Exquisite. I took my time reading this, as I often do with book that I adore, simply to absorb every letter in my blood. I can be quite short when it comes to this novel: superbly written, well fleshed-out characters, and a plotline to die for.

I received an ARC of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue from Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

I love Faustian bargains.

Adeline LaRue, a young woman living in early 18th-century France, desperate to escape her impending marriage, makes one with “a god who answers after dark”: she will live until she is done with her life (an intentionally vague criterion cooked up by Addie herself), but she will be forgotten almost instantaneously by everyone she meets as soon as she leaves their sight. It’s not a particularly original premise, but it’s an intriguing one nevertheless. Unfortunately, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is sorely lacking in execution and leaves much to be desired.

Addie is an extraordinarily dull character. Her only personality trait is having seven freckles, and yet everyone instantly falls in love with her. The term “Mary Sue” has acquired misogynistic connotations in recent years (it is most often used in reference to competent female characters), but Addie feels like a Mary Sue in the traditional sense: an author stand-in who never changes or develops. The book covers three hundred years of Addie’s life, and she thinks, speaks, and acts the same way in the 18th century as she does in the 21st (she feels like a modern person displaced into history, even though it’s actually the other way around). I’m hardly the same person I was ten years ago, but Addie’s beliefs and attitudes and behaviors seem to have been untouched by three centuries of shifting social and technological dynamics, which is both difficult to believe and desperately boring to read about. At least the other characters have the excuse of mortality.

Schwab seems to abhor functional prose; the sentences in Addie are so overwrought, so desperate to impress, that they feel like rubber bands stretched to the point of snapping. I’m normally not one to be put off by rich, too-sweet prose—on a scale from the simplicity of Sanderson to the scintillation of Rothfuss, my preferences lean more in the latter direction—but I found it truly unbearable in Addie. It’s marginally more tolerable in the early historical sections, because at least those parts are cushioned by the veneer of fable, but as the timeline approaches modern day it becomes a sickly sheen which evokes an insufferable twee hipster aesthetic. It was impossible for me to enjoy the story because each sentence is so insistent on drawing attention to itself.

There’s an aspect of Addie which grated on me, and I can’t quite figure how to articulate it. My first instinct was to describe the book as “white,” like HBO’s Girls without the sharp satire and probing self-awareness. You know the vibe. But that’s more of a personal annoyance, and what Addie is doing (or not doing) feels more insidious. “Eurocentric” is a word closer to the source of my discomfort. This is a book which encompasses a lot of time and space—not only does it span three hundred years, but it features a character who can take Addie anywhere in the world at will—and yet it never escapes the gravity well of Western culture; it never shows interest in the art or experiences of people who aren’t white. It hardly even acknowledges their existence.

“Why does everything have to be about race?” you might ask. “That’s beyond the scope of the book.” But it’s not. Addie mostly takes place in France and America, mostly between the years 1714-2014: those are places and times which are loaded with racial history—to put the book in that geographical and chronological framework is to invite a discourse about race, a discourse with which both Addie the text and Addie the character refuse to engage. The relationship this book has with history is frighteningly cavalier. When Addie is asked about her experiences living through major historical events, she dismisses the question by claiming that history doesn’t feel like history when it’s happening, an assertion which seems the opposite of true: doesn’t everything feel like a major historical event when you’re living through it?

Addie makes a deal with the devil because she doesn’t want to get married. It is explicitly stated in the text that there are other supernatural entities and other people who have made deals with them, which led me to wonder: why should I care about Addie? What about the people who made deals to escape slavery? The people who made deals to escape concentration camps? Why aren’t we getting those stories? I briefly managed to convince myself that this was an intentional bit of subversion, that Schwab was playing 4D chess with me. “Ah,” I thought, “the pain of one person does not invalidate the pain of another. Schwab is tricking me into being dismissive of Addie’s suffering, because to be dismissive of her suffering is to be dismissive of my own—there are, after all, people who have it a lot worse than I do in the real world, but that doesn’t make my own unhappiness any less real.” But the subversion never came. The book breezes by these concerns, never stopping to interrogate the meaningful questions it inadvertently raises.

