Addie Larue was born in 1691 in a village called Villon, France. Ever since she was a child, she has always been a dreamer, with dreams bigger than her small village, and certainly bigger than woman’s expectation at that time. Her dreams and desire to live to the fullest were what drove her to make a bargain with the devil. The devil granted her the freedom she has always wanted, but not in the way she’d imagined, because now she’s cursed to be forgotten by everyone she met. Now, she lives like a ghost—exist, without any marks.

This book is told in alternating chapters between 2014 New York City and the 300 years she has lived on since the bargain. During those 300 years, we get to see her growth, her pain, and her longing; how she tried to live despite being forgotten over and over again, and of course, her relationships with the very devil she’d bargained with—nicknamed Luc by her. To be frank, their interactions are intriguing and are my favorite things from this book, but I also have to admit that it’s a toxic relationship due to the power disparity between them. So yes, this isn’t a love story between a girl and the devil. It’s not even a love story between Addie and Henry, the first person she met who remember her. It’s a story of loss and long, of hopes and dreams, and the sacrifices we made for it.

“It’s a lonely thing to be forgotten. To remember when no one else does”

Writing has always been V.E. Schwab’s strong suit, so I couldn’t write this review without mentioning it. This book is my 6th Schwab’s book, and despite the different age range and genre, I still find myself captivated by it. She wove words beautifully, that you honestly could feel them. Usually, I’m not a fan of character-driven or ‘purposeless’ books (and this book is ‘purposeless’—in the sense that there’s no villain to defeat, or quest to find magical objects. The whole book is simply about Addie’s life), but in this book it seems I can’t get enough of it. It took me almost 10 days to finish this, and not because I’m bored or busy, but because I genuinely think it’s meant to be read slowly so you could savor each word in it.

“Do you think a life has any value if one doesn’t leave some mark upon the world?”

In the end, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is the kind of book that stay with you long after you finished it. It might not make it to your favorite list, or it might not become your best reads of the year, but it made an impression on you, and you’ll find yourselves thinking about it again. Because despite the immortality aspect, despite the bargain with the devil, this book is still about lives—all the good and bad—and it’s the very thing that we all have in common.

Firstly. Wow.

This book was such an amazing read! It was so highly anticipated that I was scared of not liking it!

When Addie is forced into something she doesn’t want, she makes a deal with one of the oldest gods/devils. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite go to plan. Addie is cursed.

She is now immortal, but she will always be forgotten. As soon as she leaves a room, she is forgotten. She can’t even tell anybody her name. She can’t write it down. She can’t even have her picture taken.

Then she meets Henry, and for once in her life it is different. She finally has a life. (I won’t say any more!!!)

This story is told from a few different times in Addie’s life over a 300 year period. We also get to see a few different times in Henry’s life too.

This story kept me hooked from the very beginning. I loved Addie, Henry, Bea and Luc.

I must insist that you read this book!!

Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for this review copy!

Thank you Titan Books for providing me with this ARC!
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Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
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I have a feeling that this is going to be a pretty difficult review for me to write, so bear with me here🌚

First off, I want to say that this is a very personal five-star-rating. I could have easily given this a 3.5 or a 4 star and been done with it (which I was planning on doing for more than half of the book) – however, the longer I read Addie LaRue and the more time I spent in its little world, the more I grew to love it. Never would I have expected to give this book such a high rating.

This book is more about themes and ideas and feelings than a distinctive and suspenseful plot. If you’re not into these kinds of books, I don’t think this is going to be the book for you. But I, personally, loved it a lot, especially because the themes and ideas and feelings that are talked about in Addie LaRue resonated with me so incredibly much. I have never really related to a character or a book before ¬– until this little boy came along. Addie LaRue, at least to me, is about loneliness, depression, struggle, human relationships, coming to terms with who you are, dealing with the life you were given and so, so much more. The amount of love I have for Henry is still unreal to me; I saw so much of myself in him and he will always have a place in my heart <3

I’m not saying that this is a perfect book. Addie herself isn’t the most engaging character in my opinion – she even lacked a little bit of depth at times. The worldbuilding could be considered inconsistent, and especially Luc lacked a lot of characterization considering how big a role he plays in the overarching story. The writing is definitely not for everybody as well. It took me a while to get into it because it felt a little try-hard and forced to me at the beginning. I did grow to like it a lot more in the end, though. Yes, I noticed all these imperfect things, and, yes, if those points could be improved upon, I would highly appreciate it. But in my eyes, Addie LaRue isn’t about intricate, extensive worldbuilding or perfectly well-crafted characters, but rather about its message and the emotions it evokes.

What *was* perfect, though, was the ending. I reckon this will be the most polarizing aspect of the book, but I personally loved the way V.E. Schwab handled everything. It even made me tear up because it was just that beautiful. I liked that it was pretty open to interpretation and left a few questions unanswered, yet it didn’t fail to provide the necessary closure as well. In fact, the whole atmosphere and vibe of the book was absolute perfection – definitely the perfect autumn read! So quietly beautiful, like most of the book. The romance was so beautifully quiet but lovely, the LGBTQIA+ rep was perfectly casual and the whole message surrounding the story isn’t *in your face* but intricately weaves its way into your mind. Even though we see Addie live through several centuries and roam around many parts of the world, the book still managed to feel incredibly cosy and homey.

