Every so often a book comes along that just embeds itself deep in the core of your being and you know it wont let go. This is going to haunt me for a long time. I have highlighted passages upon passages in this book. Its drawn so many emotions out of me, and yet I feel I have no words to describe any of it! Whatever I write just feels inadequate. But I will try, if only so that I can persuade you to pick this up!
We first meet Addie as a girl growing up in rural France in the 1700s. But as she grows she knows she wants more. In a desperate attempt to escape the life she knows will slowly crush her, she makes a rash deal. But as we all know the devil is in the detail, and the consequence of which follows her through her long, lonely immortal life.
I couldnt love Addie more, I wanted to protect the little girl she was, and befriend the woman she becomes. And alleviate some of her loneliness that envelops her much like her favourite leather jacket. I cannot tell you how many times my heart broke for her. But as we traverse through time and place with her, you see her learn, grow and become so resiliant that you cant help but smile and cheer her on.
This was such an unique take on making a deal with the devil, Schwab shows that the need to feel seen, to be able to share in the lives of those we care for, to feel we have left a mark on this world no matter how small, is a powerful motivation. And ultimately, to be able to have our story told, to be allowed to say; I was here, I loved, and I lived, is probably the biggest gift any one of us can hope to receive.
I would highly recommend this book, 7 perfectly placed constellation of stars!

Given that The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, I was nervous that it wasn’t going to be able to live up to my admittedly high expectations. Reader, I was wrong! I found myself utterly captivated by this book and Addie’s story as she navigates a big life full of art, beauty and wonder but with the tragic caveat that she can’t tell anyone her story, her real name and she is unable to be remembered by anybody she meets. I was so invested in this story and just so appreciative of the messages in this book and the very real lessons imparted, note to self: don’t ever make any faustian bargains with the darkness personified. In all seriousness though, there’s a lot to take away from this book and it is wonderful.

I haven’t read any of V.E. Schwab’s other books, cue the gasps of shock horror, I know, I know, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the writing style itself but consider me a fan. Each moment felt so beautifully expressed and worded and I was basically highlighting quotes every other page or so, because it was just so gorgeously written. I totally fell in love with Addie and her unwavering spirit and free soul , when even in her lowest moments she has this indomitable will to survive and it was quite inspiring. I feel like so many readers will be able to connect with Addie and I think it speaks to the quiet very human voice in all of us that longs for something, whether that be freedom to express ourselves, to live the life we want, pursue our wildest dream, fall wildly in love, the list is endless! That quiet part of me, that nobody else really gets to see felt so validated by moments in this book and it was something so personal and profound.

“It would be an unconventional life, and perhaps a little lonely, but at least it would be hers”

I think the heart of this book is about the way stories are told, the way history evolves and times change, how cities are built and then destroyed but what remains unchanged is that life goes on and how it always finds a way to continue. The novel centers art in all of its various forms, sculptures, paintings, music and literature to name a few, and how powerful and transformative art can be. In the context of the story, Addie is cursed to be unable to leave a mark, she’s physically unable to put her story into words, written or otherwise and she can’t commit her memories into a sketch, so she finds small ways to leave her fingerprints over people she encounters over her life. In effect she realises the power of ideas, and how they can take root, and this was so quietly stunning.

“Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives–or to find strength in a very long one.”

I think this idea of leaving a mark, being known or leaving something behind to be remembered is such a human concern, so when Luc, the charming, seductive and sinister being takes this away, Addie is left questioning her choice at various points. Ironically, or perhaps intentionally so, Luc is the only one who is able to remember her beyond a few fleeting moments, they are tied together inextricably much to Addie’s chagrin. Over the many, many years however, as they meet on the anniversary of their deal, spending the day together or apart, something begins to shift between them. Their relationship is so fraught with tension, and longing but is also very toxic. I will admit, I was a little thrilled whenever Luc was on page because he was so intriguing and I wanted to figure him out, I could also see how unhealthy their relationship is and how the imbalance of power and sense of possession was ever present.

“Don’t you remember, she told him then, when you were nothing but shadow and smoke?

Darling, he’d said in his soft, rich way, I was the night itself.”

I also enjoyed the various relationships and side characters we get to meet in this book, from Estele the wizened older lady who Addie grows up hearing stories from, to her father a gentle countryman who spends his spare time carving animals out of wood, to Henry who is the catalyst for change in Addie’s story. Henry in particular was a character I felt was painfully relatable and I appreciated the cruel symmetry between Addie and Henry’s experiences and their respective deal in life. Henry’s character arc and the exploration of mental health, in particular depression is so real as well the experience of being in your twenties and trying to figure out who you are and your place in the world. It can all feel so much all at once and this dizzying experience of being alive, of having choices to make, and not enough time to make them in, it’s all so raw and expressed so well in this book. I think this is one of the best explorations of that time in your life and as someone who is going through it right now, I could really relate.

“His heart has a draft. It lets in light. It lets in storms. It lets in everything”

Overall, The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue is truly an unforgettable read – no pun intended given the nature of the story haha. I can’t speak any more highly of this book and I’ll be encouraging any and every reader I know to give this story a chance, I think it’s truly such a special one.

I don't think anyone who knows me would be surprised if I said I was a massive fan of V E Schwab. I love all her work, and I've been dying to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue since she first spoke about it. It therefore also won't be a surprise that I loved it with every fibre of my being.

I don't even really know where to start or what to say. Addie's story spans 300 years, although we see the most detail from her first 100 years and the current time (which in the book is 2014), and I just loved it. I shared Addie's hurts and frustrations, her loneliness and her shock at finally meeting someone who remembers her. I loved seeing the ways she adapted to her situation, finding clothes to wear and places to sleep, but never being able to leave a mark. I really, really loved the epigraphs that began each section, showing the impact Addie had had over the 300 years of her life.

