I went into this book with no expectations having not read from V E Schwab before and knowing almost next to nothing about this book.

I have since struggled to articulate my feelings about this book. In short, I bloody loved this book,and it's now my favourite book of the year.

The long version, this book did A LOT! I related to Addie in a couple of ways but I hugely related to Henry, the boy who remembers Addie. His story added SO much to the main story about Addie and her deal with the devil. Victoria did so much with the writing and with the story, interweaving both characters and their separate stories.

The writing was beautiful and a very unique writing style. I am aware this is different to anything Victoria has every written before, but I am really excited to read more from her in the future. You can tell she's put her all into this book and you can tell it's been 10 years in the making.

This is easily my favourite book of the year and I'm already ready for a reread.

This book was absolutely incredible. I am a fan of Schwab’s other work, so I was extremely excited about ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’, especially as Schwab has talked on multiple occasions about it being a book that really means a lot to her. I went in with high expectations and yet somehow it exceeded every one of them. I absolutely adored every moment of this book - it took me through such a range of emotions and utterly broke my heart. It kept me guessing until the end, as I never truly knew exactly what was going to happen next, despite my constant guessing. This book is beautiful, the characters are incredible and this is definitely one of the most compelling books I have ever read.

This is a very character driven book, and Addie as a character is wonderful, because she is flawed. She spends her life forgotten, and so she has picked up a lot of bad habits in order to survive. I really liked the fact that Addie is not perfect, because she is a reflection of human existence. She has gone through so much and yet never loses her love for art, or for life. She has goes through the best and worst of human existence, and still finds joy in the world. She finds something new, and I feel like we all need a bit of Addie in our lives to remind us that joy can be found in the strangest of places. There are so many incredible characters in this book, predominately Henry the person who remembers her and Luc, the devil who cursed her. But each person that Addie meets adds a new layer to the story, and a new outlook and insight into this world. Each chapter was a new exploration, a new idea, explored through encounters with the people surrounding Addie.

The plot seems like a simple ‘person sold their soul to the devil to live forever’ kind of story, but it is so much more than that. There is so much to this book, but it is best left discovered in your own time. This book starts slow, in that it slowly pulls you into its rhythm, flipping backwards and forwards in time between events that all build upon each other. This creates the feeling that it’s weaving you into the story, dropping hints here and there until you’re so caught up in what will happen next that you can’t think of much else and don’t want to stop reading. This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time, and keeps haunting my thoughts.

‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ is thought provoking, and brings up a lot of thoughts about the nature of existence and what it means to live. Can we really live without making a mark on the world, or is it the impression we have on others that makes us real? I wasn’t expecting this book to raise a lot of philosophical questions, and make me rethink the nature of existence, relationship with art and the meaning of life but it did! It made me think a lot about my own insecurities about life, being forgotten and the nature of art and reality. I’m sure a lot of readers won’t be quite so plagued by these thoughts but they were such an important part of the book in my opinion and they have left an impression on me in the most interesting way! There’s also such a focus on art in the book, which ties the whole thing together in such a wonderful way. There was such a love of art that came across in the pages, it felt like a love letter to creativity at times, which I found really inspiring.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. It was beautiful, lyrical, incredibly written and haunting. It took me through such a range of emotions, and left me wanting more. The characters were fantastic, the story was gripping and it lived up to and then exceeded every one of my hopes. Schwab is a master storyteller and this is her best book to date. This book is special, fully of joy and I hope everyone who reads it loves it as much as I do.

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue was one of my most anticipated read of this year, it's not a secret that Victoria Schwab is one of my favourite authors, and I have adored everything I have ever read from her. Addie is no exception to that.

This book is one of the most beautifully written things I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on - certain parts of this I had to read out loud because they were just so extraordinarily written and made me feel such emotion, they deserved to be spoken aloud. I don't think I will ever be able to fault V's writing, it is simply outstanding.

The story of Addie, considering the plot of this book is that she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she ever meets, is one that I don't think I'll ever be able to forget, it's got some real staying power. Addie's life is certainly something marvelous, it's wild, it's fun, it's sad, it's beautiful, it's hideous, it's everything rolled into one and paints such a full story of the woman Addie is. She's lived for 300 years, she's had some experiences - one thing I could perhaps fault here though is the lack of history. I understand as we are following Addie's life, we are seeing the world from her point of view, however, a 300-year timespan could have given so many opportunities to explore historical events that I feel we just didn't get to see. That being said, what we did see I feel was very well executed.

