzling adventure that willplay out across centuries and
continents, across history andart, as a young woman learns how
far she will go to leave hermark on the world.
But everything changes when,after nearly 300 years, Addie
stumbles across a young man in ahidden bookstore and he
remembers her name.
Across a young man in a hiddenbookstore and he remembers her

(01:49):
name.
So if you haven't listened to abook, talk before kind of what
happens and what we'll becovering.
We're going to cover ourthoughts on the book, answer
some book club-esque questionsand then give our final ratings.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Before we get into it , because we did kind of jump
right into it.
How are you doing?

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Oh yeah, sorry, I'm just really excited to talk
about the book and also forthose um listening.
We definitely talked for a longtime before this we had like a
good michaela derby catch-up.
We pressed record and we wereready to jump in I'm doing good.
Um, so at work things arestarting to pick up.
So I basically planned two bigevents for my job and we just

(02:24):
had like our committee kickoffsand we're kind of just hopping
back into the swing of things.
And then also so that's likebusy, but in a good way, because
it's all exciting and new,fresh start.
And then in home life it'sfootball season.
I love the UCF Knights, as doyou.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Sure John baby.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
It's so fun.
That TCU game was crazy Wild.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
It's so fun um, that tcu game was crazy.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
So fun to watch um, and I just put up all of my fall
decor so I really feel revived,like I'm not kidding I think
last month I was feeling so likesluggish and just like down and
I lit one fall candle and I amlike beaming, like I literally,
like it, filled my whole cup up,like I feel like a new person

(03:07):
because we are going to enterthe best three months of the
year.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
I feel like it helps with like the change in season
because it's almost like a newbeginning.
So it makes you feel likerenewed in, like a new season
kind of thing, too.
I'm sure helps.
Yeah, what's going on with you?
Well, I've actually had a lot.
I feel like I've been prettybusy.
Um, I did find my wedding dress, so super excited about that.

(03:30):
She's not showing me she's notshowing anybody.
I'm not showing anybody.
The only people that know whatmy wedding dress looks like are
my mom and my sister, becausethey're the ones that came dress
shopping with me.
Everybody else it'll be asurprise for the day.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
She did show us some um pictures of dresses she did
try on, though that wasn't likethe one.
Let me just tell you, this girlis gorgeous.
She looked stunning in everysingle one of them.
I'm just like so excited.
Thank you to see you I'm reallyexcited too.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
That was one of those , like I put it on my sister
when I walked out, instantlyknew like that was it even
before I did um and we tried ona few others, and then we
narrowed it down to two um whereshe put the veil on.
And as soon as she put the veilon and I walked out, I
instantly started blubbering.
I didn't think I'd be thatperson, but I was, and so that

(04:19):
at that point I'm like yep,that's it.
We can't, we can't ignore thecry.
Was everyone crying?
no, I thinkby got a little bitteary-eyed, but no, tears fell,
and same with my mom, and theyjust like the the well in the
eyes, but no tears for me,though I was a blubbering mess
so good, so you're gonna looklike how josh is gonna look when
you walk and if he doesn't,we're going back and we're

(04:41):
redoing it until I get thosetears.
But yeah, no, so that wasreally exciting uh, and that was
special that I got to do thatwith them.
Um, so a really special time,uh, so that was fun uh, and we
celebrated my birthday with somefriends.
Happy birthday, thank you thankyou.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
What'd you do with your friends?

Speaker 2 (05:01):
so we had a powerpoint night.
I don't know if any of ourlisteners know what this is, but
it went around on tiktok and,uh, we thought it'd be really
fun, where all of our friendsmake powerpoint presentations
about what they do for a living,like they're nine to five, what
are they doing, explainingtheir job, for work,
responsibilities, their company,that kind of thing, but in a

(05:21):
very like non-formal way, likevery much more like funny,
personable, like this is what Iactually do, so you kind of
understand next time when I'mtalking about it, kind of way
when I told my dad about what wewere doing, he was like he
basically was kind of likebashing on it and he was like so
you're gonna work after work?

Speaker 1 (05:40):
and I'm like, no, it's fun.
Yeah, like I don't know how toexplain it, but it really was so
much fun it was.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Everybody really leaned into it and I had such a
good time and I actually didlearn a lot yeah, a lot about
what my friends do yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
I still don't know.
If someone like asked me likewhat certain people do, I don't
think I would eloquently be ableto tell them, but I would know
like I would.
I would know, yeah, no, no same.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
but yeah it.
But I would know, I would know,yeah, no, no same.
But yeah, it's funny becauseyou hear them talk about it and
obviously we've been friends fora long time, so you hear them
talk about it for a long time.
But it wasn't until seeingtheir presentation where it kind
of clicked in my brain and Itruly understood what they were
doing.
And everybody made it reallyfunny and understandable and we
ate pizza and cookies and had agrand old time.

(06:25):
so that was really fun and Iappreciate all my friends for
coming and doing that for meyeah, celebrate you any day
thanks, um, but yeah, that'skind of what's been going on for
me, and a lot more weddingplanning to come, but we're just
taking it day by day, all right.
Well, to get back into our booknow we're gonna go ahead and do
a reading recap.
So this is a long book, so noteverything is going to be

(06:48):
covered in the summary, but sowe do highly encourage you to
like read the book to get thefull meaning of it all.
So this is very much just sparknotes version of what we got
going on, so that way, for thoseof you who didn't read but
still want to participate theepisode, have an understanding
of what's going on warning bookspoilers ahead.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
Please head to the description and show notes to
find where to skip to.
You have been warned.
Yeah, so um, for a lot of thisbook.
It switches between the pastand the present and telling the
story.
We meet adeline um, also knownas addie larue, who was born
over 300 years ago in uh villon,a small french village I don't

(07:32):
know if that's how you pronounceit.
That sounds right to me, I likeit uh.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
So she's kind of like uh, this wild child in the
village uh loves her dad uh, andis becomes really close with
this local woman called Estelle,who is kind of like witchy
vibes, the old hag of thevillage lives off on like the
outskirts of town.

Speaker 1 (07:54):
Picture kind of like in Moana, the grandmother, like
people think she's a little likekooky, but it's like she's just
in touch with the spirits.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
you know Yep, exactly , and this is France, so most
people are Catholic.
But Estelle believes in the oldgods and prays to the old gods
and she teaches Addie all aboutthem growing up and warns her
not to call on them after darkbecause you'd never know who's
going to answer after dark,which can be dangerous.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, and so in the beginning of the story we also
learn that in 1714, when Addieis a young 23, she is engaged,
but not of her own will.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
It was kind of like an arranged marriage 23 is
almost like old hag in a way atthat point in time too.
So it's like her family'strying to get her out of the out
of the house yeah so.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
But she, from a really young age, just wants to
travel and see the world.
She doesn't want to feeltrapped.
And so this engagement feelslike you know, like she's going
to be trapped forever.
And so right before the wedding, um, they're getting ready to
go and she like runs out of thehouse and she just starts

(09:09):
praying to the old gods to befree.
She just kind of like over andover again.
She's like frantic, freakingout, um, like panicking, and is
just praying and praying to theold gods.
And as she's praying, nightfalls and the darkness answers.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
She doesn't realize the darkness because she's in
such a frantic state.
And so then one of the dark godsdoes answer, and Addie asks to
live freely and to have moretime to do as she pleases, to
explore the world.
Um, as a gift to the old god,she offers her favorite

(09:48):
possession, which is a carvedwooden ring that was made by her
father.
Um, that was like really,really special to her and she's
had it since, like birth.
It's like a lucky token for her, but the darkness like rejects
it.
So instead, in like this state,she offers her soul.
So when she has lived her lifeto the fullest the way she wants

(10:12):
to, then she'll give her soulover to this dark god and with
that he accepts, so she is giveneternal life.
But the catch is that no onecan remember her because she
wanted to live freely.
So this was like the be carefulwhat you wish for aspect of it

(10:34):
all, and so as soon as sheleaves their sight, they
completely forget about her, andthus she can live freely, but
with major consequences to that.
Yeah, one of those being thatshe can live freely, but with
major consequences to that.

Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah, one of those being that she can't even leave
a mark on the world.
She can't say her name, shecan't, like, make a drawing, but
she kind of finds loopholes inhow she can influence others and
the mark that they leave on theworld.
So, kind of fast forward topresent day.

