This book is fantastic. I literally had to force myself to put it down around 3:00am one night so I could get a few hours of sleep before work the next day. I was reading during all my breaks and any moment I could claim for myself. We all know those tell-tale signs of a reader that is really hooked into the story, and every chance I got to read this book was pulling me in.

Addie is a wonderful character. She's rebellious, knows her own mind, is smart, sly, and unapologetically herself. And in pushing back against the world, she ends up living with a curse that makes everyone forget her. Since she's such a fantastic character, but no one else knows her, reading this feels like we as the reader are in on a special secret because we get to see who she is when no one else can.

AND, while being a captivating tale about a girl carving out a place in the world under extraordinary circumstances, this book is also a literary achievement that deals with the intersection of history, philosophy, art, and the nature of love as Addie seeks to make her mark on a world that has forgotten she exists over a span of 300 years.

A work of historical fiction and fantasy with a bit of romance and a hard look at the power of ideas, this book gets 5 stars from me, and will be a must-read this Fall.

Schwab sets her latest in 1714 France. Addie LaRue is fiercely independent and will not follow the dictates of her parents who have arranged a marriage for her. But instead, Addie makes a deal with the devil so she can have her own life and make a mark on the world. As with all such Faustian deals, there is a negative aspect to the contract. Now Addie finds herself totally forgettable – to her family, her neighbors, in fact, to everyone she comes in contact with. Within minutes of meeting her, she will be erased from their memory. She also will live on until she agrees to the end of the contract.

As decades and centuries proceed, Addie travels the world and meets interesting people, only no one remembers she was ever there. While this may not sound terribly frustrating, it does make living accommodations difficult, and almost impossible. But when one person does claim to remember her, things change.

Similar to The Book Thief, the grim reaper or devil, whomever you choose to call him, is an interesting character in this story. He frequently interacts with Addie and they have a fascinating relationship. Instead of the monstrous portrayal of the bringer of death, here he demonstrates an unexpected depth. True to her nature, Addie is determined to make the best of her bargain. She refuses to give up and let death win. The question is, will her iron will be enough to sustain her over the centuries.

Addie LaRue is a character who will leave her mark on readers, even though she can’t make a lasting impression on anyone she encounters in the novel (with one exception). Schwab has another hit on her hands with this new standalone fantasy.

Finished this in one sitting. V.E. Schwab does it again. This book is a tour de force complete with nuanced worldbuilding, multilayered characters, and a heart-aching theme. The plot is both delightful and poignant. I highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

One word for this book: WOW,
V.E. Schwab created a masterpiece.

I found this novel compelling, but sometimes slow. I devoured this novel in a single day because I could not put it down. It is seemingly historical, romantic, and supernatural(?). I hope you all do yourselves a favor and pick up novel when it releases.

Spoilers Below:
In this novel we meet Adeline Larue who wanted exploration, freedom, adventure, but most of all to leave her mark on the world. However she was a young French girl from Villon born in a time that women were not allowed many freedoms. They were expected to marry, have children, and take care of the home.

On her wedding day, she ran. She pleaded to any god that would listen to her for freedom, a life where she could live the way she wanted and not be forced to settle down with a man she did not love or want.

“And no matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.”

But the sun went down while she was praying and the night answered offering her a deal. She was tricked into selling her soul and accepting a bad deal due to her desperation.

300 years later.... She is desperate to be remembered. Playing a game of cat and mouse with the trickster who is the only one who remembers her because she doesn't want him to win. Finally, she meets a bookseller named Henry who uttered the phrase she was desperate to hear, "I remember you"

“Being forgotten … is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered?”

Thank you, NetGalley, for this digital ARC.

Addie LaRue, a young woman living in 1714 France who simply wants to change her fate, makes a desperate deal with a dark god. Suddenly, nobody knows who she is, and when she meets people, they forget her the moment they turn away. Her pen strokes disappear. The things she breaks mend themselves whole again. Collected possessions disappear overnight. Addie can leave no mark on this world, for as long as she chooses to live. For 300 years, Addie adventures across the world, soaking in every experience she can while seemingly invisible to everyone around her. Then one day, she revisits a young man's bookstore she had browsed once before...and he remembers her.

