My thoughts: I was intrigued by this book from the moment I heard Victoria Schwab speak about it at a signing I attended at the beginning of last year. Once the book had been announced then later on, and I had read the blurb, I immediately wanted to read it. It sounds right up my street! I love books that span over a few years (or 300 in this case), and I wanted to know more.

The Characters: Let’s start with Adeline (Addie) LaRue. I liked Addie’s character and I did feel for her. She is made to be forgotten by everyone she meets, including her family, due to making a deal with the devil, which was heartbreaking. There was one moment when she returned to her home village (no spoilers) that was quite emotional. Addie was a likeable character to read about and I enjoyed her story. I loved the bond she formed with Henry, and how much she loved discovering new things after being around for 300 years! Henry was so lovely to read about. I loved the descriptions of the little bookshop that he worked in, it reminded me of one of my favourite bookshops so much. I loved Henry’s story too, how we saw bits and pieces of his life and didn’t fully know why he could remember Addie until the end. Again there were moments with Henry that were heartbreaking, but this review is 100% spoiler free! I found the Luc was an interesting character and I actually wish we had seen more of him at the beginning of the book. However I did like how we got more information about him by the end, and that it wasn’t all thrown at us at the start.

The Story: I really enjoyed the way this story played out. Initially I wasn’t sure about the jumping between the past and the present but I think this was done really well. This story was beautifully written. I loved the writing in this book so much, I think I highlighted quite a few lines when I was reading. The premise of the book was what drew me to it and I adored it. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, and one I won’t forget in a hurry. It’s the kind of book that you can curl up with on a dreary autumn day and get lost in.

Final thoughts: This book took me a month to finish but that was nothing to do with my enjoyment of it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn’t think that it was too slow at any point, I was just in a bit of a reading slump last month! I was worried that I wouldn’t actually finish it because of the slump, but I did and I still really enjoyed it. I’m definitely going to reread it, I probably next year now, as it was gorgeous. It’s a book you won’t forget in a hurry, you will, like Henry, remember Addie.

I gave this book 4.5/5 stars

https://lynns-books.com/2020/10/06/the-invisible-life-of-addie-larue-by-v-e-schwab/
My Five word TL:DR Review : A work of pure genius

I have to say I loved this book. It’s an absolute tour de force. On the face of it it isn’t a new concept, in fact it takes an old idea and gives it a life of it’s own. We’ve all read books or watched movies where someone makes a deal with the devil right? So, what makes this book stand out. Well, I suppose it’s the nature of this particular deal – the devil is in the detail after all.

The year is 1714 and Adeline LaRue awaits her marriage with feelings of dread. Addie doesn’t want to marry. She’s lived in the same small village, Villon-sur-Sarthe, all her life. She wants to travel, she wants to see Paris. She doesn’t want to give up her freedom to fit in with others expectations. Instead, she runs into the forest, calling on the Gods to help her, not realising that the sun has slowly set and that the only deities who answer during the darker hours are not the ones you want to strike bargains with. But, the deal is done. In return for her freedom Addie promises to give up her soul when she grows weary of the world. What she doesn’t realise is her new found freedom is absolute. Addie cannot make a mark on the world, people forget her as soon as they look away, she cannot be caught on camera or film, she can’t even write her own name. She is indeed free but at the same time she can make no bonds, she can’t work or earn a living, buy a place to call her own or have a family. Addie is cursed to go through life alone.

What I really loved about this book. Well, firstly, the writing. This book is a joy to read. It took me probably a week to complete it which feels unusually slow, but that was simply a result of my wanting to savour the words. This is polished, it’s confident and it’s absolutely beautiful. On top of this it’s as though you can almost see how the kernel of an idea blossomed into something so lovely. We all have sayings, we bandy them around more than we realise. Be careful what you wish for. The grass is always greener. Live every day as though it was your last (or in Addie’s case as though it was your first). Out of sight out of mind. What if you took one of these and really built upon it, gave it wings and watched it take off. Clearly, I have absolutely no idea where the original idea came from but I love the idea that such a wonderful story could come from such a simple beginning.

Secondly. The main character, Addie. She is just so good to read and it’s just as well because she is the MC and her timeline is split between her humble beginnings and the current day. The two timelines eventually converge but in the meantime half of this reads like a work of historical fiction. There are descriptions of clothes and places, all changing as the years pass, none more so than Addie’s home town which she is consistently drawn back to. Addie witnesses death, the plague, wars, destruction and invention. She is a witness to so much and although she can’t leave her own mark she finds that she can influence others. Addie is a muse. She appears in many paintings, her face usually turned away from the viewer or blurred as though through movement. She has influenced music and art through the course of her 300 years and in spite of living so long, experiencing many difficulties and enduring loneliness, she manages to hold onto an innocence and childlike delight in the most simple things and it’s this that gives her such a special quality and timeless appeal.

In terms of characters. There are of course many ‘small parts’ as the story progresses. People who play a role in Addie’s life but are ultimately doomed to forget her as soon as the sun rises on a new day.

Henry Strauss is a young man who Addie meets in 2014 and who surprises her by remembering her the following day. The two become involved in a beautiful, but at the same time, almost sad, relationship. No matter which way you look at it, things are not going to be easy for any number of reasons.

Then we have Luc, the darkness, or the devil – although he certainly doesn’t refer to himself as such. I’m not going to lie – I really liked this character even though I’m not sure if you’re supposed to like him. He’s manipulative, powerful, full of menace, trickier than the fae, a fleeting thought, as elusive as shadow. He wears a form that he knows is pleasing to Addie and every year he appears to ask for her soul – and every year she refuses to give it to him. This is one of the really amazing ideas. Addie has lived so long that in a strange twist it turns out she has much more in common with Luc than she ever imagined. They are both immortal, both without friends, both lonely and as the years pass, they both look forward to their strange encounters and the battle of wills that has become their routine. Both Addie and Luc enjoy great character growth as the story and their relationship progresses.