(11:05):
Addie survives by stealing,sneaking into others' apartments
to sleep.
She can't say her real namebecause people can't know her.
So, or her story, thebackground, no one knows.

Speaker 2 (11:18):
She's like, physically incapable of saying,
no matter how hard she tries.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, so she can't keep home, can't keep
possessions the only exceptionis the wooden ring actually
comes back to her and she can'tget rid of this anymore.
Um, which kind of you learnmore about it, like later on,
like the meaning of it, um, butagain, as she's just kind of,

(11:44):
it's been 300 years and she'sbeen trying to figure out this
life, and so one day she walksinto a bookstore to steal a book
, but she's caught by the clerk,henry um, and he ends up
letting her take it, but becausestealing is really the only way
that she can get away, becauseshe can't hold a job to make
money, because nobody remembersher past the day or even around

(12:06):
the corner after every minute,and so she finds that the way
that she gets by is by stealing,because as soon as she turns a
corner, they forget that sheeven was there and stole
anything.
And a lot of times she returnsthe stuff.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
So, like the book that she's stealing, I think
she's planning on bringing itback after she read it Right
More like a library kind ofthing, um, and so this book kind
of hops between, like presentday in new york, where she ran
in and uh, where she was at thisbook store, and back to paris
where, uh, her story was likejust starting.

(12:39):
So, uh, going back to paris,the darkness appears to her like
yearly.
Each time asking Addie if she'sready to relinquish her life
and her soul, each time shedeclines because he's trying to
wear her down.
He made this like curse, sodifficult for her, in hopes that
she wouldn't actually want tolive an eternal life, that she'd

(13:00):
be so down and just depressedthat she'd just give in to him.
Um, but she is petty and isholding a grudge against this
guy and is like absolutely not,you will not win, I'm gonna live
forever and you'll never get meyeah, and one thing he does is.

Speaker 1 (13:19):
So, before the curse, she was very big into drawing,
I think, with charcoals, and so,um, one thing that she drew
constantly was kind of like thisdream man or this man that
really just kind of likeappeared to her in her mind and
the darkness takes on this formof the man that she has drawn

(13:41):
and also kind of takes on anickname of the name that she
had named him.
So luke is what he's called, um, and it's the imaginary
stranger that addy oncedaydreamed about.
Then, going back into presenttime, um, addy goes back to that
bookstore but henry recognizesher and remembers her, so she

(14:05):
goes back to exchange the bookthat she read and he remembers
her, which has not happenedthrows her into a whole tailspin
of like how the heck, what'sspecial about this guy?

Speaker 2 (14:18):
was it a blip?
What's going on?
And so she becomes veryintrigued by Henry and she
convinces Henryry to go on thisdate with her um and, to her
surprise, after getting to likeknow him, um, and really talking

(14:38):
, and realizing that, like, thisisn't a blip, this wasn't a
one-time thing, like seeing himfor multiple days.
He remembers her every time.

Speaker 1 (14:47):
And she can tell him her name.
That's a crazy thing too.
She's never been able to likesay her name.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
And her story and like what's going on, but we
hadn't.
So she's kind of trying tonavigate this best way to handle
things with Henry, because evenHenry can remember her anytime
he introduces her to like hisfriends, or if they're out
somewhere, like obviously thosepeople can't remember Addie,
she's completely forgotten about, which she has to be able to

(15:15):
explain to Henry at some pointbecause he's gonna ask questions
and it's gonna get weird.
So, uh, when Henry's friendsdon't recognize her, addie later
decides to tell him the truthabout her bargain with the
darkness, ie Luke, and to hersurprise, henry admits to Addie

(15:35):
that he actually made a dealwith Luke a year ago and so they
figured that's how he's able toremember her is because it's
kind of like a loophole in thecurse, and so for him he was
going through a really reallybad breakup and feeling very
depressed, and so he exchangeshis soul to be loved essentially

(16:01):
, but obviously everything comeswith a price.
Loved essentially, butobviously everything comes with
the price.
And so, uh, even though everyperson that he comes across like
loves henry, they only seehenry for what they want to see
in somebody like what they seeas the perfect boyfriend, the
perfect son, the perfect bestfriend and not who henry truly

(16:23):
is.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
Um, so that's like the catch to his curse, uh,
which kind of complements addy'sa little bit as well, because,
uh, she can see the true himyeah, and so they think that
they've just found this flaw inthe curses that luke bestowed
upon them, and so one thing thatthey do is henry writes down
addy'sie's story, with Addiedictating the whole thing and

(16:48):
sharing her story and he'swriting it all down.
But meanwhile, when we jump backinto past chapters, the book
sort of describes Addie andLuke's relationship over the
course of 100 years, from the1700s to the end of the 1800s,
and so during this time Addietravels across Europe with Luke,
travels across Europe with Luke, visiting usually on July 29th,

(17:12):
but he skips some years.
He'll occasionally rescue herfrom you know sticky situations
that she finds herself in,claiming he wants to be the one
to break her or he'll whisk heroff to some place.
Addy accuses him of beinglonely and in wants of company.
Um, because of kind of like,his intrigue with her as well,

(17:33):
in 1914 luke admits to likingaddy's company and gives her a
wooden ring so she can call onhim which.
This is the wooden ring wetalked about earlier.
Um, she finally uses it in 1944when she gets captured during
world war ii.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
So like during this whole time they're playing cat
and mouse kind of it's like,anytime she puts on the ring
he'll come.
But then it's like, okay, addiehas this ring but she never
wants to use it because it'slike she holds the power now,
even though luke held the powerfor so long, because now there's
feelings involved, it's like,well, they won't they, who's
going to break?
First kind of situation.

(18:12):
And so he comes to visit in1952, admitting that he wants
her, and they end up in thisaffair that lasts for years and
Addie falls for him and Lukesays that he loves her too.
But then in the 1980s, addieasks Luke to release her from

(18:32):
her deal, thinking that he lovesher and so he'd like do this
for her.
But he says that in order tobreak the deal because like
magic's involved, he would itrequires her to surrender to him
, to like essentially make a newsort of deal in its place or

(18:53):
like the break it, which Addieobviously is distraught to hear
and lashes out at him and theyhave this huge fight and Luke
then doesn't appear again to herfor another 40 years because
they're like staying away fromeach other at that point.

Speaker 1 (19:10):
And then, jumping back to the present, addie
learns that Henry's deal comeswith another consequence, and
it's that this deal was onlymeant to last, smarter with her
words of saying I'll give you mysoul when I'm done.
Henry was not so smart with hiswords, and so after that year

(19:34):
he's going to die and his holeis going to go to Luke's, and he
only has a month left.
And so Addie is now distraughtagain for other reasons, and she
decides to call on Luke to beghim to change his deal with
henry.
One other thing luke tells themthat he purposely put them in
each other's paths, kind of likehe was the mastermind all along

(19:56):
, as if, like you thought that Imade a mistake.

Speaker 2 (19:59):
Like I don't make mistakes, you know, he thought
he was giving, like addy, whatshe wanted, like the human love
and affection that she wanted.
Because he knew about that,like because they're both cursed
, like obviously henry's kind ofimmune to his curse on addy.
So he in his love quote unquotefor addy, thought he was giving

(20:19):
her what she wanted, but thenshowing her the heartbreak that
comes with human love becausehe's dying in a year, thinking
that she'll come running back tohim at that point yeah, and so
when addy's you know beggingluke, luke refuses her until
addy promises herself to him inexchange for releasing henry and

(20:39):
luke accepts.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
But this isn't something that the reader is
aware of until it actually likehappens.
So when it comes down to it,and it's like the end of henry's
last day, henry is thinkingthat he is gonna die and this is
their last day together.
And then that's when addyreveals what actually happened.

(21:03):
When addy begged luke and heaccepted the switch Like how she
saved him essentially.
And so in part seven we hearabout Henry living and writing a
book based on the stories thatAddie has told him.
And he publishes the book.
And I don't even think it'sbased on the stories, I think it
is exactly what Addie said tohim.