I realise I'm not going into much detail here, but I do think you should experience this book as free from knowledge as you can possibly be. What you need to know is this: it is beautifully written. Seriously, so beautiful. One of my joys of the last 6 years has been watching V's writing improve with every book - and she was brilliant to begin with. Addie LaRue is not like anything she's ever written before though. It feels very different, but I'm not sure I can put into words why it feels so different so you'll just have to trust me. If you've not picked up a V E Schwab book before, this is the one to start with.

The characters are fantastic. Not just Addie, Henry and Luc, but all the people we meet in the course of the book. Even the landlady who forgets Addie has paid a week's rent in advance sticks in the memory, which is testament to V's skills. I couldn't put it down until I finished it because I needed to know what happened to these people. I'm not saying I didn't guess some of the plot turns, because I did, but it didn't matter.

I could carry on gushing about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but that seems a bit pointless, so I'll end here. Just know that this is a wonderful, beautiful book that takes you on a journey with its protagonist that you will remember forever, and you will not regret picking it up.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an impeccably beautiful, heart-breaking and stunning book that is quite fittingly – unforgettable. It follows the journey of a young woman from 1700s when she makes a deal with the devil for ultimate freedom, and became cursed to live forever but remain forgotten. The concept is brilliant and unlike anything I’ve ever read, and is gorgeously executed.

Addie’s journey over the centuries take us through countries, history, art and music, and induces a strange sense of wonder at the infinite beauty of the world. As you can imagine, 300 years is a very long time frame to encapsulate in a book, but Schwab does it flawlessly. Not only does Addie’s character evolve wonderfully over time, it becomes etched in reader’s memory forever. Her journey, in all its beauty and freedom, is painfully lonely and full of struggles. Even though the pace of the book is “slow” in the traditional sense, I did not feel it for even a second as I was fully invested in finding out where Addie’s life took her.

Schwab has an expertise in creating extremely intriguing antagonists and exploring the complicated relationship between the so-called enemies. Even though Luc, the demon who granted Addie her freedom and her curse, should be the ultimate devil for Addie, the truth is so much more complicated – especially when he is the single person who ever remembers her over the centuries. Contrary to expectations and much to Addie’s chagrin, Luc is charming and seductive, wearing a face and shape Addie often longed for in her earlier life. I absolutely loved their relationship dynamics and the constant suspense of how each of their meetings will play out.

The wonder and joy this book inspires is immeasurable – its like taking a journey across centuries and living and breathing all the beauty of the world. It is an ode to art in every form – written word, paintings, music and more, and how it is the foundation of this word even as everything else changes. Even as Addie aches to be remembered and loved, she is constantly filled with wonder at the ever-changing world and what all it has to offer. Her will to live and explore is indomitable and her eyes are constantly trying to find something new even after centuries of existence, which made me love her even more.

The concept of being remembered and loved is another theme central to this book, reflected in both Addie and Henry’s journeys. If you were not remembered, not loved, not seen by a single person in this world, did you even exist? Struggling with this grim realization, Addie constantly tries to leave her mark in various forms, trying to understand the contours of her curse in the process. Henry brings a whole new perspective to Addie’s story. The very unique way that their lives fit in spite of being exactly opposite to each other. Henry’s own character arc was also very raw and emotional and his feelings of being lost something a lot of people could relate to.

Quite frankly, this is one book I think I will keep returning to over and over again. I am totally in awe of this book and its daze is not leaving me anytime soon.

Ok so firstly, this book was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and I’m not sure I can do it justice by writing this review because boy, it did not disappoint at all. V.E. Schwab is clearly some sort of writing genius and one of my favourite authors of all time. It met all my expectations and even more.

Addie LaRue is the kind of story that stays with you for a long while, always in your head and heart. The prose is simply so beautiful, so lyrical, like poetry.

Adeline LaRue, born in 1691, wants a chance to discover more of the world than her small village in France, to be free, a chance to live. On a desperate night in 1714, she prays and prays and prays to the old gods, even though she has been warned to never pray to the gods that answer after dark. And thus she makes a bargain with a devil, not knowing what are all the terms.

She quickly learns that even though she will now live forever, she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone the moment she leaves their sight. She cannot write or draw anymore, cannot say her name, cannot leave her mark anywhere.

During the book, we switch between two timelines. The present, New York City, 2014, where Addie is still 23 after almost 300 years, and the past, starting when Addie is still a little girl, and advancing in history as we read. I really liked the fact that we keep switching between these two timelines throughout the entire book. This leaves some mystery, a sense that things happened but we don’t know them yet, we have to keep reading to know everything.

In the present timeline, Addie had 300 hundred years to discover more of the world, to learn how to leave her mark through other people’s hands. But she is still lonely, as no one is able to remember her. Then one day, she finds a boy in a bookstore who says to her, ‘I remember you.’

Henry was also an amazing character with his own mystery for Addie — and us — to discover. I really enjoyed reading his and Addie’s interactions. They were a nice fit to each other.

I think my favourite part was how art was so intertwined into the story. In a way, this was a story about art. It was everywhere from beginning to end. Addie inspiring art and artists throughout history, learning how to leave her mark through them. She herself is such a lover of art, it was simply everywhere into the story.

I knew I’d struggle while writing a review on The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue.
This book was everything I wanted and so much more. Thanks to Titan Books for sending me a digital review copy of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and for making my life in 2020 a thousand times better. :’)

Swiftly shifting between the past and present, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue takes us on a journey of a girl desperate for freedom, and how her life changes when she finally gets the chance to be free from all the unwanted chains in her life. She makes a deal with the devil to live (with her own rules) forever and is unexpectedly cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

I connected with Addie LaRue the very moment her story started. Her strong character and unusual dreams for a girl born in the 1700’s – made me fall in love with her instantly. I have never been a fan of character-driven books, until Addie’s book came into my life. Her story is about hope and dreams, of love and loss, and of happiness and grief.