The settings. Well, what can I say. This is like an ode to travel. I defy you to read this and not long to visit some of the places described. New York, Paris, Munich, Venice. They’re not overly described but they’re evocative nonetheless. There is theatre, museums, galleries, cafes and secret clubs. Rooftop bars and underground concerts. Another wonder of reading. The ability to escape momentarily to fantastic places whether of this world or not – and this book is brilliant in that respect.

Anyway, I think I’ve probably waxed lyrical enough. If you can’t figure it out for yourselves, then the long and short of it is that I really enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

“Stories are a way to preserve one's self. To be remembered. And to forget.” V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue⠀
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✨Happy book birthday to Addie LaRue✨⠀
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I was lucky enough to receive an e-arc copy of Addie LaRue by @titanbooks and @netgalley in return for an honest review. And It was amazing! ⠀
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Victoria Schwab sends you whirling through a fascinating journey of love, art, dreams, sacrifice, torment, beauty and heartache. The story is addictive and immersive and full of dazzling magical moments - just truly brilliant. ⠀
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Ironically, Addie is most definitely a person you can not forget - I loved her character so much! Her life is mesmerising and heartbreaking. ⠀The people that came and went literally through her life, the way Addie tried to hold on to all that was precious to her and then learning to let go and adapt - it was all so devastating and beautiful!

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The narrative (which at first I found a little difficult to grasp, with the constant flashbacks and flash forwards) was absolutely brilliant - it truly makes you experience the imperceptible and fleeting life Addie leads. ⠀
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I can’t really praise this genre-defying story enough - I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this. I’m in awe of VE Schwab- how did her mind create this idea! I’ve heard of deals with the devil going wrong but Addie’s story was completely unexpected and so intriguing.
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I've never read anything quite like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Addie makes a desperate deal with the devil to avoid getting married, but she doesn't quite realise what she's getting herself into. She has lived almost 400 years without anyone ever remembering her name. She cannot leave any mark or impression on the world, and whenever she meets someone they will forget her as soon as they walk away. This has obviously gotten her into some trouble over the years, but also has proved to be an interesting experiment on what subtle marks or ideas she can leave on the world and it's artists.

But one day Addie meets someone who remembers her, and her whole world is flipped upside down...

This book has a great blend of historical and modern day, and I really enjoyed both perspectives of Addie's life! V.E. Schwab has done something truly brilliant with this book.

Vaguely keeping track, I think this is the third book I’m going to say this about this year (the others being The Starless Sea and The City We Became), Addie LaRue is one of my favourite books of the year.


I’ve really been struggling with how to write this review because reviews have to be, you know, coherent, and not just describing how much my feelings were hurt and how beautiful this book is.


Many feelings, head empty of thoughts. Let’s try this anyway.



I feel very protective of this book, and of any book like it; you know the kind, the quiet books, introspective and beautifully written. Prose a little flowery but it absolutely works in the moment. Character-driven, emotion-filled. You like this kind of book or you don’t, these books are not one size fits all, and definitely not to be read just because you want to get in on the hype. (I actually have strong feelings about hype, I wrote a post about how to read more 5-star books that encompasses exactly that). Strangely, I also want to protect this book from other people who also love it and want to gush over it. To use a metaphor that book bloggers sometimes use but I tend to refrain from, I want to sit on a mountain of this book, clutching them to my chest like a treasure-hoarding dragon. Or… Gollum. Mine, my preciousssss. But, again, seeing as this is a review, on a review blog, and seeing as I want this book to do very well and for everyone to love it as much as I want to somehow claw all the copies to myself, here is my overwhelming recommendation.


The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the story of Addie, whose desperation to escape her fate leads her to make a deal with the darkness which comes with a side effect she doesn’t expect – she can live for as long as she wants, but everyone who meets her forgets her as soon as she’s gone. Every time. Her family don’t remember having a daughter, she has no ability to maintain new friendships or start a relationship, not even the ability to own anything or call a place her own. Unmoored, Addie begins to drift through the world, both terrifying and freeing at once.


The darkness has, of course, made this deal with the intention of getting hold of her soul as soon as possible, and appears throughout Addie’s long life to tempt her into giving up. He figures that if she can’t make a mark on the world she so desperately wants to see more of, be a part of more of, then eventually it will wear her away and he can win. Surely it must be lonely never being a familiar face? Never having a home? Any permanence? But the darkness, he will always remember her, always know her name, it would be so easy to succumb and be with him, even easier to let go and slip away altogether…


And yet, Addie wants more. She wants to live, and thrive, and finds ways to leave a mark through being a helping hand to the creativity of others, even if they don’t remember she was even there. It’s a lonely life but it’s hers, and she’s not giving it up without a fight.


Lonely, until Henry. Henry who has his own secret, who is as desperate to find a purpose as Addie is to leave a mark. Henry who remembers her.


Oh, Henry. My sweet boy, my restless soul, my kind heart. It’s not easy being happy under capitalism, is it?


I’m in love with Schwab’s writing style, it’s so compelling and every now and then there’s a sentence that frames something so perfectly it’s a little breathtaking. This is a slow meander back and forth through three hundred years of an unforgettable girl cursed to be forgotten.


I actually would like to forget this book so that I can read it all over again (I’ve pre-ordered it, so I will likely be rereading this before the year is out!)

I felt this story, these stories, deep in my bones, and that’s without even mentioning that both Addie and Henry are casually bisexual.

I’ll never forget Addie.

TW: attempted assault, abuse, loss of a loved one, substance abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide.

Let me be honest, I have a lot of respect for the V.E. Schwab and what she tries to accomplish with her ideas. Vicious is one of my all-time favourites and I hold it very close to my heart. However, I've been postponing this review due to how underwhelming I've felt after finishing this book.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the story of Adeline LaRue when she desperately decides to escape the path she is being forced on by her family. She wants to live and see wonders outside of her small village and not end up chained to a husband she doesn't love. In the dark, she makes a deal with the devil unaware of the consequences. Adeline is forgotten by everyone she has ever loved and met, as soon as they turn away they forget her, and she can't leave a mark on the world.

The premise alone sold me to the story. It very much gave me Doctor Who vibes, of a lonely individual lost in a big world (universe). I wanted to feel every emotion of sadness, loneliness, and hope, everything Schwab could give me.