(21:25):
So he publishes the book, thelife of addy larue, as fiction
and without an author, which islike kind of like crazy when you
were like the reader readingthe book, because it's like the
book is the invisible life ofaddy larue.
I'm reading the invisible lifeof addy like it was kind of
interesting, um, and then, totop it all off, the ending, luke

(21:46):
, you know, thinks that he's won, because addy, it's not that
her soul is his, but she issurrendered and is now like with
him.
But addy knows that her newdeal only requires her to stay
with him for as long as hedesires, and so addy plans to
break his heart and drive himaway Because she was good with

(22:08):
her words.
The end.
So that was a lot, but I thinkit really helps to kind of Give
context.
Yeah, give context, and thenalso for people who have read
the book, to just like jog yourmemory, because even myself I
read this, like I've read quitea few books since this, and so
doing these I think helps to jogyour memory when we talk about

(22:28):
things.
But I'm so curious what wereyour initial thoughts, michaela?

Speaker 2 (22:33):
so I really did enjoy this book.
Um, I thought it was afascinating concept, even though
, like the concept of likeliving forever being forgotten
isn't like new.
I think it was done in a verynew kind of way, with like the
fantasy vibe of it and like thegod aspect of it, and I thought,
like the life lessons that theyhave kind of mixed in were

(22:55):
really well done, because itdoesn't give you like a clear
answer, it just gives you likethose kernels to think about as
you like move on from the book,which I really appreciated.
So what about you?

Speaker 1 (23:05):
I agree it was like much more thought provoking than
I thought it would be.
I really enjoyed it and Ireally enjoyed the ending as
well.
I thought it was just like itwas done really well.
But it's funny because so thefirst time I saw this book was
through a TikTok.
So thanks, booktok, you're notalways wrong, sometimes it's

(23:26):
right.
But in the TikTok it was likejust the bookstore scene where
he like remembers her and likeshe comes to that realization of
like he remembers.
So that's all I had like cominginto this book and I was like,
oh okay, so it's like meet cute,like this guy remembers her.
And then I read this book andI'm like, oh my gosh, yeah, wow,

(23:48):
like your words have so muchpower and meaning in the way
that you say things Like becareful with your words, mm-hmm,
and your words have power.
Yeah, and what you want out oflife.
You know, kind of like yourbrain doesn't always know what
it wants, because it thinks itwants one thing and then the

(24:08):
grass is always greener on theother side, kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
Yeah, but once you get it like you don't know what
you have till it's gone.

Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yeah so it was so interesting.
Like you said, it was done likein a different way, like it
just wasn't like somethingregurgitated, but it felt new,
which was really nice, it wasrefreshing.

Speaker 2 (24:24):
I really appreciated it.
Did you have a favorite part?

Speaker 1 (24:28):
I did Honestly, I just like I found it so
interesting when she fell inlove with Luke and like the
intricacies of theirrelationship.
Of course, being fantasy-likereaders and the love of fantasy,
you're always rooting for thevillain.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
I know.

Speaker 1 (24:46):
Like you're always like oh, oh, my gosh, she has
dark hair.
Like okay, let's get it down.

Speaker 2 (24:50):
Like you know, so my toxic trait throughout this
whole book I'm not gonna.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
I'm like wow, luke is just like so hot I really feel
for him.
He's probably lonely yeah.
I'm like no, he wants her, so Ijust I was really into that and
like I wanted more of that, butI also I I really liked her
story being remembered and thenlike validated, like that was

(25:17):
like really touching too.
Just everyone wants to be likeseen in like the world, and so
it was cool to see someone feltlike as though they were seen by
someone, and, of course, thiswas very like exemplified or
magnified, because they had twocurses and so they were the only
two people that saw each other.

(25:37):
But so I I liked that as wellwhat about you?

Speaker 2 (25:42):
um, surprise, surprise.
I love the complexities of thebook.
What, uh, no, but I think likethe moral complexities of the
book and its characters werereally like my favorite parts,
but I found the most fascinatingand the most well done.
Like the uh, is it right orwrong for addy to be stealing to
live?
Um, that like pang of empathyyou have for luke he supposedly

(26:07):
develops feelings for Addie eventhough he's really like the bad
guy, quote unquote in this book.
And like the love complex of isit true love or is it like love
of convenience between Henryand Addie and also Luke and
Addie because of like thesituations that they're all in.
I just loved the complexitiesof it and I think that the

(26:28):
author did such a phenomenal joblike laying it all out for you
and giving you essentially allthe facts for you to like take
with that what you will kind ofwhich, yeah, I love, like that's
always my favorite part.

Speaker 1 (26:43):
It's why we're talking right now, because it's
like, what did we think?

Speaker 2 (26:46):
yes, and I think it like a lot of books do it, but I
think she is probably one ofthe best to do it in my opinion.
I think that that was likereally well done the way that I
agree um, where it really wasn'tleaning too heavily like one
side or another good, bad, right, wrong um, it just left it all
out there, bare for you to kindof figure out where you lie in

(27:07):
it.
Yeah, yeah, that's definitelymy favorite part so good, what
about least favorite uh?
the pacing of this book was alittle slow for me I think I was
really into it and then we gotabout towards that like middle
third of the book and it startedto really slow down for me.
I'm like I need, I need.
This is the part where I needto like, pick up on me, like

(27:28):
this is where we're like gainingtraction, gaining steam.
But I'm like I need, I need.
This is the part where I needto like pick up on me, like this
is where we're like gainingtraction, gaining steam.
But I feel like we weren't atthat point and I wanted to hear
more about, like, her adventuresthrough history.
I feel like we focused soheavily on the build-up of her
life in paris yeah, that Ididn't.
I wanted to hear more about theadventure she had like
throughout history leading up tothat point, because she lived

(27:50):
through so many historic events.
How was she involved?
Was she involved at all?
Where was she during certaintime frames?
I feel like we spent so muchtime on the front end of her
history that we only got very,very little blips and like
brushes of it um, throughout therest of that history leading up

(28:11):
to the present, and I wantedmore of that more meat and
potatoes there yeah, I agree thepacing wasn't my favorite.

Speaker 1 (28:18):
But also, at the same time, I'm wondering if she'd
paste it that way almostintentionally, so that you could
kind of feel like how liketired she was and like how, yeah
, and like how like this is along life she's been through,
like like it's the same thing,like she's gone through all this
stuff like so tiresome.
And then when you get to allthe present chapters that's why

(28:40):
it's like almost even more likemagnetic, that's a phenomenal
point.
Thanks I, it just came to me.
It's not in my notes, it justcame to me.
But so I'm wondering like if,if that was intentional and if
it is like that's crazy, likegood on you, um, but that's a
really good point I mean becauseit kind of makes sense it puts
you in that like feeling thatshe had of life where she's

(29:02):
waiting for the pacing yes, yeahthat's a phenomenal point, darby
thank you, I didn't even thinkabout that.
That really changes myperspective on that a little bit
.
Yeah, and then I think for me.
So the pacing was not myfavorite, but now that I've been
enlightened- it's also changedit.
But for me my least favoritepart was when her parents didn't

(29:23):
remember her Like ugh sob.
Like that was just so sad, kindof well really, when, like
anybody that she like knewdidn't remember her because it
just like if you like can tryand confront it yourself, like
picturing, if I were to comeover to do the podcast and you
were like, who are you get outof here, like you're freaking me
out, this random like, oh mygosh, I would be bawling, like

(29:48):
so, just oh, trying to like evenfeel a kernel of the fear and
the sadness that she felt.
Oh, so sad, and I don't likefeeling sad so constant.

Speaker 2 (29:58):
Least favorite like the constant starting over,
because it's like you get toknow somebody on your side for,
like, you've known them for two,three months.
You're really learning like theintricacies of them, but every
time they meet you it's for thefirst time, so they're never
getting to know you.

Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah, yeah, that's it's yeah, what's funny is so,
um, right before we wererecording this, we actually were
talking about new people andhanging out with them, like how
tiresome that can be and likehow much energy it takes to like
ask the questions and get toknow someone and like to
constantly that's the your onlylife is, you know, reintroducing

(30:36):
yourself, relearning aboutpeople, like I'm surprised that
she didn't go completely insane,like the strength of will is
incredible.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
yeah, um, but let's talk more about Addie and Luke.
Okay, so they had a reallyinteresting dynamic.
Like, did you believe that theyever both truly cared for each
other?
Do you think it was a matter ofconvenience power?
Like, talk to me about it.

