Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab

She made a deal with darkness for freedom, but paid with isolation.

"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" is a beautiful, thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you've finished it. It's a love letter to art, history, and the resilience of the human spirit. Schwab has crafted a story that's both epic in scope and deeply personal. It's about big ideas - time, memory, art, love - but it's also about one woman's determination to truly live, no matter the cost.

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A Faustian Bargain with a Twist

Picture this: It’s 1714 in a small French village, and a young woman is desperate to escape an arranged marriage. So desperate that she makes a deal with the devil (or something like him) to live forever. The catch? Everyone she meets will forget her as soon as she’s out of sight.

Talk about a monkey’s paw situation, right?

That’s the premise of V.E. Schwab’s captivating novel “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.” And let me tell you, it’s one hell of a ride.

An Unforgettable Protagonist

Adeline “Addie” LaRue is the kind of character that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page. She’s stubborn, resilient, and endlessly curious—qualities that serve her well as she navigates three centuries of history as an eternal outsider. Schwab does a masterful job of showing how Addie adapts and evolves over time without losing her essential self.

What really got me was how Addie finds ways to leave her mark on the world, even when she can’t be remembered. She becomes a muse to artists across the centuries, inspiring paintings, songs, and stories. It’s a clever workaround to her curse and a poignant metaphor for the impact we all hope to have on the world.

A Love Story Across Time

The novel jumps between past and present, gradually revealing Addie’s history while building tension in the modern-day narrative. In 2014 New York, Addie meets Henry—a man who, for reasons unknown, can actually remember her.

Their love story is both sweet and bittersweet. Henry sees Addie for who she truly is, something she’s been yearning for across the centuries. But there’s always the looming question of why Henry is different and what price he might be paying for this ability.

The Devil in the Details

And then there’s Luc—the dark, seductive entity with whom Addie made her original deal. He pops up throughout her long life, alternately tormenting and tempting her. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. There’s a twisted intimacy between them, born from the fact that Luc is the only constant presence in Addie’s life.

Schwab writes Luc with delicious ambiguity. Is he truly evil, or just playing by different rules? The scenes between Addie and Luc crackle with tension and unresolved feelings.

Themes That Resonate

The Nature of Memory and Identity

At its core, this book asks some big questions about memory and identity. If no one remembers you, do you truly exist? How much of who we are is shaped by our relationships and how others see us?

Addie’s struggle to maintain a sense of self in a world that constantly forgets her is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It made me think about the traces we all leave behind and the ways we try to make our lives meaningful.

Art as Immortality

I loved how Schwab explored the idea of art as a form of immortality. Addie can’t be remembered, but the art she inspires lives on. It’s a beautiful way of showing how creativity can transcend individual lives and connect us across time.

The Double-Edged Sword of Freedom

Addie’s immortality grants her incredible freedom, but it comes at a steep cost. She can reinvent herself endlessly, but can never form lasting connections. It’s a nuanced take on the “be careful what you wish for” trope.

Schwab’s Masterful Prose

Let’s talk about the writing itself for a minute. Schwab’s prose is gorgeous without being overwrought. She has a knack for vivid, sensory details that bring each historical period to life. Check out this description of 18th century Paris:

“Outside, the air reeks of gunpowder and smoke, and while the city has never been truly quiet, for the last fortnight the noise has been ceaseless. It is musket rounds, and cannon fire, it is soldiers shouting orders, and the retort carried from mouth to mouth.”

You can practically smell the gunpowder, right?

A Few Nitpicks

Okay, no book is perfect, so here are a couple of minor quibbles:

  1. The pacing in the middle section drags a bit. Some of Addie’s historical vignettes, while interesting, don’t always feel essential to the plot.
  2. Henry’s backstory, when revealed, feels a tad rushed compared to the careful unfolding of Addie’s history.

But honestly, these are small complaints in the grand scheme of things. The strength of the concept and characters more than makes up for any minor flaws.

How It Stacks Up

If you’ve read Schwab’s other work (like the Shades of Magic series), you’ll recognize her talent for intricate worldbuilding and morally complex characters. But “Addie LaRue” feels more intimate and character-driven than her previous novels.

It reminds me a bit of Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Time Traveler’s Wife” in its exploration of a love story complicated by an extraordinary circumstance. There are also shades of Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods” in the way it weaves mythology into the modern world.

The Verdict

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is a beautiful, thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. It’s a love letter to art, history, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Who Should Read It?

  • Fans of literary fiction with a touch of fantasy
  • History buffs who enjoy seeing different time periods brought to life
  • Anyone who’s ever felt invisible or struggled to make their mark on the world
  • Hopeless romantics (but be prepared for some heartache along the way)

Who Might Want to Skip It?

  • Readers looking for fast-paced action (this is more of a slow burn)
  • Those who prefer their fantasy without real-world historical elements
  • Anyone who gets frustrated by non-linear storytelling

Final Thoughts

You know those books that make you want to immediately flip back to page one and start over once you’ve finished? “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is definitely one of those for me.

Schwab has crafted a story that’s both epic in scope and deeply personal. It’s about big ideas – time, memory, art, love – but it’s also about one woman’s determination to truly live, no matter the cost.

As I closed the book, I found myself thinking about the marks I want to leave on the world and the people I hope will remember me. And isn’t that what great fiction should do? Make us see our own lives in a new light?

So do yourself a favor: Pick up this book, settle in with a cup of tea (or maybe some French wine, in honor of Addie), and prepare to be transported. Just don’t blame me if you find yourself attempting to bargain with mysterious strangers in dark forests afterward. Some deals, as Addie learns, come with a pretty steep price tag.

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"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" is a beautiful, thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you've finished it. It's a love letter to art, history, and the resilience of the human spirit. Schwab has crafted a story that's both epic in scope and deeply personal. It's about big ideas - time, memory, art, love - but it's also about one woman's determination to truly live, no matter the cost.The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab