<blockquote><b> Being forgotten, she thinks, is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered? </b></blockquote>

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was one of my most anticipated books of this year. And guys, it didn't disappoint. Ever since I saw this blurb I've been obsessed with it. And this is why: I have this morbid fascination with Faustian bargains and I wholeheartedly believe that if every single writer wrote a story with this idea, it still won't become repetitive. The other reason is that I always wanted to read, or even write someday, a love story that spans a long timeframe and is incredibly complex, messed up, downright impossible and inevitably heart-breaking. I've been trying and failing to find this unique love story for so long. And every time I thought I found it, it ended up being a massive disappointment.
Among all the books I tried, I think Addie LaRue is the closest that a book ever came to be that unique love story I crave. It's not quite there yet. And I explain why. But it's close enough that I thought I needed to mention it.

Sometimes I come across books that are so beautifully written, so masterfully crafted, and filled so much heart that even a long time after I read them, they stay with me. This is one of those rare books for me. And it gave me one of the worst book hangovers I had in a while. It has so much heart in it that it’s clear every single sentence is crafted with love. It has this haunting quality that all the great works of literature have, that thing that gets under your skin and doesn’t let you go, even days after you finished it.

Some people would say that this book is about art, or the desire the carve a mark on this world. They’re not exactly wrong in that those are in the heart of this book. But personally, I think that at its core, Addie is a book about longings. A woman’s longing to be free and to only belong to herself, a you man’s longing to be loved and accepted only for himself, and a god’s longing to have the only person that makes him less lonely. <b>These three characters’ lives are woven together by their deepest desires and when they all come together, they clash. </b>

<blockquote> <b>“Because time is cruel to all, and crueler still to artists. Because visions weakens, and voices wither, and talent fades.... Because happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end... everyone wants to be remembered” </b></blockquote>

Addie's story starts as a mortal woman in France, in a time that is not easy being a woman. We follow her as she struggles to maintain a small level of agency over her life. But when even that seems to be impossible, she goes on to do the impossible, to make a deal with the god of darkness, to have her life completely and thoroughly belong to herself, and to have all the time in the world to do the things she dreams of doing.

Great right? There’s only one catch. The Devil (whom she calls later Luc) can't have her soul this way, so the devil curses her to be forgotten by all who see her. So then begins a game of cat and mouse. Each year in their anniversary Luc comes to visit her. Each time he gave her the same offer: A quick death so that he can have her soul and she can be free of this half-life as a ghost. Each time, she declines. But over the years the nature of their relationship changes and he stops asking for her soul. They still play games, but the prize is no longer her soul.

In all honesty, the best thing about this book for me was the relationship between Luc and Addie. Anyone who knows me would know that I'm a sucker for villain love interests. The moment I heard this was about a romance with the devil I was dying to read it. I just love <I>love</I> this incredibly complex, messed up and impossible romances. And this book didn't disappoint.

<blockquote><b> He is gravity.
He is three hundred years of history.
He is the only constant in her life, the only one who will always, always remember.</b></blockquote>

From the very beginning, their relationship starts as an antagonistic one. But that’s not all there is to it. After being cursed, her biggest desire becomes to have someone to remember her, to form a relationship that goes beyond the one-night stands. And that's where her relationship with Luc becomes complicated. Because no matter how much she hates him for deceiving her and for taking everything away from her, he's still the only one that remembers her. <b> The saddest thing about Addie’s loneliness is that she begins to miss seeing the very same person that caused it. </b>

At its core, Addie is a story about two people who have no choice but to be with each other, because there is no one else for them. But they can’t really be with each other because their nature is inherently at odds with each other. In his opening scene, Luc tells her that he won’t come into a deal unless he’s in control. I think that explains perfectly well why they can’t be together. Luc’s needs for control is the central part of his character and the thing that ruins their relationship. Because as much as Luc craves control, Addie craves freedom. That’s the main reason that she was desperate enough to make a deal with him in the first place. And that’s the reason that she lost everything.

<blockquote><b>"I am stronger than your god and older than your devil. I am the darkness between stars, and the roots beneath the earth. I am promise, and potential, and when it comes to playing games, I divine the rules, I set the pieces, and I choose when to play. And tonight, I say no."</b></blockquote>

But then there’s the fact that with the curse, Luc effectively took away her freedom to be with anyone else but him. Which begs the question: if she doesn’t have any other choice but him, is the relationship or whatever they feel even real?
With Addie’s desire for freedom and Luc’s desire for control are inherently at odds with each other. I’ll let you figure out how the relationship ends, but I have to say. This was the best fucked up relationship I’ve ever seen in literature.

