The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read my full advertising disclosure HERE.

Manufacturer: V.E. Schwab
Brand: Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy
Brew: Hardback
Steeping Time: 442 pages
Tea Service: Personal Choice
Strength:

Synopsis: 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 a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

I’ve never resonated with a character so deeply. Rather, two characters, but let’s start with Addie.

I understand Addie to the depths of my bones. I’m sure many other people do as well. After all, everyone wants more time. I’m achingly aware of the days as they pass, the years as they tick by, faster and faster with the coming of each new season.

I am 33, but I feel the sand slipping through my fingers as I think about my acting career, which is nowhere near where I’d like it to be. I feel it when I think of having children and how soon the conversation will turn to ‘we might have children’ to ‘we missed our chance’ if we’re not careful. I feel it when I think of how many incredible places I’ve yet to experience, how many foods I haven’t tried, drinks that haven’t passed my lips. So, yes. I felt Addie, too, when she voiced my own fears through the ink on the paper. From the start, I knew I’d love The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

When we met Henry, I felt his jitteriness, his anxiety at sitting still, and again, I’d found a kindred spirit. He works in a bookshop and has a store cat named Book. Seriously, kindred spirit.

I won’t go into too much detail of the story because I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that I love the way that V.E. Schwab wrote it.

I’ve said it before, but I love me a good dual timeline, especially when one is somewhat of a flashback. The book starts in the early 1700s. We meet Addie in her youth and we watch her grow. As the story progresses, we jump to a much closer year, 2016. We follow Addie in her present-day world, but we also jump back to the early 1700s and work our way forward. I think it was very cleverly written, leaving plenty of bread crumbs that kept me glued to the pages.

The dates are significant, so I’d personally recommend a physical copy of the book. It makes it easier to flip back if you’ve forgotten the previous dates. However, I know plenty of friends who have listened to the audiobook and the dates didn’t bother them in the slightest. Perhaps it is my own personal preference.

Schwab paints a vivid world that is easy to fall into.

Her writing is beautiful and the characters she brings to life are real, flaws and all. But, at the core of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, she brings two questions to the forefront; if you could sell your soul for one thing, what would it be? And would it be worth it?

I’d consider the pace of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue to be a slow one. The story unfolds as more of a walk than a run, which I found pleasant. There is tension, but nothing is rushed, making the tension much more pronounced.

Perhaps it’s because I related so well to Addie, but I was rooting for her the entire time. Even though we know she’s already made it 300 years, all I want is good for her, for her to triumph. I enjoyed walking the journey with her, through the pain and the joy, the highs and the depths of the lows. I’ll also forever cherish the lesson she taught. Even if the world forgets you, you can still leave a mark that will last centuries. What will yours be?

Have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia