The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
The anticipation for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab was so high this year that you might think there is no way it could possibly live up to those expectations. Then you read it. And you realize that it blows those expectations out of the water.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the very definition of pathos because there is nothing particularly happy or joyful about Addie’s life. Yet, it matters not because her story is so imaginative, so thoughtful, so evocative that you read it with your heart in your throat. Emotions, like dread and sadness, threaten to overwhelm you after every page.

There is beauty in Addie’s world though. Strangely, you find beauty in her show more suffering, her resilience, and her longing. Even though you don’t think you want to continue her story after her first night in Paris — because it is just too much — you do because Addie haunts you, unlike any other character. You want her to find happiness in any form, and you want to ease that longing that is so visceral and difficult to read.

The ending of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is flawless. There is no other way the story could end. Even though it may not be the ending you want for Addie’s story, it is perfect and completely worth the heartache and tears that fall on Addie’s behalf.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is unlike any story you have previously read. It is also a story that is going to haunt your waking moments as well as your dreams. You will find yourself thinking of Addie’s curse at the strangest times, and you will notice all the ways in which you leave an imprint of yourself now that you know all the ways Addie could not. Without a doubt, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will be the best book you read all year and maybe for years to come. show less

About to be coerced into marriage against her will, Addie in desperation pleads to any gods who will listen for deliverance from this unwanted situation. At her age, and here in her 18-century French village, marriage is the expected next step, but Addie is not ready. She needs more time. Someone, or something, hears her despairing call and arrives, willing to make an offer.

I had a hard time putting this amazing book down — it had me feeling all the emotions, and when I wasn't reading it I wished I were. (Normally, I keep one book at work and one book at home, but I lugged this one both to and from work every day, if this break in my usually strict routine is any indicator of how engrossing it was!) I appreciated the extent to which show more the author outlined Addie's altered world — its limitations but also its possibilities — and the time she took to add so much atmosphere and detail. I really did not want it to end.

I happened this week to be reading Wintersong and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue simultaneously, which turned out to be quite the curious coincidence with respect to Faustian bargains! show less

{stand alone; fantasy, urban fantasy}

I'm reviewing this book now, months after having read it. This one stays with you, in a good way.

Adeline LaRue was born at the end of the 17th century to a peasant couple in rural France. Curious and clever, she was given a little more freedom than most girls of her station and so she was allowed to drive in to the nearby town with her father when he went to trade and she spent time with Estelle, an old, independent woman who might be considered a witch. And so in 1714 at the age of 23, long after girls in her position should have been married, when Addie is promised (just because she's the only female available) to a man she cannot imagine spending the rest of her life with - thereby committing to a show more circumscribed life - in desperation she makes a deal with the darkness (an old god who claims he is not God or the devil) trading her soul for a chance to belong to no one but herself and explore the world.

They say never ask for what you want because you might just get it.

And so Addie lives indefinitely but is remembered by no-one, once she leaves their sight.

I found this an intriguing concept and wrestled with the issues that being out of sight and literally out of mind brings. No one remembers Addie - not her parents or her friends; not any employers or landlords or boyfriends. Until Henry in 2014.

I liked the interesting twist to the end. I thought it was amusing the way Schwab denotes her protagonists (and Addie's lovers) 'girl' and 'boy' even though Addie (at 300+ years) is frozen at 23 years old and Henry is about 30 years old.

Sweeping; the narrative is set over more than 300 years and across the world. There is an impending sense of doom because the book starts in 1714 and follows Addie's long life but is interspersed with chapters from 2014 so you know there must be an ending soon. And you know that Addie must surrender her soul once she is tired of living ...

I like the way Addie never gives up fighting even though she loses almost everything. But the darkness is always waiting for her.

(April 2023)
4 stars show less

I started this on a beach vacation and it was just not the right time. The book’s atmosphere was perfect for winter though. It’s the writing in the story that makes it so beautiful, at times it reminded me of The Night Circus. A deal with a devil, glimpses through the centuries of one life, and all along the way there is loneliness and finding joy in the minutia.

I loved that Addie’s life was not easy and there were realistic elements woven in with the magic. At times it felt repetitive, but then I’d come to a description that took my breath away and it was worth it. A gorgeous read, but give yourself time to sink into it.

“It is an olive branch, a bridge built, and she is grateful for it.”

“Nothing is all good or all show more bad,” she says. “Life is so much messier than that.”

“Food is one of the best things about being alive. Not just food. Good food. There is a chasm between sustenance and satisfaction, and while she spent the better part of three hundred years eating to stay off the pains of hunger, she has spent the last fifty delighting in the discovery of flavor. So much of life becomes routine, but food is like music, art, replete with the promise of something new.” show less

4,5 stars

"Never pray to the gods that answer after dark"

I was so exited and hyped for this book. It was the first book I pre-ordered since the last Harry Potter book. That's a thing, because Harry Potter was my life back then. I was also a little scared because... what if I didn't liked it? What if the love story part doesn't appeal to me? But I'm so glad my fears were misplaced...