This is a text which seems positioned for real-world commentary. Addie physically exists in the world and yet is forgotten, over and over, by the people around her—a ready-made metaphor for those who are homeless or living in poverty. But the book never explores this. Addie is erased from the minds of others because she asked for freedom, and yet she disguises herself as a man at one point because she realizes that it is easier to move through society as a male than a female. But the book never explores this. This is a text which seems vapid at first glance, and upon deeper reflection, it is. I am reminded of Penny’s line from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: “Sometimes people are layered…. There’s something totally different underneath than what’s on the surface.” To which Billy replies: “And sometimes there’s a third, even deeper level, and that one is the same as the top surface one.” Thus it is with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is like an afternoon nap you didn’t intend to take: it’s not, strictly speaking, the worst way to spend a few hours. But you wake up when it’s getting dark, you realize you wasted the day, and you can’t help but feel grumpy. “A Life No One Will Remember,” says the tagline of the book. “A Story You Will Never Forget.” If only I could.

Addie LaRue can live forever, but at a harsh cost. After making a deal with a demon, she is given the freedom to explore the world as long as she likes. However, she is immediately forgotten by everyone who sees her as soon as she's out of sight.

This fantasy novel is an incredible look at what it means to walk among humanity leaving no footprint. Addie tells her story from multiple time periods, beginning with her life in 18th century France. Mixed in with her origin story is her experience in present day NYC.

I absolutely adored this book, from start to finish. The concept is fascinating and I loved how the implications of the curse were slowly revealed. It was also interesting reading about Addie's movement through different time periods and locations throughout history.

It's a meandering story, not a page turner, but it fits perfectly with Addie's experiences. The ending is also fitting and left me completely satisfied but with just a hint of wonder.

At the beginning, I thought this concept was great. I really wanted to read it and was excited! I just could not get going. I plugged away because I don't often quit and Addie is a great character. I just couldn't get through it. I stopped and started! I stuck with it and greatly enjoyed it! The characters were amazing and the storyline, albeit clunky at times, was interesting. 3.5 stars!

THIS MF DESTROOYYYYYYEEEDDDDD ME...... oh my god,,, okay so i KNEW that i would be utterly destroyed by this but phew ..... i had a big storm coming.

ATTENTION PLEASE: Put this one on your list! Thank you @torbooks and @jorjorbiiinks for the prettiest book swag box I have EVER received.
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I devoured this book over the weekend and LOVED it.

Three hundred years ago, Adeline LaRue made a deal with the darkness: a lifetime of freedom, in exchange for her soul when she tired of it. What she didn’t realize was that the bargain came with a catch, of course. Addie is free, yes, but no one remembers her. When she meets someone, as soon as she’s out of sight, they forget her. She has no friends or lasting relationships. She can’t say her own name, and she can’t write a word or leave any sort of mark behind. She’s destined to be forgotten...until one day, in 2014, she meets someone who says the words she hasn’t heard in three centuries: I remember you.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of those stories that defies genre. It’s ethereal and fantastic, but somehow also feels grounded in reality. It is emotional and romantic, but also darkly seductive, with a slow-burn that built into a riveting ending that kept me up way past my bedtime. I think this one is going to be BIG, folks, and it’s getting ALL the buzz. It reminded me of The Night Circus, with its beautiful writing and fantasy (but I have to admit that The Night Circus left me scratching my head and saying, “Now what exactly happened here?”) mixed with The Time Traveler’s Wife, plus some dark fantasy vibes and a villain you can’t help being drawn to.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I wholeheartedly recommend it! Please read so we can talk about it. Out Oct 6.

I loved every second of this book and didn’t want it to end! I’m honestly a little speechless.. such an incredibly original idea so beautifully written, this is my favourite read so far this year.

Many thanks to NegGalley, the publisher, and of course, the author, for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I read anything by V. E. Schwab, I expect to find myself transported into its pages and become one of the characters in her tale, and "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" did not disappoint. This time I was Addie LaRue and I lived 300 plus years of a life cursed with always being forgotten until one day, a boy remembers. Who is he and why does he remember? Has she finally found a loophole in the curse or is something more sinister at play? Lyrically written, Addie's life unfolds to envelope the reader with light to keep away the darkness. You root for Addie. You root for love. You root to be rooted in this world... something she longs for.

It took me a bit to get into this, but then, suddenly, there it was. The hook that makes you keep going back to find out what HAPPENS!

