The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has been a long anticipated release from V.E. Schwab, and it did not disappoint. I think fans of her earlier books as well as new readers who are leary of fantasy and haven't yet picked up her more fantasy-heavy works will love Addie LaRue. It has a perfect dose of magic, while still being grounded in our world. Victoria Schwab's writing and characters pull you in and make you interested in where the story is going without being predictable at all. I truly enjoyed reading along with Addie's journey and would highly recommend. this book, along with the author's other works.

1714, Addie is a lonely French girl who’s dreams are much bigger than the small town she is in. To avoid a path forced upon her, she prays to the god of darkness. Her plea? To live forever. Her punishment? To never be remembered. Until, at nearly her 300 year anniversary of the deal she made, a boy says “I remember you.”

We follow Addie’s story from her youth all the way to her 300 year anniversary of her deal with the devil, even getting glimpses of when she was quite young.

Addie is a strong woman who is ambitious and despises the idea of being tied down to her small town or unable to explore and see the world. In a world where women are meant only to be silent mothers and wives, this obviously creates a big challenge for Addie. Addie decides that only answer is to call upon the god of darkness and make a deal with him.

The writing is solid and beautiful. This was actually my first VE Schwab book and I was definitely impressed with her writing. Each piece of scenery was beautifully described and I feel like she also has a wonderful way of really setting up the vibe of the moment. You feel fully immersed in that scene and you know exactly what the characters are feeling.

This is written in third person POV and I must add that I never truly felt well connected to our main characters. Sometimes third person absolutely crushes it and I am able to fully invest and subscribe to our characters and sometimes it doesn’t. This didn’t completely work for me. I can appreciate that perhaps that doesn’t matter too much to other readers based off their preferences(which is completely fine as we all have much different preferences), but I personally need to be fully invested in the characters.

This story is quite slow developing, especially in the first 30% of the book. It’s a wonderful story, unique and creative and intriguing, but it definitely required my patience. I enjoyed the story and the characters but it also took me 12 days to finish which is definitely a sign that it didn’t pull me in quite enough.

Luc was a completely underdeveloped character. He was meant to be such an important role but we never get his backstory or a description of his magic or what kind of god he is(other than, of course, <i>darkness</i>) There is a lot of talk of all the different gods and yet we have zero mythology in this book, no description of his power and why he holds that power. I can understand why others wouldn’t care, but maybe I needed it to more fully subscribe to the idea of him?
Also, he was insanely intriguing and I wanted to know him so much more and would’ve devoured that content but not nearly enough was given.

Did this book ever really have a plot with conflict? I know the general plot was Addie selling her soul to live forever but then also reaping the consequence of no one remembering her, but other than that...where was the plot? The conflict? I think the main reason I feel this way is that the stakes never felt high enough. No one remembers Addie so she can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. When you find out Henry’s story, the stakes are perhaps raised a bit but him and Addie fall in love so fast and it’s so soft and sweet which is nice and refreshing but definitely makes things feel a little easy, in my opinion. The conflict doesn’t kick in till around 85% of the way through which was much too late in the game for me.

I will add that the ending was clever and beautiful. I do feel like this story wrapped up perfectly. The last 10% of the book made me appreciate it more than I thought I would. I loved the details and the call backs and all the hard work Schwab put into this story. You can truly see her love and passion for this story and Addie.

Overall, I am happy to have known Addie’s life and her story. I would absolutely recommend this to others. I can completely appreciate why people have fallen in love with this book. It’s a beautiful story of love and loss and resilience. I enjoyed the settings and the jumps through the timeline of Addie’s life and the unique relationship with Luc she had during her 300 years.


A massive thank you to the publishers & netgalley for the ARC!

5 stars!

Addie LaRue makes a deal in 1714 rural France wanting to live a bigger life than in her village and a life her parents have forced upon her. She gets more life but can’t make a mark in the world or be remembered. The story goes back and forth covering 300 years of Addie’s life and the current world.

The book was so different, truly unique, and just delightful. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for this advanced reader copy.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue By V.E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a beautiful, haunting story about a girl who made a deal with an old god to be free. The bargain is made, but there is always a price, and you must be careful what you wish for; Adeline LaRue is free and now has all the time she needs to live, but no one will remember her, and she cannot make a mark on the world around her. Until one day, a boy says, “I remember you.”