This storyline between Addie and Luc was fantastic and I was totally here for it. If this was book was only about the relationship between these two it would’ve been an easy 5 stars and potentially an all time favourite. But sadly, that wasn’t the case.

Objectively there was nothing wrong with this book and whatever I didn’t like was my own taste. That said, I didn’t like the way this book was formatted. The story is narrated in parallel timeline between past and present. Basically 80% of Luc’s presence and his relationship with Addie is in the past. In the present we have Henry and Addie’s relationship. And that’s where my criticism come from. The romance between these two did nothing for me. And I’m not saying it because Henry is ‘normal’. But I genuinely didn’t feel the connection. One of my most hated tropes in fantasy is when characters fall in love 'because magic'.
That trope is annoying because it means that magic substitutes proper emotional development between the couple. It cheapens and simplifies something that could be incredibly fascinating.
With Addie and Luc we see their interactions over a very long period of time, so it makes sense that they form this bond. Sure, the ‘bond’ is pretty messed up and toxic but there’s no denying that such a bond could be formed in that situation. Even though the magical element started their connection, the way it’s forged over time is incredibly humane.
I just didn’t see that with Henry. The only reason for their relationship is that he remembers her, and then suddenly: boom they’re in love.
This leads me to my other problem. The way this story is formatted the ship with Henry seems more important but it’s actually pretty bland. It’s directly related to my previous point, because when the magic substitutes actual development, there’s not much left to make the relationship interesting.

Also, when it comes to romance, I personally prefer the ships where the conflict is more internal, rather than external. This is why I have such a contempt for Romeo/Juliet type of romance. The type where two perfectly bland characters are separated by external reasons. I love to read about relationships that get fucked up because people are inherently fucked up and they tend to fuck up every beautiful thing they have.

Okay so I’m done with ranting. The last thing I want to say is that the ending was absolutely perfect. It does leave the room open for a sequel though. But I hope she won’t go that route, because honestly, this was the best ending this story could possibly get and I want to be able to always imagine this as the absolute end. There was only one way to end this without turning it into a tragedy OR dumbing down the story. I think some people might not like it, but for me, this ending was bold and brave and absolutely brilliant.


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pre-review:
I finally found the villain love interest I always wanted 🤩

I started this book the same way I imagine everyone did: with curiosity and piqued interest. After all, V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors. However, I did not plan on Addie LaRue to be my favorite read of the year so far.
The story of Addie LaRue is that of a young girl who makes a deal with the devil (for lack of a better all-encompassing term) for freedom to live her life on her own terms. However, the pact is worded in such a way that Addie becomes a ghost of herself, unable to leave a lasting impression on anything, or anyone. Every time she parts ways with someone, they forget she was ever there.
This allows for some excellent commentary on loneliness and longing and the need to be needed. It raises questions about what a full life truly encompasses, and gets the reader to look inward at where they have been putting their life's value and spending their time. At least it did for me.
Just when you think you've gotten her story, she meets someone who actually remembers her, and I found I was thrown off kilter just like she was at the jolt to the story it gave. They juxtaposed each other nicely, each bringing to the table something the other fundamentally lacked, while at the same time you're left wondering what will happen to this perfect, fragile moment in a very long lifetime.
I felt the ending was solid and emotional and hopeful and all sorts of things that I'm still processing in my mind.
For those of you who prefer action over character building, this might not be the book for you, but if you like delving deep into what makes a person tick and taking that lesson to turn it back inward on yourself, this is the book for you. I can pretty much guarantee you won't be disappointed.

This book is about a young woman who makes a deal with a dark god and earns her freedom, but also is given the gift of living forever and being forgotten by everyone. Addie does not realize the bargain she has made, and she is forced to learn to live with her decisions as she experiences history as it happens.
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My favourite parts were reading about Addie in the past and all the historical moments she experienced. This is usually what I like about a "live forever" story. They get to experience so many important historical events so it is cool to see how they experience it. I would have liked to have read more about Addie in the past, but I do understand that that was not the full purpose of the story.
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The moral of this story is be careful what you wish for. Addie wants freedom to do and choose what she wants, and while she gets that, she also gets other things that she had not bargained for. I really loved the world building done by the author and the character development, and I thought that the way the author constructed the story was very well done! Great book!

