The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

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Adeline "Addie" LaRue lives in the small French village of Villon-sur-Sarthe in 1714. To escape an arranged marriage, she prays to any god who will listen. But she was warned not to pray to the gods who answer after dark...

Addie is cursed to live forever, but no one she meets will remember her once she is out of their sight. She cannot say her name or leave a mark on the world, which means she can't write or draw and owns no property. Addie is forced to steal and hide to have any sort of a comfortable life. Then, 300 years into her cursed existence, someone remembers her.

Addie's story is an extraordinary one -- she is cursed and must quickly learn the boundaries and exceptions to what she can do. Addie quickly learns how to survive in relative comfort through tricks and thievery. The story is told in a split timeline between the 1700s and 2014 in the beginning, until Addie meets Henry.

Henry works in a bookstore and is the first person in 300 years who remembers Addie. Naturally, Addie is drawn to him and the mystery of why only he can remember her. Is he a trick from the god who cursed her?

Addie as a character is very relatable; she's a woman who wants to be free and live a life that's worth living. She reminds me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast in the beginning -- the small-town French girl who wants to go on adventures and eventually develops a deep love of literature. Unfortunately for Addie, that's where the resemblance ends. She is forced to make hard decisions to survive until she learns the constraints of her curse and how to live with them.

Henry's story is charming; he's a man who feels too deeply and loves too much. All he wants is for someone to love him back, and Addie could be that someone. Their stories begin to intertwine about halfway through the novel as they get to know each other better and Addie shares some of her secrets -- and the reader learns Henry's secrets too.

Addie and Henry's lives combine in a story that has its ups and downs, but ultimately is a happy one... Until Addie discovers Henry's biggest secret, which might tear them apart. The ending is not what you would expect of a story like this one, but it is a poignant and pleasant conclusion to an unforgettable story.

Recommended for historical fiction enthusiasts, especially fans of novels with dual timelines in the present and past. The book is classified as fantasy because of the mystical curse but reads more like a combination of historical fiction and contemporary romance. Fantasy lovers who can live without foreign worlds and creatures will also enjoy this story. Also suggested for readers who enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife and moviegoers who appreciated The Age of Adeline.

V. E. Schwab has written over a dozen novels that have been translated into as many languages. She divides her time between Nashville, Edinburgh, and rural France.

Publisher: Tor

Length: 448 pages

Release Date: October 6, 2020

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I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.