It's a long book, but it goes by fast. Addie`s story is sad, but so full of adventure and bravery and hope. It's a vast, epic story, spanning centuries and crossing oceans. Addie is living under a curse, but she's incredibly resourceful and pushes against it and finds ways to enjoy all the time and freedom that she gains in a terrible deal that she makes with a god of darkness.

Wow this book is amazing!

You know how you hit a chapter in a book and it just overwhelms you with how it's set up, and then you can't put the book down after? That's what happens here.

It has great twists and a great setup. It's emotional. It all makes sense.

This book is definitely one to check out.

This might be Schwab's best book yet.

It's so hard to write a review for this without giving away spoilers.

It was so, so, so, good and lovely and a little heartbreaking and weirdly completely hopeful.

The voice drew me in immediately and kept me reading, even though they were a couple of slow spots in the beginning. I didn't mind them much because the writing was so lovely. There were several times I was really captivated by the prose. Scwab's writing is on point for this book.

And that midpoint twist. Ugh. I knew something was up, but I didn't know it was gonna be that.

This is lyrical and lush and at it's core it a romantic love story, but there also themes of what it means to belong to someone, not romantically, but the people in our lives--family and friends--and what happens when a desperate girl makes a bargain to belong to no one.

It's better to go in not knowing a whole lot and be pleasantly surprised.

I can't wait to buy this when it comes out in October.

And there needs to be a sequel. There is room for one, and I really need one. I need to know what Addie does next.

he Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of the most wonderful, thought-provoking and heartbreaking books I have ever read, I am fully in love with it, and still processing my absolute race through what has immediately become one of my all-time favourites. It is no secret that I love most of what V. E. Schwab has written, but The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is in a whole other class from Vengeful and A Conjuring of Light again. The prose is beautiful and immersive, full of haunting quotes such as these:

“She has the sense that they would have been friends. If he’d remembered. She tries not to think about that – she swears sometimes her memory runs forward as well as back, unspooling to show the roads she’ll never get to travel.”

“Time – how often has she heard it described as sand within a glass, steady, constant. But that is a lie, because she can feel it quicken, crashing toward her.”

This is a character-driven story, focused on Addie and her life through the centuries. Born in France in the 1700s, she was afraid of living a life that was not her own and ended up making a deal with a mysterious creature, bargaining away more than she thought. While her life was her own for as long as she wanted it, no one would remember her. Not her family, not landlords or store clerks, and certainly not the people she slept with. Until she meets Henry, a bookseller, who seems to remember her when she steals a book from his store – oops.

Through these two characters, V.E. Schwab manages to explore nuances of loneliness in human society in a poignant way, re-evaluating what it means to be seen and remembered, and how it affects the way we perceive ourselves and move through life. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a slow story, taking its time to explore the repercussions of events and the impact of small moments on the characters more than most books we tend to review on here. But that doesn’t mean it is any less compelling and dark – you have your looming antagonist, your morally grey characters and your world working against the heroes.

I do think this is one of those books that have a kind of universal appeal, that people who only read the bitterest of Grimdark will find something in just as much as people who don’t really read any fantasy at all. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a very special book about what it means to be human and to grow.

Thank you to TorBooks for blessing me with an early copy of this book. Seriously, I don't even know where my brain is right now because this book left me absolutely speechless.

I am writing this review mere-minutes after finish it, so I apologize for anything that doesn't.. make sense. Honestly this book makes no-sense and also makes complete sense, so that's probably about what this review will make as well LOL

Schwab is a chameleon when it comes to her writing style. She has written adult fantasy, where you have the quick tongue and the epic fight scenes, and she has written young adult fantasy, where the angst is real. With this book... I feel like it stands completely on its own. Out of all of her work, I would say it is closest to Vicious, purely because of the morally-grey line her characters dance on. This feels a lot more lyrical and lovely and haunting. But, how else would a book about making a deal with the devil sound?

I don't think I will say too much about the content of this book because I feel like it is so much better to go in blind with this one. That's right kids : me, the queen of wanting to be spoiled, wants you to go into this book knowing only one thing : that I absolutely loved this book with my whole heart.

You see a lot of different snips of her life (she has lived around 300 years) and you see the many struggles she has had to go through. It isn't all pretty and elite life when you live forever and no one remembers you. She can't even say her own known or leave a mark... that means no job, no place to put her things, no things to even have, and no people to call her own. I feel like her drive to keep going is to prove that she can and those who doubt her don't know her well enough.

