The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a unique standalone fantasy novel that explores the consequences of making a deal with the gods – especially the ones who answer after dark.
Goodreads Rating: 4.22
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Spoiler-free Summary:
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
My Thoughts:
Before reading this book, I kept seeing it all over Bookstagram. I love V.E Schwab’s writing and the premise of the book sounded like something I would really enjoy. I’ve been on a bit of a book-buying ban though, so I didn’t think I would have the chance to read it so soon. However, I recently decided to try Scribd, and was surprised to find that they had The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I took advantage and dove straight in. Since I don’t own the physical book yet, I don’t have as many pictures to add to this post as usual.
As always V.E Schwab’s writing is beautiful and I was immediately invested in Addie’s story. I enjoyed the dual timelines of the book. As a history major, I enjoyed the historical chapters in particular. Also, I found that I could relate to a lot of the sentiments in the book. For example, while not 300 years old, I have lost nearly all members of my family. I of course have my husband and children, but no one who remembers me as a child, or can share memories of my childhood. As such, quotes like the one below really resonated with me.
“…it is sad, of course, to forget.
But it is a lonely thing, to be forgotten.
To remember when no one else does.”
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
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Also, without giving too much away, one of my favourite parts of the book was when the Darkness would tell Addie about the various deals he had made with famous historical figures. I thought that was a really neat touch.
I gave this book a 4.5 stars. While I really enjoyed it, it still didn’t quite fall into “God-tier” for me. One reason was that while our other main character Henry was fine, he wasn’t as captivating as Addie, and I found myself a bit bored during his chapters. I also found that the pacing of the novel was a little off. I thought that some aspects of the novel were focused on too much, while other areas felt a bit rushed and could have used a bit more time to develop.
That being said though, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was overall a lovely-written, intriguing book that I would definitely recommend. Particularly if you’re looking for a thought-provoking book that seamlessly blends aspects of different genres, including fantasy, historical and romance; and will get you thinking about time and what it means to be human.
Happy Reading!
Liss
theclumsybookworm.com 