I devoured every second of being in this beautiful (and why is it fictional???) world that V.E. Schwab created. I didn’t want to let go of this enchanting story, but when I finally HAD TO, I cried like a crazy person. V.E Schwab is a QUEEN, she has the power to weave magic through her words like no other author out there. There is always a lyrical touch to her books, but The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has become a favorite of mine for its intricately crafted storyline. I felt like I was peeking through Addie’s soul, because of how Schwab made her emotions leap from the pages of the book. I had to stop reading once in a while to properly absorb what was happening in the story.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a gem of a book. Please read it when it comes out tomorrow.

I received an E-ARC of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab for free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much V.E. Schwab, Titan Books and NetGalley for this amazing opportunity! This review is also available on my blog - Book, Blog & Candle.

I was so excited to read this book! I loved the sound of it as soon as I saw the blurb and I couldn't believe my luck when I was approved on NetGalley! Everyone in my family also love the concept and they've been eyeing up my Kindle ever since!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows the life of a young girl called Adeline LaRue from France in the 1700's. She lives a simple life but wants more than what is laid out in front of her. More choice, more adventure, more time. In a moment of desperation she makes the dangerous decision of praying to a God after dark and when he answers her call she must bear the consequences. After all, you know what they say, be careful what you wish for.

Addie must now live a life where no-one she comes across is able to remember her. She can't leave her own mark on the world, she can't even give anyone her real name. The only person who can is the darkness - aptly named Luc - who can be sweet, accommodating or cruel depending on his mood when he visits on the anniversary of their deal. His ultimate endgame being to do whatever he can to get Addie to surrender her soul to him. However, over the 300 years that she has lived she hasn't lost an ounce of her defiance and she's learnt how to manipulate his own game against him and she is determined to win. Just when Addie has accepted her circumstances and grown used to her lonely life, a fateful day arrives where a boy called Henry happens to remember her. I really admired Addie, it was easy to tell that she was a survivor and I really enjoyed how she decided she was going to live in spite of Luc. Also I really liked how the story flicked back and forth between the 1700's and 2014 so seamlessly because not only did it help progress the story but the reader gets the full experience of Addie's character and how much she develops over that period.

Henry runs the bookstore which is where he first bumps into Addie. He is sweet and caring but seems lost. He's Jewish but is struggling with his religion and is searching for meaning. He wants to experience everything life has to offer and doesn't want to waste a single second, all in all he just wants to be loved. He really reminded me of Addie from the start of the book with how they both want more from life, the parallel was so clever and showcases how they're practically two sides of the same coin.

I absolutely adored these characters and they're going to stay with me forever! They had so much chemistry and were so cute together, with every scene I just wanted to swoon. Also I really appreciate how the author portrayed Addie as being bisexual and Henry being pansexual (I hope I've got that right, if not please let me know and I'll come back and correct it!) it was the perfect surprise for Sapphic September and I loved it!

I don't think my review will ever be able to do this book justice because it was absolutely gorgeous! I was enchanted from the first sentence and I can't stop thinking about it. I immediately wanted to reread it as soon as I finished and it is the first book I've read in a long time where I haven't wanted it to end. I even preordered a physical copy so that I could have it on my bookshelf as well. I am so grateful to have been able to share this mesmerising journey with Addie, it was remarkable and quickly became one of my all time favourites. So many parts really resonated with me as it really makes you put your life into perspective in terms of how we spend our time and what is important to us. Not to mention the emotional rollercoaster that this story put me on! Honestly, you'll laugh, you'll cry and most importantly you'll always remember Addie.

This is the first book I've read by V.E. Schwab and I am now a forever fan, every other book she has written is now on the top of my TBR! Plus, it is so exciting about the announcement of the film adaptation of Addie, congratulations to V.E. Schwab I can't wait to watch it!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an incredible, magical and sensational story that is impossible to forget. An absolute must read!

Thank you so much to V.E. Schwab, Titan Books and NetGalley for the opportunity
to read this amazing book, it has been an absolute pleasure!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of those stories I just KNEW I would love and then it just wasn’t.

A pact with the devil for immortality? A curse as part of the bargain? 18th century France?
Yes. YES. OH YES. There is something about stories with immortals that I cannot resist and this book not only provided that, but ticked so many other boxes as well, so I could not help but hype this story up for myself. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me.

I honestly have such a tepid feeling about this story that I am struggling to find anything to say other than I did not care for it. The writing was beautiful, at various points mesmerising, wistful, insightful. The main character was interesting enough and I enjoyed reading about her, but struggled with the rest of the cast, apart from the devil who could have been very interesting but was hardly ever present. As for the settings, I enjoyed all the scenes that took part in the past but did not enjoy most of the modern day setting, and lastly the ending did not work for me in the least bit.

I could have DNF’ed this one, but there were moments in the book that I thought to myself, hang on, here we go, where I had a feeling this could still turn into something I loved, but they never turned into something more. Somehow I finished the book through these moments, although by the end it felt like just one tease after another.

I could have absolutely loathed this story, and I could have absolutely adored it, but somehow I ended up right in the middle of those two and I’m not convinced that this is not the worst possible outcome. Irrespective, I have enjoyed Schwab's books in the past and most readers seem to be loving this one, so take this review with a grain of salt if this book seems like your thing.

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is a love letter to creators of all kinds, a tribute to being remembered among the billions of undistinguishable individuals that history swallows up in its wake. Addie is a character who desperately wants to escape the constraints of her time, wants to live free, forever and famously. When she makes a deal with the devil, he curses her to an invisible life: she is forgotten by everyone and unable to create anything of lasting significance. Until she meets Henry Strauss who does remember her.
In theory, Addie’s journey spanning hundreds of years, accompanied by the devil as her only confidante throughout, is a narrative I wanted desperately. In practice, the book constantly left me wanting more. From the flashbacks featuring famous philosophers, artists and musicians to the present day events unfolding in New York City and the allusions to a dalliance with the devil, the story took predictable turns, repetitive patterns and often lagged animation. If you’ve read Victoria’s books before, the main characters and their wants, needs and decisions and the narrative’s imagery often felt like simulacra of previously featured favourites and settings to me. Even the delicious devil figure fell short and Addie’s portrayal of “I’m not like other girls” was a gnawing unease in the pit of my stomach even when I wanted to connect with her.
“Addie LaRue” is by no means a bad book, and I honestly think that if you’re new to Victoria’s work, you’ll love it endlessly. And even if you have loved all of her previous work, you will find the same building bricks in this one. Personally, I felt like the atmospheric magic I’ve come to revel in from previous books got lost somewhere in translation. The writing is still good, but it didn’t get me emotionally involved in the story, something I expected of a story spanning centuries and a dance with the devil.
Trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts and mental health struggles in general