I am such a fan of VE Schwab, so I was so excited to get a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley. This book is different from her others in a lot of ways-- it falls much more squarely in the realm of magical realism than fantasy. It's also much less fast-paced than the shades of magic or villans series. However, Addie has a charm all its own. I fell in love with these characters (with the exception of one...) and this story. About halfway through, I couldn't stop reading. About 3/4 of the way through, I was afraid of the ending. I sobbed through the last quarter. So, so good. Heartbreaking. The perfect read to accompany a cozy cardigan and a spiced latte as the leaves fall.

In early 1700's, Adeline LaRue longs for the freedom to do as she chooses. But women in Villon, France are expected to marry, have children and die where they are born. And so, on her wedding day, she makes a deal with the devil for that freedom. Little did she know that words are important; Addie now has the freedom she desires, but in turn no one remembers her.... until 2014 when she meets Henry.

I loved everything about this book ... the dark atmospheric settings (the historical as well as contemporary scenes), Addie's character (a strong-willed, defiant woman despite the age in which she was born), the emotionally charged relationships... especially between Addie and Luc which was always fraught with tension. It was the perfect blend of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal (with a dash of romance).

I've enjoyed many of this author's books, but this is, by far, my favorite.

I have read a couple of V.E. Schwab's books and was thrilled to see the plot of this one when I found it. Thanks to Netgalley, I was able to acquire an ARC.

Addie LaRue is a frustrated young woman when The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue begins. She is a young woman in the early 1700s and is struggling with the confines bestowed upon her gender. She wants to go to the market with her father, study the old gods with Estelle, and live her life without worrying about marrying and being the right sort of girl.

Addie approached Estele and requests that she teach her about the old gods. How can she pray to them? Can she will things to happen? There are rules that Addie must agree to: humble yourself before the gods, gift them with something precious to you, be careful what you ask for and under no circumstances pray to the Gods that answer after dark.

In a moment of fear, Addie does exactly what she shouldn't and prays for an escape. She wants to be free. The being that grants her "wish" is powerful and twists her wish into an exquisite game of cat and mouse with her soul as the prize.

Noone remembers Addie. When they take their eyes from her, she is wiped from their memories. She can't be killed, she can't starve, and she can't make any lasting changes. Addie moved through centuries unable to even tell people her name. She is free because she doesn't exist to anyone.

Addie lives her life by surviving and she learns to live with the loss of so many people. There are loves along her way, but one thing that she can't live without is art and beauty. If she can see beautiful things, hear music, hold a small carving in her hand then she can find a way to move forward.

Then one day Addie meets a young man named Henry in a bookstore. He remembers her. It is the beginning of a relationship between two lost souls. Both of them are mourning the loss of things, people, and lives they lived. Both of them are on a path that seems almost out of their control.

The characterization is wonderful in this story. Addie's world is filled out as her story is revealed through visits to the past and the present. Her relationships throughout her life expose the parts of her personality that have kept her going over the centuries.

This story is emotional and the writing is beautiful. It's almost poetic at times, then at other times reflects the stark pain and loss that Addie has faced and will continue to face. Perhaps it's about freedom and what that truly means, or what things are important to us when it comes right down to it.

If you're a fan of Schwab's other books then I'm certain you will enjoy this one. If you're just discovering this author you are definitely in for a ride. This book appears to be listed as a young adult novel, but I would say that anyone who enjoys this type of fiction will enjoy this kind of story. Great book!

I can already tell you that it's going to be on my top 5 books I read this year.  It is so, so good.

The basic premise of this book is amazing.  I was super interested in the premise.  Then I finally started reading it, and the premise because even cooler if that's even possible.  I was pretty certain that it wasn't going to be able to live up to the hype I had given it in my head, but to be honest it exceeded it.  I don't want to overhype the book or anything, but honestly it was super great.  Schwab took this really cool idea, and she made it fantastic.

The execution of this story was fabulous.  I loved how it weaved back and forth between the more recent timeline and Addie LaRue's past.  You learn about her as a character at all different levels, who she is now, versus who she used to be, and what exactly it was that led her to make this incredible deal.  I found Addie a fascinating character.  I loved seeing how she interacted with the world and I would read so many stories about her.  I found myself really relating to her.  I wanted her to succeed, and I wanted her to be able to live her life on her own terms.

Schwab's prose in this novel was really beautiful.  I've only read a few things that she's written, but this is by and large my favourite thing that she's written.  I think it's better written than some of her other books, but again, I can't say I'm really an expert on the things that she's written.  There is some very beautiful imagery in this story, and I loved her use of metaphor and simile.  I could picture the things that were happening really well.