This book! Victoria Schwab does it again with captivating characters and a fresh take on deals with the devil.

I feel in love with this book with the first chapter. The concept of this book is so interesting. This book is written so beautifully and by far one of my favorite V.E. Schwab books. The characters (Addie being my fav) was the best part of this book. Its strange because I thought this book was set in the past but it seemed very modern. Its amazing and I highly suggest you read it.

Stunning and surprisingly welcoming for a book that can tear you apart the way this one did. ADDIE felt a little more high literary than Schwab's other books which would normally be difficult for me but I absolutely loved it. Something about it didn't feel fantastical despite the obvious fantasy and paranormal elements. I liked how different it felt from her other work. As a reader I can tell how much care the author put into this story. I know she spent years developing and growing into this book, and you can tell in a great way. The attention and care put into the story and the characters bleeds through the writing. I loved it.
It wouldn't be a V. E. Schwab book if the ending didn't stun me, and this one continued the trend. I was hooked from beginning to end, and god that ending. I know I will be returning to this one again and again. Despite having only read it once I know it will be one of my favorite books in the future. Amazing. Loved it. Cannot recommend highly enough.

Okay wow! First, it should be known the V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors! So I knew I would like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I didn’t just like it, I loved it. This is a book that provokes deep thoughts. It really makes you examine your life and what you want out of it. Well, at least it did for me. And so this review may be a bit more cerebral than others.

Addie’s journey is so wonderful and steeped in culture and history. Addie was a woman before her time, he longed not to be trapped in the life laid out for her. I think that is something we can all relate to in some way. This book alternates between (roughly) present-day and the past. It begins with Addie’s life, then we see her fateful bargain being made and then we live 300 years with her. All the while seeing who Addie is now. In the beginning, I didn’t know if I really liked Addie, but as the story progressed I saw that she was doing the best she could. I learned to respect Addie’s strength and determination.

I have often thought – because I’m that sort of person – if I was to go back in time where would I go. And to be honest, as a woman the answer is I don’t. While that isn’t what Addie is about, it is touched on in the story. Which only made me respect Addie more. Perhaps being “invisible” helped in some way.

This book also makes you realize how important it is to be truly seen. Through Addie, we live a life where that isn’t truly a life. The sting of not being remembered and the joy of someone finally knowing her. It makes me so appreciative of the people in my life that see me and love me for who I am. And it makes me want to ensure that others feel the same way.

I have to admit the end of this book really hit me. We are talking ugly tears! But well worth it to have read the beautiful story! I remember you…

I went into this with high expectations (since it’s V.E. Schwab) and I’m happy to say she very much surpassed them. She mentioned she had this story in the works for years and only released it when she felt it was ready, that definitely shows.
This is a beautiful story. It is about wanting to be seen and acknowledged, but also so much more than that.
There is so much yearning, for love, for life, for knowledge, etc
The writing is gorgeous, the characters were ones I enjoyed reading about, the plot left you wanting more.
I don’t have anything negative to say about this, it is one of my favorite reads ever.

“But this is how you walk to the end of the world. This is how you live forever. Here is one day, and here is the next, and the next, and you take what you can, savor every stolen second, cling to every moment, until it’s gone.”
Addie LaRue makes a desperate deal with the darkness to live forever, but she is cursed to be forgotten by all she meets. The darkness remembers her : hates her, loves her, torments her, and finally, won’t let her go. The journey in between all those moments are precise, tethered together with the suffering, agony, and awe that only a character like Addie can provide.
Victoria Schwab is good at action - read any number of her fantasy and science-fiction books, and it is immediately clear. Schwab knows fast-paced thrill and gripping page turners. Her writing is full of the grit and grime all good science fiction and fantasy is. You could call her a master of action, and you’d get no argument from me.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is none of those things: it is a slow-paced but sure-footed journey. And it is absolutely the best thing that Victoria Schwab has written (yet). Schwab’s writing is given space to explore, and Addie shines for it. A patient reader, with a soft spot for character-driven and slow-burn romance will find a match in this one. Readers with a love of art, in all its forms, but especially the visual and the musical - will find this story is a love letter to art, artists, and the power of an idea. This book will make a mark on its readers, much in the same way Addie makes her mark in the melody of a song or the oil on canvas - subtle and subverting, but permanent nonetheless.
P.S. This book is incredibly gay, and I love how not-a-big-deal it is, so I won’t make a thing of it either. But it’s there, and it matters.

