In the beginning, we see a young girl running away from a small lifeb, and an old lady who is in touch with nature and the old gods. From there we meet Addie Larue who makes a deal with a night god. You get to read Addie’s past and her present and how she left her mark behind. The Boy Addie meets that remembers her name is a spiritually powerful person (I hope that makes sense) I related to him on another level, he was so lost and needed someone like Addie to help him see that his life is valuable. I also related to Addie, because I sometimes feel like I’m living a small life when I should be living a much memorable life and I have lots to see and do before it’s too late and time catches up. Addie lives her life as a ghost until she finds herself in the boy she meets.

Thank you Tor books for my advance copy. More on this amazing book on my blog. Link will be added

A mini review is here: https://www.bethfishreads.com/2020/11/16-books-i-read-in-october.html and a longer review appears on Goodreads.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Schwab’s other books have been on my to-read list for ages. But when the ARC for ADDIE came up, I couldn’t pass up the chance. The premise sounded fascinating.

I won’t try to write a plot synopsis for this one. If the publisher’s blurb sounds good to you, then you’ll like the book.

All in all, ADDIE was a really good book. I’m a sucker for historical fiction, so I especially loved the early parts of the story. And the love triangle wasn’t annoying. I liked Addie. (Are you noticing my praise is not effusive?)

But here’s the rub. It was wayyyyy too long. Several times throughout the book I seriously thought that Schwab was trying to make us feel like WE had lived for three hundred years. Bottom line - I got bored. I don’t know if the editor tightened things up before final publication, but if not, prepare for a very, very long story.

The other flaw for me was that the climax (if you can call it that) was predictable. I knew how it was going to end long (LONG) before we got there.

Is ADDIE a beautifully written novel? Yes. Could it have been a shorter, beautifully written novel? Emphatically yes. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I. Loved. This. Book. Insert high pitch squealing here. I struggled to get into it but once I got going, I could not put it down! It was so magical and beautifully lyrically written. It made me a little more in love with the world. The magic of being seen and known. The mystery surrounding the curse. It all added up to a book that I ended up loving and could not put down. I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, thank you to them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A near-perfect book and one I've been thinking about ever since I finished it. Heartbreaking but somehow also hopeful? I couldn't put it down and simultaneously wanted to read faster and slow down so it never had to end. I even gasped out loud at one point. In a year where it's hard to feel anything but despair some days, this was a real balm and one I'll be returning to over and over again.

I knew I loved VE Scwhab's works, as this was not my first one. And just as I hoped, this book was enchanting. I loved the dual timelines, before Addie made the deal, and Addie surviving in present day. Schwab has the most incredible imagination and creativity to create such a plot, and this book was so worth the wait.

In 1714 a girl named Addie LaRue made a deal with a devil: her soul in exchange for time and freedom from a small life and unwanted marriage in a small French town. Addie didn't know that this deal meant that everyone would forget her and that she cannot directly make an impression on the world. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows Addie through many years and many countries until 300 years after her deal when she meets Henry, a man who remembers her.
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This book is gorgeously written. VE Schwab is probably one of the best scifi/fantasy authors writing today. Her depictions of Addie's story beautifully and heartbreakingly reflected my own experience with social anxiety. It was difficult to read but truly powerful. Schwab also uses Henry to depict depression in a way that felt so real and visceral. This book was a difficult but very rewarding read. I adored Addie and Henry and wanted nothing but the best for them. I would highly recommend this book, but if you struggle with any sort of anxiety or depression please make sure you're mentally prepared and don't force yourself to read this book if it's too hard! Take care of your mental health first and foremost! This book is a masterpiece and it deserves all the hype!

What can I say that’ll do this book justice? It was beautiful. I haven’t read many books written in third person present, but it fit this story so well. There’s just something about the writing, the pacing, the word choice that completely transports you into Addie’s life. And I don’t think I would have felt the same way if this was written in any other way.

This book is definitely slow-paced, and builds up over time. But I think it’s the best way to tell this story too. I just wish I had had more time to read so I could have read this over the span of a few days instead of a couple weeks. I still enjoyed it a lot, but definitely the whole mood of the book was a bit too spread out because of it.