Speaker 1 (31:02):
So I wish I knew what the author like, what they
think, because I don't thinkwe'll ever know for sure, but
I'd love to imagine that it wasboth.
I think that, knowing eachother for so long and them, you
know which we don't know enoughabout luke, maybe he had like

(31:23):
other side pieces, but I'm justsaying like maybe addy wasn't
his only one, but from what weknow, like they've just known
each other for so long that Ithink it just ebbed and flowed
in many different things.
So I think for at times forboth of them it was about
convenience and power and attimes for both of them it was
about actual feelings for eachother.

(31:44):
So I think I don't know, but Ithink that both were felt in the
relationship no, I I agree.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Um, in my heart that's what I'm going to believe
because that's what I want, um,but I mean, like it happens in
real life too, people fall inlove with toxic people and they
have these toxic relationships.
So, even though they're not likegood people for you, you can
still have these like passionatelove for somebody, and I feel
like that's kind of where addylanded with luke.

(32:14):
I do feel like it helps that heremembers her, so it fills that
like longing.
But I think two things can betrue at the same time that those
feelings did develop because itwas such a long relationship
and, like you said, from likeluke's perspective he's the only
addy's, the only one we know of, and makes it sound like she's
the first and only for him andhow, when they were at like the

(32:37):
speakeasy, like he gets lonelytoo, and so the fact that he's
able to check up on addy andaddy has been like playing this
cat and mouse game with himgives him almost like enjoyment
and entertainment for him tofall in love with her.
So I truly believe that therewas like real love there, but
not to say that power didn't andconvenience didn't like assist

(33:00):
that and play a big role in thatdeveloping either, and that it
was obviously a toxicrelationship that it was
obviously a toxic relationshipand in a way, luke and like in
his position is very similarlycursed to addy, like he's doing
the same thing every day youknow.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
So I think maybe, if we do play into the love portion
of it, he can relate to howlonely she's feeling and how
it's all like though she'sliving free and can experience
new things.
It's not new when you get tothe root of it, because it's
just reintroducing and no oneknows you, no one sees you, no
one feels like can understandhow you're feeling, and so I'd

(33:41):
like to think that, because lukeis in almost like a similar
position of like well, yeah,he's cursing people every day.
They could be new curses, butno one knows him, no one's
hanging out with him, like heprobably feels similarly another
phenomenal point I didn't thinkof.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
Thanks, you're on a roll.

Speaker 1 (33:57):
They're really just coming to me as we're talking.

Speaker 2 (33:59):
I knew this was gonna be good conversation as soon as
I.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
So I don't know what's been going on lately, but
I've been finishing the booktalk books before michaela,
which didn't used to happen, andso, like after I finished this,
I was like Michaela, you needto read this and it's gonna be
like so good, like we're gonnahave such great talks.
And we're having such greattalks, if I say so myself you
are on it.

Speaker 2 (34:20):
You've got that philosophical brain on and hats
off to you.
You're making phenomenal pointsbecause that's another one.
I didn't even think of, butyou're so right how he totally
can relate to addy's feelings inthat and I'm sure helped, yeah,
build that relationship.
Yeah, no, absolutely hey.
Uh.
Similarly, though, uh, do youthink henry and addy were truly

(34:42):
in love or were they just bondedby their circumstances?

Speaker 1 (34:45):
so I'm not gonna lie, I liked luke a lot better than
henry.
I really liked henry, but so,like, I didn't even think about
this thought because I was, liketoo involved with luke and
addie.
But I think this one was morecircumstances because it was so
quick, um, but I don'tnecessarily think that's a bad
thing.
Um, it's just kind of the lovethat they were offered and so

(35:08):
for them it worked.
So I think it was because ofcircumstances that they fell in
love, but I don't think thatthat's bad.
Now, if they didn't have curses,would they still have fallen in
love?
I don't know.
But I think that they did feelso strongly for each other and
so, seen by each other becauseof how, like, where they were

(35:31):
put which again is kind of likereal life, you know Like would I
have met Justin if I didn't goto UCF?
Like would I be married to him?
I don't know, but because ofthe circumstances that brought
us together, we did meet eachother and we did fall in love,
right, and we are in love.
That's kind of like Henry andAddie.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
I think.
No, I agree, it wasn't myfavorite either.
I did prefer Luke.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
The darkness green eyes I know.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
It just gets me.
But, yeah, this one definitelyfelt more bonded through
circumstance, because Addie wasobviously desperate for human
connection and Henry wasdesperate for somebody to see
like the true him it's the wholereason like he was in that mess
in the first place.
So they really like gave thatto each other and it's not to

(36:20):
deny that there was anattraction, but it was
definitely, I believe, morecircumstantial.
But I feel like it kind of likeshows the difference in how not
to invalidate one love versusanother, but how love can be so
different for people, becausethere's the love that's like the
passion and like the moreheavy-hitting, deeper-feeling

(36:44):
emotion that's more like wrecksyou that she has with Luke
Versus, like the softsentimental.
Soft sentimental, like feelingof playful and fun, more like
delicate with henry, and that'snot to invalidate, like one is
more like the true emotion oflove than the other.

Speaker 1 (37:01):
But it's just like how different love can be yeah,
and I think it is too like alittle bit healthy and unhealthy
of like.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
With Henry it's safe, you can be vulnerable and still
like feel secure, whereas withLuke you can be vulnerable and
then feel belittled by likesomeone so, and it's like the
trap that I feel, like so manygirls land themselves in between
, where it's like the bad boycomplex, where you just like us,
who we loved throughout thebook even though he was very

(37:30):
clearly the toxic one.
It's the trap that we all fallinto.
Then we're married and engagedto be nice but yes, that was an
interesting way that she kind oflike portrayed that.
Yeah, all in all, yeah, we like, I like luke yeah, I think that
one was better, but okay, Ilove this question that you

(37:54):
proposed.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
What curse do you think is better or worse?
Henry's or addie's?

Speaker 2 (38:01):
I would say addie's, solely because at least henry is
remembered so he can hold a joband he can like have like an
apartment and like livesomewhere.
I feel like both of them arevery, very lonely.
Curses like it can leave youfeeling very isolated, alone and
forgotten about, because eventhough henry is remembered, it's

(38:23):
never for him in the true himhe knows.
Anytime anybody looks at him,it's not him that they're seeing
, it's like their dream versionof him.
So I think both are lonely butat least, like in henry's
circumstance, you can go onliving a semi-normal life, yet
lonely, albeit lonely but stillnormal.
Versus addy's, circumstanceswere way different yeah and that

(38:45):
was on henry for not barkingfor enough time too.
Yeah, because he could onlylive like the year versus like.
Addy was careful with her wordsand like had eternity yeah, I
agree.

Speaker 1 (38:59):
At first for some my first thought was henry's, but
then I quickly was like no it's.
I think addy's curse is worse.
I think one thing that's niceis henry does kind of have his
one friend that like doesn'tlike need to see more, like she
already saw him, like for whatshe wanted and out of him and so
like they have a normalrelationship.

(39:19):
But, um, they both are so hard.
I do think addie's like shetruly has no one.
And I think for some people,like in real life, like they
kind of act out henry's curse ina way in that they do only see
what they want to see out ofpeople.
Like, for instance, sometimeswith my sister, like her and I

(39:42):
are vastly different and like welike different things, but a
lot of times I tend to see heras my childhood sister, as if
she hasn't grown up, and I'lltreat her like that sometimes
because sometimes that's what Iwant you know, so that's a good
point.
Like I think sometimes that justhappens because you've you all

(40:03):
have different perceptions ofsomebody, and sometimes people
just want to perceive you aswhat they want.
And now that's not gonna workforever, but like it does kind
of happen, right, I think yeah,no, that's a really good point
on it, darby, on it thank you.
Thank you, I mean, you're on ittoo I'm very much enjoying your
words as well.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
No, no, take.
Take the comment you are.
You're killing it today.
Thank, you um, so obviously thecurses addy and henry are given
have like a negative twist totheir biggest desire.
So addy wants to live freely,but no one will remember her.
So henry wants to be loved, butnobody will love him for him.

(40:44):
So what would be like yourbiggest desire and how do you
think luke would spin itnegatively if you made a deal
with him?

