One of my favorite books so far this year. The pacing was perfect-- the author does a phenomenal job of trickling out information at just the right speed.

This is not a fantasy novel-- it isn't even a paranormal. Like [book:The Time Traveler's Wife|18619684] or [book:Outlander|10964] or [book:How to Stop Time|35411685], there is one fantastical element the reader needs to believe; the rest of the story is just about people.

Romantic without being a romance, with historical elements because of the setting, this could easily be a book for every book club. If it had an earlier pub date, I would put it up as a contender for this summer's "It" book.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. I got this book as an advanced readers copy and right away it grabbed my attention. I am so used to reading romcoms and this book seemed like the breath of fresh air I needed. Little did I know this book was going to be my new favourite. Absolutely extraordinary writing. I can’t wait to put this in the hands of book lovers everywhere in October!

Enthralling and gorgeously-written from start to finish. Addie LaRue is a character in the style of Hob Gadling from Neil Gaiman's Sandman, an immortal by choice, by just refusing to give in and die, because there's so very much to live for, no matter how bleak things get for her. And they get very bleak indeed. The bargain she made with the devil(?) ensures that no one can ever remember her -- so much as leave the room, and they forget she ever existed. This means she never really gets above scraping for survival, as there's no way to *own* anything if no one remembers you from one moment to the next. Over the course of 300 years, she comes to make the most of this condition, but it's still a sad and lonely existence -- until she meets Henry, the first person since 1714 who can remember her. Henry has a story and a tragedy of his own; watching them unfold around each other is heart-rending and powerful.

There are ways in which this feels like a tragic deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, since that's what Addie is to so many of the artists she inspires, but the story explores and values her, not the artists whose lives she flits briefly through. Rarely do we see that sort of dynamic from the viewpoint of the muse and what she suffers.

I do wish the latter half of her relationship with Luc had gotten a bit more "screen time", though -- we spend most of the book hearing about Something Dramatic and Paradigm-Altering that happens in New Orleans in the late 20th century, there are so many hints and so much emotional wreckage, but then when we get there, it goes by quite fast. The flashbacks to Addie's life are heavily weighted toward the 18th century, and I could have done with a little more balance.

'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' a few world-building holes and missed opportunities, and Schwab also sets off one of my personal pet peeves regarding historical clothing, but on the whole, those issues melt away under the sheer force of Schwab's emotional writing.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows Addie through many years after she makes a deal that changes her life and existence forever. With many books, specifically Schwab’s books, I think that it is best to go in not knowing much about the story and that idea really stands with this book. With that being said, there are still a few things worth mentioning that may help draw you in.
With Addie being born in 1714 France I was worried that we may not get to see that time of her life but boy was I wrong. I loved being able to see Addie live through all different times up until our present day. The history that was intertwined with her story was unexpected, but definitely interesting and entertaining.
I also love that Schwab writes characters who are not perfect and that’s what makes the story so wonderful. She writes characters who are relatable and are going through real life issues. While we may not all be able to relate to making deals with the devil, most of us can relate to trying to find our place in life and wanting to be seen by others.
All in all if you are a fan of Schwab and her work you will without a doubt love this book. If you are new to Schwab, there is no wrong book or series to start with. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will show you Schwab's breathtaking storytelling abilities and her passion for her characters. This is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read (and I do not say that lightly) and I recommend that everyone does themselves a favor and picks up this book.

I’d love to thank NetGalley and Tor for allowing me a chance to read this galley! It was a serious honor to be approved. I’ve been very curious about this book for some time. See, I love immortal characters. The more tragic, the more lives lived, the better. I eat ‘em up.

This novel had so much potential. Schwab has a fantastic spin on the trope, where every person Addie interacts with forgets her as soon as they leave a room. She also cannot leave a mark, say her real name or her truths, be accurately rendered in photograph or illustration, and she’s occasionally visited by the demon god of the night/devil who cursed her in the first place.

The narrative is told from the present and the past and in two different POVs (though Addie’s dominates). For most of the book, you see Addie’s life up to and after she’s cursed as a 23-year-old on the eve of a marriage she wants out of, and you see her in New York City in 2014.

You also see some backstory and current POV of her modern love interest, Henry, who looks uncannily like the devil (black curls, but different eye color).

Henry is the only person in three hundred years who can remember Addie, and there’s a reason for it (and you might assume what that is pretty quickly). He has also made a deal with the devil for his soul, but the curse and the terms are very different.