I actually really love what VE Schwab did with Luc’s character. He sort of gave me Darkling vibes lol and while I really hated the relationship we get with Alina and the Darkling, Luc and Addie’s relationship was more dynamic and interesting. I also felt like Addie was a more complex character overall, and it made me feel for her a lot more.

Henry though. Wow. I think we’re all a little bit of Henry. The pain and hopelessness he feels was just so real. I think he became my favourite character because of how much he struggled getting by every single day. He’s so kind and thoughtful and everything Addie needed. And Addie was everything he needed too. Their relationship was perfect and despite how quickly it develops it fit and flowed so well I don’t have any complaints.

Nearing the end of the book, I was a bit worried I wouldn’t like the way things were headed. I was expecting things to end a different way, but then when I realized they wouldn’t, I was very sad because Henry (*cries*) but those last few paragraphs were very good. Overall, a nice conclusion to an incredible book.

This story had me constantly wanting more, and it delivered. Schwab's lyrical writing puts you under a spell and has you constantly thinking outside the box. I don't know how many times I had to stop reading and deliciously obsess over the fantastical ideas and characters that were brought to life in this story. If you enjoyed Schwab's work before, you'll definitely enjoy this book!

I loved this book! The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the perfect escape from the isolation and social distancing of 2020. Travel the world with Addie as she becomes the heroine of her own story. Her outlook on life develops from the desperation of her early life to pure amusement. The story becomes all the more poignant when Addie becomes determined to make her mark on the world, so she is never really forgotten. Her defiant joy is a beautifully rendered even more so through the lyrical writing of V.E. Schwab. An excellent, moving, exciting read with a truly unforgettable central character.

I’ve been a fan of V.E. Schwab’s work for a while now, so whenever her books pop up, they’re instant requests for me. This one was all the more intriguing for the very unique-sounding description. A gift that turns out to be a curse. Time travel. Deep explorations of the meaning of self and what it is to exist in the world. Sign me up!

For a young woman growing up in the 1700s in a small village in France, the concept of “the world” is a small thing. Much if not all of her life will be lead in the same place, walking the same streets, meeting with the same people. But this isn’t enough for Addie LaRue, and in her desperation she makes a desperate bargain that turns her life on its head. Yes, she can now travel the world, free from the fear of death. But no one will remember her name, her face, her at all. A life like this comes with all kinds of challenges, but in the present year, we meet an Addie who has largely come to accept her transient existence only partly of the world she walks. That is until she meets a strange young man who sees her…and remembers.

I was completely right in my initial impression of this book: it was unlike anything I had read before! The story alternates between Addie’s past, as she makes her original deal and then checking in on her state at various point in the ensuing centuries, and Addie’s present in New York City. I think this was a really clever way of highlighting just how complicated her blessing/curse is. On one hand, it seems simple enough, and Addie herself clearly thought so when making it. But as the story travels through time, we see both the very large problems facing Addie as well as the small, daily challenges that come with not being remembered.

It’s not just romanticism and emotional consequences. What happens when you pay for a room in a hotel but five minutes after the clerk looks away, they forget you’ve paid for it? And that’s assuming Addie even has any money! I really liked the way the story was willing to fully engage with the harsh and sometimes brutal reality of what a life like this would look like, especially for a woman in the 1700s and through many of the following centuries.

The story in the present isn’t any less interesting. My one point of nervousness going into this story was that the young man who ultimately is able to remember Addie would just be some type of fluky, special snowflake type love interest where his ability is never really explored or explained. Not so! Instead, we get a good number of chapters from his perspective and his story was full of surprises, both leading up to his first meeting with Addie and going on well past it. The romance between the two was a bit on the aggressively quirky side at times, but overall, I think it was balanced out by the more weighty topics that were tackled in the rest of the story.

I’m not really into much of the art scene myself, but I did really enjoy this theme throughout the book and how Schwab used Addie’s curse to highlight the role that artwork and artists place in society. It’s much more than just creating pretty, fanciful pieces. It’s about a broader, grander conversation that is ongoing across centuries’ worth of individuals all speaking back and forth to one another.

And, of course, Schwab’s writing is solid and engaging throughout, and her mastercraft at creating deep characterization is on full display here. If you’re a fan of her past work, this is definitely worth checking out. And those new to her writing, this is a great an entry point as anyone could ask for!

Rating 9: Beautiful and heart-wrenching, I couldn’t put it down!