Honestly, I could probably talk about this book for ages and I might even fall out of love with it after a while (because that’s just what my indecisive brain does), but the emotions it made me feel were so real and I can’t not love Addie LaRue for that. Frankly, I’m already dying to reread it. Thank you, Miss Schwab, for writing a book I finally see myself in, I appreciate it very much <3
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Even as far as 50% into the book I was thinking do I want the Waterstones exclusive edition, the Owlcrate edition or both because I was loving it so much! But in the end I thought it was just …. OK?

I was so excited to get an eARC of the book, I’ve loved everything I’ve ever read by V.E. Schwab before (except Our Dark Duet) and even though I wasn’t initially 100% sold on the premise of this book because I heard it was being compared to the time travellers wife which I was not a fan of, I still thought I would still love it because Schwab wrote it.

The book starts off following Adeline LaRue living in the small French village of Villion, I loved the atmosphere and I could really feel the impending doom Addie was feeling at the thought of being married off and not getting to live outside of the small village and be able to experience the world and the desperation that led her to pray to gods after dark.

I even enjoyed the initial scenes in the more modern setting of New York and it was heart breaking to read about the constant loneliness Addie felt, cursed to be forever forgotten. I loved the lyrical and poetic writing style and I thought it would lend itself well to travelling through France and New Orleans and New York over the span of 300 years. But ultimately the transitions from year to year, city to city actually felt pretty jarring and it was often triggered by another character (Luc) picking her up and putting her down somewhere else and if I’m being honest if it weren’t for the title of the chapter stating the location and explicit reference to it in these chapters I thought most of the scenes could have taken place anywhere, especially the scenes set prior to 1914, and although I did like the atmosphere of these earlier scenes they didn’t feel distinctly different and just felt like they were there to provide back and forth between Luc and Addie and not to show Addie exploring the world.

That was another thing actually, the events of the book are set off because Addie doesn’t want to get married to tie herself to one place and one person but I felt like the entire book was her craving companionship and I wanted more of her exploring the world and not just casual mentions of different animals she had seen or experiences had had every now and then. I get that that is kind of the point, her not actually knowing what she wanted in the beginning, saying she didn’t want to belong to anyone and then wanting relationships more than anything but it made me sad to think that that was her main motivator, not her finding strength in being alone and happiness in the freedom that gives but have her heart break when she had to reintroduce herself and only seeking companionship.

I guess that means I should mention the relationships now and I really didn’t like either of the main relationships she had in the book. I’ve got to be honest Henry bored me so much and it seemed like the only thing keeping them together was circumstantial. I get her feeling more connected to him because of that but I didn’t think she would have chosen him as a person over some of of the other earlier relationships that she mentioned and it was just because he remembered her. What if there were 20 other people that could also remember her? There was nothing special about Henry, it felt like she clung to him because other than the person who’s been torturing her for 300 years he’s the only one who sees her, oh wait that’s actually what it is. I thought the reveal of his backstory was really underwhelming and although I appreciated the anxiety representation I still didn’t care about him as a character and I didn’t think he had much to offer.

That doesn’t mean I thought she should end up with Luc, Luc was even worse, no he wasn’t boring but he was petty and cruel. I did appreciate that that relationship didn’t seem to be glamorised. It was more that they bonded over their mutual loneliness and desire for companionship but it was acknowledged that they were toxic.

But I think my main problem with the book was that it was too repetitive both in terms of actual scenes and themes (this might be more of a me problem because it’s something I hate in books). In the beginning I didn’t mind how repetitive it was and I actually kind of liked that Addies interaction with Luc felt like the same conversation every year on the anniversary, it made sense that he was trying to wear her down but the other repetitive elements started to irritate me. It seemed like she was constantly sad about a relationship she had had that the other person thought was a one night stand, constantly having to leave a house/apartment/inn because the people there wouldn’t remember and constantly doing it all over. Over the 300 years she didn’t grow or change, the things she wanted with Remy were the same things she wanted with Sam and the same things she wanted with Toby. I didn’t feel any sort of character arc for her and I found that really frustrating. In the beginning I felt her heartbreak but by the end I was tired of it.

This review is already pretty long so I won’t ramble anymore.
Overall I didn’t hate this book, I didn’t even really dislike it but I also didn’t love it or like it. There were definitely parts of it that I loved, liked and disliked but overall it was just OK.

I might reread at some point but I don’t see myself remembering this one a few months from now.

This was a book of two definite halves for me. The first half I found morose, depressing and inexpliably sad. I told my buddy that it needed to be called The Hopeless Life of Addie LaRue. But on reflection, VE Schwab knows best.

The story was compelling, even in the first half, no doubt about that. But, it was hard to read about Addie’s life, her struggle, the moments she had to get through. The past and present timelines were so clearly outlined that I never faltered with the jumps back and forth.