Putting aside the holes you’d find once you go down the road of what constitutes leaving a mark (Addie can’t break things or write or draw, but she can eat and steal), I had four real issues:

1. New York (where I live) feels a bit touristy, twee, and superficial, as do the people inhabiting it.
2. Addie feels very one-dimensional and incurious despite her age. (She actually doesn’t seem old at all.)
3. The historical portions are too generic to be immersive, and are meant to serve as a backdrop for her slow burn "romance" (you can’t really call it that) with the devil.
4. The devil character wasn’t a very effective villain. He was more smarmy and attractive, the mysterious bad boy trope, than anything else.

In summation, the concept here is incredible, but not explored as fully as it could be. The characters are all a bit thin, and the settings are often just as thin. I found the writing to be a little overwrought, though anyone who knows the word palimpsest gets extra points (it’s one of my favorite words/concepts).

This definitely has an audience who will love it, but unfortunately it just didn’t work well for me.

“If a persona cannot leave a mark, do they exist?”
“After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered?”

V.E. Schwab said she put her heart and soul into this book and I think it shows.

I absolutely loved this one. It's magical realism, so it reads like a historical fiction that alternates between Addie's early life and the present day. We meet Addie as her life begins in 18th century France and follow her through significant moments in time, both historical and personal. Addie is discontent with the future laid out for her, so she makes a deal with the devil and soon finds that it comes with consequences. Addie moves through life unable to make a lasting impression on anyone until the day she meets Henry. She thinks nothing of it until she meets him again. This time Henry remembers her.

I loved Schwab’s writing. It draws you in until suddenly you look up, it’s dark outside, and the story is finished. My kindle is filled with highlighted quotes and favorited passages. The characters are multidimensional, and even the devil is charming in a way you know you’re not supposed to like. You can’t help but fall in love with Addie and Henry and wish the best for them. The story wrapped up perfectly and I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s thoughts when the book is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with an advanced copy to review.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I love the works of VE Schwab and she does not disappoint. The technicalities of the rules of Addie's curse is what intrigued me the most and it is written so it's explained like a mystery rather than just stating what was going on. My favorite character was Luc. He reminded me of the Darkling in Shadow and Bone. I would definitely recommend this book.

TL;DR REVIEW:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my new favorite books of all time. It’s an incredible story that’s so well written and will leave you as a puddle on the floor (in the best way).

For you if: You are a human. Particularly, though, if you like or want to start reading magical realism or fantasy.

FULL REVIEW:

A ZILLION thanks to Tor Books for granting my NetGalley request to read an early electronic copy of this book for review. I cannot wait to own a physical copy and will absolutely be buying the first print hardcover. If there’s a collector’s edition, I WILL buy it.

So first let me tell you about this story’s incredible premise. It’s about a girl named Addie who was born in the late 1600s. She desperately doesn’t want to get married and settle into the life everyone in her small French village leads — she wants to be free to see the world and really live. So on the eve of her wedding, she makes a deal with a god of darkness, who makes it so. But there’s a catch, a curse: Nobody remembers her. As soon as they leave a room, they forget everything about her. We flash through her long life and to the present day, 300 years later, when everything — finally, impossibly — changes.

I’m not sure that I can even do this book justice; even just a third of the way through, I already knew I had to own it. Finishing it, it instantly became a new all-time favorite. When it comes out in October, I’m going to read it again.

This book just feels like the book Schwab has been meant to write for her entire life. Her heart bleeds out of every word, placed with incredible care and precision. The commas slayed me. It’s all so moving, and I felt like I was in a constant state of deep exhale, the emotion on my chest was so great. There are moments of joy, sadness, passion, grief, and everything in between.

And the story — the plot is perfect, in my opinion. Everything that happens is just as it truly must be. It pulls you through the story and keeps you turning pages, but I also found myself intentionally slowing down to savor every little bit. I read it over two weeks and never ever wanted it to end.

I think you should consider reading this even if you don’t usually read fantasy books. I might even call this one magical realism. I think it’s the perfect blend of literary language, magic, and historical fiction. And it’s all just so beautiful and resonant.

Give your future self a gift and preorder this book from your favorite independent bookstore or Bookshop.org … right now!



Trigger warning: Suicidal thoughts

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Have you ever read a book where, even before you finished it, you knew it would stick with you for a long time? Before I even got a quarter of the way through this book, I knew it would be one of those.