There are only three books in this world that have made me cry. Addie LaRue is the third, and I fully believe that V.E. Schwab deserves a standing ovation for this beautiful and heart-breaking tale.

Even though I've been up and down with this author's work over the past year, I was thrilled to have received an ARC for this book. I wasn't sure what to expect, but given the amount of attention it has received, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it. Almost immediately I knew this was a book to be savoured. Usually I finish a book this size in 4 to 5 days, but I didn't want this one to end. From the start, this tale is terrible loneliness and sadness wrapped up in some of the most stunning writing I've read all year. It is bleak, with so little chance of hope, and yet I plunged on in the hopes that Addie would find a happy ending.

This story, of course, follows the life of one Adeline LaRue. A young woman who made a deal with the devil to be free to do with her life what she wanted. Unfortunately, as is needed with all bargains made, some specificity was lacking. The narrative unfolds both in the "present" day of 2014 and throughout the course of Addie's life, starting as a young girl in the late 1600's, through to striking the deal, and her travels through France, Europe, and America in the centuries to follow. Centuries, because Addie's bargain did not turn out as she hoped. Addie is free because she is immortal, and no one remembers who she is.

Here is where it is terribly sad. Sad, but also terribly clever from a writer's standpoint. Addie is incapable of leaving her mark on the world. She is forgotten by everyone she meets. She could spend five hours with one person, but the second they leave the table to go to the bar, she never existed. Works fabulously for thievery, but is absolutely lonely and sad. Addie can't write, can't build or craft anything, can't even tell someone her full name. But she can plant ideas. I loved seeing the threads of Addie scattered throughout history, in paintings and in music, her seven freckles transcending above the memory of her.

Across the 300 years Addie wanders the world, there are many people she meets who shape and change her, but two are clearly the most important. Luc, who is the devil himself. The god in the dark who cursed Addie, but visits often to see if she is ready to give up. To let him finally have her soul. Against my better judgement, I really liked Luc. He is cruel and callous, obviously, but there is a spark in Addie and Luc's dynamic that made me love every interaction between them. It's clear from when we first see Addie in the 2014 timeline that they have some serious history over the years and it was interesting to learn about it. The second person, obviously, is Henry. The young bookshop employee who remembers her. And you'll just have to read to find out what happens.

I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of this book in this review. There is so much beauty and love and heartache to this story that it is truly something that needs to be experienced in order to fully appreciate it. Schwab has officially won me over with this wonderful book and I can't wait to read what she has to offer next.

Victoria Schwab has done it again! I loved Addie LaRue. The writing was a bit flowery in the beginning which can be off putting because you don’t care about the characters yet but once you do, it adds to that love or at least it did for me. I was worried about the length of this book but honestly I would have read three hundred more pages.

To anyone who has been a fan of Schwab's for at least a few years, you've heard about how this book has been simmering in her mind for 10 years.

Well done, indeed.

Thank you so much to Tor Books for the advanced reader copy of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab. This book far exceeded any expectations that I had going into it. I have had a rocky relationship with Schwab in the past, so I was skeptical, however the more reviews I saw for this book the more I was convinced that I was going to love it. Loving it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface.
The number one thing that I loved about this book is just the tone and atmosphere of the book. It was honestly the best fall read. It felt dark and sad, while somehow a little hopeful. This book really made me think about life from a lot of different angles and what it would be like to truly be forgotten, as well as what you’d be willing to trade for “happiness”. I won’t go into too much because I truly believe that this is a book that is best if you go in as blind as possible and let the story take you away.
I highly recommend this book and it will absolutely be one of my favorites of the year.

Love story between a French girl and the devil over 300 years... SOLD!

I tried to go into this book with low expectations considering romance isn't my genre and... Wow, this has to be V. E. Schwab's best book!

I've always liked her writing but this character-driven, slow-paced story really works for her. It's closer to literary fiction than her other work and her characters are much stronger.

Frankly, I recommend you go into it knowing nothing else.

This is an amazing book. From the second I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. It's truly a work of art and absolute genius, which left me wanting to read more and more until it was over. I will highly recommend this book to everyone I meet, as it deserves a chance from everyone.