“Are you lost?”
Déjà vu. Déjà su. Déjà vecu. Already seen. Already known. Already lived.

The second half did a number on me, it won me around in a way I didn’t see coming. It made the first half fall into place and as a whole it was 100% memorable. I found hope, I found fear and everything came with an aftertaste of bittersweet. This wasn’t a neatly tied story, it was incredibly melancholy but I do welcome a read that takes you out of a normal format of story strucure and expectations.

I’ve told you nothing about the story in this review but the characters were exceptional. Addie in particular was humbly endearing with necessary grey facets to that character. I’m left feeling unsure how I feel about Luc, how believing I was of him, but I know this, Henry was a beautiful creation who won my heart.

“Three hundred years,” she whispers. “And you can still find something new.”

There were illustrations at the start of the seven parts to this book and they took my breath away, none more than the start of Part Seven where tears gently welled.

VE Schwab wrote uniquely, with imagination that is rare. This was some story that definitely needed to be told. If you do struggle with that first half, hold on, because there are words to pull you through.

I remember you.

Thank you to Titan Books for the gifted review copy.

Synopsis: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is about a girl, who wants to be free, a boy who just wants to be loved and the darkness that brings them together.

Adeline LaRue is a young woman born in the 17th century in a small town in Brittany who just won’t fit in, and honestly, who really doesn’t want to, anyway. She doesn’t want to live the life of a happy wife, bearing children and going to church every Sunday. She wants to see the world and is ready to do anything to fulfill her deepest wishes. This is why she makes a deal with “the devil”. She doesn’t want to be held back by anything, not even a regular lifespan. So she sells her soul “until she doesn’t want it anymore.” Unfortunately she got more than she bargained for, because soon after she realizes that as soon as she leaves a person’s sight, they will forget about her. She cannot leave a mark in any way. She simply will not be remembered – which is not exactly the freedom she was hoping for. This book follows her through the centuries, in which she meets famous personalities and has to deal with her changing relationship with Luc, the demon she made her bargain with.

Curiously, when she meets Henry for the second time, he remembers that she stole a book from his shop, which changes everything. Why does he remember her at all?

Review: Who doesn’t love a story about someone making “a deal with the devil”? It’s the major plot point from many of my favorite stories: Disney’s The Little Mermaid does it, the animes Black Butler and Death Note do it and even some TV series like Once Upon a Time and Supernatural or movies like Pirates of the Caribbean do it. The story of Doctor Faustus is quite popular with classical authors like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Christopher Marlowe, as well, so it can savely be said that there already is some material to work with.

When I found out that V.E. Schwab would be publishing a book with that content, understandably, I was very excited and after finishing I can conclude that she certainly delivered. At first, I thought that it would probably be some kind of mindless romance with a fun setting, but I should have known better, since that’s not the way Schwab does things! It did nothing the way I expected it to which kept me on my toes and I really liked it for that.

While the concept is very interesting and you expect it to have an exciting plot with many twists and turns, it is far more character driven. The reader really gets to know Addie as a complex (at first young and then not so young) woman, who has so much love for the life she chose, but who still carries so much sadness with her. They also get to know Henry, who seems like that even-tempered, sweet love-interest you usually have in many romance novels, but after some time you get to know his troubles as well. They both just feel very real and not washed-out. While the interactions and personalities of Addie and Henry are already great enough to create a solid story, I especially loved Addie’s encounters with Luc (the darkness she made her deal with). Their relationship is complicated until the end and they start some really interesting conversations about identity, religion, freedom and love.

Addie’s blessing or curse (whatever it feels like at the moment) is very well thought through by Schwab and quite intriguing to a point where I repeatedly wonder what I would do in Addie’s place. I mean, how does she get on a plane without getting into trouble? And if she doesn’t use a plane for travels, how does she travel from Europe to America without getting caught? There were so many instances, in which I just had to pause and think, which made this book so much more fun.

Another interesting aspect of the novel is that it’s divided into a couple of sections and each of these sections begins with the description of a piece of art, it’s overall worth and so on. At first, I was really confused what that was about and generally skipped that part, simply because I didn’t get it, but after some time I finally understood that they actually worked quite well in the context of the story: their integration makes a lot of sense, after you have actually read the individual section, so I can definitely recommend to go back to those parts afterwards.

After all this praise you might have noticed that I didn’t give this book a full five star rating. The reason for that is purely based on personal preferences. I just like to know where a story is going after having read 30% of the story. This one just took so much time to actually get started that I wasn’t 100% into it for most of the first 3/4s of the book – but like I said, I just prefer it, when there is more of a balance between the plot and the character exploration and this one was pretty heavily character-driven.

From the first time I heard about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I knew that this book will be perfect, in every single aspect. And I couldn't be more right, because I still have to think about this book, even after month I finished it.

The fact that V. Schwab writes amazing books is well known, but nothing could prepare me for this, because it was so different from her other books. The theme of this book is just so magical, deep and unique at the same time. Imagine a life of young girl, Adeline, which is supposed to be married soon, but she doesn't want to. She's fighting her own destiny, ready to do ANYTHING so she could change it. And her wish will be fulfilled, though completely different than she wanted. Because there is no one who remembers her. And even when she meets someone, it takes only a short moment before they forgot about her.