THIS. BOOK.

Heartbreak. Grief. Anger. Frustration. Hope. Joy. Peace. This story made me feel so many things. It took me longer than usual to get through this book, because I savored every moment of it. Schwab was so thorough in her execution of Addie's curse; no loopholes that I could see, no "Addie could've just done this." And the way she intertwined Addie's story with the second protagonist is arguably brilliant. The end is crushing and haunting and just perfect for this beautiful adventure.

Saying more would give things away, so I will leave it to you readers to absorb and treasure the invisible life of Addie LaRue.

This book is going to be huge. People will love it. I’m probably going to buy it for my sister, who I think will adore it. I really enjoyed it and read it quickly, though it isn’t perfect—Schwab feels a little bit like she’s trying to prove her literary prowess (there are a lot of sweeping statements and bold proclamations and philosophical musings that are, in my opinion, totally unnecessary), but the story is incredibly compelling, its characters well-crafted and sympathetic, and the ending is close to perfect (rare!).

Adeline lives in a rural village in early 18th century France with her beloved woodworker father and stern mother. She longs for freedom, and on the night of her wedding to a man she doesn’t want or love, she makes a desperate plea to a god, any god, to be liberated from what she views as the tragedy of poor family life. She gets her wish, but she pays a steep price: “freedom,” in the eyes of the cruel god who answers her call, comes in the form of being forgotten by every person she meets as soon as they close a door or go into another room.

Addie lives for 300 years with this curse, “free” but almost entirely alone, until she meets a young man who remembers her name.

I found myself thinking about what I might wish for and what the cost would be. I had an amazing conversation with a friend who also read this book, about the relationships between Addie and the two men in her life—Henry, the young man who remembers her, and Luc, the fascinating god who curses her.

Though I took small issue with some stylistic choices in the prose (I dislike frequent one-sentence paragraphs, which litter this book), overall, this is a wonderful read and I can’t wait to discuss it with everyone once they read it!! Comes out October 6.

A twistingly beautiful Faustian tale that will make you dive deep not into just the story but your soul.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue tells the tale of a girl running away from her stagnant future in her small French town. To gain the life she wants, Addie makes a deal with the dark and this is where her story truly begins.

A story that will span 300 years.

As with V.E. Schwab’s writing, this book includes well thought out character arcs with a great pace that was slow at just the right moments.

It made me feel all the feels and I definitely felt the connection to Addie and her dreams for living a full life and seeing the world past her home. I also feel the heart and soul that V.E. Schwab put into this story, a story that she has been wanting to tell for over a decade!

If you are looking for a beautiful yet tragic tale of deals with devils than this book is for you! It’s just the right amount of darkness, hope, and beauty and I hope anyone who reads this story will remember Addie LaRue!

‘Never pray to the gods that answer after dark.’

Oh, my goodness, I loved this novel! Such a unique concept that grabbed me from the start, with characters that were easy to relate to and sympathize with. Even Luc. A three hundred year journey that I really did not want to end. I usually don’t always appreciate novels that leave the ending unfinished but in this instance I think it worked perfectly. I’ll probably spend the next few days pondering it. 5 stars.

This is my first book by V.E. Schwab. This book took me awhile to get into, and to be honest, moved fairly slowly. That being said, the story line was such that I wanted to finish to see how it ended. While this may have been a slower book to read, it was so beautifully written! So many times I could vividly picture what Addie was describing.

If I wasn't already a fan of VE Schwab this book would certainly be the one to sercure it. Wowza! An adventure through centuries, Schwab has created a world that readers are lucky to have a glimpse of. This will definitely be a book club recommendation and will more than likely top my best reads of this year list!

I will write a full review closer to the publishing date in October. It is my first book by V.E Scwab and is absolutely incredible. (Original Earc granted through edelweiss. Downloaded here after finished original download, to provide additional review).