Schwab writes an enchanting tale that makes you think about what it means to truly live and to take advantage of the time you have, no matter how long. The story is engrossing and the prose beautiful. You can feel the love and heart that was put into this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this journey and the pleasure of getting to know this cast of characters. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a story that will continue to live with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced reading copy of this book.

I loved this book. It's amazing and moving and intense. I honestly didn't know what would happen at the end. I wanted the traditional ending, but this one was so much better. I've never read this author before, but I think I will again. They way she sees the world is so much different than I have experienced.

It is exactly as the review stated, it’s like The Time Traveler’s Wife. If you are into a more melodramatic novel from Schwab, you’ll like this one. Personally it just isn’t my style.

I loved this book. I will say the beginning was much more interesting than the middle but I think the ending makes up for a slower paced middle. Addie is an incredibly complex character who is flawed and feels real despite being 300 years old. Where this book really shines is the historical flashbacks and I honestly could have read an entire book about the first 50 years of Addie’s life. I will say you kind of pick up the pace in the 1900’s and miss a lot of Addie’s life during that period which was a little disappointing. Overall I loved this book and loved the ending even more.

This is simply the most beautiful book I've ever read. The characterization is exquisite. The plot is breathtaking and the pace is done really well. I couldn't put this down and it's just as heartbreaking and magical as you would expect.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tor Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Absolutely PHENOMENAL read. I LOVED this story so much and couldn’t put it down. I didn’t see the ending coming and while I was a little sad, in some ways, it was unexpected in a really great way and not a traditional happily ever after, which I loved.

There are elements of magic, historical fiction, a love story, art, and friendship- a study on the human condition and the resilience of people.

4.5/5

[A big thank you to Macmillion-Tor/Forge for providing an ARC via Netgalley for an honest review - I tried my best not to reveal too much at all at this moment in time because I believe this to be a book that is best read without much prior knowledge. I may come back to update this closer to the release date.]

Where do I even begin? Let’s start with something Victoria Schwab herself said:

“As I do my final read-through on this book, a story nearly 10 years in the making, all I can think is that I've put my heart and soul, my teeth and blood and bones into this one.”

And guess what? IT SHOWS. All those years probably spent dreaming, thinking, researching, writing and rewriting have paid off in creating this masterpiece.

Victoria also said this book is the closest thing to a love story she’d ever write….this holds true. But this isn't just a love story between one human and another, between one human and a god…..it is a love story between one girl and life. A life that offers beauty alongside pain. A life that provides moments of wonder alongside suffering. A life that encompasses both everything....and nothing….all at once.

This is not an easy book. It is complicated and it is raw. It will require patience and it will hold no punches. But I can say for a fact that it is worth it. It is worth the tears, to truly appreciate those moments of happiness, and it is worth the heartbreak, to anxiously look forward to those moments of hope.

I started this book exactly three weeks ago today. 300 years in three weeks. I cried, I laughed, I gasped, I cheered, I experienced a countless number of emotions. I also put it aside many times wondering how I could keep going. If there is one piece of advice I can offer going into this….take your time. Addie's story can be a lot to take in, especially in the first 20%. There were moments where I couldn’t make it past more than 50 pages in one sitting. But it is okay to allow yourself a reprieve to process all the emotions that will bubble up from reading about the harsh realities our mc is faced with. It is a story written over the course of 10 years, it only makes sense to savor it.

Enjoy it while it lasts everyone, you'll definitely wish for more the second it ends.

I remember you Addie Larue.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a phenomenal story. It's such a wonderful concept, and I have been hearing about this book since the Shades of Magic series. I know it took Schwab 10 years to write this book, and it definitely shows with how much love and care she puts into each sentence, each word choice.

This story is about hope and love, two things that we need so much more in the world currently. I fell in love with Addie instantly. She's such an innocent girl when the reader first meets her, and she hardened by time and the human experience. This book is likely going to be my book of the year. I highly recommend you check this out.