Anyone who knows me will know that a 4-star rating for this is quite shocking, however, my one major down point for this book was the ending. Not that it was bad, it was beautiful, but perhaps I was expecting something more, something different, something bigger. I expected this book to rip my heart out and tear it to shreds, and I'm disappointed to say that didn't happen.

Typically I am not a fan of a plot that is based on the romance, and it can't be ignored that the romance was the biggest part of this plot, however I do think it was a beautifully developed romance, even if it was only one of convenience.

It's quite possible that when it comes to Schwab, her cutthroat writing will always be my favourite, and this was perhaps too lovely for me to absolutely fall for it. But it can not be ignored how incredibly beautiful this book was to read - Addie is a work of art.

V good, loved the ending and the twists and turns. Had some lovely moments and was well written. Didn’t give it 5 stars because the jumping from place to place felt a little chaotic for me, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as her Shades of Magic series. Still a wonderful book though!

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy!

This is a beautifully captivating novel about life, love and loss that will stay with you long after closing the back cover.
The story revolving around the age-old Faustian bargain is utterly unique and the quality of the writing is magnificent. It has to be up there as one of the best novels of the year.
Unlike many other reviewers I’ve only read one of her previous books so I’m not a die-hard fan however I can easily see myself becoming one now I’ve finally discovered her.
I will remember you Addie LaRue.

I believe the best way I can describe this book, is as a love letter to art.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a book about art.
A book about how we are inspired by art, and how art is inspired by us, how it changes us, and moves us, and can be moved by us..
It is a love letter to language, and to books and to remembering.

I didn’t think I could fall in love more with V. E. Schwabs writing, but somehow I did.
And then I fell in love with each character that Addie met (yes even the Dark) and somehow I now sit here more then a month after I finished the book still dreaming about the lyrical prose and the stunning plot.

The premise of the books is almost too simple to fully caption the magnitude of feelings it evokes.
A young girl who wants to see more then the little french village she was born in, makes a bargain with the devil to live until she has seen everything there is to see. And in exchange for making her live forever, he takes away the memory of her from everyone she has ever met, or will ever meet.

Though the story is one that may have been seen before, I don’t think it has ever been told in this way.
It is decadent, and sweet, and savoury and the writing is slow like a love song, and yet you are swept away in a tide of longing.
I think I could write poems about this book, which surprises me as I was quite put out by the ending.
Not because it was sad but because I felt like it was rushed where the rest of the book wasn’t.

I would however, lay down my life for Henry, my soft cinnamon boy, and for Addie who is fierce and fearless and to all of the side characters who are unapologetically queer in every sense.

In the end, all I can say is that I loved this book, and will most likely love it and read it for the rest of my life.

Can I just tell you to pick up this book and read it? I don't think I can write a decent review of this book because my heart is so full!

I know how brilliant V.E. Schwab is but she still manages to surprise me every time. Her stories are unique and her writing is captivating. This book is no exception. It pulled me in right from the very beginning. Addie has lived for 300 years and reading her journey was both fascinating and heartbreaking. We see how she lives her life and adapts to changes throughout the years. I loved how the story has unfolded towards the end! It's clever and brilliant. I couldn't help but cry while reading the last part.

There are several themes in this book which I find interesting such as the fear of being forgotten and immortality. The book also tells us the importance and power of art and stories, the inspiration behind them, and how they touch other people in different ways. This is one of those books that you have to read and savour each and every words. It's atmospheric, dark at times, and melancholic. But it's full of hope and dreams. Addie's story will definitely stay with me for a very long time.

I can't believe i'm finally writing a review for this book. I've been waiting for this book for freaking ages. and i'm so so in awe of everything, This will end up being a short summary and i'll link my main review once i've had time to think of my thoughts in a coherent fashion.

Addie LaRue is literally everything. I want to read this book again. I want to read it more than once, in fact I want to read it so many times again, again and again. There's something magical about this book. I've said it before and i'll say it again, V.E Schwab is literally a master at doing character driven stories and this is no different, except that this one has a kind of magic and slow burn that just is *chefs kiss*.

The dynamic between the devil and addie is OOF, like its not a healthy relationship in the slightest but OOF and HENRI, HERNI BLOODY STRAUS I WOULD DIE FOR HIM. I LOVE HIM. I LOVE EVERYTHING. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HTIS BOOK.

and fuck. that end. I cried at 2am....and I think if i read this book again i'd still cry.. Just Wow.. i'd rate it more than 5 stars if i could. I jsut want to scream about this book so much!