Additionally, this book made me cry.  A lot.  I felt Addie's loneliness and it broke my heart to watch her struggle.  I also sobbed all throughout the concluding sequence.  It was just heartbreaking and really sad.  I always love when a book makes me have a strong emotional reaction, and this one really ticked that box.  I can be a somewhat of an emotional reader, but it's been a long time since I read a book that made me cry this much.

I also found myself really compelled to know what was going on.  I wanted to read it as fast as possible, but I also wanted to savour it.  Ultimately, I devoured this book in two days.  I found myself slipping into the world and forgetting everything else that was going on.  All I wanted was to read about Addie and Luc and Henry.  I finished the book, and I immediately ordered myself a copy because I knew I wanted a physical copy of my very own.

Honestly, I cannot rave about this book enough and I want everyone to read it.  I want to talk about it, so please pick up a copy for your own when it comes out.  Read it ASAP, and then please let me know what you think!

Literature is full of examples of why one needs to be careful what we wish for because we just might get it. V.E. Schwab’s heartbreaking and clever novel, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, is one of the best versions of this old story I’ve ever read. Not only does this book feature two monkey paws, it also plumbs the emotional depths of what happens when someone doesn’t think through all of the implications of their biggest wishes.

Adeline LaRue was not meant to live in her little village of Villon-Sur-Sarthe, especially in the early eighteenth century. Her greatest joy is travelling with her father to Le Mans because it gives her a glimpse at the wider world. But when she’s pushed into marriage with an older widower, Addie makes a desperate bargain with an old deity on the night before the wedding. The deal gives Addie immortality and endless youth…at the cost of never been remembered by anyone. Her parents and neighbors think she’s a stranger. The first person she rents a room from has Addie thrown out of the room in the morning because she thinks Addie snuck in. The first years are rough on Addie and every year, on their “anniversary,” the deity (called Luc for convenience) returns to ask Addie if she’s ready to give up her life and soul yet.

But we know from the chapters set in 2014 that Addie has learned to cope with her curse. She steals what she needs and has learned to sneak out in the morning before her lovers wake up with no memory of her. It’s a lonely existence, but Addie has learned to deal with it over 300 years. I loved how stubborn Addie was. Sure, she suffers and despairs, but Luc’s constant games make Addie more angry than in the mood to give up.

One day in 2014, Addie lifts a book from The Last Word. As she walks out the door, the bookseller rushes out to catch the thief. Addie is stunned because he’s the only person other than Luc who can remember Addie once she passes out of their sight. Addie’s burgeoning relationship with Henry the bookseller raises the stakes even higher in her fight with Luc. For the first time in a long time, Addie has something to lose other than herself.

It took me some time to settle into The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I’ve learned that Schwab’s characters are always complex; no one is completely good or bad. Luc is chaos but occasionally capable of showing kindness. Henry is a thoughtful boyfriend but scarred by having his love unreciprocated in the past. He can be needy, while his own deal makes him pathologically impatient. And then, there’s Addie. Three hundred years of living without human connection that lasts longer than a few hours have made her callous about some things and very casual about the eighth commandment. These nuances are part of what make Schwab’s novels such a pleasure to read. I always know that I will get a highly original spin on tropes of good and evil and highly developed characters.

So many people have recommended V.E. Schwab to me over the years, but this is the first of her work that I've read. Put simply, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of the most unusual and enchanting books I've read in a very long time. Bookshelves overflow with tales of the old gods and retellings of familiar stories, but very few hold stories that take those old allegorical tales and turn them into something new and fresh like Schwab has done here.

There is so much to unpack in this story - what it means to live and die, what people must do to survive, what it means to be remembered ("It is a lonely thing, to be forgotten."), what it takes to resist temptation - but at the same time, there is the telling of a captivating story that keeps you turning the pages just to see what happens to Addie, Henry, and the green-eyed man.

I completely understand why Schwab's work has been so highly recommended to me. Reading this story is making me seek out her earlier work.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. VE Schwab already creates god-tier stories IMO, and this book was a level up beyond that. The craft was just UNF. She created a gorgeous, gorgeous story, weaving it deftly across the centuries. Addie was everything I could have wanted her to be. She's resilient and hopeful and heartbreaking.

And that ending. Gods, that ending. I've been thinking about it ever since I finished a couple weeks ago. This book stuck the landing so hard, I'm going to be feeling it for years. The more I think about it, the more I love it.

