Author: V. E. Schwab
Published: 2020
Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis:

Born in a small French town in the late 1600’s, Addie LaRue felt her life was over before it had a chance to begin. After running away, she makes a deal with a devil which gives her immortality, but causes everyone she meets or has ever met to forget her. Her extraordinary adventure spans almost 300 years and two continents as she tries, and succeeds, to make an imprint on the world and outwit her tormentor. Her life is turned upside down when she meets a troubled man who remembers her.

My Take:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will draw you in from the start and take you on an emotional roller coaster you won’t be able to forget. The story unfolds as you travel back and forth in time as you go through her experiences with her. At first, I was put-off by the cavalier stealing and promiscuity that Addie displays but there was no other option for her. She couldn’t hold a job or establish any relationship with anyone at all. While there is always a choice, she did what she needed to do to survive, and after 300 years, it would definitely seem “old hat” to her.  I loved the emotions that were brought out by the author and found myself rooting for Addie and enraged at some of the people she meets. I could almost see what she saw and smell everything she smelled. The time jumping, jarring at first, was well done. Rather than pulling me out of the story, it gave it depth and made it so much more interesting than if it had been told as a linear tale.

This novel is an example of why I gravitate towards YA Fantasy. There are numerous “adult” themes and graphic sex scenes throughout. This is the only negative issue I have with this book. I found myself skipping entire sections due to their graphic nature. While I understand why some of the scenes happened, their details didn’t add to the story. If you are looking for a clean book, you best move on!