‘The Darkness is no place to be alone’

‘He tastes like the air at night, heady with the weight of summer storms. He tastes like the faint traces of far-off woodsmoke, a fire dying in the dark. He tastes like the forest, and somehow, impossibly, like home.’

‘Because happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end, everyone wants to be remembered.’

Firstly, I am eternally grateful to NetGalley and Titan Books for giving me this ARC to review.
I finished this book on 31st August and here I am, a month and a half later, still trying to process my emotions and write a cohesive review that can give an inkling of the magnitude of this book.

The story revolves around our wonderful protagonist Adeline (Addie) LaRue, a free spirited woman living in 18th Century rural France. Addie lives with her parents and just wants a simple life, living from the land and being the master of her own destiny.

Unfortunately, in 1714, when she turns 23, her parents decide that they cannot (or will not) support her any longer and arrange for Addie to marry a widow with children. Addie cannot imagine a worse fate than being tied to this man and his children so in distress she runs away on her wedding day, into the forest, and prays to the gods to help her. However, in her distress she does not notice the day turning into night and despite warnings from Estele (an elderly woman who lives in the village and who Addie looks up to), to ‘Never pray to the gods who answer after dark’ she continues to pray.

In doing so she summons ‘The Darkness’, who she later names Luc as he resembles drawings of a mystery man she likes fantasize about, and in her distress she agrees to his Faustian Bargain without knowing the terms of the deal, which are that she will be practically immortal but in return she will be forgotten by everyone she meets.

We then follow Addie for 300 years as she suffers and struggles to survive with no connections, no money, no possessions whilst also being a woman in a restrictive patriarchal society. That is, until 2014 in New York where she meets Henry and by some miracle he remembers her.

The book is told in two timelines, one is 2014 New York with Addie and Henry forming a connection, and the other is Addie’s life since her bargain.

The language of this book is incredible. It’s so lyrical and beautiful and haunting. The story also deals with a lot of heavy topics such as sex work, depression, suicidal thoughts, feelings of inadequacy, and identity.
It is so introspective and looks deep into what it means to be a human and what it means to have connections.
We also see a very realistic representation of depression in Henry and my heart broke for him continuously throughout this book.

Schwab also creates a very truthful depiction of what life would be like for a woman alone in the world throughout history, the things she has to suffer through, her lack of options and Addie’s consequential determination and grit to get through each day.

I would argue that we have three love stories throughout this book; Addie’s relationship with Henry, Addie’s relationship with Luc and Addie’s relationship with herself. 300 years is a long time to get to know yourself, and over the years Addie has had to become more cunning, ruthless and morally ambiguous whilst also keeping herself open to those short connections, with people of all genders, for a place to stay, food, money, conversation etc. All the things most people take for granted.

I also loved the queer representation in this book; Addie is bisexual (or pansexual), Henry is pansexual and Henry’s two best friends are gay and lesbian respectively. Schwab also demonstrates the prejudice that can occur, even in the queer community, as Henry’s gay friend (whom he has a relationship with when they were younger) feels he isn’t queer enough because he’s still attracted to, and tends to prefer, women. Luc is a god so it’s never quite explained what his sexuality is but I am going to assume it would be anyone and everyone.

I absolutely adored our three main characters;
Luc is sexy and dark and conflicted,
Henry is soft, full of self doubt, haunted and so painfully human it broke me,
And Addie is a scrappy, resilient, intelligent, independent, loving, queer soul and I will remember her forever.

This story is so powerful and wonderful and heart-breaking and empowering in equal measure and I think to truly understand its brilliance you just have to experience the masterpiece for yourself.

CW: death, starvation, sex work, drugs, emotional manipulation, attempted suicide, depression, violence, war

I think this is a case of it's me not you. The concept was really intriguing and i was really excited to read it but i got really bored and i couldn't bring myself to be invested in the story and characters and ended up skim reading the second half of the book. The ending of the book was interesting but getting there was just so tedious.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ by V. E. Schwab might be the best book I’ve ever read. Ever.
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When someone asked ‘What superpower would you want to have?’, people always answered with super strength, mind reading or breathing fire. I always knew that if I was ever given the opportunity to choose a superpower I would choose immortality. I have such anxieties about growing older and, eventually, disappearing from this world without having seen EVERYTHING. I felt incredibly connected to Addie in such a personal way. I felt like my anxieties about life were perfectly embodied in this character.
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This book starts off at a languid pace but by the 30% mark the book sinks its claws into your soul and doesn’t let go until the very last page. Each chapter is saturated with pure emotion and I felt so much for these characters. I love Addie, Henry and Luc so much.
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I’m still quite unsure how to put my intense feelings about this book into proper words.

