The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue starts in a quiet, almost gentle way, and before you know it you are completely invested in a woman who has made the worst deal in history: immortality… with the tiny side effect that nobody remembers her five minutes after she leaves the room. Imagine spending centuries meeting people who immediately forget you. It is basically the ultimate social ghosting experience. The story itself is original and wonderfully imagined. The premise is fascinating, but what really carries the book is the writing. The prose is beautiful without being annoying about it. Some books try very hard to sound poetic and end up sounding like a scented candle description. This one actually earns it. Addie is a fantastic character. She is stubborn, clever, lonely, resilient, and occasionally makes decisions that make you want to gently shake the book and say, “Addie, please.” The supporting characters are also strong, especially the dark, charming antagonist who shows up throughout the story like a well-dressed cosmic problem. What I loved most is how emotionally moving the story becomes. It unfolds slowly, but in a good way. The narrative takes its time, building the weight of centuries, loss, identity, memory, and what it means to leave a mark on the world. By the time the emotional punches arrive, they land hard. I did not cry, but I did stare dramatically at the ceiling for a while thinking about life choices. The pacing is definitely slow and atmospheric, so if you are looking for nonstop action you might get impatient. But if you enjoy thoughtful storytelling, beautiful writing, and characters that feel real even when they are making deals with supernatural entities, this book is absolutely worth the time.

I will say that Addie LaRue did not live a happy life. This was beautifully written. I thought it was beautiful to recount her life throughout the years. You see and feel her struggle. You feel her pain each time someone forgets her. I wanted to cry each time Addie meets someone and does not want the night to end. How lonely her immortality was for everyone to forget her name. She had no one for years. NO ONE! I did feel that Addie’s character did not learn anything from her mistakes. She had 300 years and she continues to make this deal with Luc. Like did you not learn from your first deal? The story was very repetitive, each time she meets with Luc they spend time together, she reminds herself she hates him, they dance around each other, and they repeat each year. I honestly don’t know if I like Luc or not. I felt their relationship was rushed. One minute he didn’t like her and then the next he tells her he loves her? When did that happen? Henry is like many of us, a lost soul still trying to figure out life. I felt so connected to him when reading his POV chapters. I wished there was more to his story. Overall, this really made me think about life and death. To enjoy life and live in the moment.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a favorite of my more recent reads. Its premise has an original aspect, the protagonist Addie Larue is sympathetic, there are intriguing twists to the story, and the prose is excellent. The basic premise of this magical realism book is an old one. Addie Larue sells her soul to the Devil, or a devil, or an old god, or maybe simply a magical being. It never is clear. From this initial start, the story is all original. Addie is a uniquely independent French girl, born 1691 in the provincial town of Villon-sur-Sarthe. She yearns for more than a life of bearing children and married subservience. She eludes that fate for some years, until it is decided she must be wed. On the wedding day she runs. About to be caught she meets a man, or an old god. She pleads with him, “I want a chance to live. I want to be free…I want more time.” He asks “How long?” She doesn’t know. He becomes frustrated, and explains that he deals in souls. He will wait for her soul, but not forever. She tells him, “…take my life when I am done with it. You can have my soul when I don’t want it anymore.” This is a deal the old god will do. Addie accepts, not realizing the old god has rigged the game in his favor. No one will ever remember Addie. She can knock on a door and have a conversation, but when the door closes and reopens, the person has no recollection of her. Even her mother and father don’t remember her being their daughter. This would make life impossible for most people, but Addie persists and finds a way to manage over the years without going insane. She seems to be immortal. I found it fascinating how she forges a life for herself. Periodically the old god visits her, hoping to take her soul. Their changing relationship over the centuries is an interesting subplot of the book. Finally, in New York in the present, she meets a man who remembers her. That leads to the climax of the book, although not necessarily the end of Addie’s story. Or maybe it is the end of her story. I don’t want to spoil the finale for you. Once I always finished a book once I started it. Now, I finish a minority of the books I start. I am a tough grader of books, but on a scale of one to five, I give this book a six.