Instead, I didn't feel anything for Addie and her struggles. I think the writing let me down, I think Addie's emotions could have been amplified as I really didn't care about her.

The character of Addie in itself had no personality with the exception of her freckles (which are Always mentioned), and I couldn't understand how people immediately fell for her, what was so special about this character besides the curse. There was a disconnection between me, the reader, and Addie's story.

In contrast, I felt Henry had more personality compared to Addie. I could see his emotions more vividly and his wishes, his struggles. The conversation about his mental health was given in snippets in favour of more Addie chapters, which was a shame to me. There could have been more about this.

Additionally, the writing style grated on my nerves since the same sentence kept being repeated: "Later she will learn" or some variation.

Lastly, what disappointed me the most was how unimaginative the story was with Addie being alive for 300 years, and her relationship with the devil. I think Schwab could have done something darker and more interesting with the deal and these two characters, but it fell flat to me. As to the time she has lived, the chapters about her past offer no interesting scenes. It's much of the same about the people who can't remember her, and I wanted to see her on adventures.

These are my overall thoughts and while I was disappointed by this, I do think this is one of those books that will appeal to many people.
There's something mystical about Addie's story and I'm certain it will pull readers to it, as it did to me.

“But isn’t it wonderful,” she says, “to be an idea?”

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a love story, if you look at it over the tops of your glasses. It is the story of a girl who wants nothing more than to be held in the cage of memory, and a boy who is made of everything the girl could want. It has a villain, like all good stories do, and maybe he is to be pitied, not hated. Maybe he is to be squinted at, maybe he is not evil or good, like most things in the world. Just a force, moving through the labyrinth, making a space for itself.

I do not know where to begin with this story. But let’s talk about the thing that had me falling into the book full tilt - the writing. The very first line of the story is a hook, and it pulls you in so quickly! And once you there, ah, the writing! The WORDS!!! I have always believed this - anyone can tell a story, but it’s the way that you tell it that matters. The plot of this book is not overly complex. It is not unpredictable or mind boggling. It is not a book that relies on the spoilers to hold its readers’ attention. This is a book where knowing what happens will not matter, because the journey is that beautiful. Where the words that wrap themselves around you as you read are so… rich and lovely, that it feels like wading through poetry, like living in a world that is so unlike your own, but that feels like coming home.

I have always been someone incredibly attracted to the way words sing when put together, and this book was such wonderful music! It was melody, even when it was only talking of the mundane. I have highlighted or bookmarked almost every page in this novel, because there was so much of this book that I wanted to hold and feel and absorb into my being! There was so much of it, that, to quote a friend, was JUST SO PRETTY!!!

Like all books that often catch my attention, Addie LaRue relies on its characters and their interactions with each other and the world around them to tell a story. And, ah, such beautiful people I got to meet through this book. Addie, who was odd and wonderful and broken and hopeful. Henry, who was flawed, who was overflowing with the things that made him human, who was caught up in storm after storm, who was so flawed, so perfect. Luc, who was cruel and cunning, and perhaps a monster, perhaps a man, perhaps none and good at playing both. Luc, who inspired both love and hatred, pity and fear, who was a solid presence as we lived through Addie’s and Henry’s words. There was Bea, and there was Robbie, and there was Sam and Toby and Remy and Jean and Marthe and Estele and AAHH! They were all so lovely, in their own way, and they were all threads in the tapestry that made this story and ugh, they just fit together in here so well!

“It is a sad thing, of course, to forget. But it is a lonely thing to be forgotten.”

If we sit down to anayze the themes this novel deals with, we’d be here all day, probably. Addie’s story is a love story, like I said. But it is not just that - no story ever is. There is so much of the story that can be pulled apart and parallels drawn between what she goes through, and what being broken is like, in the real world. The same can be said for Henry- his storms, the panic seizing your chest when your mind travels too fast, her fears same as yours when you lay awake at night wondering if you will ever leave a mark on everything around you (no? Just me?). I don’t know. I’m not smart enough to sit and expound in profound terms, but I think there is so much a mind goes through, and there is so much pain and brokenness there, and there is also stubborn hope, and there are these things here in this story, scattered across beautifully written words, and that is somehow everything I’ve ever wanted.

The plot is fine. I gasped here and there, because I was so wrapped up in what was going on that I didn’t think about anything else - not even the future of the characters. The magic in the book was mysterious and strange and just perfect for the story that it was.

My mind is a fickle thing, my memory more a breeze than something solid I can hold on to, and I cannot explain to you the kind of emotions that Addie’s story elicited in me. Maybe I am something of a fool, finding bits and pieces of myself in stories that don’t even remotely relate to what my life is like. I don’t know. What I do know is that I felt a lot, at once, and it was wonderful!

Without “spoiling” the story, I don’t have much else to say. But, I will say this. Read this book, experience it. I don’t know if you’ll like it, or love or hate it, but live through it once. Take from it what you will. Breathe Addie LaRue’s name through your lips. There is a small wonder there somewhere, and maybe, it will touch you, too!

All in all, this was one of the most beautiful books I’ve read this year and I cannot recommend it enough. Finishing it left me feeling both overwhelmed and hollow, all at once, and it was just the best experience EVER!


“But this is how you walk to the end of the world. This is how you live forever. Here is one day, and here is the next, and the next, and you take what you can savor every stolen second, cling to every moment, until it’s gone.”

It is the 18th Century and Addie LaRue lives in a small French town with her parents.
Addie longs for more than a life of being stuck in the same town, of being a wife and a mother.
So Addie makes a deal with the devil for more time, more time to live. But in doing so, Addie is cursed to be forgotten by everyone.
Addie leaves her home, trying to live her life and work around the curse.
Throughout the years, Addie receives visits from the devil on the anniversary of their deal, and he tries to convince Addie to give in, to surrender.
Then one day, the unthinkable happens, and Addie hears the words "I remember you".

