I enjoyed the historical sections of this novel set in 1700s France than I did the flashes forward in history. Nonetheless, the writing is gorgeous here, and the tension increases as the novel goes on. I think fans of V.E. Schwab will definitely enjoy this latest offering, and it has a lightness about it that's a refreshing change from too much grimness, depending on the section. I think it's suitable for adults but also older teen readers. The book is like a fusion of Theodora Goss and Neil Gaiman, and definitely has elements of the adult fairy tale theme.

I was able to lose myself in this story. It was well written and flowed smoothly, even though it jumped back and forth in time. There were a lot of beautifully written sections that I found myself re-reading. Although it’s categorized as science fiction/fantasy, it reads like great fiction. It was a beautiful love story without being pure romance. The story of Addie and Henry is not one I'll forget any time soon. This was the first book I've read by V.E. Schwab but it won't be the last.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

It isn't that I tried to dislike the book, but I did cultivate my own disinterest. It was taking too long, the small sips I allowed myself were not amassing to anything substantial. It was occasionally more interested in effervescence than substance. It was, in short, quite long. Nevertheless, and despite my inclination, it was actually quite brilliant.

This book... Damn. There is so much to say because of its unique wonderfulness; but, yet, nothing to say so that you can savor it all by yourself. There's everything-- historical fiction (1600-2015), feminism, LGTBQ romance, mental health issues, self discoery of religious devotion, and most importantly is discovering how to live life to the fullest without love. However, it is first and foremost Addie LaRue's coming of age over a coming 300+ year history. As the novel opens she is (like most women in the 1600s) pushed into a marriage that was chosen by her parents; and most definitely not what she wants. So, she makes a deal with the god of darkness (who just happens to look like the man of her literal dreams). She gains immortality and her freedom from ever being controlled by anyone, but loses her identity.... No one will ever remember her once she is out of their sight. Oh, and when she tires of it, the god of darkness owns her soul. He is the only constant she has throughout the book since he visits her almost yearly for their "anniversary". Their relationship goes from hate, to appeasement, to something much more sultry and physical. That premise makes for an interesting modern day vs flashbacks throughout the book. As far as I know this is a one and done.... But, that ending will have you wondering (and really hoping) for Addie's next story.
*I assign 5 stars RARELY... But this book has truly earned it. Still thinking about it days later.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the story of a woman "cursed" to live a long life of anonymity after she makes a deal with a dark entity. She survives a number of lifetimes and we watch her struggle with her immortality as she learns how to manage its advantages and its (often heartbreaking) disadvantages. The story is a skillful examination of what it really means to be alive. At various times in her life, we watch Addie simply exist, we watch her thrive, watch her discover things and ideas to believe in, things and ideas worth fighting for. Taken at face value, it is a fantasy novel about immortality. Looking at it more deeply will prompt self-reflection about the choices we make and what value we place on the time we are given.

How can someone live for 300 years? Addie makes a deal with the devil to escape an unwanted marriage but in doing so she becomes invisible, seen but not remembered by anyone. That is until she meets Henry. Why does Henry remember her when no one else has in centuries? Is it magic or has she thrown off the bonds of the devil? An excellent read you won't want to put down.

Addie LaRue made a desperate bargain with a dark stranger, and now she can't leave a mark on the world, though she's lived on it 300 years. No one can remember her - until she meets someone who can.
This book is an intimate epic, full of charm and tragedy. Its prose is very much like Addie herself; witty, sensitive, and poetic without pretense.
Skipping back and forth through the timeline of Addie's life (and dipping it's tires into other lives), the plot is revealed deliberately, spiraling outwards and pulling together again in ways that feel both unexpected and inevitable.
An easy recommendation to contemporary fantasy readers, with potential to pull in readers from outside the genre with its emotional realism and subtlety.

I have been a fan of V.E. Schwab's books for several years now, and one of the things I love most about her writing is how different all of her novels feel -- and yet, how similar they also are. Each of her worlds are fully realized, with excellent world-building, gripping plotlines, character-driven narrative work, and flawed yet authentic characters. And running through them all is her recognizable writing style -- lovely, lyrical prose that makes reading her stories effortless (and effortlessly inviting).