For me, it’s difficult to describe why or what exactly makes Addie LaRue one of those books. It’s more of a feeling than anything I can put into words, so this review might not actually tell you anything at all about the book itself.

I have to admit, this is the first book I’ve read by Victoria/V.E. Schwab. I’ve been aware of her for a few years, and tried to listen to an audiobook of a previous work (the narrator didn’t do it for me, so I abandoned it), but this is the first I read all the way through. I think the highest praise I can give this book is that it now makes me want to read everything else she’s written

I was immediately drawn into Addie’s world. She longed for a bigger life than the one she would have in a tiny village in 17th century France. She didn’t want to be tied to a man, raising children who were not her own and having nothing to show for it when she died. She wanted nothing more than to leave her mark on the world.

I relate to Addie in many ways: the desire to see beyond the confines of her village and to have a life of her own, not one dictated by the man she marries and the children she bears. But, of course, her willingness to give up her life as she knows it is one of the ways we definitely differ.

Addie makes a deal with the darkness; she makes a deal, in exchange for her soul, for the freedom to live as she wishes. She makes this deal to escape the life set out before her, but in exchange for that freedom, Addie is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Addie lives almost three hundred years this way, living on the edges of the world, never leaving a mark; living through wars and innovation, turmoil and peace before she meets Henry. Henry, who works in a bookshop and remembers Addie. Three words, and her whole world is turned upside down: “I remember you.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Possibly my favorite thing about this book, although it is hard to narrow it down, is Addie’s relationship with the darkness, whom she christens Luc. Luc is her only constant across the centuries, the only one who remembers her. She struggles with that because to be remembered is one of her greatest wishes, but to be remembered only by the one who cursed her is almost another curse on its own. The way their relationship changes over the years, and how they are both slightly different every time they meet is one of the best parts of the book for me. The darkness claims he is not human and doesn’t love the way humans do, but there are times where he falters, and he isn’t quite as sure of himself. The push and pull between Addie and Luc ties the whole story together and makes for one of the most interesting relationships I have ever seen on the page.

One of the things that touched me most about this book is how it’s tinged in sadness. You might guess from the title that an invisible life is necessarily a sad one, and while that isn’t entirely true all the time, the sadness and melancholy is woven throughout the book, almost like a character itself.

But there is also hope, happiness, love, desire, and so many other things. Which makes sense, for a life lived across three centuries.

This book broke my heart, in the best way. I just finished it, and I already want to read it again. I want to be immersed in Addie’s world and live her three hundred years with her, over and over again.

I'll always read anything by V.E. Schwab, but this is the work she will likely be known for. It's sad, haunting, and beautiful and exceeding all expectations.

WOW! WOW! WOW! Absolutely LOVE this new book. In fact, I have added it to my top ten favorite books of all time list. I have always loved Ms. Schwab's writing and this is her best yet! A dark, twisty modern take on the Faust tale, this story grips readers from the start. Tugs at the heart strings! Cannot wait to purchase a copy to add to my book collection!

This book was wonderful. It was fantastic, fanciful, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. The descriptions were lush and inviting. The characters were sharply rendered. The plot kept me turning page after page. And the end had me in tears. Highly recommend this book to everyone.

This is by far the best Schwab book I've read, and yet I've still come away from the experience in much the same way I've come away from reading all her other books, which is to say: I think that, on a technical level, this is an absolutely brilliant book and I can't fathom giving it less than five stars, but I still have several criticisms. And I just know there's going to be so, so many effusive and glowing five-star reviews of this book (they're coming out already), which are well-deserved, but I'd still like to discuss some of the issues I had.

My experience of Schwab's work can be summarized thusly: incredible concept, ...unusual execution. Not bad, mind you, just...so anathema to what I might have gone for that it becomes a sort of glaring omission. Personal taste, mind you.

So, okay, enough waffling, a little about the book: everyone already knows this is about a French girl who makes a deal with the devil to live forever, only he curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets, except for him. One day in present-day New York City, she meets a young man who remembers her. And we go from there.

The story is told in alternating timelines: we begin in New York City and flit back to 18th-century France, where were are slowly introduced to Addie's humdrum existence. We continue in this manner: as Addie's relationship with Henry - the boy who remembers her - unfolds in the present, we witness the past 300 years of her life, as she comes to fall in love with the creature who cursed her in the first place. But we are also privy to Addie's indomitable will, as she refuses to give in to darkness and despair, as she does her best to find the little joys in life, and as she struggles to find ways to carve her mark in history.

