THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab – ReviewThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Published by Tor Books on October 6 2020
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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five-stars

The nitty-gritty: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is pure magic, a grand yet intimate and emotional tale of art, love and memories, told as only V.E. Schwab can tell it.

A new V.E. Schwab book is always cause for celebration, but this time the celebration is well earned. This might be my favorite of her books to date, although I still have a special place in my heart for Vicious. I believe I read somewhere that Schwab has been working on Addie LaRue for the past ten years, and it shows. This is the author at the top of her game, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is her masterpiece. This book is so carefully constructed, each theme developed to perfection, each piece of the puzzle placed just so, and it all adds up to a spectacular reading experience.

The story begins in 1714 in the small village of Villon-sur-Sarthe in France. Adeline LaRue is twenty-three and it’s the night before her wedding, a wedding she’s being forced into by her family. Addie can clearly see the future she’ll have once married: a life of drudgery, taking care of babies and a husband she doesn’t love, and worst of all, stuck in Villon for the rest of her life. She wants nothing to do with any of that, and so she calls upon a demon in order to strike a deal: she agrees to offer up her soul if she can live a life of freedom. The demon, who we come to know as Luc later in the story, agrees to the deal, but he adds a cruel twist: Addie will be immortal and cannot die, but everyone she meets will forget who she is once they turn away from her.

We then jump ahead to the present day, New York City 2014. Addie has lived her strange life for three hundred years and has managed to be happy, despite the challenges she faces. One day she stumbles upon a hidden bookstore called The Last Word, and when she tries to steal a copy of The Odyssey—because that is the only way she can acquire things, by stealing—a young man named Henry Strauss catches her in the act. Addie talks her way out of it and Henry ends up letting her take the book home, but when she returns the next day to give it back, she’s shocked to discover that Henry actually remembers her from the day before. Henry and Addie are immediately drawn to each other and begin a relationship, but Addie knows her secret is bound to get out eventually. And of course, once Henry discovers the truth, Addie finds out that he has one of his own.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is crafted. Not only is Schwab’s prose simply glorious, but she’s meticulously created a work of art. The story jumps back and forth from the present to the past, covering a span of three hundred years, as Addie gradually learns the ins and outs of her “curse,” as she refers to it, figuring out what she can and can’t do. Often multiple timeline stories can be confusing, but Schwab never once lost me, and in fact, these time jumps added so much to the story. And speaking of art, one of Schwab’s overarching themes is that of art and how it immortalizes life. Because of her curse, Addie can’t leave a mark at all: she isn’t able to hold a pen and write, she can’t draw or appear in photographs, she can’t even tell her story out loud to someone else. But over the years, she has some remarkable moments with artists who are able to at least capture her essence on paper. In that way, she has left her mark on the world, and in doing so she feels as if she’s found a way to cheat Luc and the curse.

Addie is a marvelous character, and I loved the way she grew over time. Her curse is a double edged sword—she gets to live forever and experience the history of the world, but she’s also extremely lonely and unable to form any lasting personal bonds. It doesn’t take long to discover that being invisible means she can’t find a permanent home or buy food or clothing, and so she struggles in the beginning to survive, which is ironic since she can’t die. But little by little, Addie finds ways to make her odd life work, and she flourishes. I loved her tenacity and drive to live life to its fullest, even with the restrictions that the curse has put on her. And when Luc appears each year on the anniversary of the deal and tries to bully Addie into giving up her soul, she resists each time.

Some of my favorite parts of the story were the snapshots of the different times in history. Addie lives through wars, plagues, and inventions. She sees opera for the first time, flees Paris during the war, meets famous writers and artists and much more. Schwab takes full advantage of those three hundred years and gives us an ambitious story that spans history, all with one smart and resilient girl as witness. People may not remember Addie, but Addie never forgets anything, and this dichotomy was one reason I loved this book so much. 

And while I loved Henry and his budding relationship with Addie, it was Luc who ended up seducing me. Make no mistake, Luc is the devil himself (and in fact we get to witness him steal a soul) and he’s only out for one thing: to take the soul he’s been promised. But I loved the subtle shift in his personality over time, and he ended up really surprising me. Addie and Luc have a constant dance they do when they are together, a competition of sorts to see who will win, and these moments are full of thrilling tension.

And oh the emotions! Schwab knows how to tug on your heartstrings, and these emotional moments seemed to pop up when I was least expecting them. Addie returns to her hometown in France many years after leaving, only to find that nothing is the same. Addie sees herself in a famous painting and is thrilled to discover in some small way, she’s left a piece of herself behind. And always, there is the sadness that comes each time a lover or friend forgets who she is, the one part of her curse she can’t seem to rise above.

It may sound corny, but Schwab has cast a spell with this book, and I almost wish I could experience reading it again for the first time. Whether or not you are a fan of her other books, I highly recommend you give Addie LaRue a try. You won’t regret it.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Posted October 5, 2020 by Tammy in 5 stars, Reviews / 51 Comments

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51 responses to “THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab – Review”

  1. Jake is Reading

    Every time I decide to bypass a book for the sake of my TBR, it ends up sounding unmissable
    I didn’t continue with Shades of Magic but this one sounds fantastic! Great review

    Reply
  2. Yvonne

    Oh this was such an in depth review. I have to admit that I’ve never read any of Schwab’s work but have always been intruiged. I’ll definitely check this one out, you’ve convinced me that her works worth a go!

    Reply
  13. Barb @ Booker T's Farm

    I’ve put this on my Christmas list. Mr. Barb always just asks for a list and then he systematically goes out and buys what ‘s on it – he hates to shop. I can ‘t wait to read it one snowy day. And I think I’ll love Luc as well. I always fall for the bad boys -except Mr. Barb – not a bad boy at all but hey, it’s lasted 29 years so I guess I made the right switch! Great review and glad you loved it.

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I think you might enjoy this, Kal! Vicious is my favorite of hers too but wow this is just as good if not better:-)

      Reply
  19. Lynn Williams

    Great review. I love some of the points you made here, how Addie remembers everything, even is everybody forgets her and that she still managed to make a mark. I love her tenacity too and the way that she didn’t become jaded and yes, definitely a few tugs on the heartstrings.
    Lynn 😀

    Reply
  21. JonBob

    This is a wonderful review! Honestly can’t say I’ve ever been drawn to V. E. Schwab; don’t know why but her other books have just never appealed to me, but thee more I hear about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue the more I’m compelled by it. I think I might actually read this one and experience the infamous Schwab

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I have yet to find a reader who doesn’t love this book. I’m sure they are out there, but it seems to appeal to a wide variety of readers.

      Reply
  25. sjhigbee

    Oh what a marvellous review, Tammy:)). I absolutely loved this one, too – and like you, I felt it’s an author at the top of her game. There are so many layers to this book – and her relationship with Luc is difficult and entwined… The ending brought tears to my eyes – not in a sentimental way, but because I didn’t see it coming and yet it was so RIGHT. And it could have really been messed up and somehow twisted and it wasn’t…

    Reply

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