V.E. Schwab’s *The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue* is a poignant and haunting exploration of immortality, identity, and the need to be remembered. This intricately woven narrative transports readers across centuries and continents, following the life of Adeline “Addie” LaRue, a young woman who makes a fateful deal with a dark God. With breathtaking prose and a story that lingers long after the final page, Schwab delivers a masterpiece that is as heartfelt as it is heart-wrenching. Set in 18th century France, Addie LaRue is a dreamer trapped in a world that offers little freedom for women. In a moment of desperation, faced with a marriage of convenience that threatens to snuff out her spirit, she prays to the gods for escape. But as warned by her mentor, Estele, one must never pray to the gods after dark. Ignoring this advice, Addie strikes a deal with a shadowy figure, granting her immortality but cursing her to a life where no one remembers her. She leaves no mark on the world—no written words, no artistic creations, no lasting connections. She is forgotten the moment she slips from a person’s sight. What follows is a journey of resilience and determination as Addie navigates the centuries, finding ways to leave an imprint on the world despite her curse. Her story takes an intriguing turn when, after 300 years of anonymity, she meets Henry Strauss, a man who, to her astonishment, remembers her. Their connection becomes a cornerstone of the novel, unraveling layers of emotion, mystery, and existential inquiry. The enigmatic antagonist, referred to as Luc or “the darkness,” is both Addie’s tormentor and her reluctant companion. He grants her wish with a sardonic cruelty, reveling in her struggles as he waits for her to surrender. Yet, there is a strange intimacy between the two. Luc is not a one-dimensional villain; he is charming, seductive, and occasionally vulnerable. He challenges Addie, pushing her to confront her fears and desires, making their dynamic one of the most compelling aspects of the novel. Henry is a character whose presence turns Addie’s world upside down. The first person to remember her in centuries, Henry carries his own burdens and secrets. His story interweaves with Addie’s, delving into themes of self-worth and the longing to be loved. Their relationship is tender and bittersweet, offering moments of solace and heartbreak as they navigate the complexities of their intertwined fates. The story is told in a multiple timeline narrative alternating between Addie and Henry’s pasts and the present. Schwab’s prose is lyrical and evocative, capturing the nuances of emotion and the passage of time with elegance. The descriptions of Addie’s experiences, from the bustling streets of 18th century Paris to the modern-day cafes of New York, are immersive and atmospheric. Schwab has a gift for crafting sentences that resonate, lingering in the reader’s mind long after the book is closed. This is a novel that will stay with you, its echoes reverberating in your thoughts long after the final page. It is heartfelt, heart-wrenching, and, above all, unforgettable. Schwab has crafted a story that is as timeless as Addie herself, a testament to the enduring power of love, art, and the human desire to be seen. "I remember you" Addie LaRue.

Another in “tweener” book - a book I read in between my book club reads - interesting, well written, yet, not totally sold. Addie sells her soul to the darkness, in return, an immortal life without memory. No one remembers her if they are not within sight of her, they forget her as soon as she leaves. She is allowed to have no possessions, save a wooden ring from her past and a leather jacket, a gift from the darkness named Luc. It’s a daunting thought, but Addie endures for over 300 years in a duel with death. Schwab’s book reminds me of slightly of Neil Gaimon’s Sandman where the Gods have a presence in human lives. It is supposed to be haunting as we traverse the years with our protagonist and her enemy, frenemy, lover, and challenger. In the book, humans don’t sell their souls so much as the darkness shows up as a trickster, preying on human emotion, fear, depravity and intense sadness. I found this to be incredibly cruel. And so we are witness to this awful metaphoric dance between Addie and Luc, and something about the whole storyline creeped me out, but I’m sure this is supposed to be a romance, and it was, I guess. I’m glad I’m moving on, as I’m on the fence about this one. I can see how someone might love this book, but instead of a romance, I thought it a book of horror, but it is worthy of a read.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is unlike anything I’ve ever read before—and, honestly, unlike anything I ever will read again. It took me a long time to feel ready for it. I picked it up and put it down time and time again, knowing somehow that I needed to wait for the perfect moment. When that moment finally came, this story completely unraveled me. This book is poetry. Every sentence is carefully crafted, beautiful in its own right, weaving together into a tapestry of emotions that burrows into your soul and refuses to leave. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t just sit with you—it stays, carves out a space in your heart, and fills it with its beauty. It makes you think deeply, about time, death, life, and the choices we make. It lingers long after the final page, asking you to carry its questions with you. The characters are unforgettable, their stories haunting and achingly real. I loved every second of getting to know them, learning their secrets, their desires, and their heartbreaks. Addie herself is a marvel, but so are the people who surround her—each leaving their mark in a story about memory, love, and the cost of freedom. Finishing this book was bittersweet. I was ready, but also not ready, to let go. It’s rare for a book to be so devastatingly beautiful, to feel like it’s alive in your hands, but this one does just that. It’s not just a story; it’s an experience. A masterpiece. Twenty stars out of ten. If I could give it more, I would.