The writing style is very different than Schwab's normal, but at the same time it is such a Schwab way of writing (there I am again with the complete sense but no sense at all type of reviewing... gah). I can feel a little of Gaiman in the writing of this book, which is totally beautiful. If you like the writing style of The Night Circus or the detailed-writing of When Dreams Descend, you are going to eat this book right up.

It took me a few WEEKS to get through the first 30% of this book (it's hard for me to read physical books these days with my health), and it took me literally 3 hours to get through the last 70% (apparently I was having a better health day today with some extra time on the side). If that doesn't tell you how much this book suddenly grabs you out of nowhere, I don't know what will. I was at the point I had it on my tripod, eagerly waiting to swipe to the next page even though I lost the strength to hold my kindle.

And that's about what I got. I loved it, go in blind, and enjoy this crazy ride about a girl who lives forever yet no one remembers.

P.S. : yes, the Schwab-cinnamon-roll-boy is in this book and he is perfection and that is all.

Father teaches her to be a dreamer, mother teaches her to be wife, Estele teaches how to speak to gods

A young woman being forced into marriage makes a desperate plea to get help that lasts a lifetime.
She is now someone noone remembers, she cant write down her story.
She lives through the inventions of trains, lights, photography, phones, airplanes, computers, and the best of inventions= movies! 300 years of wandering and being forgotten - three words...He remembers Her!

Descriptive writing made me feel the story as I read.

Lyrical prose and intentional storytelling make for a clever, exquisite read. Unforgettable characters and dangerous deals might reveal more about the reader’s assumptions than the characters’ quandaries.

This book is a wonderful meditation on what makes us human — the importance of love and making a lasting impact.

okay wow i loved this book. i have been SO excited to read this and it truly was beautiful and unlike anything else i've ever read. i loved the structure of the book - how each chapter was set in a different year/place in addie/henry's life. i loved addie and henry so much.

it's definitely a slow paced book with stunning writing. this is my favourite ve schwab book in terms of the writing style. SO many good quotes.

thank you TOR for sending me an early digital copy for review <3

I enjoyed this book a lot. It is well written. I've never read anything by V.E. Schwab before this., but I may try another. I'm not normally a fan of the fantasy genre. However, this was enjoyable. It was a little bit on the "chick-Lit" side, but most of the time that didn't bother me.
I recommend this book if you are a fan of Audrey Niffennegger or Erin Morganstern.

Unlike all the characters in this book, I suspect Addie LaRue will linger in my mind for years and years. This is an extremely interesting take on the devils’ bargain trope and I was equally taken with the clever explorations of what love is and the human need to leave a mark on the world. While this is perhaps in places a bit long or a bit slow, it’s also dreamy and inventive, and I’d highly recommend curling up with it on a rainy day.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! No one can remember who Addie is when she leaves that person even for a second. They would forget who she is and it has been happening for over 300 years. But everything changes when a man remembers her name. This was such an enjoyable and one of my favorite reads of this year. I loved the author's writing and the unique story of this book. The author added povs of Addie during the current time and from her past so you know more about her. The pacing was perfect for this book and it was hard to put down. I was hooked from chapter 1 and I knew this was a perfect read for me.

I loved the main character Addie, Henry and the antagonist, Luc. Addie is a brave character after she made a bargain with Luc which she is not going to let him win also for struggling a lot throughout her life because no one remembers her and she can't have anything. I loved her character and how fun of a character she was. Luc reminds me of The Darkling from the Grishaverse and he is one of my favorite antagonists. These characters said memorable quotes and made memorable scenes that you don't want to miss.

This was such an amazing read and is recommended for sure. "I remember you" is one of the great quotes from this book. Everything was perfect with this book and I had no problems with it. I haven't read any of VE. Schwab books from the past but will now after reading this book.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is a well woven story-line exploring the implications of what happens when you make a deal with a god who only cares about gaining possession of your soul. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction and every deal has two sides. Schwab masterfully balances the story between both sides of the deal as our leading lady must find a way to deal with the repercussions and benefits of calling on the old gods after dark. The characters in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue are multifaceted and well thought out; even the villian shows a side that risks you feeling sympathetic for him. Recommended for readers who enjoyed the dichotomy of death in The Book Thief or the struggle of belonging from The Time Traveler's Wife.

