r/suggestmeabook • u/MaleficentText2443 • 2h ago

Suggest me a book (story) that will help me understand connection and kindness

I recently read "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab and this book really opened up my eyes on quite a few things. I liked it because it contained a beautiful story, decent writing, and a relatable plot line.

I have always struggled with understanding connection between people; I can only describe it as constant whiplash between understanding people, not understanding them, and struggling with understanding what "kindness" actually entails, etc.

Any suggestions?

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u/alpha_rat_fight_ 2h ago edited 1h ago

How did you feel about the ending? I’m going to get flamed for this but it felt like Schwab really wanted to write a dark romance but tried to make it something else, when really we were all rooting for Addi & and the demon guy whose name escapes me.

I don’t like break-ups as a plot device and it felt shoe-horned into the plot to prevent it from devolving into Twilight, which I understand as an editorial choice but I still enjoyed Twilight for what it was.

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u/MaleficentText2443 1h ago

I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, it felt a bit rushed and like a last minute thought.
However, it does make some sense with the story

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u/alpha_rat_fight_ 1h ago

Yeah that was my feeling too. It felt like she always wanted them to be together but felt pressured to write a less overt romance, and in the end I wish she’d just steered in to the desire to write a dark romance because I was rooting for Addi and Luc. I think most people were.

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u/alpha_rat_fight_ 1h ago

Also, forgot to recommend one: I’m currently reading “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries” by Heather Fawcett and I think it has the elements you’re looking for.

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u/lady_lane 1h ago

Honestly, I love a lot of VE Schwab’s writing, but I found this book incredibly dull.

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u/alpha_rat_fight_ 1h ago

Yeah, it felt forced. I was irritated by the time I got to the ending. But, then, I’m often irritated when the happily ever after is repeatedly thwarted by melodrama. Just get married and live happily ever after in hell or wherever omg.

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u/Wild_Preference_4624 Children's Books 1h ago

If you're open to very long books, I recommend The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard! It's a beautifully written slice of life about the personal secretary to the emperor of the world, with a heavy focus on platonic relationships.

I'm not sure if it will help you understand connection and kindness, but it's very much a focus of the book.

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u/MaleficentText2443 1h ago

Thank you! I like long books so this will be fun for me

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u/go_west_til_you_cant 1h ago

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke has very similar vibes with perhaps less fantastical undertones. I enjoyed them both a lot.

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u/sagittariums 1h ago

I really loved this one, maybe more than Addie LaRue

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u/ATeaformeplease 1h ago

The lucky ride by Yasushi Kitagawa, it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief but it’s basically about how we are all connected in some way. I found it really calming/uplifting.

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u/Yggdrasil- 1h ago

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

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u/Thethuthinang 1h ago

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau. A Man Called Ove. A Prayer for Owen Meany. Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune.