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 * … 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.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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The story is haunting. The writing perfection. Exquisite.
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is my first foray into books by V.E. Schwab. Oh my! I am ready for the next one! Her prose is startlingly beautiful. Her descriptions of people, places, events, and emotions draw the reader deeply into the story. Throughout the novel, one feels great empathy for Addie and her regrettable situation, while continuing to cheer for her as she learns to adjust to her new life. The ending is perfectly done; one that is unexpected but believable as the characters make their way into your heart.
I love it when a unique novel lands in my hands. This book is no exception. The characters are well-drawn, the story is rich in detail and it has a twist of an ending.
Finished this book many months ago, but I still think about it.
This book had been in my “to read” stack. When I picked it up to read, I really didn’t know what to expect. What I found was a completely unique and original story.
When a young woman runs from an arranged marriage, she ends up making a deal “with the devil” for her soul. The only catch – no one could remember her – ever. Until 300 years later when one person does remember her.
The story is told in alternating timelines filling in Addie’s story from the 1700s to 2014 when everything collides and tough decisions and new deals are made.
I loved that the “devil” had dimension to his character. I enjoyed watching Addie learn to play his game and best him at times. Great character development in this book made it seem so real. This is definitely a book I would recommend to others!
What gives a life meaning? How can we leave our mark on the world? How much joy do we need to make a challenging life worth living? I was mesmerized from the first to the last sentence of this amazing novel. One of my favorite books of all time
Whoa! If you’re looking for incredible storytelling, look no further my reading friends. This is a story that will pull you in from the beginning and keep you glued to the pages until the amazing end. Do yourself a favor and listen to this on audio. The narrator is as amazing as the story.
Hauntingly beautiful story. Everyone should read at least once
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but this is my absolute favorite read this year. I immediately went out and four more books by V.E. Schwab.
I understand this style is not for everyone, but the way it was written made me fall in love on so many pages and really connected with Addie LaRue.
Just finished Addie LaRue’s story and I am so in love with it. This book was perfect. From the poetic prose, to the characters, the reflections on life, love, time, fame and the open ending.
I read it as a mix of audio and e-book. Julia Whelan is a truly fantastic narrator.
This is a slow-burn, very character driven, told in a dual timeline. Its the story of Addie Larue, a free spirited soul born in the 17th century. She wants to be a tree, when all women around her are wilting flowers inside arranged marriages and limited by the woman’s assigned role. But Addie doesn’t really know what real freedom is. She just wants to live without constraints. She makes a deal with an ancient god, may he be Death or the Devil, Luc as she calls him. He grants her wish… she is immortal but everyone she meets forgets about her after she is out of sight and she cannot change things around her. She is free but cursed as the devil is always in the details.
I went into this book blind and it surpassed all my expectations. One of the best books I read this year!
i loved it.
I’d been waiting for this book for a very long time. When it finally arrived, i wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. But once I started reading, I neither wanted to stop reading nor ever let it end. What a gorgeous, haunting, thought-provoking read!
A good friend gave me this book and it is the perfect story to share with others. The writing is beautiful, and the expanse of time (300+ years) is traveled seamlessly.
What is a life if one cannot be remembered? Would it matter how long we lived or what we did in that time if the impact of our existence could never be shared? It’s 1714 and Adeline LaRue is being forced into a marriage to a widower that she does not love. She wants to feel love and passion and experience life, so she makes a deal with “the darkness” to exchange her soul for a long life. There’s just one catch. No one can ever remember meeting Addie when they leave the room. This book was breathtakingly painful and poignant. My only problem with it was the overabundance of wokeness in some parts that made me roll my eyes a bit. Not every character in the 21st century needed to be sexually fluid and it got to be a little extra. Otherwise, a brilliant book with MEMORABLE characters.
Some people think this book moves too slow to be good. I read it quickly (3 days) and the end made me cry a little. I loved it.
“But a life without art, without wonder, without beautiful things – she would go mad.”
“Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget.”
“Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives – or to find strength in a very long one.”
This is one of the most beautifully written and heart wrenching books that I have ever read. The concept was one that I have never read and it was so incredibly refreshing. The story was so engrossing that I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I had some theories along the way while I was reading and while some of them proved correct that wasn’t usually the case. I kept changing my theories, then going back to the original theory. In short, this book kept me guessing and I usually had no idea what was going to happen next. Most books that I read I know what want to happen in the story but not with this one. I never could figure out exactly what I wanted to happen and how I wanted this story to end. What I did know was that Addie was such an amazing character and I cannot thank V.E. Schwab enough for giving her to us. This book was just so incredible and I encourage everyone to read it so you can fall in love with it as much as I did.
“If you only walk in other people’s steps, you cannot make your own way. You cannot leave a mark.
“Ideas are wilder than memories. And I can be wild. I can be stubborn as the weeds, and you will not root me out.”
This book has been getting so much hype that I kept putting off reading it because I didn’t want to be let down. Well I was stupid because it freaking amazing! I should have known since Schwab’s name is on the cover but better late than never right? Addie LaRue is such a great character. She is strong, resilient, caring and she continually broke my heart over the course of the book. Can you imagine going through life with no one ever remembering you and your story never existing? The only true relationship she had was with the God that cursed her. This story was beautiful and heart wrenching. I loved listening to every minute of this book.
A reimagining of the “I’ll-make-a-deal-with-the-devil” trope with something to say about freedom and loneliness, art and life.
Addie Larue is desperate…she wants to be free from people (her parents) controlling her life. When her parents decide she must be married Addie comes undone. On what should be her wedding day she calls on the darkness and makes a deal…
When she awakens the next day, no one remembers her. Not her parents nor her long-time friend and confidante. She cannot leave a mark. She cannot make a difference. As soon as she is gone from view … she is forgotten.
Three hundred years later, Addie meets Henry when “borrowing” a book. When she comes back to borrow another one…Henry says three words Addie never thought she would hear again…”I remember you.”
Wow….what an amazing and beautifully written story. It’s so hauntingly sad through most of it but it’s done in such a way that it melts your heart and reaches deep into your soul.
I absolutely loved the ending and couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to finish this off. It took me so long to read this one because I just did not want it to end. Definitely a favorite of 2021.
Somewhat drawn out