V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of the best versions of the Faustian bargain I've read. Her protagonist, Addie LaRue, makes a deal with the devil in 17th century France in order to escape a marriage that would prevent her from exploring the wider world. What follows is a journey through centuries, countries, and world events led by Addie as she struggles with the terms of her bargain--that she is forgotten as soon as she is out of sight, but that her imperfect life will last as long as she wishes. The book is too long. It's under-edited. There are occasional inconsistencies to drive forward the narrative, to prevent Addie from being forgotten too quickly. (This is a world where people almost never leave the room to go to the bathroom or get a drink or text on their cellphone or smoke a cigarette.) However, I did find large chunks of the novel compelling and the flaws do little to take away from Schwab's accomplishment in successfully spanning more than three centuries and a half dozen countries and in a heartbreaking third-act twist. Did I love Addie LaRue? No. But I think that many, many readers will find exactly what they're looking for in it.

This book is flawless. It's so flawless that I'm having trouble organizing my thoughts on it, and need more time to do so. I'll be posting a review to Goodreads and to the Fictionist site soon, but in the meantime... read this book. And preorder. And request fro your library.

Another day, another utterly underwhelming fall fantasy release I had been anticipating. I had been a fan of VE Schwab's Vicious and the Darker Shade of Magic series so I was looking forward to this book and the cool-sounding concept of a woman who sold her soul for immortality at the price of being forgotten by everyone. And, admittedly, the concept was still cool when I started reading the book but it got stale so quickly with all the flashback chapters to Addie's past where she does similar things over and over again as she works out the boundaries of her curse. Like, we get it, she can't leave a mark, let's get to the plot.

When we get to more of the present day plot my interest picked up. Henry was mysterious enough to make me want to find out what his whole deal was, and 300-years-savvy Addie was more interesting than freshly-cursed Addie (although, frankly, still kind of bland. I don't think I could describe her personality beyond her seven perfect freckles she keeps mentioning). However, this point was fully halfway through the book! If it wasn't an arc I felt obligated to review I honestly probably would have abandoned this before then, even though on a technical craft level, this book is very well-written.

I know I'm in the minority and lots of readers already love this, and lots more of them will love it after it's out but oh boy this was not the book for me.

W0w...just wow. V.E. Schwab does it again. This book was so beautiful, so haunting, and just...wonderful.

This book was absolutely amazing. Schwab has a lyrical writing style that draws you in and keeps you interested. The story fluctuates between Addie's past and the present in a way that works wonderfully. I thought I would find the fluctuations jarring but instead they weave Addie's life together; her past informing how she lives and thinks of life and humanity in the present. And wow! The insights into humanity make the reader feel like Schwab has lived several lifetimes herself. At times heartbreaking, at others heartwarming, this is truly a marvelous book.5 stars.

This book was exactly the thing I wanted to read in the moment, It's a page-turner that is full of character and life and moments that feel real, and has that great thing that epic stories have where quiet things can happen to a character against the backdrop of history and it adds drama and scale in a really great way.

I don't want to over-analyze this book, looking for ways to be critical of it because I never wanted to put it down, and that should just be enough. I was addicted to Addie's story and learning about her past and was drawn into her present in New York in a way that I haven't been with a story in a while. I thought the ending was fairly strong, and that's saying something because with a book like this, I think the resolution can really make or break the book, so thank goodness this one panned out..

Highly recommended for readers who are already fans of V.E. Schwab for sure - it has the same feel that her others book have (without being repetitive) and is also a great entry-point to her back list for new readers. History, fantasy, romance, and some sparse action all combine to make for a really compelling Fall read.

Fleeing an arranged marriage and determined to run from the strictures of 18th century French womanhood, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the darkness—her soul for freedom, for as long as she chooses to keep it. But like all such deals, the real consequences lie in the semantic details, and Addie finds that her freedom comes at the price of invisibility. For three hundred years, Addie lives unnoticed and unremembered, her only company the very darkness responsible for her situation. Until one day that changes and a stranger in a bookstore remembers her.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue manages to be a lot of things for one novel—historical fiction, a fantasy, a romance, a cautionary tale. Over all though, it is an exploration of what a soul is worth and what it means to be human. This is a five-star book and, I’m not going to lie, I may have cried a little at the end.