Addie makes a deal she should not and from that day on her life is never the same. This story is reminiscent of the film The Age of Adaline. There are contrast that make the journal of immortality far more harsh than the film. We learn that the choices we make in our lowest points are not always the sounds ones and journey to freedom is a fight.

Rating 4.5
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was not disappointed. I LOVED this so much! VE Schwab's writing is so enthralling and I have yet to read a book I didn't like. I had previously read The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North with a similar concept of a main character who no one can remember. While these were two completely different stories I connected with the two main characters. I really enjoyed following Addie throughout the different decades and her interactions with Luc. I also found the ending of this satisfying even though it was somewhat open-ended. Already ready for Schwab's next book!

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

After trying V. E. Schwab's writing for the third time now, I think it's time to just admit that she isn't for me! That said, this book is getting RAVE reviews, so really take this review with a grain of salt.

I’ve searched and searched for the right words, and finally come to the conclusion that there’s nothing I can say here that will do justice to this wonderful book. I can only recommend that you run out and get a copy immediately and read it for yourself.

Prior to reading this book I didn’t consider myself a V.E. Schwab fan. I read a few other things she wrote which everyone else seemed to think were wonderful that I really didn’t like at all.

But the premise for this one sounded so promising that I had to give it a whirl anyway. And what a good gamble that turned out to be.

This story is so unique and beautiful, the message so powerful, the tone so pitch perfect even as it morphs throughout the book.

And Addie. Oh, Addie. I can’t remember the last time I liked a heroine this much. Or felt one to be so real and relatable. Which I suppose is a strange thing to say about someone who is 300 years old and cursed, which I’m relieved to say I can’t relate to at all with any specificity.

It’s the things that are both bigger and smaller than that which make Addie so sympathetic. Her little quirks and idiosyncrasies and her habits and interests feel real and relatable on a micro level. And in the bigger, broader sense, her desire for freedom and autonomy is something that ought to loom large for most women.

Her spunk and spine are admirable and inspiring. And of course, even though we are all fortunate enough not to have to suffer being forgotten by everyone we meet every day of our lives like Addie is, the fear of being forgotten (or even just deemed inconsequential) by others (and especially those we love) is a very acutely real and relatable one.

Addis’s relationship with Luc is as fascinating as her relationship with Henry is heartwarming, making both feel weighty and poignant in the best way. And though the story turned out to be much more character driven and less of a drive-by of historical events that I had anticipated, Schwab still makes good use of the events and circumstances Addie must confront as the years pass.

Unfortunately the one part of the book I didn’t love was the ending, though it wasn’t a bad one, just not the one I wanted and certainly not problematic enough to deem this anything other than a five-star read and one of the best books of 2020.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was such an interesting concept of a curse that lets you “live”. The love triangle was just an added bonus. I can’t say very thing I want to say for fear of spoiling the story. All I ca. Say is go read this...NOW! 5🌟. Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a noticeable departure from Schwab's normal fantasy fare; her typical reader may not enjoy this as much, but she is sure to find new fans with this latest novel. Addie LaRue is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching exploration of the fallout of a Faustian bargain. Lyrical, poetic prose mixed with such an emotional story creates something memorable and unique.

Recommended for fans of Erin Morgenstern.

Truly a perfect fall book.

Time jumps back and forth in a way that clearly and methodically introduces us to Addie and her situation, cleverly showing us the effects and boundaries of her curse. The way what was and what is to come are balanced is quite frankly stunning, in a way I’ve rarely seen. As we jumped through time, I constantly found myself wishing that more time would be spent with a certain place or character. But that wasn't a flaw - it was the point. That’s how Addie felt. That was how she lived, and it was what she was afraid of. When reading their respective sections, I *felt* like Addie and Henry. I felt their fears and their hopes as if they were my own.

And while the plot and structure deserve to be heavily praised, it's important not to forget the line-level writing. God, so many of the lines in this book are absolute knife cuts. Sometimes, I had to put the book down for a while because I was feeling too much.

