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 Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
: V.E. Schwab
: 4/5
This book has left me very confused on how to rate it. It took me quite some time to get in to the story, but from the halfway point I got sucked in and didn’t want to let go of the world that is Addie LaRue. It is a slower read, but that did not bother me that much. The story is written very really well. This is my first V.E. Schwab book, but I understand now why people praise her writing. That said, this book isn’t for everyone. I think you either click with it or you don’t and I definitely clicked with it. The story and the idea of Addie is something I have never heard before, so that was really refreshing. The characters were super interesting, although I did feel some kind of disconnect at times, like I was merely watching the story unfold instead of feeling like I was a part of it. I felt all kinds of emotions while reading this book and there might have been a tear or two. Since I have never read a book like this before, I think it is one of those stories I will always REMEMBER. I still don’t know how I feel about the ending. I have a love/hate relationship with it.. On the one side I understand this ending and it fits the writing of the book itself, on the other side there is a part of me that just wishes there was more of an ending. Overall, I think you should definitely try to read this book if you like this kind of writing and see if it clicks with you!
Most of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
I stepped into the world of Addie Larue and needed to know her whole story – past, present, and future. The author draws her readers through a lyrically constructed world that spans time and space. Loved the original concept and how Addie learns and grows (and also how she doesn’t) with experience. And then she meets Henry, and I couldn’t put it down. The “dark” is an amazing, unique character who kept me guessing up to the very end. I listened to the Audible version, which was an absolute treat. The narrator is wonderful! Highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to leave the real world and get lost in a wildly creative fantasy.
My Review of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab; published by Tom Doherty & Associates
Well, I took a delve into a genre I am not akin to, historical fantasy. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab was quite the introduction for me. Although Addie’s “Faustian deal with the devil” came about mistakenly, it sure makes you contemplate choices. It took me a little longer than normal to become immersed in this book. However; V.E. Schwab definitely has a knack to ensure you become vested into the characters, good and bad, to where it becomes a page-turner. This story takes you on a trip across continents and through centuries all the while exploring the uniqueness of Addie’s life experiences. I can’t even imagine the pain and suffering Addie was subjected to day in and day out. I’m glad to have stepped out of my reading comfort zone as I can confidently recommend The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
#veschwab
READ TO THE END!!!!
ALL I WANT IS A BOOK WITH A WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE PROTAGONIST.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a book that I believed would top my greatest books of all time list. I expected to read a book about Adeline LaRue and her life, and her deal, and how she fell in love with the darkness itself. But instead what I got was a whole lot of crushing disappointment.
ADELINE & LUC
So let’s begin with our main character Adeline. For someone who’s supposedly lived for 300 years she is surprisingly naive, and you would think that in 300 years you would gain a lot of wisdom and knowledge on life, and love, and the nuances and complexities of love and human emotion and the universe itself. But apparently Adeline LaRue spent 300 years just doing f****** horseshit because she has no understanding of the complexities of the world that reflects 300 years of living and she has this painful to read mentality that the world is black and white. And honestly few things piss me off more than this mentality, in real life and in books. Because life as we know it is not black and white, it’s full of technicolor and grey area. And you’d think that after living 300 years and seeing centuries of life and new inventions and technology and all these great and amazing things and bearing witness to the ficklety of human emotion compared to the vastness of the future; you’d THINK that you would understand that but apparently she’s could not. How she viewed Luc ( the darkness) frustrated me to no end. Because Luc through her eyes is portrayed as the villain of the story and yet all his villainous acts are simply him doing his job. Because if you make a deal with the devil, and you sell your soul, and he comes to collect, YOU CAN’T TURN AROUND PAINT HIM AS EVIL BECAUSE YOU WILLINGLY SOLD YOUR SOUL TO HIM. The only other villainous act you could possibly point out was his deal with Adeline. But even that is a stretch because sorry to say (not really) it was completely her fault because she had no idea what she wanted when she called on Luc and it makes no sense to me how you can try and call on some unknown being to fulfill a wish when you don’t even know what your wish is. Honestly, I fell in love with Luc and it’s depressing because the author did him a great disservice. We never got to really know anything about Luc, we never got to understand his motivations, we never got to see anything from his point of view, we never got to understand his internal dialogue, we never understood why he did what he did we never understood how he looked the world and how he perceived the world, and most importantly, how he perceived Adeline.
V. E. Shwab had a wonderful chance to build a complex and interesting and nuanced character in Luc but she instead did a great disservice to him and greater disservice to the book.
HENRY
Even when I still had hope the book would be everything I wanted to be, I still didn’t like Henry. He just didn’t really matter to me in the grand scheme of things, because my mentality at the time was that I’m reading a book where the main character has been alive for 300 years and the other main character is a being who has been alive for as long as the world has existed.
Therefore, I just didn’t see the need to invest in the character.
We never get to see Henry’s motivations and how he related to his friends and his family and to the world. His mental health struggles and anxiety, were things that were never really explained or dealt with. What exactly drove some of his mental health issues, is a question that is never asked or answered but should have been both asked and answered. I never really got attached to Henry because I didn’t understand his purpose in the story. His romance and love story with Adeline was unbelievable to me and I quite frankly didn’t buy it. And frankly, I wanted him and Adeline to be friends because she
had had love we had seen her with love. But never friendship. And honestly? I think that would have been beautiful.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a book that promised me my long awaited love story with the devil. And it did not deliver. And not only did the romance disappoint but my protagonist with as gorgeous a name as Adeline disappointed as well. V. E. Shwab had the opportunity to create a masterpiece to capture my heart and give us a romance like none we’ve read before. Give us a protagonist that with her immortality discovered the secrets of the universe and shared them with us. Sadly she did the exact opposite. Great potential, disappointing reality.