There are several plot lines in the story, and I can't decide which one is my favorite. They all show Addie's life, before the "change", and after the change. That includes centuries of her life, and her current life in New York, where she's doing literally everything she wants. Until she steals a book from a small bookshop, and meets someone who remembers her.

The writing style was indescribably amazing. It was so easy to read and gripping, that I just could not stop reading, and hated myself for it, because I never wanted this book to end.

What made this book so special? The answer is the characters. I fell connected with Addie from the first page, and I enjoyed both her story and her personality so much. Her development was simply magnificent. And so were Henry and Luc.

Overall, this book is without doubt the best I read in 2020. I wish I could give this book even more stars, because it deserves everything. And especially your attention. Read this book. Believe me, you will love it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with this eARC.

The first time I heard of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was at a book signing event in 2019, where Victoria was talking about the re-release of her first novel, The Near Witch, as well as several of her other books. There were a number of questions about the upcoming book during this talk, and despite talking passionately about all of her books there was something different whenever she spoke about Addie LaRue. There was a passion there that showed this was a project that meant a lot to her, and during the talk she mentioned that this was a book that she had been working on for the better part of a decade.

Jumping forward in time, it was announced that it would be coming out in 2020, and so many people in the publishing community, especially readers and reviewers, were getting very excited for the release. With all of the hype that was being built up around the book, I have to admit I became really nervous going into it. What if the excitement wasn't justified? What if I'd hyped myself up for something amazing that could never meet those expectations? I was worried that I'd built this monolith in my mind that the finished novel could never actually compete with. Luckily for me, I was worried for nothing, and Victoria Schwab has proven once again that she is a masterful storyteller.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue begins in the summer of 1714, where our protagonist Adeline is running away from her problems, quite literally. We get little context for what's happeneing, except for how desperate the young woman is. From here events jump forward three hundred years, where Adeline, who now calls herself Addie, is in New York City, in the bed of a man who doesn't remember bringing her home the night before. We learn that this isn't because of drink or drugs, he can't remember her because no one can. As soon as anyone stops looking at Addie she erases from their memories.

Over the course of the next several chapters we skip between modern day and three hundred years before, where we get to see both lives that Addie is living. In one she's a young woman living in rural France, fighting against her parents expectations to go off and get married, and in the other she's a ghost, walking through the world without anyone realising she even exists. Through her past we learn that in her desperation to escape her upcoming wedding she prayed to the old gods of the woods, made them offerings to help her, but none would. When she accidentally prays too long, offering up her prayers after darkness falls, she gets a response from something she should have never asked for help from.

This entity offers Addie a deal, a way to escape from the life everyone has planned for her and to be free for as long as she likes, in exchange for her soul. Desperate and out of options, Addie agrees, little realising just what she's agreeing to. Addie is given freedom, she can go anywhere, but the cost is that everyone has forgotten her. Alone in the world, the young woman begins to drift, a journey that will last centuries.

In modern day New York Addie is simply going about her usual routine, taking what she wants, going wherever she feels, and trying to enjoy her bizarre existence. However, when she's caught stealing a book from a used bookstore she thinks nothing of returning the next day, after all, the owner isn't going to remember her is he? Except he does. After three hundred years alone, three hundred years able to observe the world but leave no mark of her own she hears the three words she thought she would never hear again, 'I remember you'.

The narrative of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue makes great use of having a character exist for centuries, jumping backwards and forwards through Addie's life in order to tell her story. Schwab uses it to good effect, not only setting up hints at things to come in each narrative, but teasing out reveals. Some of these are moments that you feel you know are coming, things that are hinted at in the future fairly early on in the book, but that you have to wait hundreds of pages to get to in order to finally learn these secrets. I would say that it's a great way to keep a reader interested, but honestly, I found the narrative engaging enough that these little mysteries weren't what kept me hooked at all. If anything, I found them a little frustrating because I wanted answers straight away; but this was frustrating in a good way.

It wasn't the mysteries of Addie LaRue that kept me reading, but the character herself. Fictional characters, just like real people, are shaped by their experiences; where they go, what they do, and who they interact with. Whilst you could go through your entire life never interacting with someone I'm sure there are very few people who have. Everyone needs to talk to someone some of the time. When that option is taken away, what kind of person would you be? This is what made Addie herself so fascinating, as I think she's one of the few literary characters who is so completely alone for so long, even whilst surrounded by people.

I'm sure there are some people who are waiting for the chance to jump in now and say 'but Amy, she can talk to people, she's forgettable, not invisible', and you're right, she can interact with people, but this is in very limited ways. If you cannot form any lasting relationships with people how can you have any real, meaningful conversations? If people forget you as soon as they're not looking at you, how can you have any conversations that are anything other than a first meeting? And how long until you just get so tired of having a first meeting over and over again?