Addie Larue was born in 1691 in a village called Villon, France. Ever since she was a child, she has always been a dreamer, with dreams bigger than her small village, and certainly bigger than woman’s expectation at that time. Her dreams and desire to live to the fullest were what drove her to make a bargain with the devil. The devil granted her the freedom she has always wanted, but not in the way she’d imagined, because now she’s cursed to be forgotten by everyone she met. Now, she lives like a ghost—exist, without any marks.

This book is told in alternating chapters between 2014 New York City and the 300 years she has lived on since the bargain. During those 300 years, we get to see her growth, her pain, and her longing; how she tried to live despite being forgotten over and over again, and of course, her relationships with the very devil she’d bargained with—nicknamed Luc by her. To be frank, their interactions are intriguing and are my favorite things from this book, but I also have to admit that it’s a toxic relationship due to the power disparity between them. So yes, this isn’t a love story between a girl and the devil. It’s not even a love story between Addie and Henry, the first person she met who remember her. It’s a story of loss and long, of hopes and dreams, and the sacrifices we made for it.

“It’s a lonely thing to be forgotten. To remember when no one else does”

Writing has always been V.E. Schwab’s strong suit, so I couldn’t write this review without mentioning it. This book is my 6th Schwab’s book, and despite the different age range and genre, I still find myself captivated by it. She wove words beautifully, that you honestly could feel them. Usually, I’m not a fan of character-driven or ‘purposeless’ books (and this book is ‘purposeless’—in the sense that there’s no villain to defeat, or quest to find magical objects. The whole book is simply about Addie’s life), but in this book it seems I can’t get enough of it. It took me almost 10 days to finish this, and not because I’m bored or busy, but because I genuinely think it’s meant to be read slowly so you could savor each word in it.

“Do you think a life has any value if one doesn’t leave some mark upon the world?”

In the end, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is the kind of book that stay with you long after you finished it. It might not make it to your favorite list, or it might not become your best reads of the year, but it made an impression on you, and you’ll find yourselves thinking about it again. Because despite the immortality aspect, despite the bargain with the devil, this book is still about lives—all the good and bad—and it’s the very thing that we all have in common.

Firstly. Wow.

This book was such an amazing read! It was so highly anticipated that I was scared of not liking it!

When Addie is forced into something she doesn’t want, she makes a deal with one of the oldest gods/devils. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite go to plan. Addie is cursed.

She is now immortal, but she will always be forgotten. As soon as she leaves a room, she is forgotten. She can’t even tell anybody her name. She can’t write it down. She can’t even have her picture taken.

Then she meets Henry, and for once in her life it is different. She finally has a life. (I won’t say any more!!!)

This story is told from a few different times in Addie’s life over a 300 year period. We also get to see a few different times in Henry’s life too.

This story kept me hooked from the very beginning. I loved Addie, Henry, Bea and Luc.

I must insist that you read this book!!

Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for this review copy!

Thank you Titan Books for providing me with this ARC!
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Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
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I have a feeling that this is going to be a pretty difficult review for me to write, so bear with me here🌚

First off, I want to say that this is a very personal five-star-rating. I could have easily given this a 3.5 or a 4 star and been done with it (which I was planning on doing for more than half of the book) – however, the longer I read Addie LaRue and the more time I spent in its little world, the more I grew to love it. Never would I have expected to give this book such a high rating.

This book is more about themes and ideas and feelings than a distinctive and suspenseful plot. If you’re not into these kinds of books, I don’t think this is going to be the book for you. But I, personally, loved it a lot, especially because the themes and ideas and feelings that are talked about in Addie LaRue resonated with me so incredibly much. I have never really related to a character or a book before ¬– until this little boy came along. Addie LaRue, at least to me, is about loneliness, depression, struggle, human relationships, coming to terms with who you are, dealing with the life you were given and so, so much more. The amount of love I have for Henry is still unreal to me; I saw so much of myself in him and he will always have a place in my heart <3

I’m not saying that this is a perfect book. Addie herself isn’t the most engaging character in my opinion – she even lacked a little bit of depth at times. The worldbuilding could be considered inconsistent, and especially Luc lacked a lot of characterization considering how big a role he plays in the overarching story. The writing is definitely not for everybody as well. It took me a while to get into it because it felt a little try-hard and forced to me at the beginning. I did grow to like it a lot more in the end, though. Yes, I noticed all these imperfect things, and, yes, if those points could be improved upon, I would highly appreciate it. But in my eyes, Addie LaRue isn’t about intricate, extensive worldbuilding or perfectly well-crafted characters, but rather about its message and the emotions it evokes.

What *was* perfect, though, was the ending. I reckon this will be the most polarizing aspect of the book, but I personally loved the way V.E. Schwab handled everything. It even made me tear up because it was just that beautiful. I liked that it was pretty open to interpretation and left a few questions unanswered, yet it didn’t fail to provide the necessary closure as well. In fact, the whole atmosphere and vibe of the book was absolute perfection – definitely the perfect autumn read! So quietly beautiful, like most of the book. The romance was so beautifully quiet but lovely, the LGBTQIA+ rep was perfectly casual and the whole message surrounding the story isn’t *in your face* but intricately weaves its way into your mind. Even though we see Addie live through several centuries and roam around many parts of the world, the book still managed to feel incredibly cosy and homey.