This was a work of art. One of those books you wish you could read again for the first time. Schwab’s prose is addictive and seeps into every corner of your soul. For me, this is truly her best work and nothing I write could do it justice. This was an achingly beautiful adventure through time with a character who is, strangely enough, totally unforgettable.

I admit to being a little disappointed by this book. I don’t know if I wasn’t in the right mood to read a book like this, if I was expecting too much, was too tired...The beginning was great, as I discovered who Addie is and what she wants from life. She isn’t so sure what she wants and I totally identify with that. Even when faced with having whatever she wants when a demon asks her, Addie still isn’t so sure, beyond not wanting to marry. Wanting to live for herself and no one else.

She loses everything, including herself. Because who are you but what you project onto others? Sometimes, it’s hard to pin down who you are if you can’t measure your impact on the world. We’re very focused on what we can do for other people, as a society, and sometimes we forget that we’re allowed to focus on ourselves for a while.

But who are you if no one remembers you? How human are you if what you do doesn’t impact anyone?

Addie passes through the world, literally unable to leave a mark. She walks through the snow and reverts to a blank canvas. She picks up a pen and all the words disappear. She stabs someone and the blood clears and the wound heals. The same is done to her. She absorbs the world but can’t expel anything back.

Over the course of three hundred years, she becomes more familiar with her curse and the little loopholes in the contract. She can leave a mark if she influences others to do it for her. Draw her picture, use her melody in a song.

Then she meets Henry, who remembers her. But that’s because he has a secret, too.

Addie is so sure of herself, now. She knows who she is and what she can do. She’s not the lost little girl she was in the beginning. Her surety is a little disconcerting. But why wouldn’t she be sure? She is certain of her place in the world and the lack of impact she has. Why not do what she wants? It’s not like it hurts anyone.

Henry is probably my favorite character. We’re the same age. We’re at the same point in our lives. Useless degrees and dead end jobs. Numerous hobbies. Not fitting in anywhere or with anyone. His whole outlook on life is an absolute mood and it’s painful how much I identify with it.

He’s much more real then Addie is, to me. Addie is basically immortal, warped into survival mode and beyond what a normal person should be like. Henry is so down to earth in a way Addie can’t be anymore, and he grounds her, just a little, reintroducing propriety and reminding her that she does leave an impact on the world. A thing she knows, based on the art that is made of her in her wake, or the art she influences because she was present.

They compliment each other well, being exactly what the other needs. It’s almost too perfect, their love. It’s like they’re the only one the other can possibly fall in love with, so of course it happens. The ending that happens is one of the many endings I considered for Addie, Henry, and the Devil. Of course, the perfect ending is not always the ending you didn’t see as a possibility. I liked being able to trace the clues and hints and not be surprised by what happened.

There were some twists that I enjoyed. And I really loved Henry. He was just the type of character I can bond with. Addie was more difficult to get along with, as she changed over the course of 300 years. She became a little wild over that time, working through the loopholes in her curse, distancing herself from what it means to be a person, in a society.

Schwab explores what it even means to be a person, to be alive. What it means to leave a mark on the world and the futility of even trying. But everyone leaves a mark in the end, even if it’s just on close friends or family or even customers you meet at work. It’s uplifting and kind of sad, all at the same time. Because life is just like that. And coming to terms with that can be exceedingly difficult, especially when we are so distanced from the people and things we love.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue falls victim to one of the great curses of literature in the last decade or so--it’s just too long. I don’t know what happened to editors and the art of honing a story, but that’s what we have with Addie LaRue--something good--very good, even--that could have been great. V.E. Schwab gives us another magical story where Adeline LaRue sells her soul to the devil in exchange for freedom and a life of adventure that doesn’t end until she surrenders. The twist? No one remembers her once she is out of sight. Addie, an artist at heart, struggles and eventually learns how to leave her mark in history when she cannot make anything last more than a second or two. We flash back and forth between (nearly) present-day New York and specific moments through Addie’s 300 plus years of life with art as the guiding force. Schwab has crafted a beautiful story about art, time, history, love, and who will remember us that may be a bit too long, but is a very good read nonetheless. Highly recommended for readers of Erin Morgenstern, Leigh Bardugo, and Katherine Arden.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V. E. Schwab
Macmillan-Tor/Forge
Tor Books
Literary Fiction | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 06 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 06 Oct 2020

I really enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to our patrons who like literary fiction and SciFi/Fantasy.
Great book!