Speaker 1 (40:53):
okay.
So, like joking about this,it's to eat and to not have my
body change at all.
That would totally be the bestcurse.
We're eating hibachi all day,um, but I don't really know,
because it's kind of hard for meto like think of like what do I
want most?
Because, like, I'm a veryreligious person, so, um, a lot

(41:17):
of times I think about how, likethis earth like isn't our
eternal home and this is justkind of like we're passing
through and we're gonna spendeternal, like eternity, like
with God, and that's just my ownpersonal spiritual feelings.
So it was kind of hard for meto like think of, like what do I
desire most?
Because I just desire to bewith jesus, um, but, thinking

(41:40):
about it, maybe my desire wouldto be happy and to just, you
know, I just want to be happy.
What?
about making others happy so Ithink I'm too self, like I I
want to be happy, like I wantothers to be happy too, but I
think I feel like you're apeople pleaser I'm for sure
people pleaser but so what?
But I'm thinking of, like, ifI'm in like a frantic state,

(42:02):
kind of like henry and addie,and if I'm, if I'm like in a
vulnerable place and in a darkplace, I'm gonna be more selfish
as well.
So I'm thinking that I wouldsay to Luke like I just want to
be happy, and so I think hiscurse and the twist might be
like either not letting me feelany other emotion besides happy,

(42:24):
or that others around me arenever happy, and that would be
really bad and really sad.
both of those are really goodtwists so I don't know, but that
those are my thoughts.
Interesting, yeah, I like thethought, I like the thought and
I, I, but then it's hard becauseit's like, well, if other

(42:45):
people around me aren't happy,then it's like I'm not happy,
but would luke considerhappiness just being like being
able to obtain whatever I want.
Like being able to obtainwhatever I want, like being able
to like do, quote, unquotewhatever my like dream life is.
But just whoever I'm surroundedby always has like a hardship
going on, right, like so.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
Or like never feeling any other emotion, kind of
negates, like the significanceof feeling happy if that's all
you feel.

Speaker 1 (43:09):
Yeah, and it's like you.
You know, like I know thatsomething's different, but I
can't help but just smile andit's like but I know that this
is not right, but I can't figureout what it is right, like I
don't know what.
About you?
What would your curse?

Speaker 2 (43:26):
be um.
So again, it's kind of hard tothink like what's my biggest
desire?
But it's a big question.
Yeah, it is, and so I'm notgonna say that what's my biggest
desire, but it's a big question.

Speaker 1 (43:32):
Yeah, it is.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
And so I'm not going to say that this is my biggest
desire, but the one that came tomind is I am such a why person.
I love to know the why ofeverything.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
You are a questioner.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
I love like the fun facts behind things.
It's hard for me to take thingsat face value.
I'm like even ever since I wasa little kid, my mom could never
tell me, like, don't touch thestove.
It's because you know.
It's always like but why can'tI touch the stove?
Like, why can't I do thesethings?
Why is this the way it is?
Uh, and so I feel like if, likethat was like my thing, he

(44:04):
might give me the knowledge toknow everything.
Or like never question, likewhy something is, I'll just
automatically know.
But then maybe, like the twiston that would be, nobody would
ever believe me when I tell themwhat the lie is so that could
like be backfire when you'retrying to find a solution.
I'm thinking like you know, likecovid, right, like maybe I know

(44:27):
the solution to covid and likehow to save all these lives, but
I could never tell anybodybecause nobody would believe me
anyway, even though I know thetruth.
I feel like that would be areally big twist.

Speaker 1 (44:36):
And then it's like, well, do you just never
participate?
And then people are like, whyaren't you helping?
Or do you try?
And then like, exactly, yeah,that's a good one too.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Like a Cassandra from from like greek mythology, you
know like that kind of likecomplex of it, yeah, or I feel
like it could also be like uh,so it's like spin to like the
why of like everyday things likeum, knowing like why josh came
home late from work maybe it wasbecause he was.
He tells me like oh, he justhad to work late, but the real
reason was that he was stoppingto like get me a surprise from
target or something like thatthen.

(45:14):
But because I know the why hewas late, it ruins like
surprises or things like thatfor like everyday things.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
So I feel like it kind of depends on like what
context you or almost just likeknowing too much information,
like almost like a mind readeryeah, like you go crazy with it
yeah, just like informationoverload that's a bad one too,
yeah, but I feel like that'd bemine yeah, yeah, interesting,
okay.
So I know you are a thinker andyou definitely like to guess

(45:43):
when things happen.
What, which of the like,reveals or plot points did you
see coming?
And then, which ones were yousurprised by?

Speaker 2 (45:50):
if any.
Oh, this was really funny, um,with luke being the love
interest.
Immediately when he popped up,I'm like okay, so this is going
to be the thing.
But then you know you'rereading and he's the one that's
cursing.
I'm like, no, but kayla, thisis a.
This is not a sarah j mass book.
You need to get your mind outof that.
But this is a very differentlike this is the bad guy.
And even like, getting through,like halfway through the book,

(46:11):
you're still like I have to keepreminding myself.
Like this isn't that type ofbook, this isn't the type of
book.
That's not where it's going.
Like let's focus on the storyat hand, stop like bringing in
outside influences.
Lo and behold, later on we findout that it is a love interest.
I was like, wow, I shouldn't Ineed to stop gaslighting myself,

(46:34):
enjoy the story a little bitmore.
So that one I did see coming,despite gaslighting myself that
it wasn't actually coming.
Um, I also knew that henry wascursed by luke when she like
first met him and he likeremembered her.
Of course, like that wasn't.
For me that was like an easyokay, I understand like where
that came from, but the questionis, what was his curse?

(46:54):
Was he like living forever,like what was his thing?
But I figured like that wouldbe the reason.

Speaker 1 (46:59):
I did not see that one really.
Yeah, like it definitely madesense, but that I just didn't
initially go there, sure, I justwas like, oh my gosh, that's so
great for her, she can say hername not when I was thinking
about it, like how would he beable?

Speaker 2 (47:11):
that's like the first thought that I had.
Oh, when you asked why, exactlyexactly, um, but the thing I did
not see coming was the un Idon't say unhappy ending, but
the uh, minimal closure endingof the book.
I was not expecting, like Iknew, addie would save Henry in
some way, like you kind ofexpected that.

(47:33):
But I expected more of aresolution for her story with
Luke than the leaving off on analmost interpretation
cliffhanger of okay, she madeherself an out, but you don't
get to hear about it and likewhether she makes it out or not,
or her whole situation withluke, whether they stay in love,

(47:56):
or how that all works out.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
Darkness babies exactly, or it's like is he over
her?

Speaker 2 (48:01):
does he ever like get tired of her or is he actually
truly in love with her and she'sstuck forever in this situation
?
Like that part I didn't seecoming.
But I'm not mad at it.
I'm actually really happy aboutit and I think it really added
to the book.
But I was just kind of likethat's it, like that's where
we're ending, and for me thatwas the big one.
Yeah, what about you?

Speaker 1 (48:22):
so for me, I definitely saw it coming that
like she's gonna be cursed assoon as like she's running away
from the like wedding.
I'm like, okay, well, thingsare not gonna be like happy like
it's not gonna be good.
um, and then I didn't know thathenry would be cursed as well,
or that she would notnecessarily, that she would have

(48:49):
chosen to switch, change hisplans.
Because for me, because thebook was so like heavy on, like
how hard her life was and justlike how this curse ruined her,
I didn't necessarily think thatthe author was going to let her
have any sort of like resolve orhappy ending.
I almost saw it happening aslike she thought she had one

(49:12):
thing and he actually took thisaway too from her.
So, that's how I thought it wasgoing to, which I'm happy that
like it didn't like it workedout better.
But that's where my thought was.
And then I also didn't expectfor her to have her own plan.
But I was like get a girl, butalso like what?
If he likes you, right itleaves you on that open end.

Speaker 2 (49:32):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Yeah.
But I think that kind of likethe fact going to your point of
like with Henry being cursed orlike that she would choose like
to switch with him.
I think that even shows moreabout like Luke's feelings for
her, or at least his what hethinks are feelings for her, the

(49:52):
fact that it's like he normallyhe deals in souls like that's
his thing.
So the fact that he was willingto let henry go just to like
keep addy in his clutches, Ithink, almost like there's like
one more drop in the bucket oflike feelings.