All of that is true for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I came into the novel with high expectations because I've heard the author talk about this book for several years now. Somehow this novel exceeded my high expectations. It's been described as "a girl makes a deal with the Devil," but this story is SO MUCH more than that -- and that's where my favorite parts of this novel are, in the other lives that entwine with Addie's. In the stories that take place alongside hers. This is more than just a story about Addie LaRue. Schwab continues to surprise me with her work, and I continue to delight in being surprised.

Wow, wow, wow. At this point, I've read everything by V.E. Schwab, I know I love her stories and her characters, I know I'm going to be in a for a good time, so no surprises there. Despite knowing that, she still surprised me with this one.

The story of Addie LaRue begins in a small French village during the 18th century. Addie has always wanted to see the world and to have experiences outside of her village. Being a young woman in the 18th century, her life was not her own. There were expectations on her that she just couldn't force herself to conform to. In a moment of desperation, she prays to her gods to save her from a life she doesn't want, and, unfortunately, the devil answers. She ends up making a deal that will allow her to essentially live forever, with the terrible condition that she can't leave a mark on the world. She can't have meaningful connections with people because they will immediately forget her. She can't write, create art, have possessions, or even say her own name. She has been effectively erased from the world - but she has her freedom. She wanders the world for over 300 years, basically living as a ghost, until the day she meets Henry.

I couldn't put this book down. I was so invested in Addie's beautiful, heartbreaking story - I didn't want it to end! V.E. Schwab's writing was so GORGEOUS. There were countless lines that were so striking that I had to pause in order to read them again or just ruminate on them. I haven't had a reading experience like this since absolutely anything by Laini Taylor.

NetGalley, thank you so much for letting me read this beautiful work of art. I loved every second of it.

I absolutely and completely loved this book. The plot was so interesting, such a good concept and the book was beautifully executed. I found myself longing for Addie LaRue after the book was over. I googled her character to find out more about her, as if she was a real person. This was my first V.E. Schwab, but I am addicted.

You know when you want to slowly read a book and savor because you know it will consume you if you don’t? That’s this book.
It’s so brilliantly written.
Addie was everything I wanted in a character. Her transformation from the beginning of her life to now was epic in every sense of the word.
But also I need books of all the in between times. I need MORE. I want to know about EVERY part of her life. She’s such a badass character and such a survivor.

I just... this book was amazing and I suggest everyone goes and preorders this book!
I want to say more but spoilers and just you need to experience this book for yourself.
10/10 would recommend!!

Wow, what a book! I liked it as much as Where the Crawdads Sing, and The Time Travelers Wife and that’s saying something. With an original premise, beautiful writing, and characters you really know and like, I think this book will be huge. I could easily read it again now. I’m only sorry it doesn’t come out until Fall because I’m excited to share this book and buy copies for everyone to read now, so I’ve contented myself with ordering more than 1 copy for the library.
Adeline LaRue is born in a small village in France in the 1600’s, and at 23 knows she wants more out of life than marrying a local man, living and dying in the same space. She makes a deal with the devil to live a full life, not realizing words are everything, and she will now live forever but no one will remember her anymore. 300 years later she meets someone who does remember who she is the next day, and her life is transformed.

This was a really excellent read. I was unfamiliar with this author prior to picking this book up but they are definitely on my radar now. A well thought out plot and character development was well done, I would highly recommend this one.

Very interesting.

Addie LaRue is a girl from a tiny French village in the early 1700s. She sells her soul to an elder god or possibly the devil in exchange for "time and freedom." This translates to immortality, and the fact that everyone she meets forgets her as soon as they leave her presence.

The story is told in past intervals tracking Addie's three hundred years of immortal life and present intervals as she meets a man in 2014 NYC who, somehow, can remember her. Overall, it's a very easy read. I'm not sure what to rate it, because I definitely enjoyed it, but at the same time I can see it becoming a huge blockbuster movie one day. You know what I mean?

The concept of an immortal woman wandering through history, forgotten but leaving second- and third-hand imprints on the world, is such an intriguing one. This book is, mostly, a love story. It's hard to appreciate when stories of an immortal French spy's adventures in WWII are THERE, but just barely hinted at. This book was good, but I can't help wishing that it had been more than it was.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of those books that feels magical and other worldly.