5 stars

Wow. Just absolutely wow. I think that this was my favourite of V.E. Schwab's books. The writing was phenomenal and everything about this book just hit me so hard every single time. It's not the book to start with if you want to read Schwab for the first time, but if you're familiar with her writing then you will surely love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

I love books with a Faustian theme, especially when one makes a bargain one should not, so I was thrilled when my request was approved.

The premise is thrilling; a young woman makes a deal with a dark 'god' to be free and unencumbered by marriage. Sadly, she should have been more specific in her wording.

As a result, she is doomed to a life of immortality, her beauty and youth never fading, but her name forgotten the moment she is out of sight.

For 300 years, Addie lives this transient life of one night stands and loneliness, traveling across oceans, bearing witness to some of the world's greatest historical moments.

Until one day, in present day NYC, Addie meets a boy who remembers her.

The story was compelling, no surprise since the author is an accomplished science fiction/fantasy writer.

But, I was not drawn into the story as I had imagined I would be. The writing was good, but at times read almost like YA.

Addie, despite her longevity, is a one note character. I don't know much about her except her appearance and can speak and read multiple languages.

As the author described how Addie has survived 300 years of hardship, events began to sound repetitive, including her brief respites with Luc.

I was looking for something darker, gruesome, frightening, but Addie and Luc's relationship suddenly took a YA turn into a relationship based on their stubbornness and that they've known each other for so long.

I wanted to know more about how Addie survived the worst of what history had to offer; the French Revolution, wars and famine; what terrible things did she do to survive, did she do anything good?

How does one endure life when no one remembers your face or name?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was well-written with a fascinating premise, but I wanted more complexity and depth regarding the main characters.

OMG THIS BOOK.

It’s beautiful and raw and so character driven—utterly refreshing. The story takes its time, really settles into the heartache and drama. It’s diverse, and romantic and HEARTBREAKING but also incredibly hopeful. The entire story recognizes the importance of being fully known, fully seen, and loved for who they are. It’s beautiful.

And then the ending slayed me. I’m just going to imagine a different last paragraph.

Highly recommend!

This book is wonderful! I was looking for something new and exciting to read and this was just that! I love the combination of modern and historical mixed together. The time periods feel real and well researched. Henry's point of view threw me off a bit but only because as a reader I had been in Addie's head so long. The dark aspects are intriguing but not over the top. I am incredibly happy with the story that lives up to Schwab's reputaion.

Honestly, I requested this book on a whim even though I haven’t read one of this author’s books since 2017 and have since realized that if I were to read them again, I wouldn’t enjoy them as much. Still, I grew enamored with the premise of this novel and thought I would like it more. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Much like the eponymous protagonist’s life, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is mostly unremarkable and honestly forgettable.

In 1714 France, Adeline LaRue wants to live a life that’s better than the one she’s expected to have; she wants it so desperately that she makes a deal with an old god, a darkness whom she’s fantasized about for years. Addie tells him she wants to be free, and he grants her her wish with one caveat: she cannot say her name and people will forget about her once she is out of eyesight. In 2014 New York City, Addie’s lived three hundred years alone, stealing and hustling, until one day she tries to steal a book and the bookseller remembers her. Henry is dealing with his own issues, but he’s quickly enamored with Addie.

This review will contain minor spoilers for this book.

I’ll start with the things I liked, because I did like some things about this book. For one, I won’t deny the writing is pretty. Schwab lends a lilting tone to the narration, a flower slowly unfurling its petals. Also, again, I liked the premise of the novel if not the execution. Addie’s curse is thought out, and there are details to it that I wouldn’t have thought of.