Speaker 1 (50:06):
Whether that's feelings of like control and
power, feelings of love, that'sstill to be determined, or maybe
it's both, um, but at leastthat it uh it kind of like
control and power, feelings oflove, that's still to be
determined, or maybe it's both,um, but at least that it uh, it
kind of like shows those strongfeelings for her that he was
willing to let it go yeah, alsoone thing, jumping back on to
like henry a little bit, I thinka reason why or maybe not for

(50:26):
you, but for me, I think areason why I also lean towards
luke is because her relationshipwith henry like he just felt
very young and very naive, so itjust it just felt like they
were just in way differentplaces, which obviously they
were, because she had lived forso much longer but so their like
love and relationship felt solike like out of convenience and

(50:50):
just that he, just that he waslike baby, you know.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
So I think it's kind of like that moment when she was
like stealing and he wasjudging her for it.
It's like, on one hand you'relike initially I was getting
upset with henry for like hisreaction towards her and for
that, because like that's howshe's able to live, and the fact
that he's like judging her forthat, when that's how she's made
it for so long, felt like wrongto me and like kind of showed

(51:17):
his naivety to like the wholesituation.
But then you think about itmore, it gets into the
complexities of it all becausewhat she is doing is really
wrong, and so it's like kind ofbringing her and like it wasn't
him judging her truly for howshe's living, but more like let
me help you, like let me bringyou out of that and onto like a

(51:37):
good path, and like let meprovide that for you.
Yeah, um, so that way you don'thave to do like this immoral
thing anymore.
Um, we can, you can survive andI can provide that for you.

Speaker 1 (51:48):
Like, like in a more like moral yeah, see, now that
was a good point.
I didn't think about that.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
That does make it feel, or make him feel a little
more mature, of like him wantingto be like listen, I see that
you had to do that, but like you, don't have to do that anymore,
like I can help you that wasgood, but it's kind of both too,
because I see the, the, the uhin other like circumstances or
in other situations of theirrelationship, the naivety of it

(52:14):
all, but even in that situation,in itself it's like you see,
both like the maturity and thenot in that so complex
characters crazy.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
I love them.
Do you think you'd read anotherbook by this author?

Speaker 2 (52:26):
I do.
I really like the writing.
I enjoyed the writing.
I enjoyed the character,complexities, um, it was really
interesting, uh, and I'd bereally curious to see, like,
what other books by her are like.
Um, I think she has like amystery book, if I'm not
mistaken.
Maybe I'm, but that's what Ithink.
So I'd be curious to see, like,what those are like.

(52:48):
Yeah, um, but yeah, I wouldwhat about you?

Speaker 1 (52:50):
definitely, this was so interesting and I definitely
have high hopes that her othershave to be good too.
Like this was so good that,like, even if her other ones
aren't, you know, as good asthis one, I feel like they're
still gonna be like a good,solid read.
So I would definitely read more.
So I gotta check her out ongood reads what are your like?
final thoughts, star ratings howwe feel, so I did give this one

(53:14):
a five stars.
Um, I think like I audiobookedthis one and it so it really
made me feel like I was in thestory, like um, and I felt her
emotions so strongly.
And it also made me think aboutlike rash decisions more wisely
and just like I can't just spewlike words and I feel really

(53:38):
like that.
I'm really bad about.
That is like a lot of times I'msaying the first thing that
comes out of my mind or it'slike oh, I can relate to this
person this way, like, oh, letme say this, like I can join in
and like I just gotta listenmore, like I can just listen and
then speak.
When I've thought about it, Ifeel that, but have power yeah,
they really do.
Um, but I would love to read asequel of this book or something

(54:03):
from luke's point of view yeslike imagine the whole story,
but like from luke.
So it's like we hear from likethe beginning of his time, or
like the beginning of when hefirst notices addy, like maybe
he notices her, like when shemeets estelle and when they're
talking, like before she evenlike comes to him and like she.

(54:26):
Like he is forced to watch herdo these things and it's like
what if he is so torn up insidebecause, like he didn't want to
curse her, but that's his job?
Like what if there's someoneabove that darkness and this is
just his darkness role and so hehas to watch her do these
things, while he's wanting topour his heart out and, like,
welcome her in, but he can'tbecause, like this is the sarah
j mass talking in a navy.

Speaker 2 (54:47):
But like what if he is just like really restricted
and there's someone like abovehim?
Oh my gosh, I need it.
Victoria, if you are listeningthis is a phenomenal idea.
Please take it and write thisbook, because I need Luke's
perspective.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
Also a final thought, which I don't know if I told
you this, but I think it's funnyto tell the listeners.
So I was audiobooking this and Itypically listen to audiobooks
in the car but I was so intothis book that I was like, okay,
I have to listen to it rightnow.
But I didn't like like I didn'thave any laundry to fold or
something to do while I waslistening to it, and it's really
hard to listen to an audiobook,like just sitting there, like

(55:21):
staring at a wall.
So, um, for those who don'tknow, I'm very good at Tetris
and so I played Tetris for likean hour and a half just so I
could do something that likedidn't take up too much mind
power and then like also listen.
So I like did this Tetris whereit's like it's called like a

(55:43):
marathon, so I just was likegoing and there was no like like
it wasn't an actual game wherelike things would happen, like I
literally was just likepracticing and I did that for
like an hour and a half and Iwas crying playing Tetris,
listening to it, like because Ilistened.
I finished it while I wasplaying Tetris and so I just

(56:04):
that was not on my bingo card tobe sobbing while being on my
like 456th, like Tetris line.
That's so funny.

Speaker 2 (56:13):
So that's a final thought I have wow, I don't know
if I could top that one.
That's like that's a greatthought.
I like wish I could haverecorded it.
It was so funny, um my thoughts.
So I rated it four stars, um,because I did really love the

(56:36):
story and the complex feelingsthat the book gave me, but I did
wish that it was a bit moreupbeat with the pacing um, and I
got more of her journey,although I am starting to
question that after you broughtthat up, because I do think, if
I'm thinking back on it now aswe've been talking um, it really
did make me feel that anxious,like stuck feeling that I'm sure

(56:56):
she was feeling a lot.
I just feel like this author wasso intentional with like
everything she did that like itwouldn't surprise me if that was
on purpose too yes, so I'mreally starting the question
that because that was the onlyreason I gave it four stars.
So this might really be a fivestars for me, but I don't change
my ratings, so it's stuck therefor right now I'm gonna comment
on her, everyone comment on hergoodreads and say we know this
is five stars um, but I didreally enjoy the book though,

(57:21):
and that really was my onlyqualm with it was the pacing.
When I initially gave it thefour stars.
Um, I loved the way that theauthor entered the book, so
really great book overall.
Unfortunately, I didn't playtetris and cry when I finished
the book, um, so I can't end onthat, but I did enjoy it and it
was fun and yeah good books.

Speaker 1 (57:42):
Gosh, this is a good one, I really liked this one
yeah and you guys will have tolet us know your thoughts.
Do you feel similarly to us?
Are there things that you'relistening to us and you're like
heck?
No, I totally thought this wascompletely opposite, because I
really am enjoying, like thephilosophical portion of this,
and I really want to know whatyou guys think.

Speaker 2 (58:03):
Or what were your desires that you think could be
turned into curses?
Yes, love to know.
Leave us comments at Lazy GirlLibrary Insta or or on our
website, lazygirllibrarycom.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
We want to hear it, but that was the invisible life
of addie larue.
A great book.
What an adventure, yeah.
And what are we?
What are we reading for ournext book club?

Speaker 2 (58:24):
we're getting cutesy with our next book.
We're getting a little spooky,little cutesy, so spooky, spooky
season.
We're going to be reading theEx-Hex by Aaron Sterling.
So I believe this is a romancebook, but it's witchy, so we
figured for spooky season thiswould be a perfect little book
to read to get into the spiritof Halloween.

(58:45):
We haven't done a romance in awhile either, so a little
throwback to romance where westarted.

Speaker 1 (58:51):
Hopefully this one's better than the worst best man
I'm thinking this one will be alot more lighthearted than the
invisible life of addy larue.
So give everyone a little breakfor a little breather yeah, but
I can read the book descriptiontake it away darby I know you
love to hear my I do I live forit?
All right, the Ex-Hex by AaronSterling.

(59:12):
Nine years ago, vivian Jonesnursed her broken heart like any
young witch would Vodka, weepymusic, bubble baths and a curse
on her horrible boyfriend.
Sure, vivian knows sheshouldn't use her magic this way
, but with only an orchidhayride scented candle on hand,
she isn't worried.
It will cause him anything morethan a bad hair day or two.