Addie is very different in 2014 to her time in the 1700's, and this isn't just because she's grown older and wiser over time, but because you can see the effect of bring has had on her. She doesn't look at people the same way that you and I do. She doesn't treat people the way we would. This goes beyond simple things like having to steal to survive, to at times not even really seeing people as people all the time. Everyone else is so removed from her world that she at times doesn't even consider herself one of us anymore.

This is explored in great detail with the introduction of Henry, a young man working in a bookstore who can somehow remember Addie. The reasons for this do get explored during the book, and add to the mystery that plays out over the novel; but much like Addie I think it's him as a person that's more interesting than his mystery. He, much like Addie, has detached himself from the world around him. He's had troubles in love and doesn't seem capable of letting anyone else in again. But when he meets Addie things change, for both of them. We get to see not only how she improves his life, but how he humanises her. Sometimes it's simple things, like her having to confront the morality of stealing from people in order to make her way through the world, but other times it's smaller, more personal things like her being able to wake up beside someone and see recognition in her eyes, and the peace that that brings her.

I sometimes have trouble getting into books that have romance be a central component, and can find some love stories to be overly dramatic and draining, but the story that plays out between these two is genuinely beautiful and fascinating.

I don't want to talk too much about the story though, as there's so much that's best learnt as the narrative unfolds. There are reasons why Schwab chose to keep certain things back until certains points in the book, and I know talking about them in a review will ruin that experience for you. All I can say is, this isn't just a book about love, it's not just a story about a woman living through centuries. There's so much here that you don't realise at first. It's big and expansive, with layers, and it's so damn beautifully written.

I've enjoyed everything I've read of Schwab's so far, and have made a point to but all of her books because she's an author I know I'm going to get something good from, but if I wasn't already a fan this is the book that would make me one. It's a book that will take you on an unexpected and shocking journey, a book that you'll be thinking about days and weeks after, that you'll want to recommend to all of your friends. I can understand now why Victoria was so excited when she spoke about this book, I can understand why it meant so much to her. This is the kind of book that comes along very rarely, and you'll definitely regret missing out on it if you don't grab a copy.

Thank you so much to Titan Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is fantasy author V. E. Schwab’s latest book and is one of the most anticipated releases for 2020. Having not read any of Schwab’s work before, I didn’t go into reading this with any preconception of what to expect from her style. I was excited to read it because it has a very intriguing and mysterious premise, but I tried not to let all the hype around this book give me too high expectations for it.

What struck me from the beginning was the beautiful writing. I was drawn into Addie’s story right from the first page. Something about the writing just captured me and didn’t let go. The book is written in third person present tense, which I don’t usually like as it can be really awkward to read. However, Schwab writes so beautifully in this book, I sunk into the writing from the first page and didn’t find the third person present tense awkward at all, in fact it read really naturally for this story.

The narrative goes back and forth between the present and the past. In the present, Addie is living in New York and it’s been nearly 300 years since she made her deal. Through the flashback chapters we see what led her to make that decision and how the mysterious, shadowy person she made the deal with tries to persuade her to give in and hand him her soul. My favourite chapters were the ones set in the past. It was really interesting seeing how Addie learned to cope with life with the boundaries of her deal. If everyone forgets you as soon as there’s a door between you, how can you do even simple things like rent a room? If you can’t have a job because everyone forgets you, how do you get money to pay for food? I also loved seeing Addie move through the different periods in history.

I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, as I really enjoyed the experience of reading when I wasn’t sure what to expect. The book’s description doesn’t give much away, and I liked getting to discover the story without too many preconceptions of what it would be about.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue explores themes of time, memory, identity, and what it means to be human, as well as the connections we make with other people. This is a thoughtful and imaginative novel which went right to my heart. It’s a book I will definitely want to read again.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and when I was notified, on my birthday no less, that I had been given an ARC, I genuinely squealed with delight. Sometimes building up your expectations for a book can be dangerous but I felt sure I was in safe hands with this author and I am pleased to say that not only does Addie not disappoint, it was more beautiful, more magical and more memorable than I could ever have imagined.
The premise behind the book is deceptively simple- a girl makes a deal with the devil for her freedom, but as with all Faustian bargains, there is a sting in the tail, she may be free, but she is also forgotten. We first meet Addie in eighteenth century France on the day of her wedding to a man she detests. In desperation she flees to the forest where she encounters a strangely charming man who offers her freedom, in exchange for her soul. Addie is wary but agrees , on the proviso that he can only claim her soul when she agrees that she has had enough. As is often the case, the devil is in the details, and so Addie discovers that her freedom has come at an unexpected price, she is forgotten by everyone she has ever known and is forced to flee her home. One year later the handsome devil appears to Addie again, sure that she will have had enough of her struggles and will be ready to capitulate, but he has underestimated her determination. This determination will keep her going for three hundred years, as she learns to lie, cheat and steal her way to survival, made easier by the fact that she is forgettable, turning the curse into a blessing. She might have continued in this way forever but for the fateful day she walks into a bookstore and meets a man who not only seems able to remember her, but seems keen to get to know her better. To reveal more would spoil the magic of the story, but I will say that this is one of the most touching books I have ever read, and the ending would bring tears to a glass eye. The way it looks at loneliness, isolation and the need to belong is something that will stay with me for a long time. I also really appreciated Henry's story and struggles which we are introduced to in the second half of the book, it is one of the most evocative and relatable depictions of depression I have come across in fiction.
Some may find the book slow paced, but I thought it was perfect, and loved the way we moved back and forward in time to get snippets of the story that stitch together to create a wonderful and memorable whole. I can't believe how emotionally attached I became to both Addie and Henry, this is something that never happens to me, but this book somehow got under my skin in a way that few others have.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Addie wants to be a wild thing, to have freedom in a time when women are bound by duty. She will do anything, including making a deal with the devil.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Adeline LaRue lives in a small French town, where everyone is born, and everyone is buried in the same space. Addie wants to escape, she wants to be free of her small town life, free of the expectations to marry, raise kids, and die in the same town.
When she is being forced to marry a man who is perfectly nice, but she doesn't love, Addie can see the cage closing around her. In desperation, she makes a deal with a god of darkness, freedom in exchange for her soul.
And she is free: free from aging, free from health issues, free from duty (as no one remembers her).