I suppose I liked the characters, Henry especially, otherwise I couldn’t have finished this book. (We’ll talk more about Addie’s character later.) Oh! Also, Addie has had relationships with men and women, and Henry is said to like people as a person first and gender second (which I took to mean pansexual, but it’s not actually said on-page). There are also a gay side character and a Black lesbian side character.

Now onto the things that I didn’t like; this could honestly be a whole list but I have too much to say. Again, very minor spoilers for the book below. We’ll start with the smaller issues and work our way up.

I’ve seen people say this book is about Addie having a love affair with the devil, but it’s really not? She actually resents him and only refuses to surrender her soul to him out of spite, which I admired. Otherwise, it’s mostly a hate relationship.

We get a lot of chapters with Addie learning how to steal and hustle (more on this later), and as I got deeper into the book, I found it hard to ignore that Addie pretty much shares the same characteristics as Lila Bard, the protagonist of Schwab’s previous Shades of Magic series. This didn’t necessarily bother me that much and I do dislike comparing an author’s works to their previous ones, but it was hard to ignore the fact that they were just the same character. They both want more out of life than a woman’s position, they both become thieves, they’re both a bit morally gray. It grows a bit tiring seeing the same female character in her works.

While I did say I liked the writing, I found it repetitive at times. I love motifs and parallelism as much as the next person, but it should be done subtly and not as heavy-handed as it was in this book at times. For example, there’s a metaphor about Addie being a palimpsest, a manuscript that’s written over and over. The word palimpsest is used six times in this book, and four of those times are just in the first 40%. As much as this could have been pointing to her life as being cyclical, I think the repetition of any metaphors grew too much for a 450 page book.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one character of color the entire book, and that was the aforementioned Black lesbian side character, Bea. To be fair, the book doesn’t really focus on many other people than the four characters I stated, but while I’m writing this, I’m just now realizing that we get Addie’s story in the past from 1714 to 1980. That would have covered a big history of racism, slavery, and colonialism, no?

And yet, we don’t get any mention of any of that, and Addie is French aka one of the biggest European colonizers. No one thought this was an issue? Maybe the author thought she couldn’t write about any of this because she’s white but wow, we’re not even going to get a mention? I think the biggest stance we get is that Luc, the devil character, helped Napoleon but had nothing to do with Hitler because “there’s ambition and then there’s evil.” Look at me with a straight face and tell me why colonialism and slavery couldn’t be brought up.

The issue that bothered me the most while reading is that this book is just so boring. Nothing happens for the entire first half! We get chapters set in the past, starting from when Addie makes her Faustian pact, but for the first half, it’s not balanced well at all with the present chapters. Most of the past chapters show how Addie learns to adapt to her curse, where she lives, how she learns to steal and whatnot, but I genuinely did not care.

Seriously, my entire line of thought while I was reading these chapters was just “I do not care” said over and over again much like the various metaphors in this book. I don’t care about how she interacted with various historical figures! It wasn’t necessary to any of the plot and just dragged on. Oh also, most of the past chapters were really just to establish Addie refusing to surrender to Luc, but did we really need ten variations of this? The answer is a firm no. The only reason I finished the book was because I wanted to see what happened. I did like the ending a little bit although I think we could have gotten there better.

I think I’ve realized that this author’s books are no longer for me. This is just my personal opinion, and I know that I’m in the very small minority that disliked this book. Please don’t let my opinions deter you (although I would keep in mind the whole “I’m just not going to bring up slavery and colonialism in a book that’s set during this time and that also has a protagonist from France” thing).

Overall, the premise of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was intriguing but the execution of it fell so, so flat for me. While I enjoyed some things about this book enough to actually finish it, there were so many glaring problems that I’m still surprised that I even managed to make it all the way through. I think this will be the last of this author’s works that I will read, but that’s just my personal opinion. Make of my review what you will.