Who Would Like This Book:
This book blends historical fiction, fantasy, and heartfelt romance in a sweeping, lyrical package. The story follows Addie, who makes a deal that grants her immortality but curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets. It's a deep dive into loneliness, memory, art, and what it truly means to leave a mark on the world. If you love character-driven novels, rich prose, slow-burning stories, and tales about making deals with fate or the devil (think The Night Circus or How to Stop Time), this one will tug at your heartstrings and make you think.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the pace painfully slow, with a focus more on introspection and poetic language than on action or plot twists. The book is repetitive at times, especially with its use of metaphors and descriptions, and a few felt that Addie and other key characters could be flat, with motivations that didn’t always ring true. If you prefer fast-paced adventures, tightly plotted novels, or dislike when fantasy 'rules' shift for convenience, this might not be your cup of tea.
About:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab follows the story of Addie, a young woman who makes a deal with the devil to escape a forced marriage, granting her immortality but with the curse of being forgotten by everyone she meets. Spanning 300 years, the book explores Addie's journey through history as she struggles to leave her mark on the world and be remembered. The narrative weaves themes of love, loss, time, and the desire for recognition, creating a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human experience.
The book is praised for its enthralling and creative storytelling that seamlessly blends past and present, highlighting the importance of being seen and appreciated. Readers are drawn into Addie's world, captivated by the lush descriptions of settings, the well-developed characters, and the exploration of complex themes such as loneliness, memory, and the desire for immortality. The writing style is described as beautiful, eloquent, and engaging, with the author skillfully examining the nuances of love, possession, promises, and the yearning to be remembered.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for the book include themes of loneliness, existential crisis, and discussion of suicide.
Has Romance?
The novel contains a significant romantic subplot, exploring the complexity of love between the main character, Addie, and others.
From The Publisher:
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.
Ratings (1081)
Incredible (251) | |
Loved It (343) | |
Liked It (231) | |
It Was OK (128) | |
Did Not Like (104) | |
Hated It (24) |
Reader Stats (2232):
Read It (1100) | |
Currently Reading (26) | |
Want To Read (781) | |
Did Not Finish (93) | |
Not Interested (232) |
45 comment(s)
LOVE THIS BOOK. such a delightful premise, such a fun execution of the ending, some gorgeous writing that utilizes deja vu to set the tone. addie is a delightful protagonist. henry is INCREDIBLE. not quite 5 stars because of the strange pacing at times.
Heartbreakingly beautiful
Rounded up to 4 stars. An intriguing novel with an engaging storyline - a character who, in exchange for living forever, is forgotten by everyone she meets. I really enjoyed it, though felt there was a section in the middle that dragged a bit and got overly repetitious (never-ending lovers who forget her in the morning, recurring meetings with the "devil", etc.). Without that, it was an absorbing tale with pretty writing and a good ending.
tried to reread - want to read more books i haven’t read before i read books i have
The bouncing back and forth was nice, I do wish some details were forgone like the low, dragging parts could have been cut with no harm to the story.
Words have power and meaning. Words are a binding contract and that contract is paid with the cheapest (or priceless) thing a human has…. Their soul!!
Cover to cover TILOAL had me enthralled. I did not want to put it down and really only did because sleep and work are a thing. I loved every character in this book. I hate that I loved Luc by the end.
V.E. Schwab has masterfully written a tale that will not be easily forgotten. But I will say - she deserves jail for ripping my heart out the way she did.
is it worth the hype it got?
yes!
is it amazing and the best thing i’ve ever read?
no.
while this book was beautifully written (definitely will be reading more of Schwab’s work), it left me feeling a little dry, wandering, and like the book has filler chapters. there are 3-4 different people she meets only for the romance of the novel, but i think the book could have explored the boundaries of her curse a little more.
the ending was… meh. like don’t get me wrong it was really cute and heartwarming? but i wanted something frickin depressing! the way those last few chapters were going i was ready to start crying, but then their were no consequences to addie’s, luc’s, or even henry’s! so it just felt kinda pointless.
overall it was a really good story and the writing was some of the best i’ve ever read.
The premise is excellent, and the twist in the middle is pretty interesting for a bit, but I found the second half didn't hold my attention well
4,25⭐️
Tears were shed I didn’t know how to expect it to end but definitely not like that
Amazing! I've recommended this book over and over again since starting it! I found Addie and Henry both so relatable, the Darkness so loveable in all of Luc's evil. Addie has had enough time to become a master of chess in a world of people playing checkers, and she may have just surpassed even the Dark by the end of the story we see. So much richness to this world! Read. This. Book.
What can you read after
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue?
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.
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