(59:34):
That is until Reese Penhollow,descendant of the town's
ancestors, breaker of hearts andannoyingly just as gorgeous as
he always was, returns to GravesGlen, georgia.
What should be a quick trip torecharge the town's ley lines
and make an appearance at theannual fall festival turns
disastrously wrong, with onecalamity after another striking

(59:57):
Reese.
Vivi realizes her silly littleex-hex may not have been so
harmless after all.
Suddenly, graves Glen is underattack from murderous wind-up
toys, a pissed-off ghost and atalking cat with some
interesting things to say.
Vivi and Reese have to ignoretheir off-the-charts chemistry
to work together to save thetown and find a way to break the

(01:00:18):
breakup curse before it's toolate.

Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
This I'm really excited for.
It sounds really cutesy.
It sounds like very rom-com-yand spooky vibes and I think
it'll be the perfect thing toset the tone for spooky season.

Speaker 1 (01:00:31):
Yes, I'm excited about this one too.
I'm hoping it's a good one.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
Me too, and if not, then it'll make for a good
discussion.
Why not Exactly Other books,though?
Borrowers and Returns?
Taking the Wade Derby.
What are we reading?
What are we borrowing, what arewe?

Speaker 1 (01:00:47):
returning.
I you're returning.
I don't know what's in thewater, but I've still been like
reading like a mad woman.
So I have quite a few returns.
Um, honestly, I'm actuallygonna do my borrows first,
because there's less borrows andreturns.
Um, so, obviously, how to winfriends and influence people.
I haven't touched it, butthat's on there.
And then, um, the fate of thesun king.
So I think I mentioned that asmy borrow last time, but I

(01:01:10):
actually didn't read that onebecause I was like I need a
break from this world becausethe second one wasn't that great
.
But the third one in thisseries is going pretty well and
I'm enjoying it, yeah, but yeah,I'll talk about that one more
when I get to my returns,because I'm not finished with it
yet.
But this one it's going a lotbetter and I'm like really happy
with the decision she's makingand writing For returns.

(01:01:34):
So I did read the Friend Zoneand the Happily Ever After
playlist by Abby Jimenez.
I really liked them both.
I've said it before, but thisreally gives me Emily, henry
vibes and I really love thoseromance books.
So these are both really good.
One thing that I thought waskind of funny is, in the friend
zone, the narrator for the girl,I just like I couldn't take her

(01:01:59):
seriously because like shechose to have this accent, like
I've heard her narrate otherbooks, so she chose to have this
accent and it was like chapterseven, kristin, and like she did
that on purpose because I'veheard her do other things and I
was like that is so like funny,like I don't know.
So I didn't like love that, butit was still a good book and a
good story, just likelight-hearted romances, um.

(01:02:21):
And then I did read powerlessand reckless, so we kind of
talked about that in the book.

Speaker 2 (01:02:27):
Yes, give me the thoughts.
Was it a copy paste?
Was it good?

Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
So there were definitely like identical themes
in it, but I don't think thatyou could say it was copy and
paste For the the Red Queenseries.
So if you didn't listen to ourlast episode one, you should go
back and listen.
Series.
So if you didn't listen to ourlast episode one, you should go
back and listen.
But just kind of a quick littlerecap is that there was kind of

(01:02:51):
like book talk sayings thatpowerless was a complete ripoff
and copyright of the red queenseries, which I really liked the
red queen series when I was inhigh school and I just reread it
like last year, um, and it isstill really good, I really like
it.
Powerless definitely was super,super similar, but I think it

(01:03:12):
was still different enough towhere, like you can't call it
copyright, especially becauseevery fantasy book you're
reading it's like, okay, we'relooking for the villain, like
the enemies to lovers, likethere's lots of similar tropes
and I don't know.
Some things were really like,okay, this is really similar,
right.
But it's also hard because Ithink powerless might've been

(01:03:34):
done better than Red Queen so.
I don't know, Maybe that's whyI'm like you can't call it copy
and paste, because like this isbetter, Like I don't know, but
I'm excited, excited I think thethird book comes out like next
year and I'm really excited toread it so it was really good,
even if it was similar.
I really enjoyed both of thosebooks.

(01:03:54):
Um, and sorry, I didn't say whothe author of those were, but
powerless and reckless is by laRoberts, so that is the author
of those.
And then the last book that Iread was Carvel, and that is by
Stephanie Garber and I gave that.

(01:04:14):
So I gave that four stars andwell, like 3.8 stars.
But that one was so interestingand I really want you to read
it, michaela, because the worldbuilding in there is really like
neat and there's definitelylike twists and stuff that I did
not see coming and that I justwas like it's like I was in a

(01:04:35):
state of confusion like thewhole time reading it, but kind
of in like a good way, so Idon't know that was it was just
like weird, yeah, like good,yeah, I don't really know how to
explain it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:47):
It seems like a very interesting concept.
I do own the book Shout out,Abby.
Thank you for my Christmaspresent, but it's been on my
list for a while so I did planto read it, and now I kind of
want to read it even more so wecan talk about it.
Yeah, and our friend Madisonhas also read it.
So three interestingperspectives there.
Yeah, so I do want to read it.

(01:05:08):
It looks like, yeah, aninteresting kind of concept.

Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
Yeah, so those are my returns.
They were all really good.
I gave four stars to Carvel,reckless and Powerless, and then
I gave three stars to theFriend Zone and the Happily Ever
After playlist, which, againfor me, three stars is still
like a good book.
It's like there's things Ireally liked about it and things
that I was like, eh, I didn'tlove this.

Speaker 2 (01:05:24):
It's just a solid book, but still a solid read.
So good borrows and returns forme.
You are crushing the readinggame right now.
I don't know if it's healthy,but I'm enjoying it.
I'm enjoying all the books.
That's all that matters.
Happiness right.

Speaker 1 (01:05:37):
My 2024, like year in review of books is going to be
crazy.
That's happy for you, proud ofyou.
You're killing it, thank you.
What about you?
How?

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
are how are your borrows and returns going?
Um, so mine is much shorter.
That's um for my borrows.
I'm currently reading aconspiracy of kings by megan
whalen turner.
It's the fourth book in thequeen's thief series that I've
been reading.
This is that like political,more political fantasy.
Yeah, um series that I've beenreading.
Not to say it doesn't haveaction, but it's definitely much

(01:06:10):
more mind games, politicalalliances, things like that, and
how it plays out more in aruling court than the
battlefield.
But I'm obsessed with thisseries.
I love it so much.
I'm about halfway through thisbook I'm excited to finish.

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
There's two more because there's six books total
that's a good like series it is,and it's a finished series it
is, I believe.
So that's so nice I need tostop reading and like they're
not really long either.

Speaker 2 (01:06:38):
Like each book's like 300 ish pages, so they're not
terrible at all to get through,uh, but there's so much like
twists and turns packed intoeach page that it's like I've
gotten to the point.
Obviously this is my fourthbook.
I know that they're coming, soI try to pay like extra close
attention.
But the thing with her booksthat keeps me eating them and
wanting to read them more isthat I never figure it out

(01:07:00):
before the end, despite likeknowing it's coming.
So, oh, megan yeah, I knowmegan's crushing.
It's really like it's a very umunique concept.

Speaker 1 (01:07:12):
I feel like oh no wonder you're hooked you don't
know what's happening.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
I love it so much.
I gave it to our friend jack,which shout out jack.
I feel like he's one of ournumber one supporters on here.
So I love you, jack, if you'relistening, uh, shout out you.
Uh.
But I did give him the firstone to read, so I I'll be
curious your thoughts.

Speaker 1 (01:07:27):
Jack, I'm so curious.

Speaker 2 (01:07:29):
So, yeah, I'm continuing that Really excited.
I'm also going to I haven'tstarted it yet, but I will be
starting it tomorrow on mycommute to work.
An audio book called Agrippina,the Most Extraordinary Woman of
the Roman World, by EmmaSouthen Interesting.
It's a nonfiction book aboutthis woman from the Roman Empire

(01:07:52):
, essentially, and how she roseto power and then essentially
like fell from power.
I came across my Goodreads aslike a recommended or something.
Yeah, seemed interesting and Ihaven't done like a good history
audiobook yet, so we're gonnagive it a shot and see okay, um,
and then my probably the most,the biggest thing on my list, uh

(01:08:14):
, is I was convinced to startthe harry potter series for the
first time.
I actually haven't read thisokay, I'm glad I'm not the only
one.