The first half of the book is split between Addie in New York 2014; and Addie's story starting in 1714.
Over three hundred years, Addie suffers and struggles, as she comes to terms with her curse. It doesn't take long before she learns some tricks to get by, and does more than survive. Addie seeks new marvels every day, to feel alive every day. Even if no one truly remembers her, she becomes a cross between a ghost and a muse for artists across the years, feeding her ideas into so many pieces.
Despite countless weak moments, she never gives in to the dark god, because there will always be something new on the horizon.
Addie is great. Even in the very beginning, she's very level-headed about what she can't change, and does what she has to, to survive.
I liked in the 2014 timeline, how it accepts that she is weary, after her long life; but she continues to be optimistic. She never lets the constant repeats and introductions get her down.

The second half introduces a new narrator - Henry, who meets Addie in New York, 2014.
He is the first person in three hundred years to remember her.
He has a very chaotic energy, and is terrified of wasting time. So much so, that he can't settle on one thing, or commit to one path. Until he meets Addie, and finds that she doesn't have any expectations of him.

I really liked how Henry's story is played out. I liked how the author tackled depression, with Henry's black storms, being a regular and all-consuming part of life. It doesn't romanticise or glory in Henry's use of alcohol and pills to mask the pain. Instead, it's written with the same logic and respect as Addie's historical parts.

This is a very slow story. It plays out 300 years of snippets, but mostly to share all the little things that make up life.
You get to explore who Addie, Henry and the dark god are.
You get to see how messy life is.

This is the first book I've read by V.E. Schwab, but I'll definitely be reading more!

I knew from the moment it was announced that I would love this book, what I didn't realise was the extent to which I would absolutely adore every single thing about this book. It is unequivocally the best book I have read in 2020, the best book published in 2020, and probably my favourite book of all time. If The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue isn't on your preorder list, I seriously recommend you change that immediately.

"They are Orpheus, she is Eurydice, and every time they turn back, she is ruined."

The premise is an interesting one: girl makes a deal with the devil for her freedom and she ends up living forever, but I think the reason people have come out of this book disappointed is that they expected something dark and brooding. A devil-oriented gothic love affair, this book is not. It is, however, a heart-wrenching look into how people perceive one another, how they treat strangers, and what is taken for granted. It questions what freedom truly is, and the timeless human struggle of wanting to leave your mark on a world that is ever-changing and temporary. I would sell my soul for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

"Ideas are wilder than memories. And I can be wild. I can be stubborn as the weeds, and you will not root me out."

Addie is cursed with being forever forgotten - number one rule of making a deal with the devil is to be specific with the details and in not doing this, she will never be remembered. To spite him for twisting her desire of freedom, Addie continues to live, refusing to give up her soul (her part of the bargain). Her determination and her refusal to give in despite experiencing some horrific events throughout her 300-year lifespan had me emotional beyond belief and unable to put the book down.

"It is just a storm, he tells himself, but he is tired of looking for shelter."

Henry Strauss remembers Addie. For the first time in her entire life, someone remembers her and she doesn't know why. But Henry himself is a whole other kettle of fish. I have never related to a character as strongly I did to him, and his entire story stole my breath and my soul. Despite the title claiming this is a story about Addie LaRue, this story is just as much Henry's as hers. His experiences of mental health were something that I connected with and meant so much to me. I don't want to go into too much detail, but the relationship that builds between these two characters is something I will forever cherish.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thanks as always to Netgalley for sending this to me!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is probably one of this year’s most talked-about releases, and one that booktube and book twitter has been buzzing about since it was announced. VE Schwab is a beloved author across the bookish community, but after a crushing disappointment with last book of hers I read, This Savage Song, I took a little break from her work. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, with its compelling tagline of a 300-year relationship between a young woman and the devil, it seemed like a great choice to dive back in and give her another shot.