When you know an author has poured their heart and soul and years of their life into a book, it can be daunting. I mean, what if it's not as good as you hope? But Addie didn't disappoint—far from it.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

V E Schwab does it again. She manages to create the most amazing worlds and characters to inhabit them.
In 1714, Addie LaRue is living in France and is about to be married. At the last minute, she makes a bargain with a God to be free. However, like most bargains, she doesn't get exactly what she thought. We watch as Addie LaRue navigates the struggles that come from the bargain and lives her life.
I don't want to give too much away since I went into the book knowing very little and loved it. The book is beautifully written and the characters feel so real.

Addie LaRue is cursed. She made a deal with the darkness, and for a life of immortality she was forgotten by all. But her stubbornness has kept her alive. Until one day she meets a boy who remembers her...

Blink and you're twenty-eight, and everyone else is now a mile down the road, and you're still trying to find it, and the irony is hardly lost on you that in wanting to live, to learn, to find yourself, you've gotten lost.

I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked this! I have a history of either feeling ambivalent or loving Schwab's books, and this was one that had the ingredients of everything I despise (a boy, artsy fartsy shit, a 300-year-old woman who acts like a child, a plethora of Harry Potters with pale skin, black hair and green eyes) and yet mixed them into something enjoyable. And it's a standalone!

Adeline (not the Blake Lively character, although similar vibes) only acted like a child around humans, but like herself with Luc, the devil character who was the real reason for this book being 5 stars because...he was every Darkling trope combined and yet this time it worked because he had real bite.

I still was incredibly annoyed by Henry (not by his storms though—fully related to those, was annoyed by everything else).

When everything slips through your fingers, you learn to savor the feel of nice things against your palm./blockquote>
Anywho, after sitting on this for um, almost a month, I did knock it down to four stars.

As I thought about it, I kept thinking back on how much like a cupcake this book was. Beautiful packaging. It just looks too good to consume. And then you take the first bite and you're like, whew that's sweet. And you eat it and it's delicious and filling but twenty minutes you're hungry again and feeling unsatisfied and you don't know why.

I think I figured it out. Okay, I completely didn't. And despite my enjoyment of this book I don't think I'm going to dip my toe into VE Schwab's waters anymore (yes, this is a weird metaphor. Go with it).

Because like a cupcake, this book drew me into the aesthetic.

Dark, delicious, forbidden. And yes I'm talking about Luc, who was just the most delightfully amoral devil (I still do love the ending).

"Henry has his father's loose black curls, his mother's gray-green eyes."

But I remain turned off by the artsy fartsy lifestyle led by Henry and his woe-is-me-I'm-loved-by-all mentality. I'm tired of boys who look like Harry Potter and Penn Badgley (I initially wrote Ben Padgley and was like, no, that's not right) had a baby and that baby was I-like-classic-books-and-have-no-personality Henry. Also, Henry is canonically Harry Potter. It's in the text. I do feel strongly for his feeling of being adrift and his emotional swings to sorrow and heaviness. I feel those so, so strongly.

Then I was like, I don't get Addie. Her life truly sucks and despite her constantly telling the reader of the wonders of the world, I kept wondering what they were. I didn't see a lot of it beyond her suffering through everything and hooking up with artsy folks and being a muse with her weird freckles. I did like the commentary on art, though, and the thought of influence and ideas.

Also, I kept thinking about Blake Lively in Age of Adeline, and how Blake Lively and Penn Badgley got married in Gossip Girl and was this entire book just some weird fan-based Inception mash-up of the two???

Okay, this review is now hopelessly garbled and I apologize. My thoughts are everywhere.

On the one hand, I liked it (see final quote below) and on the other, I wasn't bowled over by it. I loved Luc but was it because I loved the amoral assholery of him? The forbidden that called to Addie and made her love the unloveable? I did love how she was with him, her personality and how she let herself be old and unhuman and sassy in a way that she wasn't with Henry.

And, okay, I did not like the ending. I mean, I liked one particular aspect of the ending, but not the meta part of the ending.

Overall, I really, really liked everything about the book except for Addie's relationship with Henry. That just felt like such a weak point. There was no chemistry. No spark. It was only because he saw her and she saw him.

And that's that for this gobbleyblech of a review! If you stayed through it this long, have a cookie!

He can tell that your heart's not in it anymore, and he advises you to find another path, and he assures you that you'll find your calling, but that's the whole problem, you've never felt called to any one thing. There is no violent push in one direction, but a softer nudge in a hundred different ways, and now all of them feel out of reach.


I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.