So yeah, this one is going on the keeper shelf and I'll be shoving it into the hands of everyone I know because it's a really, really special book.

Most likely will end up being my favorite book of 2020. Loved the way Addie made her way through her world and the relationship she developed with Luc.

Addie's story is an extraordinary one -- she is cursed and must quickly learn the boundaries and exceptions to what she can do. Addie quickly learns how to survive in relative comfort through tricks and thievery. The story is told in a split timeline between the 1700s and 2014 in the beginning, until Addie meets Henry.

Henry works in a bookstore and is the first person in 300 years who remembers Addie. Naturally, Addie is drawn to him and the mystery of why only he can remember her. Is he a trick from the god who cursed her?

Addie as a character is very relatable; she's a woman who wants to be free and live a life that's worth living. She reminds me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast in the beginning -- the small-town French girl who wants to go on adventures and eventually develops a deep love of literature. Unfortunately for Addie, that's where the resemblance ends. She is forced to make hard decisions to survive until she learns the constraints of her curse and how to live with them.

Henry's story is charming; he's a man who feels too deeply and loves too much. All he wants is for someone to love him back, and Addie could be that someone. Their stories begin to intertwine about halfway through the novel as they get to know each other better and Addie shares some of her secrets -- and the reader learns Henry's secrets too.

Addie and Henry's lives combine in a story that has its ups and downs, but ultimately is a happy one... Until Addie discovers Henry's biggest secret, which might tear them apart. The ending is not what you would expect of a story like this one, but it is a poignant and pleasant conclusion to an unforgettable story.

Recommended for historical fiction enthusiasts, especially fans of novels with dual timelines in the present and past. The book is classified as fantasy because of the mystical curse but reads more like a combination of historical fiction and contemporary romance. Fantasy lovers who can live without foreign worlds and creatures will also enjoy this story. Also suggested for readers who enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife and moviegoers who appreciated The Age of Adeline.

" 𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁"

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: wow what a story , I was hooked ! Every free time I got I grabbed my ipad . I just had to figure out how this story unfolds and it did not disappointed. This is a fantasy story , but it’s also a book about life and what we will do for the life we want. A story of love , lost and self actualization.
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I love all of the background information , I love how we’re taken on this journey with Addie , how we got to see her change and grow with time . This book is so poetic . The middle /ending for so much better for me , this is where I finally got to know the characters personalities . Where Addie went from the victim to victor , where she because the savior of her own story . I’m guessing there’s a book 2 , so sign me up!

Nearing her 23rd birthday in a small village, the Addie LaRue of 1714 wants nothing to do with her family’s plans to marry her to a widowed man nearly twice her age. Desperate to escape, Addie calls upon the gods, making a Faustian deal with a devil named Luc.

Addie won’t age. But she also won’t make an impact on the world nor will anyone she interacts with remember who she is. The deal runs out when grows weary and willingly surrenders her soul to Luc. But Addie didn’t count on the immediate heartbreak of her family instantly forgetting her, leaving her without a home and forced to find loopholes to make minor impressions upon the world for the next three hundred years.

Until one day, she wanders into a bookstore and meets Henry. And while stealing a book (Addie gets by stealing a lot of what she needs since people don’t recall her once she’s out of sight), Henry follows her and confronts her, saying the three words she’s been dying to hear for so long — “I remember you.”

V.E Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LeRue may be her finest work to date. A stand-alone fantasy love story that is sweeping, epic, and intensely personal. Seeing not only Addie but Henry’s story unfold is both spellbinding and heartbreaking. The character-driven narrative covers the gamut of emotion from the hope that Addie and Henry feel upon meeting each other to the overwhelming despair that the cards are stacked against them at multiple points in their lives. Seeing how even simple things like placing an order for food can sometimes be beyond Addie unless she has assistance or stays in sight of the person taking the order will remind you of the magic of everyday things.

Addie’s story is sweet, funny, heartbreaking, and completely compelling. Along the way, Schwab offers commentary about art and its place in our world as well as our human need to connect. You can’t help rooting for Addie and Henry (both separately and together) throughout the story. There are so many wonderful emotional beats to this story, all of them completely earned by Schwab.

As I said before, this may be the best thing she’s written so far. Which given how good her previous work has been is saying a great deal.

A new favorite and highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.