NOTE:
All in all I think that a lot of my dislike with the book came from it not giving me what I wanted and expected. I will definitely come back to this book in a couple of years,because I believe if I’m not expecting to finally get my long awaited devil/protagonist love story this book could very easily become a favorite of mine. I do however stick to all my criticism and don’t believe that will change.
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.
I enjoyed this book and the wonderful characters. It made me think what does it mean to live? Is a life only a good life if we leave a mark on this world, big or small? The ending was amazing, it is a big book but worth every page.
A great choice for a book club. The protagonist is faced with a situation in which the walls appear to be closing in on her as a young adult. To escape and experience life, she desperately begs the gods for help. A very dark, mysterious, and powerful god answers her plea. The result of the god’s “help” will have readers very involved as the pages span timelines including present day New York and another’s similar life plagued by the “help” of this god.
I could use a million superlatives, and it would not fully communicate how much I adored this book. The writing is beautiful, the story so unique, the characters and the ending is absolutely perfect.
So well written it was like being there. She could have written 200 more pages in addie’s life and I would have kept reading! Loved it.
This is my first V. E. Schwab book and I assure you it won’t be the last. Victoria has been a guest this year on one of my favorite writing podcasts so it was interesting to hear her talk a little about this book before I had ever picked it up. The writing was lush and real. She tugged at my heart with almost every page. This story spans some 300 years but to never felt long-winded or tiresome. I looked forward to every shift, to see where Addie was next. At heart, it’s a love story, but it’s also a story of survival and wits. It’s both a selfish romance and a selfless one as well. Honestly, it’s hard to explain! I loved every minute of it. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
Amazing Time Travel fiction with excellent writing and story
“Never pray to the gods that answer after dark”.
If Addie had heeded that warning, we would not have this well crafted novel!
300 years of experiencing life without being a part of it. 300 years of history she has seen, but left no imprint. Addie wants nothing more than to be remembered, but the only one who remembers her answers after dark.
Poetic writing, rich details, and well fleshed-out characters kept me reading into the late hours of night.
Entrancing and macabre, this is a twisted romance of tremendous depth.
Wow. Incredible premise that VE Schwab delivered on. Loved the dual track of then and now, and Addie’s two relationships. I was sure I had the ending figured out, then it flipped, and the author flipped yet one more final twist I didn’t see coming.
If one likes the Time Travelers Wife, this book might be appealing !
I haven’t read a book in years, I mean years, and I was very excited to start reading again with this book. It was thrilling and suspenseful, but also had happy and sad moments. It was witty and cruel but most of all intriguing to where it was hard to put it down. I couldn’t wait to see how it ended and was not disappointed at all! A very good read that I have already recommended to all my friends and family.
A magical journey through 300 years of the life of Addie LaRue, a young French girl who makes a deal with the devil. A captivating tale that actually lives up to the hype. Wonderful characters, beautiful settings and a propulsive story that keeps you turning the pages until the very end.
To say this book is inspired doesn’t even begin to cover it. Phenomenal, beautiful, transformative—what words can I use? None feel adequate, yet I could go on and on.
I adore books that make me feel like every word, every letter, is intentional. As if you could not have written it any other way. That’s when a book become lyrical—when I start to understand what people mean when they describe something as “poetic.” When I really appreciate the talent of authors who make me think writing must come as naturally as breathing, because reading this was certainly that simple. That effortless.
How pretentious I sound, right? And I admit, I’m sitting here sipping a dessert wine feeling fancy AF as if anyone but my best friend is going to read this review.
Hi Emily.
But really, I almost want to give this book four stars because how dare I find my favorite book of 2021 in freakin’ February!
The audacity.
But I can already tell that’s basically what just happened. Because I love this book so much and will sing its praises until the day I die. And I have no intention of getting into the nitty gritties of all the reasons why I loved it or where I think it could have been improved (because of course nothing is ever *perfect* perfect). Still, I think I can say with confidence that based on statistics, if you have not yet read it, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will live up to its well-deserved hype.
What an amazing book. From the start I couldn’t wait to see what would happen to Addie as she moved through time.
VE Schwab has written a masterpiece. Every scene is filled with beautiful language, vistas that span decades, and the intimacy of love.
She’s performed a miracle: inspiring emotion for a devil. Sharing details for hundreds of pages, yet leaving the biggest questions up to the reader’s discretion. “Am I a monster or a god?”
Loved this 10 stars high.
3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story, but boy did it drag on forever. It really started to drag at about 60%, it just kept going and going and not in a good way. Story was fun and you did get sucked into the beginning of it. Dual time line really jumped around a lot and sometimes I was so confused as to where and when it was. I listened to this with my overdrive app at 1.8 speed and it still drug on forever. The narrator did a good job, I think it was the story line that was way to wordy. Some stuff I think could have been scrapped and still had a good story. I wasn’t overly thrilled with the ending either. It left me still wanting to know more, but not a cliff hanger.