About a month ago, I was on YouTube watching a random vlog when the girl in the video mentioned the books she was currently reading. One of the books was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Her description was brief but I was sold. Admittingly, I’m picky when it comes to books and so, with my curiosity piqued, I knew I had to read this one. Lo and behold, when I entered Amazon Books last week, it was the first book I saw.
At 442 pages, I thought it was going to take me a long while until I got to the end. It took me a week. Here’s my honest review of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab:
What if you could live forever? Addie LaRue can but it came with a cost. Everyone she meets is doomed to forget her. That is until she meets a boy, Henry, at a bookstore and somehow, he remembers her.
But let’s start from the beginning, in 18th century France. Addie is a dreamer whose destiny, like all women during this time, has been chosen for her. She is betrothed to a widower; she will be a wife and a mother, nothing more.
This is not the life 23-year-old Addie wants. She wants to create art, travel the world, and belong to herself.
In a moment of desperation, she makes a deal with the devil (referred to as Luc throughout the book) moments before her wedding. She trades her soul and he grants her immortality and freedom. She doesn’t realize until after the deal is done that no one, not even her own parents, will ever remember her again.
The book bounces back between 2014 and the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Addie witnesses wars, revolutions, and inventions. She becomes a master thief to survive and has countless lovers (both male and female). But of course, these lovers never know who she is the morning after. She can’t have a home, a job, or anything else.
In many ways, it’s a cruel existence, one that Addie has grown accustomed to, even as she marvels at the ever-changing beauty of the world. Then she meets Henry, who is simple and sweet but most importantly, he can somehow remember her.
Here’s where I’m going to insert my personal opinion and say that I don’t love Henry’s character. He’s your typical sadboy who definitely needs therapy but definitely won’t go. I’m not going to spoil anything but you do eventually learn the connection Henry has with both Addie and with Luc.
As the story progressed, I had no expectation of what was going to happen. This is in fact a good thing; although this is a plot as old as time, it was not predictable.
Most interestingly, I was captivated by the dysfunctional relationships Addie has with both Henry and Luc, the only two beings in the entire universe who know who she is.
This book is romantic, yes, but it’s not your classic romance novel. First and foremost, Addie is in love with the world and the people in it, even if she can only remember them.
It’s partly why she made the deal in the first place and why she refuses to give up her soul to Luc, who visits her year after year asking if she’s had enough and is ready to go.
The ending of the book is conflicting. I was satisfied with it but I know not all will be. We want the happy fairytale ending we are accustomed to. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue does not give you that, but it does, in a twisted way, give you hope.
One thing is for sure, I will not be forgetting Addie LaRue or any other characters in the book any time soon.