VE Schwab is an author who definitely has her favourite tropes and character archetypes that she returns to over and over, so die-hard fans can always rely on her to deliver more of what they love. Unfortunately, the same can be said for her weaknesses. I am always obsessed with Schwab’s concepts; her premises are always fascinating. However, when it comes to the end product I tend to find that there’s something missing that I can’t always put my finger on, which keeps me from being fully immersed in the story. When it comes to Addie LaRue, that missing ingredient was a lot easier to pinpoint.

Addie LaRue is a slow moving story – understandably, since it takes place over a 300 year period. I think this was done exceptionally well; the book is well paced for the most part, as we follow Addie throughout the long years and changing decades, the passage of time is marked really well. The times change like seasons, each bringing their own distinct tones and atmospheres, from the muted, misty early years in a small rural village to the dark streets of the French revolution, to the bright lights and hyper-realistic sharpness of modern-day New York. The settings were the highlight of this book for me, each one of them wonderfully rendered. They were all immersive and brilliantly detailed, and I found that they really helped to showcase how Schwab’s writing has improved over the years. I think Schwab is wonderful at writing moments – little snapshots of life. This book takes place in museums, abandoned subway stations, bookshops, speakeasies. I don’t know how many of these locations were real and how many were imagined, but they were all fascinating. The settings become their own characters, in a way, leaping off the page – in fact, I was more attached to the places in this novel than I was to the characters that inhabit them.

This brings us to my biggest issue with the story, the one thing that kept me from connecting with it fully: the character work in this story fell flat for me. When you have a story as literary as this one, with little plot and so much focus on people, it’s vital that you have compelling characters to follow, and unfortunately that was missing for me. The titular character, Addie, was pleasant enough, if very much Schwab’s usual type – if you’re not a fan of ADSOM’s Lila Bard, you probably won’t like Addie, who has a similar stubborn, loner, not-like-other-girls kind of vibe. Then we have Henry, whose defining character trait is that he finds himself inferior to everyone else. He’s very wishy washy, lacking in confidence, wandering through life with no idea where he’s going. I found him sweet, interesting at times, but nothing special. Finally, to complete the main triad, we have the Darkling – ahem, I mean “The Devil,” known as Luc. Given that the book’s original premise was touted as a love story between the girl and the devil (something that it seems the marketing team has very sensibly dropped, given the widespread disappointment when people discovered the story was Not That At All, Actually) I was hoping for so much MORE from Luc. He’s described as a shadowy figure, and that’s all he ever really was to me – a shape with no substance. He’s dark, alluring, mysterious, quick to anger… and flat as a pancake. There’s an old saying that if you can replace a character with a sexy lamp and have nothing change in the story, you should probably go back to the drawing board, and that was kind of how I felt whenever he was on the page. His relationship with Addie spans a few centuries of intense dislike, followed by a whirlwind ‘romance’ that offers about as much passion as a married couple having dutiful Sunday-night sex with the lights off. The book insisted that there was some intense magnetism between the two of them, and I genuinely didn’t feel it at any point. Because of this, the book’s big final twist, which I think was supposed to be a huge ‘gotcha’ moment, was pretty underwhelming. I think if I’d had any level of investment in their relationship, or even just Luc as a character, I’d have been delighted and shocked by it – instead, I was bored whenever he appeared on the page, desperate to be rid of him.

It’s a sad irony that the characters who stood out the most are the ones Addie leaves behind. The book’s big tragedy is that Addie is doomed to lose everyone, walking through the world without leaving a mark. As a result, my favourite characters were the ones who we met only briefly and then left behind – artist Sam (now if she had been the love interest, I’d have been 100% down for it. She deserved her own book) or sweetheart Remy, or even spurned ex-boyfriend Robbie, an actor with a big personality. The best characters are the ones we lose, which I suppose is all part of the tragedy; the knowledge that without her extra years of life, Addie would never have met these people she keeps with her, but she’s unable to hold onto them for longer than a night. So many broken connections. A tragedy for her, and an even bigger tragedy for me, when I had to say goodbye to the most interesting characters in the book and then spend another 200 pages with Luc, who had about as much personality as a bowl of rice pudding.

I definitely enjoyed a lot of aspects of the book – it had beautiful, atmospheric writing, a great grasp of time and place, and a lot to say about love, loneliness and loss. Ultimately, though, it didn’t deliver what I wanted from it. I couldn’t connect strongly enough to the characters to develop any strong feelings about their fates, and as a result I didn’t love the book as much as I’d hoped I would. It was an enjoyable experience at times, but like its main character, it failed to leave a mark.

V.E. Schwab crafts The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue with lyrical, dream like writing, transporting you to France, Italy, London and New York. The story and characters are apologetically honest. The portrayal of sexuality, sex and mental health is done without judgement, written in such a way that the reader can relate, take comfort in their struggles, and know they are not alone.

The plot is divided into two perspectives – with a large focus on Addie as we learn about her past and present. Schwab seamlessly delves through time as she retraces Addie’s steps. There’s something very wise, timeless and lyrical about the writing, as though we are dreaming. A lot of the moments in the past are recited with the knowledge of the present, which serves to add another layer of excellence and intricacy.