Speaker 1 (01:08:24):
I feel like a fraud sometimes, because I've been
reading since middle school, butI never read the big ones.
I haven't read Hunger Games, Ihaven't read Divergent, I
haven't read Twilight, I haven'tread Harry Potter.

Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
Oh, the only one I've read is Hunger Games out of
that list.

Speaker 1 (01:08:36):
Okay, that makes me feel better because I'm like, I
feel like a fake reader.

Speaker 2 (01:08:50):
So many people have given me such a hard time about
not reading Harry Potter becauseapparently I look like a Harry
Potter adult, which I guess I'ma dizzy adult, so it kind of
like goes with it.
Maybe I'll be obsessed with itby the time I finish.
You know, we'll time will tell.
We can take a trip to Universal.
Yeah, I did it.
Lazy Girl Library meetup, harryPotter world let's do it.
Put a beer on me, um, but Ilove the movies.
I've watched all the movies andI did enjoy the movies, um so,
but uh, our friend sarahconvinced me that I've.

(01:09:10):
She thought that I've read them.
I had not, and now she won'tspeak to me until I do read them
so we're starting the series.
It'll probably take me a whilebecause there's so many of them
and I'm not gonna be like doingit back to back.
No, we're gonna mix in books inbetween, um, but we're gonna
start that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:26):
I think spooky season's a good time to start
that you'll have to let me knowif you think it's like worth it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:32):
I will, because then maybe I'll hop on the I'll keep
you all updated on my harrypotter journey.
Yeah, because it'll be a time.

Speaker 1 (01:09:38):
Do you know like what house you're in um?

Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
I took the test, I always thought that I would be a
hufflepuff, but I I am aGryffindor, according to the
most official test you can take.

Speaker 1 (01:09:50):
So everyone thinks I'm a Hufflepuff, but the
Pottermore test said that I'm aRavenclaw.

Speaker 2 (01:09:56):
Yes, I see it.

Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
So thank you.
No one ever sees it.
No, I see it.
Just because someone isfriendly and nice doesn't
automatically make them aHufflepuff.
Okay, I can be intellectual.
Yes, you can also.
I was talking to.
Sorry, I don't mean to talkover your borrows and returns.
But I was talking to my friendEddie one time because we were
talking in depth about this andI was.

(01:10:19):
I was questioning my ownRavenclaw-ness and I was like
yeah, but I don't know, becauseI'm not like that book smart.
And he was like well, I thinkyou're socially intellectual in
the way that you talk to peopleand I was like this is so nice.

Speaker 2 (01:10:33):
Darby, how many philosophical things did you
bring up just in this podcasttoday?
I totally see you being aRavenclaw, but it's also with
limited knowledge from me too,but take it with a grain of salt
, but I think I mean, yeah,we're talking about two people
we're talking about houses whenwe haven't read the book this is
so hypocritical, but still Ifeel like it's a potter more
test which is like her officialone I guess it's like ingrained

(01:10:53):
in society.

Speaker 1 (01:10:54):
I feel like we yeah, and we've seen the movies.
We can talk about it to a point.
Anyway, sorry, continue, you'regood.
Uh, also, I really do seeravenclaw for you as well.
Oh well, I wish I was no, Idon't, I mean not ravenclaw,
sorry.
Uh, yeah, sorry, that's what Imeant I.

Speaker 2 (01:11:08):
That's the one that I did not see for myself at all.
I always thought hovel puff ormaybe ravenclaw, but I feel like
.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
So.
Gryffindors are known to bebrave, and I feel like you're
someone who stands up for peoplelike very strongly and
passionately, and I feel likesometimes you have to be brave
to do that, and so that's justone of the ways or reasons I
think that you match thegryffindor.
Thank you, you're welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:11:34):
Well, I'll find out more, we'll do my research in
the books and we'll we'lldiscuss more love um, for I only
have one book for my return, sowe're really not talking about
much.
Um, but it was becomingbulletproof.
By evie pump boris.
Uh, this was the audiobook thatI was listening to.
That was kind of like self-help, self-defense.
Uh, five star read for me,loved it.

(01:11:56):
I think it was so well done.
I talked about it a lot in thelast episode so I'm not gonna go
super in depth again.
But essentially, like the firsthalf of the book, the author was
a Secret Service agent for manyyears and like was on the
service for, I believe,presidents Clinton through Obama
, and so she wrote this book.

(01:12:18):
Half of it is on likeself-defense, how to keep
yourself safe so you're not likeyou can be prepared for
situations without having tolive in constant fear, and like
the whole theme of the book isso to like live fearlessly.
Um, because they're like youcan't get rid of fear.
Fear is always going to beprevalent in your life, but it's
like how to not let your lifebe ruled by fears and like

(01:12:39):
preparing yourself for that andlike how to navigate a world
with it.
So the first half she talksabout like true self-defense,
keeping yourself safe, beingaware of certain situations,
creating like exit strategies,things like that.
And then the second half ismuch more psychological how you
can influence people.
That I really appreciated thefirst half of the book.

(01:12:59):
But the second half of the bookwas fascinating to me because
she really got into the like,how uh to me.
Because she really got into thelike, how uh the subtly
influence people in theirsubconscious.
Because you, if you pick up,for example, um, on certain ways
people speak and you start tomimic those ways, not in like a

(01:13:21):
a harsh way or like a uh, in amore subtle way, uh, people will
trust you more and you'rebuilding that rapport more
because you sound more like themand people are drawn to people
like them.
And so it's like things likethat that she talks about and
how you can use it in your reallife for, like you know, getting
along with co-workers ornetworking or you know,

(01:13:42):
convincing people to like go onthe vacation that you want to go
on, like whatever, just how youcan use it in life.
It was fascinating and she dida really good job talking about
like, laying all the facts outfor you and making it very easy.
Um and not adding too muchfluff that would like take away
from it, but enough informationfor you to understand what she's

(01:14:03):
talking about interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:14:05):
I do really want to listen to it.
Our friend Janine.
I talked to her about it.
She read it.
She did not feel the same asyou Really.
I think she might have given itthree stars.
I could be lying, I'd have togo back, but I know that she
didn't love it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:20):
I'll have to talk to her about it.
I'd be curious to hear what shethought.

Speaker 1 (01:14:23):
But I loved it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:27):
It sounds.
Hear what she thought.
Yeah, I loved it.
Um, it sounds reallyinteresting and I love how she
sprinkled like personal storiesin it throughout.
Um, but it wasn't too much, butit was like just enough to like
give like a good story, to likethe context of whatever she's
talking about at that point.
So that's so good.
Really enjoyed it.
Five star book for me butthat's it.

Speaker 1 (01:14:40):
I love it, but that's it for this month's book club
episode.
I'm glad that we had a greatbook talk.
Be sure to let us know what youthought about this book.
If you have any recommendationsfor books that you want us to
read, if you want to tell uswhat Harry Potter house you
think we should be in, let usknow.

Speaker 2 (01:15:01):
What house you're in?
Yeah, what I need to know.
Get me prepared to read thisseries.

Speaker 1 (01:15:06):
But thank you so much for joining us.
Be sure to again just leaveyour thoughts and maybe a review
of our podcast.
That would really help us alwaysmuch appreciated, yeah we just
love to hear from you guys andwe'll talk to you again.
Bye.
Well, dear listeners, we findourselves at the end of another

(01:15:31):
episode and remember, the LazyGirl Library is not just a
podcast.
It's a community.
We absolutely love hearing fromfellow book lovers, so don't
forget to share your thoughtsand your favorite reads with us
on our social media.
You can find us on Instagram atLazy Girl Library.
Make sure to check out ourwebsite, lazygirllibrarycom,

(01:15:54):
your one-stop shop for allthings Lazy Girl.
Before we go, we want to take amoment to thank all of our
wonderful listeners, whetheryou're listening from your cozy
bed, on your way to work oranywhere in between.
Thank you for making us a partof your day and for being a part
of our Lazy Girl family.
So keep those pages turning,keep those imaginations
flourishing and remember thebest stories are yet to be

(01:16:14):
discovered.
Until next time, stay lazy andhappy reading.