Honestly, I could probably talk about this book for ages and I might even fall out of love with it after a while (because that’s just what my indecisive brain does), but the emotions it made me feel were so real and I can’t not love Addie LaRue for that. Frankly, I’m already dying to reread it. Thank you, Miss Schwab, for writing a book I finally see myself in, I appreciate it very much <3
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This was a book of two definite halves for me. The first half I found morose, depressing and inexpliably sad. I told my buddy that it needed to be called The Hopeless Life of Addie LaRue. But on reflection, VE Schwab knows best.

The story was compelling, even in the first half, no doubt about that. But, it was hard to read about Addie’s life, her struggle, the moments she had to get through. The past and present timelines were so clearly outlined that I never faltered with the jumps back and forth.

“Are you lost?”
Déjà vu. Déjà su. Déjà vecu. Already seen. Already known. Already lived.

The second half did a number on me, it won me around in a way I didn’t see coming. It made the first half fall into place and as a whole it was 100% memorable. I found hope, I found fear and everything came with an aftertaste of bittersweet. This wasn’t a neatly tied story, it was incredibly melancholy but I do welcome a read that takes you out of a normal format of story strucure and expectations.

I’ve told you nothing about the story in this review but the characters were exceptional. Addie in particular was humbly endearing with necessary grey facets to that character. I’m left feeling unsure how I feel about Luc, how believing I was of him, but I know this, Henry was a beautiful creation who won my heart.

“Three hundred years,” she whispers. “And you can still find something new.”

There were illustrations at the start of the seven parts to this book and they took my breath away, none more than the start of Part Seven where tears gently welled.

VE Schwab wrote uniquely, with imagination that is rare. This was some story that definitely needed to be told. If you do struggle with that first half, hold on, because there are words to pull you through.

I remember you.

Thank you to Titan Books for the gifted review copy.

Synopsis: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is about a girl, who wants to be free, a boy who just wants to be loved and the darkness that brings them together.

Adeline LaRue is a young woman born in the 17th century in a small town in Brittany who just won’t fit in, and honestly, who really doesn’t want to, anyway. She doesn’t want to live the life of a happy wife, bearing children and going to church every Sunday. She wants to see the world and is ready to do anything to fulfill her deepest wishes. This is why she makes a deal with “the devil”. She doesn’t want to be held back by anything, not even a regular lifespan. So she sells her soul “until she doesn’t want it anymore.” Unfortunately she got more than she bargained for, because soon after she realizes that as soon as she leaves a person’s sight, they will forget about her. She cannot leave a mark in any way. She simply will not be remembered – which is not exactly the freedom she was hoping for. This book follows her through the centuries, in which she meets famous personalities and has to deal with her changing relationship with Luc, the demon she made her bargain with.

Curiously, when she meets Henry for the second time, he remembers that she stole a book from his shop, which changes everything. Why does he remember her at all?

Review: Who doesn’t love a story about someone making “a deal with the devil”? It’s the major plot point from many of my favorite stories: Disney’s The Little Mermaid does it, the animes Black Butler and Death Note do it and even some TV series like Once Upon a Time and Supernatural or movies like Pirates of the Caribbean do it. The story of Doctor Faustus is quite popular with classical authors like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Christopher Marlowe, as well, so it can savely be said that there already is some material to work with.

When I found out that V.E. Schwab would be publishing a book with that content, understandably, I was very excited and after finishing I can conclude that she certainly delivered. At first, I thought that it would probably be some kind of mindless romance with a fun setting, but I should have known better, since that’s not the way Schwab does things! It did nothing the way I expected it to which kept me on my toes and I really liked it for that.

While the concept is very interesting and you expect it to have an exciting plot with many twists and turns, it is far more character driven. The reader really gets to know Addie as a complex (at first young and then not so young) woman, who has so much love for the life she chose, but who still carries so much sadness with her. They also get to know Henry, who seems like that even-tempered, sweet love-interest you usually have in many romance novels, but after some time you get to know his troubles as well. They both just feel very real and not washed-out. While the interactions and personalities of Addie and Henry are already great enough to create a solid story, I especially loved Addie’s encounters with Luc (the darkness she made her deal with). Their relationship is complicated until the end and they start some really interesting conversations about identity, religion, freedom and love.

Addie’s blessing or curse (whatever it feels like at the moment) is very well thought through by Schwab and quite intriguing to a point where I repeatedly wonder what I would do in Addie’s place. I mean, how does she get on a plane without getting into trouble? And if she doesn’t use a plane for travels, how does she travel from Europe to America without getting caught? There were so many instances, in which I just had to pause and think, which made this book so much more fun.

Another interesting aspect of the novel is that it’s divided into a couple of sections and each of these sections begins with the description of a piece of art, it’s overall worth and so on. At first, I was really confused what that was about and generally skipped that part, simply because I didn’t get it, but after some time I finally understood that they actually worked quite well in the context of the story: their integration makes a lot of sense, after you have actually read the individual section, so I can definitely recommend to go back to those parts afterwards.

After all this praise you might have noticed that I didn’t give this book a full five star rating. The reason for that is purely based on personal preferences. I just like to know where a story is going after having read 30% of the story. This one just took so much time to actually get started that I wasn’t 100% into it for most of the first 3/4s of the book – but like I said, I just prefer it, when there is more of a balance between the plot and the character exploration and this one was pretty heavily character-driven.

The first time I heard of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was at a book signing event in 2019, where Victoria was talking about the re-release of her first novel, The Near Witch, as well as several of her other books. There were a number of questions about the upcoming book during this talk, and despite talking passionately about all of her books there was something different whenever she spoke about Addie LaRue. There was a passion there that showed this was a project that meant a lot to her, and during the talk she mentioned that this was a book that she had been working on for the better part of a decade.