I loved it. I love it so much that I took pictures of the parts with quotes that hit me hard. And there was a whole chapter that I would like to take pictures of all of it but it was too much so I didn't.

Where do I start?

Addie. My precious girl. I could feel her desperation every time. The pain when someone didn't remember her even when I knew (and she show more knew too) that was going to happen. That first time with her dad and Estele where hard.... and then with Remy in Paris... that was also really hard, one of the times that hit harder, actually. The curse was just so cruel that I both loved and hated it. Loved the concept, the rules, and the bending of the rules that she found. Hated for... well, for the rules and what it meant for her. But let me tell this... even knowing the curse I think I would do the deal. She says in a moment something like "300 years and there's still things to discover" and yes, I think about that every time. I only have the time I have, what things I won't be able to witness after I'm gone? The answer to that question makes me anxious. Like... really anxious. So I would totally make the deal. I would suffer, like Addie, of course, because I love the people I know, but... all the world, all the time. Yes.

Henry. My favorite, by far. He's me. I'm him.

"Blink and you're twenty-eight, and everyone else is now a mile down the road, and you're still trying to find it, and the irony is hardly lost on you that in wanting to live, to learn, to find yourself, you've gotten lost."

That sentence hit so hard that I had to put the book down and look at the ceiling and think. Think because it was me. It's still me. And all the things he says about not being enough and the storms... yes. I would take his deal too.

I wanted to hug him all the time. I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay. I also was really afraid about him, for some reason... like... before finding out about the one year. I was really afraid because I felt he was going to kill himself. And for a moment I thought that that was going to be how the book ended lol I'm glad that I was wrong and my boy was okay and that he found his way.

Luc. I should hate him. But I don't. I actually love him. I like villains that think they're doing things right. I like villains that think that they can love, but they can't. Don't get me wrong, I know it's not supposed to be romantic, I know it's a curse and he's the devil, and possessive and abusive. But I like that his character is that way because is the perfect way for Addie to keep going, to keep fighting.

"Ideas are wilder than memories"

The concept of Addie inspiring artist around the world and trough history is fascinating. Loved it too. How Schawb plays with the concept of memory and ideas, inspiration, art, dreams... it's just so perfect. Not much to say here, just that I loved it.

Why not 5 starts then?

Because of the last chapter. I don't hate it but I think it would have been a better ending if it ended just with her seeing the book and the words "I remember you". I don't think the explanation of what she did and what she planned to do was necessary. Without that chapter entirely would also be a good ending.

I'm not going to lie, this book hit hard, it made me feel things. A lot of things. And the fact that I'm writing this reviews three days after I finished it says something. Because I could't have writing anything coherent right away. show less

i wouldn't have thought this would be up my alley, but i really, really liked this. first of all, schwab can write. i loved her writing, which more than overcame my hesitation of the concept and general aversion to stories of immortality and the devil, etc. i'm honestly not sure how much i would have liked this if her writing wasn't so fantastic, but i ended up really interested in the story as well and thought this was just such a good book and so well done.

i love the meditation on what it means to be remembered, and how we can leave lasting impressions on people and the world. on what matters most in living and in relationships. this is just beautiful.

"Day breaks like an egg yolk, spilling yellow light across the field."

Book on CD performed by Julia Whelan

In 1714, a young woman flees from the planned / arranged marriage and begs the gods to release her. She’d been warned about praying to the gods who answer after dark, but in her panic failed to notice the sun had set. Luc grants her wish – immortality and freedom – but …

What a wonderful, engaging story. I was completely captivated. And while I’ve grown to hate the ubiquitous dual timeline, in this case it was necessary, for how else to tell the story of “invisible” Addie LaRue, and her Faustian bargain? She will remain twenty-three years old in appearance despite living more than three centuries, but no one will remember her. She cannot make a mark in the world, cannot draw a picture or show more write a word, or even utter her own name. Until ….

I loved how Schwab lets the reader discover Addie’s gifts – her tenacity, resourcefulness, cleverness, cunning, and compassion – over the course of the novel. Addie may not age, and she may not be remembered by those she encounters, but she learns and matures and grows into a formidable adversary to the god of darkness.

And I loved Henry Strauss, though he is more a supporting character than a main one. Still, I love how Henry helped her win one battle against Luc.

The ending is a bit bittersweet, but perfect. And while I hate cliffhangers that force the reader to read a second installment to find out what happens next, the ambiguous ending of this one left me eager for a follow-up!

Julia Whelan does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. Her voice for Luc was particularly effective. show less