As I continue my journey in the fantasy fiction genre the name V.E Schwab is one that continually comes up as an author to read. I do have some of her novels on my shelf but haven’t got around to reading them yet, so when I had the opportuniy to read her new book The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. The premise of this book is the Faustian bargain of making a deal with the devil and living with the consequences. France 1714, Adeline has led a life of freedom, and escaped the ties of marriage, until at the age of twenty three her parents arrange for her to marry a widower with young children. In desperation Addie runs to the forest praying to anyone to help and free her and from the this marriage; but as the saying goes be careful what you wish for. Immortal, unable to even say her name or write any thing down, Addie becomes like a shadow, forgotten in a second, unable to form attachments she lives a transient life until something changes three hundred years later. New York 2014, Addie visits a small second hand bookshop and meets Henry who remembers her, changing both of their lives forever. Three centuries, crossing continents and being part of some of the most important historical events The Invisivble Life of Addie Larue is a beautiful book about life and death, love and loss that crosses boundaries of folklore and reality.

After reading this book I understand the hype around V.E Scwab. She is a masterful story teller, whose prose flows beautifully and she writes characters that are personable and endearing to the reader. The eponymous Addie Larue is strong willed, feisty, intelligent all things that are frowned upon in eighteenth century France and are not the qualities of a good wife. It is Addie’s friendship with Estele, an elderly lady in her village, who believes in the god’s of nature and the idea of leaving them offerings that leads her to her fate. Addie believes it her offerings to the river and nature that have helped keep her free from the bondages of marriage until the age of twenty three, when in desperation she pleads to the deity of the night, and conjures a spirit she calls Luc, after Lucifer. Her bargain of an eternal life of freedom in return for her soul after her death, at a time she chooses, has consequences she could never have foreseen. But, Addie is stubborn and determined, not wanting to give her soul away and admit defeat and plays Luc, who visits her on the anniversary, at his own game. Whilst she may be instantly forgettable, unable to say her name or write anything down, as an artists muse she appears in many paintings, leaving her mark in history. Love and friendship are also unattainable due to being forgotten,until she meets Harry. Interstingly through out this book we see Luc and Addie spar against each other, trying to get the upper hand and out do each other, but they are more alike than they realise; both are lonely, both are immortal and unable to maintain attatchments, both need and want to love and both are intelligent and stubborn. Henry shares similar traits in that he also wants to be loved and accepted for who he is. He is the youngest in his family and always feels he doesn’t measure up to his high flying brother and sister who, with his parents seem to pressure him to decide what he wants to do, and to make something of his life. His relationship with Addie feeds both their need for love espcially after Henry had his heart broken by his previous girlfriend. Luc and Harry are the dark and light in Addie’s life; they look alike but whilst Luc is a reminder of the darkness of her bargain and her immortal companion, Henry is all about pleasure, enjoyment, love and the present.Their stories demonstrate how as humans we have a need for love and acceptance by our contemporaries, and the want to share our lives with someone.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue deals with a lot of difficult issues in an honest and empathatic way, including the subjects of suicide, mental health, and sexuality. V.E Scwab creates a world of light and dark, good and evil, especially in the form of Luc, who only appears in the dark to make bargains with humans at the darkest of times in their lives. I loved the sweeping history of this book, from eighteenth century Paris, through the revolution, to Florence, New Orleans to the First and Second World Wars where Addie has to live by her wits. The three hundred years also show the changing attitudes to women and their position in society over the centuries.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a magical and captivating new take on the Faustian myth, bringing it into the twenty first century. V.E Scwab is a skillfull storyteller whose lyrical and flowing prose swept me away on a journey I didn’t want to end. What I took from this book was that whether you only have one year to live or three hundred you should make he best of every second, make memories and live life to the full. Addie’s and Harry’s story reminded me of a quote from my favourite poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson from his poem In Memoriam A.H.H 27 Tis better to have loved and lost/Than never to have lovd at all. Whilst Addie’s character will never be remembered in the book, I think she will live forever in the hearts of the readers of this book #IrememberAddieLarue.