It feels like you walking through time as it quickly passes you by...a blur of colors and shapes and few people here and there that touch your heart, but you always feeling like a visitor with no permanence.

In a moment of complete and utter desperation Addie LaRue makes a bargain for her freedom not realizing what God answered her prayer and in what way he interpreted it. Now she passes through life forgotten and yearning for someone to say her name. She lives a lonely existence, starting out naïve but she learns more about herself and in what ways she can leave a mark behind.

History has seen glimpses of her, but no one knows who she is until one day somebody does. It changes things. It is sweet and tender and complicated and heartbreaking. It is so many things I can’t even put into words.

It’s melancholy in tone but so hopeful and so beautiful. It’s a triumph really.

I give more than five stars.. seven of them to be precise.

ARC provided by Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

Victoria Schwab is going to be the next great author, mark my words. The premise of THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE is so genius, it would pull anyone in—and keep them until the very last sentence. The story is about a girl, Addie LaRue, who just wants to live life unencumbered by the provincial life of the small town she grew up in. In desperation to escape, Addie calls on the darkness to broker a deal. Her soul for the time she wants. And yet there is a catch—she will always be forgotten.

VE Schwab folds history, humanity, and hope into Addie LaRue’s timeless tale spanning over three-hundred years. We get to see the bounds of Addie’s deal. Her journey from France to the present. Her day-long relationships and the century-spanning ones. How she copes and breaks.

This book made me weep, and laugh, and most importantly, look introspectively at my own life. It’s a truly remarkable piece that I can tell was created with incredible insight and creativity. VE Schwab has been, and always will be, a genius. Addie LaRue is her most prolific work yet. Please pick up a copy when it is released in October. I will be personally shoving it into people’s hands.

"No matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark."

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the hotly-anticipated adult novel from Victoria Schwab (writing as V.E. Schwab). The novel follows 300 years of Adeline LaRue's existence, starting in 1614. At the age of 23, Addie has seen very little of the world beyond her isolated community in the French countryside. Yearning for more, she strikes a bargain with one of the "old gods"--her soul in exchange for a life of freedom. Of course, such bargains usually come with a cost, and for Addie this is no different. She will remain a beautiful and healthy 23 years old for as long as she likes, but will never leave her mark on the world and will be forgotten as soon as someone's gaze slides away from her. The "old god" is ever-present at the edge of Addie's consciousness, forever tempting her into surrendering her soul.

The construct of Addie's curse, the particularities of how she scrapes by throughout the centuries, make Schwab's spin on the immortal being feel utterly refreshing. Addie discovers the inner workings of the curse in time; she is not a vampire who suddenly wakes up with an instinctive survival response. She cannot die, but she still retains the human need for food, shelter, and comfort. She cannot keep anything permanently without it disappearing in time. The depictions of Addie's struggle to adapt to her new reality in the aftermath of her bargain are harsh and realistic. When Addie meets someone who sees her and remembers her, she wonders if this is some cruel new trick from the old god. As their relationship develops, they learn the harsh truth of their connection. The tension in the buildup to the inevitable twist is as gripping as it is heart wrenching.

Schwab's work consistently has thorough and detailed world building, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is no different; however, this work feels much more character-driven than Schwab's other novels. The characters philosophize on the true meaning of human existence and must contend with a central question: whether it is better to experience everything and be loved by no one, or to be loved by everyone and experience nothing. Or, is there a third path?

This book is subtle and beautiful, and sure to be a bestseller.

