The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab was an incredible book I recently finished. This book is centered around an enigmatic and charming young woman cursed with living forever but being forgotten by all. With such an incredible story spanning 300 years, traveling between the French countryside and the US, Addie LaRue was a page-turner if I’ve ever known one.
Adeline LaRue grew up in Villon-sur-Sarthe, France during the turn of the 17th century. As a woman in that time, the constrictions of her village began to chaff against Addie’s naturally adventurous and wild spirit. In 1714, when Addie finds herself facing the doom of marriage, she desperately turns to the darkness and hastily sells her soul for the promise of freedom to live the life she wants, uncontrolled by others. This deal is twisted beyond recognition as the impulsive words of a young woman who is abruptly faced with an unwanted future. Addie becomes doomed by another fate; that of life without any tethering whatsoever to another, freedom at its most extreme.
This curse wraps around Addie throughout the next centuries, until she meets Henry Strauss, who remembers her. A break in the matrix, a miracle, and a joy to Addie. However, as the two learn more about each other past though, they discover that the malign stealer-of-souls has plotted against them both yet again.
With the clock ticking on Addie and Henry’s time together, Addie has to come up with a way to save the one person who remembers her, who hears her, who knows her. Can she do it? And what will it cost?
Addie LaRue is a poignant, insightful, and wonderful work, full of captivating moments in history, and following a delightfully wild and clever character throughout her struggles against freedom’s darkest face; disremembrance. As someone who is always interested in historical fiction and fantasy, this book was perfect for my taste. I recommend Addie LaRue for any age group, although, of course, there are a number of sections that would not be appropriate for someone younger than the Jade Age Meter (JAM)—roughly 12 or 13.
Of course, though I absolutely loved this book, I would not recommend it to someone not interested in fantasy and fiction. Although it holds a lot of historical value, the story ultimately revolves around gods and immortality, which are, of course, fictional *wink wink.* So, if you are looking for an accurate book focused solely on history, Addie LaRue is not for you (that rhymes!). Nonetheless, this book was fantastic for someone who values scintillating fiction above boring, accurate history. Addie LaRue is 10/10 stars for me!!
Genre: historical fiction, Y/A fiction, romance
Age: 12+
Rating: 10/10 *chef’s kiss/standing ovation*