Jumping forward in time, it was announced that it would be coming out in 2020, and so many people in the publishing community, especially readers and reviewers, were getting very excited for the release. With all of the hype that was being built up around the book, I have to admit I became really nervous going into it. What if the excitement wasn't justified? What if I'd hyped myself up for something amazing that could never meet those expectations? I was worried that I'd built this monolith in my mind that the finished novel could never actually compete with. Luckily for me, I was worried for nothing, and Victoria Schwab has proven once again that she is a masterful storyteller.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue begins in the summer of 1714, where our protagonist Adeline is running away from her problems, quite literally. We get little context for what's happeneing, except for how desperate the young woman is. From here events jump forward three hundred years, where Adeline, who now calls herself Addie, is in New York City, in the bed of a man who doesn't remember bringing her home the night before. We learn that this isn't because of drink or drugs, he can't remember her because no one can. As soon as anyone stops looking at Addie she erases from their memories.

Over the course of the next several chapters we skip between modern day and three hundred years before, where we get to see both lives that Addie is living. In one she's a young woman living in rural France, fighting against her parents expectations to go off and get married, and in the other she's a ghost, walking through the world without anyone realising she even exists. Through her past we learn that in her desperation to escape her upcoming wedding she prayed to the old gods of the woods, made them offerings to help her, but none would. When she accidentally prays too long, offering up her prayers after darkness falls, she gets a response from something she should have never asked for help from.

This entity offers Addie a deal, a way to escape from the life everyone has planned for her and to be free for as long as she likes, in exchange for her soul. Desperate and out of options, Addie agrees, little realising just what she's agreeing to. Addie is given freedom, she can go anywhere, but the cost is that everyone has forgotten her. Alone in the world, the young woman begins to drift, a journey that will last centuries.

In modern day New York Addie is simply going about her usual routine, taking what she wants, going wherever she feels, and trying to enjoy her bizarre existence. However, when she's caught stealing a book from a used bookstore she thinks nothing of returning the next day, after all, the owner isn't going to remember her is he? Except he does. After three hundred years alone, three hundred years able to observe the world but leave no mark of her own she hears the three words she thought she would never hear again, 'I remember you'.

The narrative of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue makes great use of having a character exist for centuries, jumping backwards and forwards through Addie's life in order to tell her story. Schwab uses it to good effect, not only setting up hints at things to come in each narrative, but teasing out reveals. Some of these are moments that you feel you know are coming, things that are hinted at in the future fairly early on in the book, but that you have to wait hundreds of pages to get to in order to finally learn these secrets. I would say that it's a great way to keep a reader interested, but honestly, I found the narrative engaging enough that these little mysteries weren't what kept me hooked at all. If anything, I found them a little frustrating because I wanted answers straight away; but this was frustrating in a good way.

It wasn't the mysteries of Addie LaRue that kept me reading, but the character herself. Fictional characters, just like real people, are shaped by their experiences; where they go, what they do, and who they interact with. Whilst you could go through your entire life never interacting with someone I'm sure there are very few people who have. Everyone needs to talk to someone some of the time. When that option is taken away, what kind of person would you be? This is what made Addie herself so fascinating, as I think she's one of the few literary characters who is so completely alone for so long, even whilst surrounded by people.

I'm sure there are some people who are waiting for the chance to jump in now and say 'but Amy, she can talk to people, she's forgettable, not invisible', and you're right, she can interact with people, but this is in very limited ways. If you cannot form any lasting relationships with people how can you have any real, meaningful conversations? If people forget you as soon as they're not looking at you, how can you have any conversations that are anything other than a first meeting? And how long until you just get so tired of having a first meeting over and over again?

Addie is very different in 2014 to her time in the 1700's, and this isn't just because she's grown older and wiser over time, but because you can see the effect of bring has had on her. She doesn't look at people the same way that you and I do. She doesn't treat people the way we would. This goes beyond simple things like having to steal to survive, to at times not even really seeing people as people all the time. Everyone else is so removed from her world that she at times doesn't even consider herself one of us anymore.

This is explored in great detail with the introduction of Henry, a young man working in a bookstore who can somehow remember Addie. The reasons for this do get explored during the book, and add to the mystery that plays out over the novel; but much like Addie I think it's him as a person that's more interesting than his mystery. He, much like Addie, has detached himself from the world around him. He's had troubles in love and doesn't seem capable of letting anyone else in again. But when he meets Addie things change, for both of them. We get to see not only how she improves his life, but how he humanises her. Sometimes it's simple things, like her having to confront the morality of stealing from people in order to make her way through the world, but other times it's smaller, more personal things like her being able to wake up beside someone and see recognition in her eyes, and the peace that that brings her.

I sometimes have trouble getting into books that have romance be a central component, and can find some love stories to be overly dramatic and draining, but the story that plays out between these two is genuinely beautiful and fascinating.

I don't want to talk too much about the story though, as there's so much that's best learnt as the narrative unfolds. There are reasons why Schwab chose to keep certain things back until certains points in the book, and I know talking about them in a review will ruin that experience for you. All I can say is, this isn't just a book about love, it's not just a story about a woman living through centuries. There's so much here that you don't realise at first. It's big and expansive, with layers, and it's so damn beautifully written.

I've enjoyed everything I've read of Schwab's so far, and have made a point to but all of her books because she's an author I know I'm going to get something good from, but if I wasn't already a fan this is the book that would make me one. It's a book that will take you on an unexpected and shocking journey, a book that you'll be thinking about days and weeks after, that you'll want to recommend to all of your friends. I can understand now why Victoria was so excited when she spoke about this book, I can understand why it meant so much to her. This is the kind of book that comes along very rarely, and you'll definitely regret missing out on it if you don't grab a copy.

Thank you so much to Titan Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is fantasy author V. E. Schwab’s latest book and is one of the most anticipated releases for 2020. Having not read any of Schwab’s work before, I didn’t go into reading this with any preconception of what to expect from her style. I was excited to read it because it has a very intriguing and mysterious premise, but I tried not to let all the hype around this book give me too high expectations for it.

What struck me from the beginning was the beautiful writing. I was drawn into Addie’s story right from the first page. Something about the writing just captured me and didn’t let go. The book is written in third person present tense, which I don’t usually like as it can be really awkward to read. However, Schwab writes so beautifully in this book, I sunk into the writing from the first page and didn’t find the third person present tense awkward at all, in fact it read really naturally for this story.