On a technical level, Schwab has outdone herself here. From the moment I began reading, I knew I was in love; Schwab's prose has always had a sort of effortless feel, a kind of lilting cadence that lulls you into the pages, but she's leveled up here; the writing is absolutely gorgeous, dense and rich and evocative without becoming heavy or purple, and still maintaining that effortless quality that makes all of Schwab's books so compulsively readable. There's such a distinct elegance to the way Schwab crafts her tales; The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue certainly feels like a modern classic in the making.

The toxic relationship between Addie and Luc - this is the name she has given the primordial creature who has given her immortal life - is one of the best aspects of the book. All of Addie and Luc's scenes together are electric. Their relationship is almost parasitic, and yet it makes perfect sense - Luc is all Addie has, the only constant in her life, and it is almost as though she has no choice but to come to feel some sort of attachment to him, even if it is not precisely love. This is the villain romance of my dreams, and nearly all of their scenes together had me on the edge of my seat.

The crux of my criticisms revolve around Henry, the young man who remembers Addie. Henry is not only given a POV, but he is given an entire section of Addie's story, a whole book part devoted entirely to him. The problem with Henry is that the narrative desperately wants you to care about him almost as much as you care about Addie, but he is just so bland and generic. He seemed less like a character and more like a concept. He's this generic white dude who's unhappy and doesn't have a great relationship with his family but he has friends and a good job and a nice apartment, and I know that sounds so uncharitable and cold, but listen: of course I fully believe that even conventionally attractive upper middle-class white dudes have every right to be unhappy, and that they can succumb to depression, but must I read about such basic white dudes in my fiction? Henry's part of the book was the only part where I felt my reading slowing down because I was so uninterested.

I'm sure there's a deliberate point to be made about how ordinary Henry's unhappiness is, but if it were up to me, I would have slashed his story to make more room for Addie's, which brings us to my other point of contention: I wanted to see more of Addie's 300 years. I was told that her life spanned continents, but I only saw Western Europe and the United States. There's a brief mention that she went to Istanbul; I would have loved to see that! There's also a chapter that hints at Addie's activities as a spy for the Allied powers during WWII, and how would that have worked! I wanted more of that rather than pages and pages about Henry complaining about not being good enough for his parents or whatever.

I will say, however, that the way Henry's arc concluded, and the way it neatly dovetailed with Addie's, was extremely clever, and brought the book to a lovely close that made sense, narratively, for Addie, Henry, and Luc, and left the way open for future shenanigans, which is exactly how I prefer my books to end.

Thematically, this is a powerful book. It's about people's desire to be remembered. It's about how one can leave a mark on the world. It's about finding joy and wonder in all the little new discoveries you make in life. It's about joy overpowering despair.

"And there in the dark, he asks if it was really worth it.
Were the instants of joy worth the stretches of sorrow?”
Were the moments of beauty worth the years of pain?
And she turns her head, and looks at him, and says, 'Always.'"

It feels like a love letter to life itself, a celebration of all the tiny wonders that make life worth living. And oh, does this book leave a mark. In a testament to the indomitable will of its heroine (and its author), The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue feels like the kind of book that will never be forgotten, that will be talked about for years to come, and will carve out a mark for itself within its genre's literary canon.

This book is special. Schwab tells Addie's story beautifully and completely. I'm left wanting more but also knowing that I got just the right amount. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I will not soon forget it, and I'm excited for the rest of the world to get their hands on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
It was a walk through history from the perspective of a forgotten person.
What a beautiful story!

thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy.

It has been so long since a book made me sob. Like SOB, sob. This book had such raw moments. It’s always astounding to me when humans can make such detached observations about human nature and the way life is fleeting.

I have awful death anxiety. This book burned that candle at both ends. What if you have unlimited time? What if you have no time at all? What mark are you leaving on the world when your one life is up? Are you able to leave a mark? If you’ve left your mark on one person, is that a legacy? There are a lot of subtleties in this story, not told as a fable, but just as a narrative, that really strike that nerve.

The writing manages to be both sophisticated and accessible. Each sentence had a point, but was welcoming and easy to understand. Just the ease of connecting to Addie, over 300+ years of her story, is something to celebrate about this book.