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, and I thought it might end up being the first Schwab book to really blow me away, something none of her others have done before. However, I am left feeling undoubtedly disappointed, deflated and underwhelmed. Maybe I let myself be drawn in by the hype too much. Maybe I expected too much. All I know is, while I did enjoy this overall, I have very mixed feelings about Schwab's latest novel.
I liked Addie most of the time and did feel sorry for her - being forgotten by everyone must have been unbearable, and she was very strong to keep going. Despite the length of the novel, I don't feel that I really got to know that much about Addie herself and would have liked to have read more scenes where she was alone instead of there being so many of her with romantic partners, as it felt like I only got to see her in relation to other people and that she didn't get a chance to grow as a person. It was also a little repetitive.
Henry was a character who it was as if I was being told that I should feel sorry for him, and I did, but only a little. I didn't particularly like Henry as a character, and found him a bit annoying at times.
The devil was a bit of a disappointing character and almost seemed two-dimensional. I felt that there should have been a lot more to him, and I didn't buy the way he was with Addie.
I don't feel that I connected with any of characters, which made it hard to care about what happened/be invested in them. However, I did really like Bea and Estele and would like to read more about them. Maybe reading about Addie in her 'mad years' would have helped me connect with her more.
I enjoyed the chapters set pre-2000s a lot more than the ones set in 2013/14, and would have liked there to have been more as I did lose interest a little when things focused on 2013/14.
Given the length of the book, it didn't feel like much actually happened and I have mixed feelings about the ending.
The themes of being remembered and loved were intriguing and thought-provoking, and I liked the representation included in the book.
This was without a doubt some of Schwab's best writing, but, for me, the novel fell short both plot-wise and character-wise.
I am extremely disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, especially as everyone seems to have loved it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable but mixed read.

I’m a great fan of Victoria Schwab’s fantasy. It’s often dark with troubled characters and no easy solutions, and the emotional toll is high. I knew when I started reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue that it would be different from her other books—she told her readers so much herself—and it was. It’s maybe a mixture of fantasy and magical realism, and strongly character-driven with very little plot or action, beautiful and lingering.

It’s the story of Adeline LaRue, a peasant girl born in 17th century France with a heart that yearns for more than a life as a country wife. In desperation, she makes a deal with an ancient god of darkness, or maybe the devil: her soul for her freedom. But like all such deals, it isn’t what she expects. She is cursed to be forgotten by everyone. Nothing she does leaves a mark, and nothing leaves a mark on her, so she doesn’t age, get sick or injured, or die. It isn’t an easy life—or maybe not life at all—but little by little she learns to make the most of it. And so she goes on for centuries, until she meets a man who remembers her.

It’s also the story of Luc, the god/devil, and his relationship with Addie. It’s dysfunctional and abusive, and more interesting for it. There’s an imbalance of power at first, but as the centuries go on and it becomes obvious to him she isn’t willing to succumb to his terms, everything changes. He wants to be remembered and seen too, and he only has her for that. The only true emotions Addie experiences are with him, as she has learned not to get attached to people, and so she only feels like a living character when she is with him. The rest of the time she only observes the world around her, slipping in and out of peoples’ lives like a ghost.

It’s also made to be the story of Henry, the man who remembers Addie. He’s given his own point of view chapters and he gets to tell his story. But I didn’t need to know that much about him, and I ended up skimming the chapters about his past. It’s essential that he offers his point of view at the end, but everything else was somewhat redundant. It only slowed down the narrative in the middle and made the book unnecessarily long.

Addie’s and Luc’s relationship being as dysfunctional as it was, I braced for a tragic ending. That it didn’t end in tears was a relief—and a bit of a let-down too. I wanted a final showdown between Addie and Luc, a human taking down a god or perish trying, but that didn’t happen. The ending is almost happy, with everyone getting what they want, though not necessarily the way they wanted it. It left me feeling pleased, and wanting at the same time. All in all, a good book, but not as great as I hoped it would be. But I warmly recommend it to people who are new to Victoria Schwab.

I finished this book, closed my Kindle, and just sat there, trying to work out what had HAPPENED. I've read quite a lot by V E Schwab (not everything - she is prolific and writes for many different audiences) and I THOUGHT I knew what to expect.

But this... this was simply astonishing. A game changer of a book, for the reader (and, I'd hope, for the author - but that's perhaps presumptuous to say).

It is SO good.

A book to sink into, to lose oneself in.

A book that plays games, switches, dives and comes back from a different direction, targeting you right in your feelings, tying you in knots, delivering the kill and then... then doing it all AGAIN with different feelings, different knots and a different kill.

OK, stop babbling David. (I told a friend on Twitter that reviewing this I might just gush and you can see, here I am, gushing). Let's try and get hold of this protean, gorgeous wonder of a book and review it properly.

Addie (Adeline) LaRue is a young peasant woman living an ordinary life in an ordinary village in France in the late 17th century. The great drama, great crisis of her life is that while she longs for more breadth, experience and more... just more life, her parents (as parents will) want her to marry, have children, be settled. She dodges this for a while but not, oh, the wedding bells are ringing and the dress is being laced upon Addie and the life that goes with the dress is being laced on her... the world is closing in.

So Addie makes a bargain. A bargain she really shouldn't, with one of the dark things in the wood, one of the powers you really, really shouldn't pray to - in case they answer. And so, Addie's soul is in hock and she's cut loose from that village and while she gets that breadth of life (well, sort-of life) that she wants, Addie discovers that the wider world is a cruel and cold place and that there's nowhere in it for her. Addie can't make a mark on the world ('If a person cannot leave a mark, do they exist?'), she can't be remembered once out of sight. She can have a love affair, but she has to restart it every morning. If she rents a room for the night, she'll be turfed out as soon as the landlord or landlady turns their backs and another customer arrives. With no persistence in memory, Addie can't earn money, can't live anywhere. She exists on the margins. All else changes but Addie stays the same, as those she knew, those she loved, crumble to dust. And across the years, she's tormented by the creature - the god, the devil? - that she bargained with. Luc, as she calls him, is, in a sense, her creation. Only Luc rememberers her, only Luc remains.