The narrative goes back and forth between the present and the past. In the present, Addie is living in New York and it’s been nearly 300 years since she made her deal. Through the flashback chapters we see what led her to make that decision and how the mysterious, shadowy person she made the deal with tries to persuade her to give in and hand him her soul. My favourite chapters were the ones set in the past. It was really interesting seeing how Addie learned to cope with life with the boundaries of her deal. If everyone forgets you as soon as there’s a door between you, how can you do even simple things like rent a room? If you can’t have a job because everyone forgets you, how do you get money to pay for food? I also loved seeing Addie move through the different periods in history.

I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, as I really enjoyed the experience of reading when I wasn’t sure what to expect. The book’s description doesn’t give much away, and I liked getting to discover the story without too many preconceptions of what it would be about.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue explores themes of time, memory, identity, and what it means to be human, as well as the connections we make with other people. This is a thoughtful and imaginative novel which went right to my heart. It’s a book I will definitely want to read again.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and when I was notified, on my birthday no less, that I had been given an ARC, I genuinely squealed with delight. Sometimes building up your expectations for a book can be dangerous but I felt sure I was in safe hands with this author and I am pleased to say that not only does Addie not disappoint, it was more beautiful, more magical and more memorable than I could ever have imagined.
The premise behind the book is deceptively simple- a girl makes a deal with the devil for her freedom, but as with all Faustian bargains, there is a sting in the tail, she may be free, but she is also forgotten. We first meet Addie in eighteenth century France on the day of her wedding to a man she detests. In desperation she flees to the forest where she encounters a strangely charming man who offers her freedom, in exchange for her soul. Addie is wary but agrees , on the proviso that he can only claim her soul when she agrees that she has had enough. As is often the case, the devil is in the details, and so Addie discovers that her freedom has come at an unexpected price, she is forgotten by everyone she has ever known and is forced to flee her home. One year later the handsome devil appears to Addie again, sure that she will have had enough of her struggles and will be ready to capitulate, but he has underestimated her determination. This determination will keep her going for three hundred years, as she learns to lie, cheat and steal her way to survival, made easier by the fact that she is forgettable, turning the curse into a blessing. She might have continued in this way forever but for the fateful day she walks into a bookstore and meets a man who not only seems able to remember her, but seems keen to get to know her better. To reveal more would spoil the magic of the story, but I will say that this is one of the most touching books I have ever read, and the ending would bring tears to a glass eye. The way it looks at loneliness, isolation and the need to belong is something that will stay with me for a long time. I also really appreciated Henry's story and struggles which we are introduced to in the second half of the book, it is one of the most evocative and relatable depictions of depression I have come across in fiction.
Some may find the book slow paced, but I thought it was perfect, and loved the way we moved back and forward in time to get snippets of the story that stitch together to create a wonderful and memorable whole. I can't believe how emotionally attached I became to both Addie and Henry, this is something that never happens to me, but this book somehow got under my skin in a way that few others have.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Addie wants to be a wild thing, to have freedom in a time when women are bound by duty. She will do anything, including making a deal with the devil.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Adeline LaRue lives in a small French town, where everyone is born, and everyone is buried in the same space. Addie wants to escape, she wants to be free of her small town life, free of the expectations to marry, raise kids, and die in the same town.
When she is being forced to marry a man who is perfectly nice, but she doesn't love, Addie can see the cage closing around her. In desperation, she makes a deal with a god of darkness, freedom in exchange for her soul.
And she is free: free from aging, free from health issues, free from duty (as no one remembers her).

The first half of the book is split between Addie in New York 2014; and Addie's story starting in 1714.
Over three hundred years, Addie suffers and struggles, as she comes to terms with her curse. It doesn't take long before she learns some tricks to get by, and does more than survive. Addie seeks new marvels every day, to feel alive every day. Even if no one truly remembers her, she becomes a cross between a ghost and a muse for artists across the years, feeding her ideas into so many pieces.
Despite countless weak moments, she never gives in to the dark god, because there will always be something new on the horizon.
Addie is great. Even in the very beginning, she's very level-headed about what she can't change, and does what she has to, to survive.
I liked in the 2014 timeline, how it accepts that she is weary, after her long life; but she continues to be optimistic. She never lets the constant repeats and introductions get her down.

The second half introduces a new narrator - Henry, who meets Addie in New York, 2014.
He is the first person in three hundred years to remember her.
He has a very chaotic energy, and is terrified of wasting time. So much so, that he can't settle on one thing, or commit to one path. Until he meets Addie, and finds that she doesn't have any expectations of him.

I really liked how Henry's story is played out. I liked how the author tackled depression, with Henry's black storms, being a regular and all-consuming part of life. It doesn't romanticise or glory in Henry's use of alcohol and pills to mask the pain. Instead, it's written with the same logic and respect as Addie's historical parts.

This is a very slow story. It plays out 300 years of snippets, but mostly to share all the little things that make up life.
You get to explore who Addie, Henry and the dark god are.
You get to see how messy life is.

This is the first book I've read by V.E. Schwab, but I'll definitely be reading more!

I knew from the moment it was announced that I would love this book, what I didn't realise was the extent to which I would absolutely adore every single thing about this book. It is unequivocally the best book I have read in 2020, the best book published in 2020, and probably my favourite book of all time. If The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue isn't on your preorder list, I seriously recommend you change that immediately.

"They are Orpheus, she is Eurydice, and every time they turn back, she is ruined."

The premise is an interesting one: girl makes a deal with the devil for her freedom and she ends up living forever, but I think the reason people have come out of this book disappointed is that they expected something dark and brooding. A devil-oriented gothic love affair, this book is not. It is, however, a heart-wrenching look into how people perceive one another, how they treat strangers, and what is taken for granted. It questions what freedom truly is, and the timeless human struggle of wanting to leave your mark on a world that is ever-changing and temporary. I would sell my soul for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

"Ideas are wilder than memories. And I can be wild. I can be stubborn as the weeds, and you will not root me out."

