The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, LGBTQ+, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Tor/ Tom Doherty Associates/ Macmillan
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7653-8756-1
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book
France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman named Adeline meets a dangerous stranger and makes a terrible mistake.
As she realizes the limitations of her Faustian bargain—being able to live forever, without being able to be remembered by anyone she sees—Addie chooses to flee her small village, as everything she once held dear is torn away.
But there are still dreams to be had, and a life to live, and she is determined to find excitement and satisfaction in the wide, beckoning world—even if she will be doomed to be alone forever.
Or not quite alone—as every year, on her birthday, the alluring Luc comes to visit, checking to see if she is ready to give up her soul. Their darkly thrilling game stretches through the ages, seeing Addie witness history and fight to regain herself as she crosses oceans and tries on various lives.
It will be three hundred years before she stumbles into a hidden bookstore and discovers someone who can remember her name—and suddenly, everything changes again.
Personal & Info
This is a standalone novel. It’s been on my TBR for a few years and I am reading a copy from my local library.
I tagged this book as both contemporary and historical, because it jumps back and forth between historical dates and the more modern year of 2014.
Characters
Addie LaRue, the main character, is eternally twenty-three. She is originally from the late 1600’s and always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world outside her small hometown village. She never wanted to belong to anybody or anything.
Luc is an old god who functions as a sort of devil. He is a creature of the night, and he makes deals in exchange for souls. He presents himself with a name and appearance provided by Addie. Similarly to a genie, Luc likes to twist people’s wishes to amuse himself and torment people by giving them a semblance of what they ask for.
Henry is the person who can remember Addie. He’s approximately twenty-nine, and he’s never been able to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He runs a bookstore currently entrusted to him by the official owner. His best friends are Bea (Beatrice), an art school student trying to come up with a thesis, and Robbie, a rising theater actor.
Stories & Thoughts
I added this book to my list about a year after release. Recently, it kept popping up in my recommendations with the suggestion to see if it lives up to the hype. Honestly, I don’t think it does. It’s not bad, though, more like just okay.
It starts very slow. The story goes back and forth between past and present to tell the story of Addie’s life. In the present of 2014, which is where the story starts, Addie is turning three hundred and twenty-three. We get to see how she lives and how she gets by. Most of her lifestyle involves entering the homes of those she’s met when they aren’t around, and just stealing anything she needs, since nobody will remember her.
The past, which alternates every chapter or so, tells her history starting when she is about seven. After the deal with the devil situation occurs, these parts usually cover various years of the anniversary date. Addie has a rather complicated relationship with Luc. It’s like an eternal chess game of wits and will.
This is what it is for a large chunk of the book. I admit, I found it rather dull. The writing is good and the concept is intriguing, but it’s just so mundane to read. Whenever I put it down, it was hard to pick back up. I considered abandoning it several times and kept waiting for it to get better.
Eventually, Henry is introduced into the story. He gets his own perspective chapters scattered in. I was sure the story would get better from there. It didn’t. I felt the same drag, and it was still hard to pick back up whenever I put it down.
It doesn’t even feel worth it to finish the book. There is no actual ending. The book ends, but Addie’s story isn’t even over. And I don’t mean that in the romance novel sort of way where they live out the rest of their lives. There is romance in this book, but it’s not a romance novel. I mean it more like Addie’s first three hundred years were basically round one of a very long game, and we’re not ever going to see how the whole game ends. We’ll never know if she finds happiness or gets out of her deal. It’s just not satisfying.
I generally don’t like open ended books. If you don’t either, don’t read this. I pushed my way through this book, hoping it would get better and at least have a satisfying end, only to be disappointed. Sometimes highly rated popular novels just aren’t worth all the hype.