The book filed me with such longing – I was left wanting to grab a beer at The Merchant with Henry, visit art galleries with Addie, watch Sam paint and Robbie preform.

There’s a handful of books I could name that have impacted my life on such a deep level, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue might just top them all. I didn’t just feel connected to the characters, I felt them, as though I was reading a story I was in, and that might sound crazy, but it just highlights how beautifully vulnerable this book is. It discusses mental health, loneliness, living life to the fullest and taking pleasure in the little moments. It’s about being free and being independent, taking time to stare at the stars and questioning why we have to have all the answers when we’re twenty, why can’t we just live.

This book spoke to me on such a deep level. I fell in love with every word, I could have read it for three-hundred years and never get bored. Go into this one knowing as little as you can, take heed in her wisdom. I hope you fall in love with this book as much as I have.

Addie LaRue, I can’t wait for everyone to meet you.

After finishing this book, it took me an entire day of thinking to decide wether or not I liked it. Twenty four hours spent reflecting, remembering, reading back through certain chapters, writing notes and making connections. My brain felt messy. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I felt haunted.

Then it finally clicked: I felt as frustrated as Bea when she’s trying to place Addie, in a fog of da ja vu. What I had read was messy and funny and frustrating and upsetting. It felt like real life. The characters didn’t make plot decisive actions, they made human choices. They lived in my head. Three hundred years is a long time and it felt as though I had really travelled that with Addie.

The greatest recommendation I can give for this book is that it will stick with you. Addie’s story is compelling, with all its sweetness and stings, and it has lodged in my heart as a new favourite, which I know I will come back to time and again. Addie’s is a story that deserves to be remembered.

God this book!!! I can see why it took VES so long to write. It’s fantastic, it’s so well layered, the switch in time lines and POV is done so well, there is no unnecessary material. The characters are fantastic, not too cliched but perfect in their way. I absolutely loved this book and it’s a rare occasion when I read the ebook the buy the physical because I love it so much.

In order to escape a small-town life she doesn't want Addie LaRue makes a deal with a dark force (Luc) to live forever. But the deal has a downside. No one will ever remember her except for him. But after 300 years of being invisible someone new at last remembers her.

This book is special. Absolutely wonderful and magical and heartbreaking. Addie is such a force of life. All she wanted was the choice to live a life she chose and instead she was doomed to be forgotten by everyone. It's utterly heartbreaking. Her journey was thoroughly compelling and I could not put this book down.

We watch Addie grow from a young hopeful girl into a strong woman, scarred by her experiences. She endured some awful times and the way Luc plays with her emotions and manipulates her was horrible. By the time Henry came into the story I was so ready to see a little happiness for her, a spark of hope!

I loved the time jumps in this story, the way we found out more and more about her relationship with Luc. Then the sections with Henry's back story too, I devoured them so fast. I adore him! He really had such a tough time too and the way his mental health was depicted was so well done.

Two damaged souls that found each other the strangest of circumstances. The pacing was so good and the lead up to the end was done incredibly well. I really loved the ending so much. I cried but it was perfect. An all time favourite for sure.

#irememberaddie

Many thanks to Titan Books for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so different to anything else that I have read recently that it was an absolute breath of fresh air. It is so cleverly plotted and it all just fits together so well. Addie is great as the main character as she comes to terms with immortal life and with all the restrictions that are imposed on her, to live but to never be remembered. She struggles and she fights but she lives and loves and finds that life is never long enough to see all that there is. It's such a positive message to appreciate what we have and make the most of our lives.

I absolutely adore V.E. Schwab's work. She is adventurous and playful and Addie LaRue is no different. This was a delight of a read, poetic, beautiful and bittersweet. My love affair with Addie has only just begun, I shall be rereading this as soon as I get my hands on a gorgeous hardcopy. I adored the character development and story arc.

See my full review on twwbookclub.co.uk a little closer to release date.

I blink, and half my life is gone.
I do not want to die as I've lived.
Born and Buried in the same ten-meter plot.
- Addie Larue

Book Description :-
France, 1714: in a moment of despiration, a young woman makes a faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Addie Larue has learnt the hard way that deals with the Devil are tricky things. Immortal but eternally invisible and forgotten by people, Addie exists only as a muse for artists throughout history. The only person who remembers her is the Devil himself. Until one day, in a bookstore in New York, she meets a boy who remembers.

✨ THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE !!!
I haven't read anything by V.E. Schhwab before, so I had no idea what to expect from this book. But, Oh My God !! This book was literally like coming up for fresh air !
The story is so unique and so beautifully written, that it makes you go through a series of countless emotions. I laughed, I smiled (like a fool might I add), I cried, and now I am waiting for my physical copy just to savour those moments once again (please don't judge me 🙈).
This book was a slow-paced book, but in a good way. It kept me hooked throughout the journey. The story takes place in two different timelines, but that's the beauty of this book. It just helps you connect more with Addie as you travel back and forth between the pages of her life.
This is a well-crafted book that you need to read atleast once in a lifetime.