The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read

5/5 stars

In 1714, a young woman makes a deal to live forever, but in return, she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. She lives her new, eternal life on adventures and figuring out how to make an impact as someone always forgotten. It all changes 300 years later when she stumbles upon a young man in a bookstore and he remembers her name. Why him? Addie soon realizes there may be more to this young man than meets the eye. 

I definitely understand the hype behind this book now. This reminded me a bit of Gods of Jade and Shadow — a young woman dealing with a cunning and seductive god. I loved Addie’s story and how I could travel with her to different periods of time. Addie saw a lot in her multiple centuries on Earth and it was clear that being able to live with total freedom was not the dream she thought it would be. The challenges complicated her character and made her intriguing. 

Henry was also an interesting character and was well developed. I didn’t feel like he was just an aid to further Addie’s story. He was an individual character with his own struggles and flaws with a path that overlapped with Addie’s own. 

V.E. Schwab thought of everything. I had many questions on what Addie’s life would be like as someone who was always forgotten and Schwab seemed to answer every question as soon as it popped into my head (Can Addie be photographed, can she write, etc). Schwab added in a lot of details and the writing was captivating and poetic. I found the ending to be bittersweet. I loved seeing Addie’s perseverance and grit even after living for 300 years. 

Overall, this was a fantastic book that was beautifully written. I highly recommend.