V.E Schwab is a master at creating a world, creating characters and a story that allows them to shine. This book is no different as it jumps time and space to weave the stories of Addie, Luc and Henry as they all get what they wish for and then Wish they had phrased their desires better. Spanning 300 years Addie struggles with being forgettable and finding ways to work around her curse until she meets Henry, a bookseller with his own deal with the devil. A romance, a cautionary tale, a look at the restrictions put on women and the idea of what it means to be truly remembered. It was a slow start for me but I really enjoyed this book.

A time travel epic that centers on a woman who chooses freedom and independence at the price of her mortality and her name. Anyone who meets her, forgets her. 300 years go by and an encounter gives Addie hope that perhaps she has a chance to be remembered. V.E. Schwab weaves an unforgettable tale through time, and reminds young girls to fight for their right to choose and live.

V.E. Schwab's writing is magical and lyrical and really pulls you in. Addie LaRue just wants to escape her life in her small French village in the 1700's and accidentally ends up selling her soul to a devil. The book jumps between 2014 New York and the past, where Addie is cursed to never be remembered by anyone she meets. The sense of loneliness and her first disastrous year of her curse is really soul crushing. This was a fantastic book but not a particularly light read either though that may be due to the current times and how that loneliness and isolation is a real thing right now.

V.E. Schwab’s latest book lives up to the years of hype and waiting from her fans. Addie LaRue is a masterpiece - a love story, a villainess origin story, a tribute to art, a way to try to bottle memory - this story is breathtaking. I know I will come back to this book again and again.

(I was already preapproved for this on Edelweiss after I requested it here on Netgalley, and read it as soon as I discovered it there)

Posted to Goodreads as well.

The entire time I was involved with this story (I read it in a day, so I was rather involved, one might say) I felt as if I had read it before, and pieces/parts were definitely reminiscent of other stories. I wanted to like this more than I did, but the only character who really had me turning the pages was Henry.

This is not to say that I didn't like it, but it left me wanting more (not more of the story, but more as in what I love from VS - not so much the magic of the story but of the characterization).

Throughout literature there have been a variety of stories detailing hellish bargains, but Victoria Schwab takes this concept and gives it a modern twist. In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, main character Adeline makes a deal with an ancient god that while providing her with more time, relieves her of her soul and causes everyone to forget her. It’s over two centuries before she finds someone who can remember her, but before Adeline and Henry completely fall in love, Adeline’s past comes back to haunt her, and difficult choices must be made.
Schwab has mastered her signature prose and crafts a new novel that sends readers on a breakneck adventure where everything changes except Addie. Divided into seven parts, this novel is partitioned out to make reading breaks convient, but the thrilling action and suspense of the novel partnered with a reader’s empathy for the main character makes it nearly impossible to put away. Addie is a vivid character, threaded through with streaks of stubborn independence with the strong self resolve to see things through to the end. Although we see Addie as fiercely self reliant, she remains human in her sense of needing affection, and also completely selfless in her sacrifices. Schwab’s creation of character and relationships prove to be a powerful force through this novel, and are only enhanced by the situations she’s set them in. Quite possibly one of the most moving novels of the year, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a story readers will keep close to their hearts for years to come.

I'll start this review without knowing what to say. This is one of those books that will stay in my mind and in my heart for a long, long time. I've always said that I love V.E. Schwab's books, but this one is by far my favorite. And believe me, I had high expectations and it exceeded them.

This book is about Addie LaRue, a French girl who was born in the 1700s. She was always warned not to pray to the gods who answer when it gets dark. But on a desperate night, she does it and she gets an answer. Addie ends up making a pact with the devil: now she will live forever, but she will be forgotten by everyone. Until one day, 300 years later, a boy says the words that change everything: I remember you.

Isn't the premise brutal? I had the honor of hearing it from the mouth of Victoria Schwab herself on two occasions (one in Argentina and the other in Mexico) and from the first time I was fascinated and intrigued. This was one of my most anticipated books and I was the happiest when I got an advanced copy from the publisher.

And yes, it is very easy to tell you what this book is about, but very difficult to explain everything that it made me feel. Meeting Addie was a privilege. It was wonderful (and painful) to see the world and humanity through her eyes. She has lived 300 years being forgotten by everyone, and she never gives up. She never loses her wonder and her desire to live. And yes, she is tired, how can she not be?