It becomes clear, over the years, that Luc wants more than her soul. That she, knowing nobody else remembers her, nobody else will ever know her, wants, needs him. Hatred and love dance together in a whirl that passes down the years in meetings and partings, in a strange kind of game as Luc tempts Addie to wish oblivion for herself, as she bargains with him for an alternative.

Everything comes to a head in New York where for the first time in three centuries, Addie senses change, senses a loophole in her deal with Luc, when a young man remembers her.

The way that Schwab builds up the fantasy of Addie's life is stunning, believable, full of pathos and horror and desperate desire. Driven to the margins of the world, she makes an existence for herself inspiring art and artists (a recurring theme here), exploring literature (she 'reads of strange lands, and monsters, and men who can't ever go home...') She, literally, can't paint or draw or write herself (a cruel twist from Luc when child Addie was so invested in her sketching and drawing) but she can be a Muse. What a way to encapsulate the role of a woman in a male dominated society - just the thing she was running from when she made her bargain in the woods - to be erased, voiceless, seen only by the traces left across the years in men's works.

So we gradually learn about the events that have made Addie, her victories and defeats in that endless struggle, the moments of respite and the moments of horror, and we really, really, get to know the person she has become and to admire her for what she's achieved. It's powerful writing. The central idea - and its working out - could fill a book and it would be a good book.

But - ands this is really a glorious thing - Schwab DOESN'T STOP THERE. She has much more for us. Meet Henry, an uncertain young man in a world full of sharp teeth. I really can't tell you too much about him because spoilers but, yes, he comes into Addie's life and, yes, he can remember her and yes, the book turns out to be about what that means to each of them. This is effectively a whole new layer of story. It's a love story, told in the sweaty clubs and avant garde venues of Bohemian New York - a city Addie knows well. It's the story of a man who never feels, somehow, that he is quite enough, a man who fears the darkness in quite a different sense from Addie. If this book made me fall in love with Addie, it made me fall for Henry, too. His issues are quite different to hers but, like Addie, Schwab makes Henry real, human and most of all, she makes him matter. It's gorgeous writing, so sad at times, and really, that story - Henry's life - is another that could be a book in itself.

But it's not, and then we have what happens when the two come together... they're all one book and they are all the same story. Reaching the end, I read it more and more slowly, not wanting it to end. I wanted to stay immersed in the world of Addie and Henry and Luc, wanted to see the relationships flicker and dance, the pulls of desire and love and hate, to see Schwab whittling these three down to their essence.

Who, what is Luc? At one level I don't know, we're never exactly told.

Who, what is Luc? At another level, we all know. We've all met him. We've danced that dance, surrendered - or not - made our lives despite him, or with him. Luc cannot be defeated, cannot be pleaded with, placated, bribed or tricked. Only bargained with. And he drives a hard bargain...

The Invisible life of Addie LaRue is without a shadow of a doubt my favourite book read this year (that's 97 so far). V E Schwab was already an impressive writer but I think this is by far the best she's written yet (that I've read). Apart from the handling of the ominous, dark and romantic themes here, Schwab has a knack for getting to the heart of things in her writing: we hear of 'A Fall woman indulging in a second Spring', or how when Addie first makes love's is lightning through her limbs, it is fire through her core, it is longing between her legs' or of Henry's family sitting at table 'like an awkward Ashkenazi imitation of a Rockwell painting' or of a 'fundraising smile'. In places the prose adopts the pacing of a teary ballad ('A boy is sick of his broken heart. Tired of his storm-filled brain') or a dark folksong ('Am I the devil or the darkness?'). In others it revels in the wonder of moments of caught amidst the darkness - Addie's memory of the beauty of stars, something the modern world doesn't afford, of the gradual unfolding of New York in the springtime for a pair of lovers.

I think I'm gushing again. I want to keep quoting bits of this book, saying, look at this, look at that, read that bit. I should just say "read it!" and stop there.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is simply leagues ahead. For me, reading it - and thinking about it after - was like that moment watching a great athlete running in an 800 or 1600m race when the winner simply opens up distance from the others and claims a victory which afterwards always seems preordained. Simply stunning.

Thank you to Titan Books and to NetGalley for approving me to read the ARC of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐑𝐮𝐞 by V E Schwab, which is a phenomenal book.
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𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝?
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From the outset, it seems that Adeline was born in the wrong era. Addie is a strong female protagonist, made all the better for retaining her feminity, alongside her intelligence, stubbornness and tenacity.
She does not want to be forced to marry, and to be confined within her expected role of motherhood, illiteracy, and being content to remain in the same village all her life.
This of course, is what leads to her ill-fated deal, surrendering her soul in exchange for not belonging to anyone but herself.
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"𝐀 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫," 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.
"𝐀 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫," 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.
"𝐀 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫," 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞.
𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝.
𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩.
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The structure of the novel is very cleverly executed. Moving back and forth across points in time, it touches on key historical moments that Addie witnesses during her century-spanning life.
It highlights the beauty of human history, as well as the destruction. Addie lives in wonder at every new experience, every new invention, and her thirst for knowledge means she never gets bored, despite the hardships of the price she has paid for her immortality.
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𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞.
𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.
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Schwab's writing is incredibly beautiful.
From mornings breaking like egg yolks, to the sound of laughter on a beach rolling with the waves, she depicts scenes in such an immersive way.
By utilising all senses, she really makes the reader feel as though they are there with Addie, seeing what she sees, and experiencing what she experiences.
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𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐠𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐥𝐤, 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.
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I don't want to give any of the plot away, but the most noteworthy part of this novel for me is Addie's character.
Although the book depicts all her loves and losses, her sufferings and joys, she ultimately ends the novel belonging to noone else but herself.
The pact she made, which has been renewed and bent multiple times, never waivers from her original terms or belonging to noone else.
Any decisions she makes are her choice, and she is not a character that should be underestimated.
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𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 - 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 - 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞.
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I would recommend this book to everyone to read, and I would definitely read more books by V E Schwab after falling in love with this book so much.