It’s rare to find a book I find so difficult to articulate my thoughts on, but V. E. Schwab has hit me with the unexpected in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. While I have been a longtime fan of her work, I have often found that while I’ve liked her work, there’s always things I can nitpick that reduced my overall enjoyment. With this, however, the things I may have disliked or nitpicked on have no effect on my enjoyment or rating. Aching passages of loneliness and unrealistic romanticising of France are right up my street, and I would recommend this to anyone, and the decade of work this took to be written was well spent.

I've been lucky enough to receive an e-ARC of Addie a few weeks ago, and it was as perfect as I imagined it.
How to leave a mark when you're invisible? That question haunted my mind during my whole reading. I devoured this book and did not want it to end. Sadly I had to, though I know that Addie will be with me forever. It's, by far, one of the best books I've read this year, and I' not surprised. ❤️
Addie is a character that I will remember for a long time : her story resonated in my mind.
It's a perfect book for me, and all fans of V. E. Schwab but also new readers will enjoy as mucj as I did!

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while now since a book took my heart in such a complete and deep and devastating way, but The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab managed to do so.
I think I'll never be able to express in words how much this book is so important and special to me.
I literally have no words. I'm in awe. I'm in love.

This book. Wow.

I was starting to get really concerned that it couldn’t live up to hype. I follow V on social media, and every time she told us that she’d poured her heart out into it I was equally desperate to finally read the book and terrified that I wouldn’t love it. Well, dear reader, love it I did.

So much, in fact, that I put it down at the 90% mark and took three days – THREE DAYS – to pick it back up again. I don’t do this, I really don’t, but I didn’t want to face the end (in case it disappointed – it did not), and I wasn’t willing to read it when I was tired or only had five minutes. Finally I had a half hour to focus and… wow.

There. I have – I hope – conveyed how much I *loved* this freakin’ book!! 🙂

Adeline LaRue was born in 17th Century rural France. She wants a life full of small joys, of drawing and freedom to roam. So when it is announced that she is to marry an older widower and look after his children, she ends up making a pact with a devil for that freedom. He grants her eternal life and youth, but with a twist: no one will ever remember her.

And so Addie spends 300 years unable to be much more than a ghost. As soon as she is out of eyeline everyone forgets her instantly. It means being thrown out of rooms she has paid for, having to steal to survive as jobs are impossible. And of course the worst: never being able to have more than a day’s relationship. Until…

Well, I’ll leave that to the reader to discover. I had feared the hype was too high, but it was not: this book, this story, is amazing and so well told. We flit back and forth between Addie’s ‘now’ and flashbacks to her past, both her normal life and then the dance with her devil through the centuries

I maybe took a little while to settle in. I wished V had chosen any name but ‘Adeline’ (it reminded me too much of a movie with a few parallels) and if there was one thing I didn’t like it was the discomfort of that ‘duties of a woman’, which was the point. But the words are so well strung together, the pictures start to form so well, and it was impossible not to get caught up in not just Addie but other characters and their lives and loves and just how it all fits together so perfectly.

Ironically, this is not a book you’re likely to ever forget. Read it now! 🙂

4.5 Stars

There is no doubt this is a V.E. Schwab book. It screams it through and through. Therefore I suspect if you have not been a fan of her previous works, particularly her female characters, you are not going to enjoy Addie. There is a lot of similarity in the feeling and personality of Addie and that of Lila Bard and for me that is not a bad thing. I love Schwab's writing style and this just has a beautiful lyrical quality to it. I will admit I absolutely fell in love with Henry, he was just such a beautiful soul and I really loved how we got his story. I also really loved the interactions between Addie and Luc and the mix of emotions each scene brought.

The plot is just as beautiful as the writing. it is slow paced and completely character driven, and it really drives home those emotions. I will say the ending was a little predictable but only in the way we got to know the characters so well. There really were great moments of joy as well as those of despair and Schwab did an excellent job of drawing you in with those moments and making you feel them.

Another thing I truly adored is how much art played a role in this book. At a time in the UK where art and the artistic industry is suffering to be reminded on how much art plays into life and history in such a beautiful way. I loved how each section in the book reflected on a piece of art that would be an echo of the part of Addie's life we were exploring. It was just a really nice touch.