I don't want to tell you much about the other main characters, but I can tell you that one of them is the devil, Addie calls him Luc. He is the night itself. He is evil, but also a character full of layers. I didn't know if I loved him or hated him (I lowkey loved him ok). And on the other hand we have Henry, who I will tell you NOTHING about. You just need to know that he is the one who says those mythical words to Addie: "I remember you." How can he remember her? What makes him different? YOU MUST READ IT TO DISCOVER IT.

Now, the book kept me very entertained at all times, plus it is full of reflections on life and humanity. While reading it I thought I was going to like it a lot, but it was the ending that made me LOVE it with all my heart. I think endings are important. The end of a story can lift it or ruin it, and the end of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue lifted it to the sky and beyond. For me, that ending formed a perfect circle and I ended up crying. The last three chapters were read between tears and sobs (and this is not a spoiler because I am the type of reader who cries of happiness, sadness, courage and, well, I cry with any strong emotion, really).

Now I can only say that Addie LaRue deserves to be read, known and remembered. It is a book so real, but at the same time so full of magic, that you will never forget.

I really enjoyed the writing and did get swept away sometimes; however, I never really stayed inside the book despite feeling like I should love everything about this. Interesting characters and certainly an epic story to tell.

One of the best books I've read all year!

The writing in this book is just beautiful. It's lyrical, poetic, and any other lovely descriptive word you can think of. It's full of imagery and metaphors and is worth all the hype that is sure to come. The characters are delightfully complex and there are several twists to keep you on your toes. It was the perfect amount of bittersweet with a wonderful ending. A book worth all the stars.

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc!

Many people have contemplated the question: “what would you do if you could live forever?” However, few would have considered the unexpected condition that Addie finds herself facing- a life remembered by no one.

Similar to a modern day interpretation of the Monkey’s Paw, “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V. E. Schwab beautifully explores the idea that one doesn’t always get what they wish for, but through surprising twists and turns may find themself exactly where they belong.

V. E. Schwab takes the reader on a truly captivating whirlwind of an adventure through the ages with unforgettable (pun intended) characters and their ability to remain hopeful carry on when all else seems hopeless. V. E. Schwab is back again with a smashing success, and I can’t wait for everyone else to fall deeply in love with Addie and her journey as I have.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was heartbreaking. Full of amazing moments with the perfect main character to take you through the many years of her life. The whole story left me wanting to know more and sad when it ended. I felt like I couldn't get enough of either Addie, Henry or Luc!

I had the privilege of reading an early copy of V.E. Schwab's lush new novel, and it was glorious. Rich as butter prose, feelings as sharp as knives, a riveting story from a fan favorite.

If I were anywhere near as eloquent as VE Schwab, I might be able to find the words for this book. I'll try anyway, but it took me weeks of thinking about it after finishing it to begin to try to express the experience. It was dreamy. She has such a mastery of writing, such amazing skill in choosing her words. From the beginning to the end you can tell how much love she put into this story.

It was unlike anything I’d ever read before, but parts of it felt familiar, like a fairytale I’d heard somewhere before. Addie is a loveable main character and to follow her path through centuries, fighting for her freedom under a curse, was very compelling.

It was a slower read, but so lyrical. I think this qualifies as a modern classic. Thank you, VE Schwab, you’ve done it again!

I was in awe of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I could not stop reading it. It was completely original and so well written and thought out. I felt like I lived in this book and knew Addie. I loved this book so much and I know it is one I'll reread every year. Thank you so much to V.E. Schwab for writing such an amazing 5 star book.

A truly unique and devasting story.

Adeline "Addie" LaRue always wanted more from her life than her tiny village and marriage. On the day of her wedding, she runs and makes a deal that comes with a cost she never expected. In return for immortality, she loses the ability to leave a single trace of her existence. People forget about her as soon as she leaves their sight. She can steal things but anything she breaks becomes whole soon after.

It's a bleak story and Addie suffers a lot throughout the story. But while many would despair at the cost of this wish, Addie is determined and stubborn to fight. She tries and succeeds in finding little loopholes. She leaves little traces of her existences in songs and artworks she's inspired as she goes about her life. The book goes back and forth in between the past and present, showing scenes of how she's lived after her ill-fated wish and the places she travels to.