This has to be one of the best books I've ever read. I loved V.E. Schwab before this, but dang, she put herself in another league with this book.
Adeline LaRue, a French peasant girl in 1714, makes a deal with the devil to sell her soul for independence and freedom from an arranged marriage. She doesn't want to be beholden to anyone, but of course, deals with the devil never go as planned, so she is cursed to be forgotten and unknown to everyone who she meets. Her curse makes it so that as soon as she's out of someone's line of sight, they forget she exists, so she lives a kind of groundhog day over and over again, traveling throughout the world, soaking up life's adventures, and meeting the same people over and over again to find moments of belonging. Then one day in 2014, she meets a man named Henry in a bookstore, and the next day he remembers her. Nothing good ever stays with Addie, and so she assumes that this too will be taken, unless she finds a way to outsmart the devil and finally be happy.
This book was heartbreaking, complex, and instantly became one of my favorite books. Schwab has said this book took her ten years to write, and this story was definitely worth the wait.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has been a long anticipated release from V.E. Schwab, and it did not disappoint. I think fans of her earlier books as well as new readers who are leary of fantasy and haven't yet picked up her more fantasy-heavy works will love Addie LaRue. It has a perfect dose of magic, while still being grounded in our world. Victoria Schwab's writing and characters pull you in and make you interested in where the story is going without being predictable at all. I truly enjoyed reading along with Addie's journey and would highly recommend. this book, along with the author's other works.

1714, Addie is a lonely French girl who’s dreams are much bigger than the small town she is in. To avoid a path forced upon her, she prays to the god of darkness. Her plea? To live forever. Her punishment? To never be remembered. Until, at nearly her 300 year anniversary of the deal she made, a boy says “I remember you.”

We follow Addie’s story from her youth all the way to her 300 year anniversary of her deal with the devil, even getting glimpses of when she was quite young.

Addie is a strong woman who is ambitious and despises the idea of being tied down to her small town or unable to explore and see the world. In a world where women are meant only to be silent mothers and wives, this obviously creates a big challenge for Addie. Addie decides that only answer is to call upon the god of darkness and make a deal with him.

The writing is solid and beautiful. This was actually my first VE Schwab book and I was definitely impressed with her writing. Each piece of scenery was beautifully described and I feel like she also has a wonderful way of really setting up the vibe of the moment. You feel fully immersed in that scene and you know exactly what the characters are feeling.

This is written in third person POV and I must add that I never truly felt well connected to our main characters. Sometimes third person absolutely crushes it and I am able to fully invest and subscribe to our characters and sometimes it doesn’t. This didn’t completely work for me. I can appreciate that perhaps that doesn’t matter too much to other readers based off their preferences(which is completely fine as we all have much different preferences), but I personally need to be fully invested in the characters.

This story is quite slow developing, especially in the first 30% of the book. It’s a wonderful story, unique and creative and intriguing, but it definitely required my patience. I enjoyed the story and the characters but it also took me 12 days to finish which is definitely a sign that it didn’t pull me in quite enough.

Luc was a completely underdeveloped character. He was meant to be such an important role but we never get his backstory or a description of his magic or what kind of god he is(other than, of course, <i>darkness</i>) There is a lot of talk of all the different gods and yet we have zero mythology in this book, no description of his power and why he holds that power. I can understand why others wouldn’t care, but maybe I needed it to more fully subscribe to the idea of him?
Also, he was insanely intriguing and I wanted to know him so much more and would’ve devoured that content but not nearly enough was given.

Did this book ever really have a plot with conflict? I know the general plot was Addie selling her soul to live forever but then also reaping the consequence of no one remembering her, but other than that...where was the plot? The conflict? I think the main reason I feel this way is that the stakes never felt high enough. No one remembers Addie so she can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. When you find out Henry’s story, the stakes are perhaps raised a bit but him and Addie fall in love so fast and it’s so soft and sweet which is nice and refreshing but definitely makes things feel a little easy, in my opinion. The conflict doesn’t kick in till around 85% of the way through which was much too late in the game for me.

I will add that the ending was clever and beautiful. I do feel like this story wrapped up perfectly. The last 10% of the book made me appreciate it more than I thought I would. I loved the details and the call backs and all the hard work Schwab put into this story. You can truly see her love and passion for this story and Addie.

Overall, I am happy to have known Addie’s life and her story. I would absolutely recommend this to others. I can completely appreciate why people have fallen in love with this book. It’s a beautiful story of love and loss and resilience. I enjoyed the settings and the jumps through the timeline of Addie’s life and the unique relationship with Luc she had during her 300 years.


A massive thank you to the publishers & netgalley for the ARC!