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!

4.5/5 stars

WOW WOW WOW WOW W O W

I honestly don’t know where to start with this review nor will I likely know where it will go but let’s try !!

first off this is likely going to be quite divisive. I will say that about 40-50% of the people who have this on their radar may be disappointed with it.

this is a very unique story both in its subject matter and the way it’s told. it’s very reminiscent of a “literary” writing style that comes off as “fake deep,” repetitive, and a bit pretentious at times. it’s very much an “ideas” driven story rather than a plot or character driven one. I mention this in one of my updates but it really does remind me of dorian gray, both in that our two MC both sell their souls to the “devil” and that both schwab & wilde both really like to philosophize about life, art, and legacy.

for that, many readers will likely be bored and not connect to the story or the characters.

but because I love those kinds of discussions framed in religious context with hot villains: I am a fan, indeed.

this is told in two time perspectives: on is the early 18th century as addie begins her life of immortality and dance with the devil, the other being present day where she meets someone very interesting. I liked the first perspective MUCH MUCH more but the two were very much needed for the story.

though, just because it’s needed doesn’t mean I loved it.

in fact, my main issue with this book was the aforementioned “interesting character” addie meets in present day. they were so incredibly lack-luster compared to the grandeur of addie and the rest of the story. they got on my nerves at how pathetic and whiny they came off to me. this furthered my annoyance when we had to read chapters in their perspective. I completely see the merit in their character and how they contributed to the story, I just wish schwab gave them more flavor.

I really loved so, so much about this book. the discussions were amazing (albeit repetitive sometimes), addie was FANTASTIC, the “devil” was hot & manipulative, the multiple settings were lush, and the ending was the perfect blend of satisfaction & intrigue.

I cannot wait for more people to read this so I can hear everyone’s thoughts. this is definitely one worth talking about.

‘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).

Dark. Seductive. Everlasting. I thoroughly loved the way that V. E. Schwab unveiled the story of Addie LaRue, switching back and forth through time and "present day", slowly answering the reader's internal questions and offering new ones for speculation. "Words are everything", and so is this book! I cannot wait to recommend it to everyone.

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.

How can one leave a mark upon history if no one remembers them?

In the year 1714, twenty-three-year-old Adeline LaRue is forced into a marriage she doesn't want. The only way out is to offer up a prayer to the Old Gods - a prayer to be free, to live how she wants. A Faustian deal is made that night, and Addie finds her prayers answered. The price, though, is more than she bargained for. Spanning through time and across the globe, Addie is forgotten by everyone she meets, her presence wiped from their memories the moment she's out of sight. Until, that is, three hundred years later, in a small Manhattan bookstore, someone does remember . . .

V. E. Schwab does a fantastic job imbuing Addie with all the characteristics of a smart, strong, independent protagonist. I found myself emotionally invested in Addie's trials and tribulations, watching through her eyes as she slowly learns how to navigate this strange new world that she's been forced to become a part of. I felt her disappointment of being forgotten, her sadness of saying goodbye, and her elation when someone finally remembers.

Several times throughout the story, I thought I knew what was coming next, only to have the author take it in an unexpected direction - something that I always love when reading a novel. That, along with a near-perfect ending that raised goosebumps on my arms, lets me give this an enthusiastic four-star recommendation!

It's a story about love and life and history. It's a story about a woman desperately trying to leave her mark any way she can. It's a story about the lengths someone will go to be remembered.

One thing is certain, after reading this book, you'll never be able to forget Adeline LaRue.

I read one VE Schwab book before and I wasn't a huge fan of it. I grabbed this one because the whole concept, of not being remembered, sounded really intriguing.

I did enjoy it. The writing was very good and made it easy to picture the different time periods and cities every time the story jumped around.

I liked the ending. My only criticism us that I wish we could've had even more moments with just Addie experiencing new things and new cities.

V.E. Schwab worked on this book for ten years. TEN. She’s spoken passionately about her love of these characters and their story, how its slowly simmered all these years as she’s worked on other projects. Her excitement about Addie has had me waiting with bated breath for years now and I’ve been holding on to this ARC since March, waiting for just the right moment so that I could savor the story.

Annnnnnd it was just okay.
*hangs head in shame*
I know I’m the outlier here. I’m seeing all the love for this book and all the glowing five stars and I’m thrilled that so many people have connected with the story!

France, 1714: Addie LaRue wishes only to have a life for herself; to make her own decisions and see the world. She runs away the evening of her wedding that she did not agree to, desperate; ready to give anything in order to have the life she imagines.
It is a dark god that hears her desperation and in an instant Addie has made a deal that will lead her on a journey across continents and centuries.

You see, Addie has the gift of immortality. She can live her life freely and when she’s had enough, she’ll give her soul to the devil she calls Luc. That was the deal.
But… Luc is Petty (yes, with a capital P).
What he failed to mention when he made this deal is that no one will remember Addie; as soon as they turn away from her, she is instantly wiped from their memory. She cannot speak her real name or write down her story. She wanders, witnessing history in people and places, without a single companion or a place to call home.
After 300 years, in a book shop in NYC, she meets Henry.
And Henry remembers her.
So begins a love story that feels destined to end in tragedy.

This book is a slow burn. The first 30%, I was into it, savoring it, thinking of all the time and care Schwab had taken.
But it became tedious as brief glimpses are given through the centuries of Addie’s life, never grounding itself long enough to create atmosphere. It’s simply the exact same scene, repeated: Addie slips from someone’s memory after she’s made a brief connection with them, Luc shows up randomly to be Petty and Addie refuses to surrender her soul.
When she meets Henry, I figured out pretty quickly what made their connection special before the “big reveal”. It came as no surprise the way the story ended.
I felt I was being constantly reminded of the cruelty that Addie cannot be remembered, that was the entire focus and I couldn't get around that to the heart of the story. I guess I was expecting more atmosphere, more details of all the incredible events she lived through and the part she may have played in them, more cat and mouse between Addie and Luc.
Did I just put too much pressure on this to be a top book of the year because I’ve been hearing about it for years now and building it up in my mind? Maybe.

What I loved about the book is the writing itself. I truly felt the love Schwab has for Addie and the words so carefully chosen to introduce her to readers. I wish I could’ve made a connection with Addie but I’m happy to see so many other readers have.

I’m extremely grateful to Tor Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is scheduled for release on October 6, 2020.

What a book. I loved everything about this story. It was written beautifully and in a way that makes you appreciate the concept of the story and not just the story itself. It’s a story the encompasses emotion, time, and life itself.