The only reason this couldn't be a 5 star for me was the continual use of the word 'palimpsest' to describe Addie. It just appeared to be the authors favourite word in this book and whoever edited could have cut out at least 50%. While, it was a great description when first used it turned the character of Addie into one note. Every time it came up it made me groan and it kind of spoiled my enjoyment a little as it would pull me out of the story and emotion.

Otherwise I really adored the book. I can see myself rereading it, I can see why it already has a movie deal and I can see why Schwab fans will be raving about this one.

What a book. Addie LaRue feels like a timeless novel and one that I could happily read over and over again. It felt so lyrically beautiful and I loved being able to explore the world throughout different times that Addie passed through.

It's really difficult to put my thoughts into words for just how much I enjoyed this book. It's definitely a 5 Star read and I know it's one I'll be rereading again and again for years to come. When I finished it, I had to take a long moment to just let it settle so it definitely had an impact. I'd absolutely recommend this one. In fact, I already have to some of my friends!

I’ll be honest here, this is possibly one of the hardest reviews I think I might ever write. I was slightly amazed when I got an email to confirm I’d been given an ARC of Addie LaRue. It was just after we moved house, so I had no internet in our new flat. My boyfriend was in a work meeting in our old flat (thankfully with wifi and right across the road from our new place) so I had a whole silent screaming fit of excitement in the corridor, downloaded it, and raced back to start it. I was supposed to be working that day, and instead, I read, and read, and read. I read through dinner, and I finally finished it around 8pm. It was dark by that time, and I’d been reading it by fairylight and candlelight, with a glass of wine. And when I put it down, I had that bittersweet empty feeling you get when you finish a brilliant book for the first time, and you wish you could somehow erase it from your mind so you could read it again and have it be new. In fact, I was very tempted to immediately start re-reading it.

Obviously, I’m probably a little bit biased. V.E. Schwab is one of my all-time favourite authors, and I’ve never not enjoyed one of her books. And I’ve heard a lot about what the author went through writing this one- she’s mentioned it many many times at conventions and author signings I went to. I’ve been fascinated with this book long before holding it in my hands, because when the author spoke about it, I could see the hope and fear and excitement she clearly felt about it. Schwab has been writing this book for a long time (nine years, I believe) and for that reason I was a little bit afraid to start reading it. As much as I knew I would probably end up enjoying Addie, I was slightly worried that it wouldn’t quite live up to the hype and expectations. And trust me, a book that has been brewing for that long, is expected to knock it out of the park. From the little I knew about it, that it was a book about a girl who makes a deal with the devil to live forever, and is cursed to be forgotten, it sounded like something I would adore. And even so, I hesitated to turn the first few pages.

I needn’t have worried. Part of the reason that this review is so hard to write is because every bit of me just wants to scream about how fucking good The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is, and if my brain had it’s way I’d just be making excited, incoherent noises translated into something like words on the page. It’s not often you come across a book that seems to fit your personality so perfectly. I hope I don’t sound horrifically arrogant when I say this, but I really connected with this book.

Okay, now that I’ve got some of the gushing fangirl stuff out of the way, I wanted to start by talking about the cover. The forget me nots are so perfect. I also kinda like that we get a different colour scheme for this book. Schwab’s books, up until this point, have mostly been red, white, and black. Those colours work brilliantly with the more action-y fantasy she’s written, but Addie is distinctly different from anything else Schwab has published, and I’m pleased the cover designers went in a different direction to make it stand out from the rest of her oeuvre.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is more literary than anything else Schwab has published to date. It’s still got fantasy elements, things that are touchstones to what readers might be familiar with, but the writing style is definitely different. There’s a lot of description, and the writing is a little flowery– which is something that I personally love, but which might be a bit of a shock to people who are used to the pacey, punch fight scenes in novels like Vicious or A Darker Shade of Magic. This obviously makes the pacing a touch slower too, although again I think this actually benefits the book, rather than being a drawback. After all, Addie is a girl who has lived hundreds of lives over hundreds of years, and I think the dreamy, ponderous tone reflects this well. Unsurprisingly, given this theme of living forever, it’s also not a very linear book, in terms of chronology. It flips back and forth, sometimes leaping over decades, sometimes dwelling on moments and scenes that define Addie. Quite a big chunk of it is set in present day New York, which I loved, but there’s also scenes that go all the way back to before Addie made her deal. It’s quite clear when this happens though, and I was never caught off-guard or left confused and trying to figure out what was happening. These scenes are well signposted, which I really appreciated, since I often struggle when books do this.