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget. This is the tag line for the The invisible life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. But it doesn’t quite live up to to it.

I had high hopes for this story after reading the blurb and then finding out how long the author spent writing this tale. It brought thoughts of another book I read and couldn’t put down, but somehow while the story was okay I was disappointed. Even the ending wasn’t a surprise for me...I saw it coming.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and her life will play out across centuries and continents, as she tries to find herself and get someone to remember her.
But after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name. Can she find love and save her soul? Or will she end up with darkness forever.

The two problems I had with this was the constant flashbacks, in this book, there was just too many of them. The bigger one for me though was the “faux” love triangle. I won’t go into details due to spoilers. But there are plenty of people who loved it so try it if you feel like it. 21/2 stars rolled up to 3

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Absolutely loved this book. Over the years, Schwab has become one of my favorite authors. I love ADSOM, Holland in particular. I love This Savage Song. Vicious is one of my favorite novels. But Schwab really outdid herself here. This isn't my favorite of her novels. That honor still belongs to Vicious. But this book is a completely elevated version of Schwab. The prose was just magnificent. On the sentence level, she's doing things she's never done before. It was, technically, so well executed. I loved the rhythm and how some of her sentences just seemed to cut to the quick of me. Some of the things she wrote were just so true.

This story is, at its core, a story about life. I took this book in so slowly. It took me almost exactly two months to read. Because I could feel it doing things to me. In every moment, it felt so human. There were highs and there were lows, but the whole time, it was incredibly real and true to the human spirit and that is what I liked about it the most. This book gave me words to keep forever. "How do you walk to the end of the world? One step at a time." I love that the book says that what you do with your time is far more important than how much time you have. And that a full life happens in every moment, not in some far off future.

I don't care to talk about the characters, though I liked Addie and Henry and I especially loved Luc. To me, they were just vehicles for the spirit of the story, and its the spirit that made such an impression on me. This book is a shout into the void to live. To live fully and defiantly and without fear. I love it for that. It has a soul.

Again, I must say, ALL THE STARS!!!!! I cannot stress enough how much I loved this novel! The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is the story of a girl who barters her soul in a deal with the devil (or the Darkness, if you will), so that she may be free to live her own life in a time when all women must be held to a certain standard. But in the deal she has made, the darkness curses Addie to be forgotten by everyone she has ever known and everyone she will ever meet. She cannot say her name, nor write it. There are no photographs of her through the years. However, Addie finds a way through art to leave a mark through the years. And after 300 years she meets a boy who remembers....
This book gave me all the feels! You will end up cheering & routing for Addie through all her struggles in life and with the darkness. The ending was damn near perfect. And I'm sorry it had to end.
*Special thanks to NetGalley for advanced copy. :)

After a long wait that was entirely my own fault, I finally read THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by VE Schwab and it blew me away. Total 5 star read. Haunting, beautifully written, gloriously explored. Shooo dog, I get it now.


Okay, it's hard to classify this book so I won't try too had, but I'd call it light-fantasy literary fiction.

In 1714, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the darkness for her freedom--freedom from her provincial life and her impeding marriage. Now, she's eternally 23, eternally young and healthy and free, but cursed to never be remembered.

Told in two timelines, we follow Addie from 1714 onward a she lives through history, interacts with the darkness, and struggles with the curse. In 2014, we see Addie finally meet someone who remembers her, but he has his own darkness.

As Addie lives the live she never expected, falls in love, is forgotten, and inspires art, the reader is gasping for more and more and loving every moment of the glorious prose. Short, beautiful chapters, fascianting characters, I loved this book.

I loved Addie. I loved Henry. I even loved Luc in his own way. I loved the dual timelines and the PROSE was intoxicating. Schwab is clearly well-traveled and worldly, and it shows in this book without showing off. It's a slow-burn, but it doesn't move slowly, if that makes sense.
God, I hope this book gets its due and not being from a big 5 publisher doesn't hurt it. I would LOVE to see this be a BOTM pick or from one of the celebrity book clubs. I cannot wait to recommend this book all around!

To know Addie is impossible— a ghost, a vague memory, a muse. For three hundred years, she has seen the rise and fall of humans. She remembers everything, yet nobody remembers her.. except, of course, the darkness following closely behind her.

Hauntingly beautiful read, perfect for the fall.