Addie is such an interesting character. She honestly has a positive enough attitude to be living through (and through and through) a literal curse. Her resilience comes from unwillingness to let someone else be the one to get credit for breaking her, even when she’s already broken.

Then, the boy who can remember her, the way his layers are unwrapped throughout the book are really great. Even if he hasn’t been alive as long as Addie, his past is a journey too, as short as it may be.

This book is very character and inner focused, so if you need action or plot, be wary trying it, but maybe try it. There are a few timelines, one spanning years and one spanning a year, and one spanning the previous year. None of them are urgently rushing towards an ending, but the ending was still a tense and emotional ride. It was really hard to picture an ending that made sense but I think it ended perfectly.

I. Am. Deceased.

This book was so many things to me. It was poetic, beautiful, dark, edgy, funny, and most definitely brilliant. I've read many books by VE Schwab and all of them were great, but this book really takes the cake. I'm just so speechless. <b>I don't think I can write a decent review for this.</b>

The story starts off pretty straightforward. With alternating timelines between the present (2014) and Addie's past (starting in Villon, France in 1714 up to New York City, current day), you go on this journey with Addie as she's met with the challenges of the deal she made with the darkness (aka the devil) and how she adapts to it all even if it means she needs to lie, cheat, steal, sell her body, dress like a man, make fast friends, or commit numerous crimes. And every year, the devil comes to her in the form of a boy she once drew asking if this is the year she will surrender. While she's lived through so many horrible things, she refuses and keeps refusing.

Through the 300 years she's lived, she's seen wars and invention, life and death, young and old, love, hatred, contempt, sadness, so much sadness, and so much history. One day in 2014, she walks into a bookstore and steals a book only to be caught by Henry; a young man who works there. The next day, she goes back to the bookstore in hopes of scoring another book only to be stopped by three little words: I remember you. This is where the story gets really interesting.

I think the biggest aspect of the story I loved was the writing. VE Schwab has really matured and it's so obvious in her writing. While I can be stubborn about the repetitiveness of the language, it really doesn't get in the way. If anything, it's more a lyrical reminder of Addie's world. Schwab also includes subtle lines about the beauty of life. It was almost reading her philosophical thoughts on human existence and the reason why we're all here and they're peppered throughout the novel. Let's not even talk about the subtle nods to finding yourself, understanding the nature of humans, and so many existential questions. I mean, she triggered some anxiety in me towards the end and it wasn't anything to do with the story. It was all her writing.

I also love that she plays around with the idea of the muse. This entity that triggers and inspires art and beauty. Of course, it has a very special meaning in this book, but I loved Addie was such an inspiration for many people even though she couldn't be fully remembered. People think of her as a dream; an entity that flits between this world and another and the beauty of this idea is carried throughout the story. I'm so impressed.

Addie's life and the chapters of her journey were stunning. Subtle and beautiful filled with so many sadnesses. ALL THE FEELS! I just want to live in this book, drink in its words, and die happy. I wish I can give you more details to the story, but I feel like it will spoil it. I will say that there are several different twists and turns of the story moving it in a direction I didn't even see coming. But it is brilliantly done to a point where I cried. Yes, I cried at the end because of how beautiful this damn book is!

I can't wait until October so I can buy myself a physical copy of this book. I'm going to buy multiple copies and share them with friends because it's that good and it needs to be shared. I'm so close to getting her freckles tattooed to my body. I want Addie LaRue to be a part of my life and I most definitely will always remember her.

I received a copy of this book from Tor.com for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

Words cannot even begin to describe how wonderfully written this book is!
I immediately fell in love with this book and its been my favorite read of 2020 so far hands down!
You get all the feels in this book, that I could almost feel the emotions being described.
V.E Schwab has written yet another master piece

I have only read V.E. Schwab's middle grade series (which she writes under Victoria Schwab), so this was my first adult book of hers to read. I am pleased to say that it made me want to read more of her books. Schwab's writing style is beautiful and creates real pictures of places and time periods. Her characters are imperfect, and even selfish, but also refreshingly human. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is great for fans of The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch and writers such as Anne Rice.

V.E. Schwab is a word smith and she proves it once more with this ambitious story that takes place over the course of three hundred years. Addie starts her story in a small village in France and takes you to present day New York City in a fantastic ride of human emotions and the driving question: What does it mean to be alive? Schwab explores love, death, and more importantly life in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.