The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

V. E. Schwab

Oct 2020 · Sold by Tor Books

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
USA TODAY BESTSELLER
NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER
THE WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER

Recommended by Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, NPR, Slate, and Oprah Magazine
#1 Library Reads Pick—October 2020
#1 Indie Next Pick—October 2020
BOOK OF THE YEAR (2020) FINALIST—Book of The Month Club

A “Best Of” Book From: Oprah Mag * CNN * Amazon * Amazon Editors * NPR * Goodreads * Bustle * PopSugar * BuzzFeed * Barnes & Noble * Kirkus Reviews * Lambda Literary * Nerdette * The Nerd Daily * Polygon * Library Reads * io9 * Smart Bitches Trashy Books * LiteraryHub * Medium * BookBub * The Mary Sue * Chicago Tribune * NY Daily News * SyFy Wire * Powells.com * Bookish * Book Riot * Library Reads Voter Favorite *

In the vein of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Life After Life, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab’s genre-defying tour de force.

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.

Also by V. E. Schwab

Shades of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic
A Gathering of Shadows
A Conjuring of Light

Villains
Vicious
Vengeful

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

No wonder this is a bestseller! What V.E. Schwab offers in THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE is an imaginative new take on the famous Faustus legend, interesting, multidimensional characters, and thought provoking situations — mixed with some random historical events over 300 years of history. The result? I NEVER wanted this read to end. In 1715, in a small rural village in France, Addie Larue is desperate. Female and still single at age 23, her parents have arranged a marriage for her to a widower she doesn’t know, condemning her to a life in the same town where she grew up, every inch of which she already knows. Intelligent, eager for adventure, and excited by the possibilities of what lies beyond — Addie will do anything to escape her fate. Enter The Devil. And they quickly strike a bargain. Escape from a marriage, a chance to see the world without messy human attachments — but at SUCH a cost. Because in her eagerness to escape, Addie is not quite careful enough in choosing her words. And the crafty Devil is an expert at this game. And so begins 300 years, with the novel moving back and forth in time, as Addie recounts her efforts to experience all that life has to offer. And like any life, some parts are good, some not. She has the privilege of serving as muse to a series of artists, but also faces disturbing challenges. Above all, what she yearns is to sample love. Until, finally, at a small bookstore, she meets Henry. I think my favorite aspect of the book was the developing relationship between Addie and the Devil, who occasionally banter with each other over the years, each one influencing the other. And as Addie matures, through her experiences, she becomes more than a match for him. I don't want to say more because there are so many wonderful surprises in store for you. I wouldn't want to spoil a single one. This is a smart novel. Well-written. The type you don’t want to put down. That is, until you approach the end and find yourself dreading that the book will soon be over. You’ll have no idea how it could possibly resolve in a satisfactory way. But yet, it does. It’s simply one of the most inventive and engaging books I’ve read in a very long time.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ("Invisible Life") is not my first encounter with the author's work. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's City of Ghosts series and expected the same for this book, plus I was very curious based on the book title. While City of Ghosts' writing is geared towards a middle-grade audience, Invisible Life is marketed to young adults/adults, a more extensive and demanding set of readers. Would I be able to transition to adult by the same author seamlessly? I have NOT encountered such a variation/combination yet and freshly after City of Ghosts. Will I be more critical about the tune and writing of this book versus the previous one? I was worried about shattering my perception of the author. I did have Invisible Life in my TBR for a while now, but after a friend/Youtuber/booktuber highly recommended it in her last video, this gave me "the push" to get the book. Man, oh, man, I am so glad I took her advice. The story revolves around Addie's and later Henry's POVs. Both characters' stories are heavier and loaded than I anticipated. Wishes, secrets, desires, and later regret fill each episode shared to readers. Many revelations surprised me; many twists were unexpected yet cunningly written. Addie's story is the reverse of the movie - Fifty First Dates, where everyone else forgets Addie and everything involving her. Cute and has a very new perspective with a lot of twists. In contrast, Henry's story reminds me of Genesis' story of Adam and Eve regarding temptation and contentment. He didn't realize what he was getting himself into when he met Addie and the connections that will spew out - confessions and revelations. I LOVE ADDIE! She is the epitome of perseverance, determination, wit, and sometimes too smart for her own good! Many moments in the story would break a character, given the obstacles she faced, like surviving three hundred years with no name or friends. She made it all work out and thrived as best as she could to "beat the odds" and "bend" her curse by her terms. Addie grows wiser each time readers meet her, and with sheer ingenuity, hints of her existence start to seep into the world. I relish and was giddy with Addie and Henry's love story even under precarious circumstances - they made it work. It provides hope to readers regarding having someone beyond time and space - right time, right place. But like in all great love stories, there are many complications to be "together." There were many secrets, tears, and angst that will have readers hold their breath. The plot twist and resolution were a shock! I am still a mess from "ugly-crying" nearing the end and am still distraught. Granted, I was happy with how the author ended (?) the book, but my heart and brain are still analyzing everything. I did like what Addie did, and somehow after three hundred years, she grew and outwitted everyone her way - and it was spectacular! To wrap things up, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a stunning, compelling, haunting, profound, and moving story. It will appeal to fantasy, paranormal, romance, and outlier readers who want "more" in a story, its characters, and plot twists. The story is an addictingly captivating read that brings many reflective points. It questions readers on the value of a "full life" - its fragility, unpredictability, and purpose. How to quantify a meaningful life is at the forefront of the book, and I couldn't help but partake of Addie's immeasurable burden because of her wish. The plot twists are refreshing and take a unique stance on the price of immortality and the value of life - something I have yet to read as a reviewer. I believe this might be the same for other readers also. The story and its message will make readers dig within themselves and empathize with all the characters (yes, even Luc) in the book. Invisible Life made me obsess over Addie, Luc, and Henry!

Not an easy story to pull off, but the author does so brilliantly. The character development is magnificent, with deep levels evolving through time. I look forward to reading more V.E. Schwab’s work.

About the author

VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, This Savage Song, and Our Dark Duet. Her work has received critical acclaim, been featured in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post and more, been translated into more than a dozen languages, and has been optioned for television and film. When she’s not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.