The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Schwab

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

There is a running joke amongst my group of friends that you can love one genre of V.E. Schwab books, but not all of them. For example, if you loved her Adult Fantasy books, you won’t love her YA Fantasy books. What I’ve never really openly admitted to my friends is this: I don’t really fit that running joke. I have loved every V.E. Schwab book I’ve read to date. Her ability to seamlessly move between genres astounds me. Sure, there are plenty of Authors who write in multiple genres. That being said, I always feel that those Authors are strongest in one genre and it shows. I think it is safe to say that with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab has proven this is not the case for her.

Addie LaRue was unlike anything that I’ve read by V.E. Schwab. While I could tell by the prose and overall flow of the book that it was hers, the plot was so sweeping and wholly unique that it took me entirely by surprise. Addie LaRue is immediately relatable as a character, and the two major side characters both have very different types of charm that reel you in just as readily.

I somehow spent the entirety of this novel both fascinated by the stories being told, and nervous as I waited for the other shoe to drop. I constantly felt like I was on the edge of heartbreak and honestly, I think that is part of the beauty of the novel. Following Addie on her adventures through Paris, Italy, New York, and New Orleans was transportive. I spent my entire day absolutely devouring this book purely because it made me feel as though I was exploring the world instead of sitting in bed wearing pajamas and an oversized knit cardigan.

The romance in this was surprising and not in the least bit standard. I was shocked, enamored, hopeful and devastated all over the course of one book. At times I was grinning like a fool, while at other times I cried so hard that I very seriously considered using my cat’s tail to wipe my eyes instead of forcing myself to stop reading and get up in search of a tissue.

At this point, I think its safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Addie LaRue’s story and am greatly tempted to beg V.E. Schwab for more. For the time being, I will refrain and wait for my preorder to arrive so that this book can enchant me and destroy me all over again.