Every so often a book comes along that just embeds itself deep in the core of your being and you know it wont let go. This is going to haunt me for a long time. I have highlighted passages upon passages in this book. Its drawn so many emotions out of me, and yet I feel I have no words to describe any of it! Whatever I write just feels inadequate. But I will try, if only so that I can persuade you to pick this up!
We first meet Addie as a girl growing up in rural France in the 1700s. But as she grows she knows she wants more. In a desperate attempt to escape the life she knows will slowly crush her, she makes a rash deal. But as we all know the devil is in the detail, and the consequence of which follows her through her long, lonely immortal life.
I couldnt love Addie more, I wanted to protect the little girl she was, and befriend the woman she becomes. And alleviate some of her loneliness that envelops her much like her favourite leather jacket. I cannot tell you how many times my heart broke for her. But as we traverse through time and place with her, you see her learn, grow and become so resiliant that you cant help but smile and cheer her on.
This was such an unique take on making a deal with the devil, Schwab shows that the need to feel seen, to be able to share in the lives of those we care for, to feel we have left a mark on this world no matter how small, is a powerful motivation. And ultimately, to be able to have our story told, to be allowed to say; I was here, I loved, and I lived, is probably the biggest gift any one of us can hope to receive.
I would highly recommend this book, 7 perfectly placed constellation of stars!

Given that The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, I was nervous that it wasn’t going to be able to live up to my admittedly high expectations. Reader, I was wrong! I found myself utterly captivated by this book and Addie’s story as she navigates a big life full of art, beauty and wonder but with the tragic caveat that she can’t tell anyone her story, her real name and she is unable to be remembered by anybody she meets. I was so invested in this story and just so appreciative of the messages in this book and the very real lessons imparted, note to self: don’t ever make any faustian bargains with the darkness personified. In all seriousness though, there’s a lot to take away from this book and it is wonderful.

I haven’t read any of V.E. Schwab’s other books, cue the gasps of shock horror, I know, I know, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the writing style itself but consider me a fan. Each moment felt so beautifully expressed and worded and I was basically highlighting quotes every other page or so, because it was just so gorgeously written. I totally fell in love with Addie and her unwavering spirit and free soul , when even in her lowest moments she has this indomitable will to survive and it was quite inspiring. I feel like so many readers will be able to connect with Addie and I think it speaks to the quiet very human voice in all of us that longs for something, whether that be freedom to express ourselves, to live the life we want, pursue our wildest dream, fall wildly in love, the list is endless! That quiet part of me, that nobody else really gets to see felt so validated by moments in this book and it was something so personal and profound.

“It would be an unconventional life, and perhaps a little lonely, but at least it would be hers”

I think the heart of this book is about the way stories are told, the way history evolves and times change, how cities are built and then destroyed but what remains unchanged is that life goes on and how it always finds a way to continue. The novel centers art in all of its various forms, sculptures, paintings, music and literature to name a few, and how powerful and transformative art can be. In the context of the story, Addie is cursed to be unable to leave a mark, she’s physically unable to put her story into words, written or otherwise and she can’t commit her memories into a sketch, so she finds small ways to leave her fingerprints over people she encounters over her life. In effect she realises the power of ideas, and how they can take root, and this was so quietly stunning.

“Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives–or to find strength in a very long one.”

I think this idea of leaving a mark, being known or leaving something behind to be remembered is such a human concern, so when Luc, the charming, seductive and sinister being takes this away, Addie is left questioning her choice at various points. Ironically, or perhaps intentionally so, Luc is the only one who is able to remember her beyond a few fleeting moments, they are tied together inextricably much to Addie’s chagrin. Over the many, many years however, as they meet on the anniversary of their deal, spending the day together or apart, something begins to shift between them. Their relationship is so fraught with tension, and longing but is also very toxic. I will admit, I was a little thrilled whenever Luc was on page because he was so intriguing and I wanted to figure him out, I could also see how unhealthy their relationship is and how the imbalance of power and sense of possession was ever present.

“Don’t you remember, she told him then, when you were nothing but shadow and smoke?

Darling, he’d said in his soft, rich way, I was the night itself.”

I also enjoyed the various relationships and side characters we get to meet in this book, from Estele the wizened older lady who Addie grows up hearing stories from, to her father a gentle countryman who spends his spare time carving animals out of wood, to Henry who is the catalyst for change in Addie’s story. Henry in particular was a character I felt was painfully relatable and I appreciated the cruel symmetry between Addie and Henry’s experiences and their respective deal in life. Henry’s character arc and the exploration of mental health, in particular depression is so real as well the experience of being in your twenties and trying to figure out who you are and your place in the world. It can all feel so much all at once and this dizzying experience of being alive, of having choices to make, and not enough time to make them in, it’s all so raw and expressed so well in this book. I think this is one of the best explorations of that time in your life and as someone who is going through it right now, I could really relate.

“His heart has a draft. It lets in light. It lets in storms. It lets in everything”

Overall, The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue is truly an unforgettable read – no pun intended given the nature of the story haha. I can’t speak any more highly of this book and I’ll be encouraging any and every reader I know to give this story a chance, I think it’s truly such a special one.

I don't think anyone who knows me would be surprised if I said I was a massive fan of V E Schwab. I love all her work, and I've been dying to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue since she first spoke about it. It therefore also won't be a surprise that I loved it with every fibre of my being.

I don't even really know where to start or what to say. Addie's story spans 300 years, although we see the most detail from her first 100 years and the current time (which in the book is 2014), and I just loved it. I shared Addie's hurts and frustrations, her loneliness and her shock at finally meeting someone who remembers her. I loved seeing the ways she adapted to her situation, finding clothes to wear and places to sleep, but never being able to leave a mark. I really, really loved the epigraphs that began each section, showing the impact Addie had had over the 300 years of her life.

I realise I'm not going into much detail here, but I do think you should experience this book as free from knowledge as you can possibly be. What you need to know is this: it is beautifully written. Seriously, so beautiful. One of my joys of the last 6 years has been watching V's writing improve with every book - and she was brilliant to begin with. Addie LaRue is not like anything she's ever written before though. It feels very different, but I'm not sure I can put into words why it feels so different so you'll just have to trust me. If you've not picked up a V E Schwab book before, this is the one to start with.

