Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 I've put this review off for a month now because honestly...what was I even supposed to say about a book like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? How was I supposed to totally encapsulate the wonder and power that is this book? I've mulled it over for a literal month, trying to think of how to say it, but honestly I just can't put it off any longer. 

This is by far one of the most powerful books I've ever read. 

The premise of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is this: In the year 1714 in France, a young girl makes a Faustian deal in order to live forever and escape an unwanted marriage. What she gives up in return, she discovers, is the chance to be remembered. She will be immortal, but no one will remember her. As soon as she is out of sight, she is out of mind, even if she or the other person only left the room for a moment. But exactly 300 years later, after a wonderous yet lonely life, the boy who works at a small bookshop remembers who she is. This boy is Henry, and I love him so much. 

The minute I heard what this book was about, I was all over it. I drove to buy the book about two days after it was released. I paid the $21 (and tried very hard not to feel guilty as I did) but the minute I started reading, all my guilt just melted away. I read this book in about 48 hours. I could not for the life of me put it down. I read it on my lunch breaks at work. I devoured it late into the night, when I was the only soul awake in the house. 

Everything about this book is beautiful. The writing of V.E. Schwab is flawless, and the characters she wrote are flawed in the most perfect of ways. They actually feel human, not super-idealized versions of humans. And though this book was clearly, from the start, going to be a romance, it didn't feel like the romance was the single plot running through the story. Addie fights to escape her fate every step of the way. During her 300 years of living, she holds her head up high and keeps her hope strong, even if she has no reason to believe her life will be anything like she imagines it to be. 

The history in this book is just *chef's kiss*. We see everything from the French Revolution to the sixties and beyond, and all of it is not only accurate, it sucks you into the book and makes you believe that you're there right along with Addie and her captor. I am a history freak, and so reading this book was just such a pleasurable and satisfying experience. I've also had the privilege of living in France myself, and so the constant French laced throughout the prose of the book gave me warm fuzzies. 

Since this is a full and honest review, and I know that a lot of my readers belong to a particular audience, I will give a content warning. I don't judge anyone's preferences in reading, and you may decide that this book isn't for you. You may not have much of an opinion at all. Whatever you decide, know that you are welcome on this blog. 

So, content warning. I'll make this brief. There are several intimate scenes in this book. None of them are particularly graphic, though they don't "fade to black" like we see in a lot of YA novels. I was also impressed that all of these scenes were consensual, respectful, and generally calm. Addie and Henry aren't bodies, and they don't treat each other as such. The question of "Does it matter what I do with my love life if no one's ever going to remember me anyway?" is pretty heavily explored as Addie lives her life through 300 years of monotony and solitude. 

There is also a bit of language in this book, though it's very infrequent. 

So there's the content warning for y'all. Do with that what you will, but please be respectful to others on this site, to the author, and to those whose opinions may differ from your own. We are all readers here! 

Overall, I gave this book a smashing five stars on Goodreads. When I was done with it, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling in utter shock for half an hour. My family had to make sure I was still alive afterwards because I honestly couldn't process what I had just experienced. It taught me so much about life, and living, and the purpose of being alive. It helped me realize how precious our mortality is. Yeah, it would be nice to be immortal and to not feel pain or death, but it's because of life's short fuse that we can enjoy it so passionately. 

I love y'all and hope you've had an amazing month. Keep living passionately, and know that you are strong just for being here. Your light matters in this crazy, loud world, and I AM SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE!! 

See ya later!!

Kel