A strong 4 stars. It loses 1 because of some telegraphed elements that were clear as day that the main character had to be told in order to understand (people with rough lives are usually tougher and sharper than that), running on a bit too much with the excursions into the past, and having the character arrive at irrelevant conclusions. Also certain devices that are cute in the beginning and maybe the end are imbued with a significance that shouldn't be relevant. (Spoiler) MOST people don't have a biography. It really is pointless for something akin to a ghost that is immortal to require such a triviality. You should still take a read, and you'll see what a mean, and you're likely to concur, but you may be mesmerized by the inherent pixie dust in the author's prose. This one's a little longer than it really needs to be. The author takes the time traveling elements a little too far. Also Henry is not worth the merit that he's imbued with. Having said that, even with these elements the story is a good one, reminiscent of an extended (very much extended) Grimm's Fairy Tale. The protagonist is a 300+ year old woman cursed to walk the world alone and unremembered. People she encounters forget they ever met her in the first place and it isn't uncommon for her to have to re-greet them for the first time. It flashes back between now (which in this story is 2014 in NYC) and then (which is any time back in history in France, Italy, German, and the like). I read reviews before about people who couldn't follow along because of the time traveling, but it's done in a very predictable fashion, typically back and forth on a 1:1 ratio. Just look at the date of the chapter at the beginning and it's not even remotely a problem. Sometimes it lapses into tedium when the reader has had his/her fill of looking into the past. The story, unfortunately continues well past the serving size of the reader, but you forgive the author because of the overall story. It's well-written, very descriptive, and the depiction of the being that laid the curse is marvelous. The main character is a bit much in regards to her positivity in the face of overwhelming odds and also the naïveté she exhibits. You can't really live for over three lifetimes and be so naive. It's also bizarre that her relationships with others are extremely superficial (granted she has no choice), but her relationships with things are not. She's not a shut in. She's a person whose life has extended from the 1600s until the present, who is obsessed with living (which really translates into sight seeing). You don't hear about her trying every single drug, or doing crazy things only an immortal could get away with, so she's not thrill-seeking. She's a fairly conservative perpetual "tourist" that no one remembers, who also can only affect the world around her in a limited fashion, that's best left disclosed through reading the novel. There are rules. All in all, V.E. Schwab does a tremendous job creating a fairly unique story that women everywhere are bound to enjoy, and some men as well. It might be a good idea to chalk any of the main character's inconsistencies up to insanity. She does mention (spoiler) that if you're insane long enough it sort of wears off. Ha! All in all a wonderful story, highly recommended.

Came next day. Book was brand new as described and packaged nicely.

ame este libro, lo lei rapidísimo, todo es muy muy cautivador!!

Victoria Schwab é uma escritora de fantasia Americana. Ela tem uma série de livros de sucesso, e mais recente um dos livros mais falados dos anos de 2020 e 2021, A Vida Invisível de Addie LaRue. Conhecemos Addie, uma jovem francesa que vive no início do século XVIII, e logo entendemos sua ânsia por liberdade, por fugir da vida que lhe era imposta. Em um momento de crise, ela foge para a floresta a fim de oferecer qualquer coisa por liberdade. Só que é o Deus da escuridão que responde, e ela acaba por cometer um erro grave. A escuridão concede sua liberdade, mas em troca receberá sua alma. Addie passa a ser esquecida por todos que já conhecia, e a cada pessoa nova que cruza o caminho. Basta fechar uma porta, virar a esquina, ou dormir, para que ela se torne uma desconhecida. “Como você caminha até o fim do mundo? Um passo de cada vez.” Além do esquecimento, Addie também ganha a imortalidade, sem nunca envelhecer. E assim, atravessamos 300 anos de história, entre guerras e amores, decepções e arte. Addie atravessa continentes, e aprende a falar muitas línguas, mas não por mais que algumas horas ela é lembrada. Teria ela deixado algum legado? Tudo o que ela escrevia sumia, nem seu nome verdadeiro podia ser pronunciado, mas havia uma possibilidade de não ser completamente apagada: através da arte. “Não consigo segurar uma caneta. Não consigo contar uma história. Não consigo segurar uma arma, nem fazer alguém se lembrar. Mas arte, ela diz com um sorriso mais calmo, arte é sobre ideias. memórias. Eles são como ervas daninhas, sempre encontrando seu caminho para cima" A narrativa é em terceira pessoa, e se alterna entre os flashbacks dos 300 anos, e o momento atual (2014). Poucas vezes na vida eu vi uma escrita tão bem-feita, a autora soube deixar claro todas as suas intenções, e tudo fez muito sentido. É um livro impecável e sem falhas. Nos dias atuais, Addie conhece Henry. Seria mais uma paixão de um dia (para ele) e talvez alguns meses (para ela), até quando ela se cansasse de vê-lo esquecê-la a cada noite. Só que Henry lembra. Para ele, ela não era invisível. Por que? Este livro é uma obra de arte. É um livro perfeito para fazer jus ao seu plot: suas ideias nunca serão esquecidas. Addie LaRue toca nosso coração, toca em assuntos tão reais quanto ignorados. “O que é uma pessoa, senão as marcas que ela deixa no mundo?” Este é um livro obrigatório. Não viva esta vida sem conhecê-lo.

That should be studied in contemporary fiction classes in higher education. While exploring the theme of selling your soul to the devil that has been known even before Faust, it is a contemporary version of such a tale. The imagery, from the seven moles on Addie’s face to not only mark her but also suggest the Pleiades along with the wooden ring carved from wood by her father to represent eternity, heightens the tale through such clever literary devices. Addie represents the human desire for freedom that we all feel, whether it be a desire to be free from time constraints or the constraints of others, Addie represents this rebellion in us. I must admit that I started to find the novel pointless and wondered where it was going. Then I turned the page and Henry fell into the story. He represents our human desire to be loved for who we are. The relationship that develops despite one having wanted to escape the expectations of other and the other wanted to be accepted by others and thus fulfilling, through sorcery, the expectations of others, the reader learns that the two can cohabitate. Henry’s arrival makes the novel become a page turner and you want to get to the end to know how it does, though you fear that you already know. Yet keep turning those pages. A timeless read with a timeless character.

The product is a scam, it is a cheap copy of the original book in paperback

MÜKEMMELL