One day while stealing a book, she meets Henry, who is able to remember her and is just as lonely as Addie. Their interactions were sweet, all the more so because you know that their time is limited. And their end comes suddenly. The ending is beautiful, sad yet filled with so much hope. I really adored this book and Addie will remain in my thoughts for a long time. I very much recommended this!

Thank you to Macmillan for providing this ARC.

What a beautiful book. I was lucky to get an early (VERY EARLY) eCopy of this book to enjoy and enjoy I did. It's just so well written, which shouldn't be a surprise coming from V.E Schwab. Every single book of hers that I've read I have loved. She has a way of writing characters that walk down that middle road of being both good and bad, and this book is no different. Addie has an invisible life, a deal with an old god, and now she cannot be remembered. I don't want to spoil anything as this book doesn't release until October 2020, but it is a story of one woman who just wants to live her life, and all the adventures and heartache. Henry is a character that was unexpected, but he had such a beautiful story, and such interesting challenges of his own, and his struggle with his "storms" really hit home as a beautiful idea of mental health and the struggles of so many people. I can't recommend this book enough. I felt happy, sad, nervous, angry, filled with hope, and also an appreciation for the life I have now. The power of memory, and what we leave behind is something that we all feel, but we don't always think about, but we do now, because of this book.

Stunning. Absolutely brilliant. The concept is simple but the story and emotions unfold into an intricate tapestry. Layered with heartache one moment and contentment in the next.

1714. A French girl essentially sells her soul to a devil for an immortal life. The catch being that she can never leave a mark on the world she longs to explore and experience. Never be remembered. 300 years later, in a bookstore, someone remembers.

There’s a type of feeling I get when I read incredible and special fantasy novels but it’s nearly indescribable. I felt it when I read The Night Circus and again when The Starless Sea was all wrapped up. It’s that soft but beautiful build of emotions. You don’t know when the book offically lays it’s roots into you, but you sure recognize it before you’re done. If only because you start to dread the last page.

Quite, honestly, I feel like I’m rambling in an effort just to produce words. This review is hard because I can’t give anything away but also, I kinda want to hold this story close and just let it be me and it for a while. I’m happy to let the book be read by everyone but don’t want to talk it out. I want to pretend that it’s just me and these characters, frozen in a moment.

Perhaps that says it all and more likely it says nothing.

Okay, fine. Here’s some thoughts... the 300 year journey is crazy good. All the little details that are built around this “curse” are brilliant. I thought it might be a little slow to start but by the time you’re wrapped up in it all you realize how perfectly balanced the book is. People upon people and places upon places stacked and shifted into stunning chapters. And the lack of connection between Addie and the world only amplifies what she does achieve and the relationships she has by the last page. It creates the most amazing emotions for the reader.

Loved it and highly recommend.

*I received a free advance ecopy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The devil is in the details. And in the case of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the titular character knows this all too well. Adeline LaRue makes a desperate deal to live forever only to find that she is forgotten by everyone she meets. Even as she finds ways to leave her mark on the world, nothing prepares her for the unexpected moment when someone does remember.

I will remember every bit of Addie LaRue’s life. I felt every bit of Addie’s fears and sorrows, joys and hopes. It wasn’t just Addie, though. I found myself invested with not only main characters, but also the brief glimpses of those along the way. The story weaves between past and present and while I had some initial fears that I would struggle to keep the timelines straight, instead I slipped easily between the two. I was equally eager for both parts of the story.

All of it is a testament to the talents of V.E. Schwab. She is a master of emotions and character, of tension and anticipation. It was, for me, a masterpiece of storytelling—one I plan to return to several times.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

V.E. Schwab is most definitely a favorite amongst bloggers and bloggers, and for good reason. The tale told in this book is something different, enchanting. The writing has a smooth cadence to it, the world's being built around Addy the kind a person wants to get lost in.

This is my first book by V.E. Schwab and it didn't disappoint!

I loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It was so well written. The history, the context, the feelings that it conjured, were amazing!

I didn't realize I needed this book, until I started reading it. I cried, I laughed, I loved, and I hurt for the characters.

Addie LaRue wanted to be independent during a time when women weren't allowed to be. She wanted to be like the trees. To stand tall and be strong. However, when her choices were taken from her, she tried to save herself, and made the deal with the devil.

Schwabs writing, is one of the best I've seen in years. I will forever be a fan of her work and will be reading them all now.

Thank you again, NetGalley and Tor books for this wonderful book. I loved it!