Addie is cursed with being forever forgotten - number one rule of making a deal with the devil is to be specific with the details and in not doing this, she will never be remembered. To spite him for twisting her desire of freedom, Addie continues to live, refusing to give up her soul (her part of the bargain). Her determination and her refusal to give in despite experiencing some horrific events throughout her 300-year lifespan had me emotional beyond belief and unable to put the book down.

"It is just a storm, he tells himself, but he is tired of looking for shelter."

Henry Strauss remembers Addie. For the first time in her entire life, someone remembers her and she doesn't know why. But Henry himself is a whole other kettle of fish. I have never related to a character as strongly I did to him, and his entire story stole my breath and my soul. Despite the title claiming this is a story about Addie LaRue, this story is just as much Henry's as hers. His experiences of mental health were something that I connected with and meant so much to me. I don't want to go into too much detail, but the relationship that builds between these two characters is something I will forever cherish.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thanks as always to Netgalley for sending this to me!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is probably one of this year’s most talked-about releases, and one that booktube and book twitter has been buzzing about since it was announced. VE Schwab is a beloved author across the bookish community, but after a crushing disappointment with last book of hers I read, This Savage Song, I took a little break from her work. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, with its compelling tagline of a 300-year relationship between a young woman and the devil, it seemed like a great choice to dive back in and give her another shot.

VE Schwab is an author who definitely has her favourite tropes and character archetypes that she returns to over and over, so die-hard fans can always rely on her to deliver more of what they love. Unfortunately, the same can be said for her weaknesses. I am always obsessed with Schwab’s concepts; her premises are always fascinating. However, when it comes to the end product I tend to find that there’s something missing that I can’t always put my finger on, which keeps me from being fully immersed in the story. When it comes to Addie LaRue, that missing ingredient was a lot easier to pinpoint.

Addie LaRue is a slow moving story – understandably, since it takes place over a 300 year period. I think this was done exceptionally well; the book is well paced for the most part, as we follow Addie throughout the long years and changing decades, the passage of time is marked really well. The times change like seasons, each bringing their own distinct tones and atmospheres, from the muted, misty early years in a small rural village to the dark streets of the French revolution, to the bright lights and hyper-realistic sharpness of modern-day New York. The settings were the highlight of this book for me, each one of them wonderfully rendered. They were all immersive and brilliantly detailed, and I found that they really helped to showcase how Schwab’s writing has improved over the years. I think Schwab is wonderful at writing moments – little snapshots of life. This book takes place in museums, abandoned subway stations, bookshops, speakeasies. I don’t know how many of these locations were real and how many were imagined, but they were all fascinating. The settings become their own characters, in a way, leaping off the page – in fact, I was more attached to the places in this novel than I was to the characters that inhabit them.

This brings us to my biggest issue with the story, the one thing that kept me from connecting with it fully: the character work in this story fell flat for me. When you have a story as literary as this one, with little plot and so much focus on people, it’s vital that you have compelling characters to follow, and unfortunately that was missing for me. The titular character, Addie, was pleasant enough, if very much Schwab’s usual type – if you’re not a fan of ADSOM’s Lila Bard, you probably won’t like Addie, who has a similar stubborn, loner, not-like-other-girls kind of vibe. Then we have Henry, whose defining character trait is that he finds himself inferior to everyone else. He’s very wishy washy, lacking in confidence, wandering through life with no idea where he’s going. I found him sweet, interesting at times, but nothing special. Finally, to complete the main triad, we have the Darkling – ahem, I mean “The Devil,” known as Luc. Given that the book’s original premise was touted as a love story between the girl and the devil (something that it seems the marketing team has very sensibly dropped, given the widespread disappointment when people discovered the story was Not That At All, Actually) I was hoping for so much MORE from Luc. He’s described as a shadowy figure, and that’s all he ever really was to me – a shape with no substance. He’s dark, alluring, mysterious, quick to anger… and flat as a pancake. There’s an old saying that if you can replace a character with a sexy lamp and have nothing change in the story, you should probably go back to the drawing board, and that was kind of how I felt whenever he was on the page. His relationship with Addie spans a few centuries of intense dislike, followed by a whirlwind ‘romance’ that offers about as much passion as a married couple having dutiful Sunday-night sex with the lights off. The book insisted that there was some intense magnetism between the two of them, and I genuinely didn’t feel it at any point. Because of this, the book’s big final twist, which I think was supposed to be a huge ‘gotcha’ moment, was pretty underwhelming. I think if I’d had any level of investment in their relationship, or even just Luc as a character, I’d have been delighted and shocked by it – instead, I was bored whenever he appeared on the page, desperate to be rid of him.

It’s a sad irony that the characters who stood out the most are the ones Addie leaves behind. The book’s big tragedy is that Addie is doomed to lose everyone, walking through the world without leaving a mark. As a result, my favourite characters were the ones who we met only briefly and then left behind – artist Sam (now if she had been the love interest, I’d have been 100% down for it. She deserved her own book) or sweetheart Remy, or even spurned ex-boyfriend Robbie, an actor with a big personality. The best characters are the ones we lose, which I suppose is all part of the tragedy; the knowledge that without her extra years of life, Addie would never have met these people she keeps with her, but she’s unable to hold onto them for longer than a night. So many broken connections. A tragedy for her, and an even bigger tragedy for me, when I had to say goodbye to the most interesting characters in the book and then spend another 200 pages with Luc, who had about as much personality as a bowl of rice pudding.

I definitely enjoyed a lot of aspects of the book – it had beautiful, atmospheric writing, a great grasp of time and place, and a lot to say about love, loneliness and loss. Ultimately, though, it didn’t deliver what I wanted from it. I couldn’t connect strongly enough to the characters to develop any strong feelings about their fates, and as a result I didn’t love the book as much as I’d hoped I would. It was an enjoyable experience at times, but like its main character, it failed to leave a mark.