According to the author this book took 10 years to write, and the payoff is worth it. Addie LaRue is a book to sink into, to savour. Already a master at fantasy, this book has knocked it out of the park and is a masterpiece from Schwab. The story unfolds across two timelines, the present and Addie's past. It will break your heart and put it together again. I will definitely recommend it to customers and plan on staff picking it- if I don't have to fight my coworkers for it that is.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will be very forthcoming in that I was excited for this book but wary: I've really enjoyed Schwab's books, but the hype for this one was huge. I was worried it would be overblown and I would not enjoy it as much as everyone else. But oh my gosh.

This book hits deep. (The exact text I sent my friends after I finished it.)

It's a little slow to begin, which I think the author's longer books can be. But that just means she takes a good running leap. When the book hits you, it's with a 2x4 to the face and it just keeps hitting. I'm writing this in the immediate aftermath of finishing and my throat is tight and I have tears in my eyes.

Addie is stunning and spectacular. I've heard another review calling this the book Schwab was meant to write all along and I think that's right - but I think it's more the book she needed to write her way to and now that it's out there, the possibilities of where to go from here are endless.

I remember Addie, and I hope after October you will too.

V. E. Schwab's latest is a beautiful meditation on time and human connection. Highly recommended for readers of Erin Morgenstern.

Addie La Rue makes a deal with darkness to escape the confines of her small life in exchange for her soul. But he can only have her soul when she no longer wants it. She thinks she is making a deal to be able to live her life on her terms, no longer to answer to anyone but herself, and to be able to explore the world. The catch is that no one will remember her. She will meet new people every day for 300 years and once she is out of their sight it is like she never existed. Until one day she meets someone, and he says "I remember you."
This was a really good book. I always love the twisted tales of V. E. Schwab. However, I think there could have been a little more to the story. More history. More character development for the Devil she calls Luc. More development of their relationship. Overall though, I enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something new to read.

Parts of Addie’s story captivated me, as she learns to be independent and sufficient over time. However, the love story seemed predictable and I didn’t enjoy the last half of the book as much. The book was okay but didn’t wow.

Every time I picked this book up, I was brought to tears. I genuinely think this is my new favourite book of all time.

The prose is magnificent, with thoughtful metaphors peppered throughout, bringing you closer to understanding the atmosphere of every scene and setting. Though the novel takes place predominantly in France and New York City, places many know very well, V.E. Schwab does an astounding job at taking us on an adventure to the hidden gems of each city. She highlights, in the right amount of detail, what these places look and feel like, while also incorporating the way these impact each of her characters differently based on their life experiences. Speaking of, I think the most magnificent part of this book lies in Addie and Henry. I cannot begin to express my complete adoration for these characters. While in many novels, having three timelines interspersed between chapters may cause confusion, this story does it effortlessly, with the switches in timelines falling perfectly in line with the journey of the characters and our learning of who they are. I also think this greatly influenced how close I felt to Addie and Henry, as I was able to understand exactly where they were coming from and empathize with them to a greater degree than if I had simply been told (rather than shown) how their past came to drive their present. Through this book, I have smiled and cried and laughed and suffered and loved with my whole heart right alongside these two. They are the characters that I have been waiting to find myself in for so long and I honestly think I will carry them with me for the rest of my life.

To V.E. Schwab, thank you for this story about a lonely boy who discovers a passion for life and a forgotten girl that will never be forgotten.

I'm struggling with how to review this book. I adore VE Schwab, and her writing is beautiful and lyrical. It invites you to invest your time and your attention. However, this fell flat for me. I found the story predictable and repetitive, and I couldn't connect to her characters like I usually do. I wasn't invested in the story because it felt like so much build up for very little pay off. I tore through the first half, excited to get to the story but it never came. Addie does the same thing in each flashback and remains her same stubborn self for the entirety of the book. I stopped caring. Schwab has created far more interesting characters with the same motives and done more with their stories in other novels. There have been more interesting villains, more interesting plots, more interesting twists. Schwab's writing is always stunning and I'm excited to see what she does next, but it was a struggle to finish this book.

It’s 2 am and I can’t sleep because I can’t stop thinking about this book. Addie will stay with me for years to come, I know that for sure.

A round of applause for V.E. Schwab! Whenever I pick up one of her books I experience a rollercoaster of emotions! One of my favorite books by this author, and definitely a contender for my best reads of 2020. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to pick this book up.