The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I've never read anything by V E Schwab before but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more. Just a note, it deals with thoughts of suicide and drug use, some violence, war, and sexual content.

The story follows two different timelines of Addie LaRue. One is her life currently, living in New York City. The other is of her life before, starting in France when she was a child and how she got to where she is now. You see, she was born in 1691 and when she was in her early 20's she made a deal with the Darkness, the Devil, a.k.a. Luc. She knows it's a bad idea but she's desperate and she does it anyway, trying to outwit the Darkness. Of course, it doesn't work and she ends up being cursed. She can't be hurt. She can't starve or die of the cold or thirst, she can't die at all. But what does an eternity matter if no one remembers you? She lives more than 300 years, a ghost of an existence, being forgotten as soon as she's out of sight. But then, someone remembers her.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get into it, it started a little bit slower than I expected, but once I was invested I found it really interesting. It had tears, it had laughter, it had me shaking my head at Addie. There were times I was practically pulling my hair out with frustration. Everything I need in a book. Addie isn't remembered by any of the people she's met, but somehow she's managed to meet some big players (Voltaire, Sinatra) and be involved in some huge events (the French Revolution, WWII). I love the inventive ways that Addie finds to make her mark on history as she probes the boundaries of her curse. However, her meeting these key historical figures and showing up in different pieces of art was probably the part I liked the best.

When it comes to the relationship that Addie has with Henry, I found it difficult to root for them. I'm happy they were able to give each other some modicum of comfort but I couldn't see a way for their relationship to last. And don't get me started on the relationship the Addie has with Luc, red flags all over the place.

I'm giving The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab 4.5 stars out of 5. Overall, I did really enjoy this story, especially the creativity of the main character. There's a twist in the middle that I'm pretty sure everybody saw coming, and a twist at the end that I did not and it left me smiling.

Check out other works by V.E. Schwab at https://www.victoriaschwab.com/#

Pairs well with a warm blanket and a cup of hot cocoa.