Addie was an interesting character. She’s stubborn, clever, and someone who yearns for so much more. I thought her motivations for why she made the deal made a lot of sense, and the book repeatedly explores her ambitions for adventure and life. She’s probably again going to be something of a shock to some readers- I know I am kinda used to brash, loud protagonists such as Lila Bard or Kate Harker, but it was refreshing to see a protagonist who was so realistic. Addie feels like a real person, she feels like the girl you walk past in an art museum or in a cafe. She’s not in the spotlight, but you do notice her, and you want to know more about her. And I think, ultimately, that she’s a character that a lot of readers will probably relate to. It’s funny, because in some ways Addie is a little bit like one of those ‘I’m not like other girls’ girls, but at the same time, I think she’s someone people will be able to see a bit of themselves in, too. She’s maybe a hair’s fraction away from being a bit of that cliche at moments, but Schwab’s understanding of how people think, and feel, and fear, really saves her from being that person.

Which brings me to my absolute favourite thing about the book- the themes. I did wonder if I wanted to go too much into this, since it’s both something I’m likely to waffle on about for god knows how long, and something that might edge slightly into spoiler territory (if you count discussing themes as spoilers, please look away now). But I think it’s really hard to separate my thoughts on this book without touching on the themes. My ebook is now heavily annotated and highlighted for this very reason. One of my favourite lines perfectly sums up what Schwab explores through this book: Because time is cruel to all, and crueler still to artists. Because visions weaken, and voices wither, and history is lasting, and in the end…everyone wants to be remembered.” Addie is a girl who can live forever. The book is a bit about that, and it does certainly look at moments in history where Addie got to live through revolutions and wars, through celebrations and moments of wonder. But it’s also very much about what it means to live forever. Addie’s curse, that she will be forgotten by everyone, initially sounds simple. Yet when Schwab begins to explore what this really means further, it’s actually heartbreaking. In reality, none of us will ever really get to live forever, there are no deals to be made with the devil, there’s no magic that will keep us alive through hundreds of years. And yet, there is a real kind of immortality- creators get to live forever through their art, but only if it is preserved long enough. Addie LaRue really picks at this thread, and I think what I truly, truly loved about it, is how much it shows the vulnerability and fear that often lie behind art. It reminds me a little of a conversation Schwab had with Jay Kristoff on her ‘No Write Way’ Instagram videos, where they talked about the author’s fear of only ever being as good as a book they’ve already written, and never getting better. For this reason, I’m a little bit reluctant to say that this is Schwab’s best book ever (although I am a little bit more confident in saying this is my favourite book by her to date). Even so, I can see that conversation in the threads of this book- Addie gets to live for hundreds of years, but is she even alive if she cannot leave a mark? Is it really living if nobody can remember you and what you’ve done? I still don’t really know how to answer that, but trust me when I say that I’ve been thinking over these questions ever since I finished the book almost a month ago.

Honestly, there’s really not much I can say about Addie LaRue at this point. A few times, during reviews, I’ve said: once in a while, a book comes along that you just struggle to say anything about, because it’s so good. I do keep saying that, and often those books turn out to be my favourite books of the year. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue goes a step further, I think. It’s probably my favourite book of the decade.

Overall, I’m giving The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue a 10/10. Of course, I have to. It’s not very often when I have nothing bad at all to say about a book– my academic career has taught me how to be critical even of the things that I love, but there really is nothing negative I can say about this book. I suppose some readers may find it a little too literary compared to Schwab’s other novels, but I really urge people to give it a chance. The book is officially out tomorrow (6th October)!

Curses, devils, doomed loves. What’s not to like? I mean you really should be careful what you wish for…

Addie is born in a small village in 17th century France. She doesn’t want to marry the man she is supposed to marry and ends up making a deal with that comes with a price. People won’t remember her and that can be difficult and not an ideal situation to have a relationship. Until she meets a boy that changes all that.

The story flips between Addie’s story through the years and the year 2014. The story starts a bit slow getting the back story, but it does pick up soon-ish. There’s no adventures and action like in Shades of Magic series.

My one problem was that nothing really changes with Addie. You would think that in 300 years she would change and grow up, but she doesn’t. I still loved the book but that was something I wish was explored better. I must say though that I liked the devil. But despite all that, I did like the book.