The characters are fantastic. Not just Addie, Henry and Luc, but all the people we meet in the course of the book. Even the landlady who forgets Addie has paid a week's rent in advance sticks in the memory, which is testament to V's skills. I couldn't put it down until I finished it because I needed to know what happened to these people. I'm not saying I didn't guess some of the plot turns, because I did, but it didn't matter.

I could carry on gushing about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but that seems a bit pointless, so I'll end here. Just know that this is a wonderful, beautiful book that takes you on a journey with its protagonist that you will remember forever, and you will not regret picking it up.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an impeccably beautiful, heart-breaking and stunning book that is quite fittingly – unforgettable. It follows the journey of a young woman from 1700s when she makes a deal with the devil for ultimate freedom, and became cursed to live forever but remain forgotten. The concept is brilliant and unlike anything I’ve ever read, and is gorgeously executed.

Addie’s journey over the centuries take us through countries, history, art and music, and induces a strange sense of wonder at the infinite beauty of the world. As you can imagine, 300 years is a very long time frame to encapsulate in a book, but Schwab does it flawlessly. Not only does Addie’s character evolve wonderfully over time, it becomes etched in reader’s memory forever. Her journey, in all its beauty and freedom, is painfully lonely and full of struggles. Even though the pace of the book is “slow” in the traditional sense, I did not feel it for even a second as I was fully invested in finding out where Addie’s life took her.

Schwab has an expertise in creating extremely intriguing antagonists and exploring the complicated relationship between the so-called enemies. Even though Luc, the demon who granted Addie her freedom and her curse, should be the ultimate devil for Addie, the truth is so much more complicated – especially when he is the single person who ever remembers her over the centuries. Contrary to expectations and much to Addie’s chagrin, Luc is charming and seductive, wearing a face and shape Addie often longed for in her earlier life. I absolutely loved their relationship dynamics and the constant suspense of how each of their meetings will play out.

The wonder and joy this book inspires is immeasurable – its like taking a journey across centuries and living and breathing all the beauty of the world. It is an ode to art in every form – written word, paintings, music and more, and how it is the foundation of this word even as everything else changes. Even as Addie aches to be remembered and loved, she is constantly filled with wonder at the ever-changing world and what all it has to offer. Her will to live and explore is indomitable and her eyes are constantly trying to find something new even after centuries of existence, which made me love her even more.

The concept of being remembered and loved is another theme central to this book, reflected in both Addie and Henry’s journeys. If you were not remembered, not loved, not seen by a single person in this world, did you even exist? Struggling with this grim realization, Addie constantly tries to leave her mark in various forms, trying to understand the contours of her curse in the process. Henry brings a whole new perspective to Addie’s story. The very unique way that their lives fit in spite of being exactly opposite to each other. Henry’s own character arc was also very raw and emotional and his feelings of being lost something a lot of people could relate to.

Quite frankly, this is one book I think I will keep returning to over and over again. I am totally in awe of this book and its daze is not leaving me anytime soon.

Ok so firstly, this book was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and I’m not sure I can do it justice by writing this review because boy, it did not disappoint at all. V.E. Schwab is clearly some sort of writing genius and one of my favourite authors of all time. It met all my expectations and even more.

Addie LaRue is the kind of story that stays with you for a long while, always in your head and heart. The prose is simply so beautiful, so lyrical, like poetry.

Adeline LaRue, born in 1691, wants a chance to discover more of the world than her small village in France, to be free, a chance to live. On a desperate night in 1714, she prays and prays and prays to the old gods, even though she has been warned to never pray to the gods that answer after dark. And thus she makes a bargain with a devil, not knowing what are all the terms.

She quickly learns that even though she will now live forever, she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone the moment she leaves their sight. She cannot write or draw anymore, cannot say her name, cannot leave her mark anywhere.

During the book, we switch between two timelines. The present, New York City, 2014, where Addie is still 23 after almost 300 years, and the past, starting when Addie is still a little girl, and advancing in history as we read. I really liked the fact that we keep switching between these two timelines throughout the entire book. This leaves some mystery, a sense that things happened but we don’t know them yet, we have to keep reading to know everything.

In the present timeline, Addie had 300 hundred years to discover more of the world, to learn how to leave her mark through other people’s hands. But she is still lonely, as no one is able to remember her. Then one day, she finds a boy in a bookstore who says to her, ‘I remember you.’

Henry was also an amazing character with his own mystery for Addie — and us — to discover. I really enjoyed reading his and Addie’s interactions. They were a nice fit to each other.

I think my favourite part was how art was so intertwined into the story. In a way, this was a story about art. It was everywhere from beginning to end. Addie inspiring art and artists throughout history, learning how to leave her mark through them. She herself is such a lover of art, it was simply everywhere into the story.

I knew I’d struggle while writing a review on The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue.
This book was everything I wanted and so much more. Thanks to Titan Books for sending me a digital review copy of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and for making my life in 2020 a thousand times better. :’)

Swiftly shifting between the past and present, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue takes us on a journey of a girl desperate for freedom, and how her life changes when she finally gets the chance to be free from all the unwanted chains in her life. She makes a deal with the devil to live (with her own rules) forever and is unexpectedly cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

I connected with Addie LaRue the very moment her story started. Her strong character and unusual dreams for a girl born in the 1700’s – made me fall in love with her instantly. I have never been a fan of character-driven books, until Addie’s book came into my life. Her story is about hope and dreams, of love and loss, and of happiness and grief.

I devoured every second of being in this beautiful (and why is it fictional???) world that V.E. Schwab created. I didn’t want to let go of this enchanting story, but when I finally HAD TO, I cried like a crazy person. V.E Schwab is a QUEEN, she has the power to weave magic through her words like no other author out there. There is always a lyrical touch to her books, but The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has become a favorite of mine for its intricately crafted storyline. I felt like I was peeking through Addie’s soul, because of how Schwab made her emotions leap from the pages of the book. I had to stop reading once in a while to properly absorb what was happening in the story.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a gem of a book. Please read it when it comes out tomorrow.

I received an E-ARC of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab for free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much V.E. Schwab, Titan Books and NetGalley for this amazing opportunity! This review is also available on my blog - Book, Blog & Candle.

I was so excited to read this book! I loved the sound of it as soon as I saw the blurb and I couldn't believe my luck when I was approved on NetGalley! Everyone in my family also love the concept and they've been eyeing up my Kindle ever since!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows the life of a young girl called Adeline LaRue from France in the 1700's. She lives a simple life but wants more than what is laid out in front of her. More choice, more adventure, more time. In a moment of desperation she makes the dangerous decision of praying to a God after dark and when he answers her call she must bear the consequences. After all, you know what they say, be careful what you wish for.

Addie must now live a life where no-one she comes across is able to remember her. She can't leave her own mark on the world, she can't even give anyone her real name. The only person who can is the darkness - aptly named Luc - who can be sweet, accommodating or cruel depending on his mood when he visits on the anniversary of their deal. His ultimate endgame being to do whatever he can to get Addie to surrender her soul to him. However, over the 300 years that she has lived she hasn't lost an ounce of her defiance and she's learnt how to manipulate his own game against him and she is determined to win. Just when Addie has accepted her circumstances and grown used to her lonely life, a fateful day arrives where a boy called Henry happens to remember her. I really admired Addie, it was easy to tell that she was a survivor and I really enjoyed how she decided she was going to live in spite of Luc. Also I really liked how the story flicked back and forth between the 1700's and 2014 so seamlessly because not only did it help progress the story but the reader gets the full experience of Addie's character and how much she develops over that period.

Henry runs the bookstore which is where he first bumps into Addie. He is sweet and caring but seems lost. He's Jewish but is struggling with his religion and is searching for meaning. He wants to experience everything life has to offer and doesn't want to waste a single second, all in all he just wants to be loved. He really reminded me of Addie from the start of the book with how they both want more from life, the parallel was so clever and showcases how they're practically two sides of the same coin.

I absolutely adored these characters and they're going to stay with me forever! They had so much chemistry and were so cute together, with every scene I just wanted to swoon. Also I really appreciate how the author portrayed Addie as being bisexual and Henry being pansexual (I hope I've got that right, if not please let me know and I'll come back and correct it!) it was the perfect surprise for Sapphic September and I loved it!

I don't think my review will ever be able to do this book justice because it was absolutely gorgeous! I was enchanted from the first sentence and I can't stop thinking about it. I immediately wanted to reread it as soon as I finished and it is the first book I've read in a long time where I haven't wanted it to end. I even preordered a physical copy so that I could have it on my bookshelf as well. I am so grateful to have been able to share this mesmerising journey with Addie, it was remarkable and quickly became one of my all time favourites. So many parts really resonated with me as it really makes you put your life into perspective in terms of how we spend our time and what is important to us. Not to mention the emotional rollercoaster that this story put me on! Honestly, you'll laugh, you'll cry and most importantly you'll always remember Addie.

This is the first book I've read by V.E. Schwab and I am now a forever fan, every other book she has written is now on the top of my TBR! Plus, it is so exciting about the announcement of the film adaptation of Addie, congratulations to V.E. Schwab I can't wait to watch it!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an incredible, magical and sensational story that is impossible to forget. An absolute must read!

Thank you so much to V.E. Schwab, Titan Books and NetGalley for the opportunity
to read this amazing book, it has been an absolute pleasure!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of those stories I just KNEW I would love and then it just wasn’t.

A pact with the devil for immortality? A curse as part of the bargain? 18th century France?
Yes. YES. OH YES. There is something about stories with immortals that I cannot resist and this book not only provided that, but ticked so many other boxes as well, so I could not help but hype this story up for myself. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me.

I honestly have such a tepid feeling about this story that I am struggling to find anything to say other than I did not care for it. The writing was beautiful, at various points mesmerising, wistful, insightful. The main character was interesting enough and I enjoyed reading about her, but struggled with the rest of the cast, apart from the devil who could have been very interesting but was hardly ever present. As for the settings, I enjoyed all the scenes that took part in the past but did not enjoy most of the modern day setting, and lastly the ending did not work for me in the least bit.

I could have DNF’ed this one, but there were moments in the book that I thought to myself, hang on, here we go, where I had a feeling this could still turn into something I loved, but they never turned into something more. Somehow I finished the book through these moments, although by the end it felt like just one tease after another.

I could have absolutely loathed this story, and I could have absolutely adored it, but somehow I ended up right in the middle of those two and I’m not convinced that this is not the worst possible outcome. Irrespective, I have enjoyed Schwab's books in the past and most readers seem to be loving this one, so take this review with a grain of salt if this book seems like your thing.

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is a love letter to creators of all kinds, a tribute to being remembered among the billions of undistinguishable individuals that history swallows up in its wake. Addie is a character who desperately wants to escape the constraints of her time, wants to live free, forever and famously. When she makes a deal with the devil, he curses her to an invisible life: she is forgotten by everyone and unable to create anything of lasting significance. Until she meets Henry Strauss who does remember her.
In theory, Addie’s journey spanning hundreds of years, accompanied by the devil as her only confidante throughout, is a narrative I wanted desperately. In practice, the book constantly left me wanting more. From the flashbacks featuring famous philosophers, artists and musicians to the present day events unfolding in New York City and the allusions to a dalliance with the devil, the story took predictable turns, repetitive patterns and often lagged animation. If you’ve read Victoria’s books before, the main characters and their wants, needs and decisions and the narrative’s imagery often felt like simulacra of previously featured favourites and settings to me. Even the delicious devil figure fell short and Addie’s portrayal of “I’m not like other girls” was a gnawing unease in the pit of my stomach even when I wanted to connect with her.
“Addie LaRue” is by no means a bad book, and I honestly think that if you’re new to Victoria’s work, you’ll love it endlessly. And even if you have loved all of her previous work, you will find the same building bricks in this one. Personally, I felt like the atmospheric magic I’ve come to revel in from previous books got lost somewhere in translation. The writing is still good, but it didn’t get me emotionally involved in the story, something I expected of a story spanning centuries and a dance with the devil.
Trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts and mental health struggles in general