The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab

Synopsis
When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there’s always a price – the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone.

Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day.

Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him.

Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can’t escape her fate forever.

Review
As I continue my journey in the fantasy fiction genre the name V.E Schwab is one that continually comes up as an author to read. I do have some of her novels on my shelf but haven’t got around to reading them yet, so when I had the opportuniy to read her new book The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. The premise of this book is the Faustian bargain of making a deal with the devil and living with the consequences. France 1714, Adeline has led a life of freedom, and escaped the ties of marriage, until at the age of twenty three her parents arrange for her to marry a widower with young children. In desperation Addie runs to the forest praying to anyone to help and free her and from the this marriage; but as the saying goes be careful what you wish for. Immortal, unable to even say her name or write any thing down, Addie becomes like a shadow, forgotten in a second, unable to form attachments she lives a transient life until something changes three hundred years later. New York 2014, Addie visits a small second hand bookshop and meets Henry who remembers her, changing both of their lives forever. Three centuries, crossing continents and being part of some of the most important historical events The Invisivble Life of Addie Larue is a beautiful book about life and death, love and loss that crosses boundaries of folklore and reality.

After reading this book I understand the hype around V.E Scwab. She is a masterful story teller, whose prose flows beautifully and she writes characters that are personable and endearing to the reader. The eponymous Addie Larue is strong willed, feisty, intelligent all things that are frowned upon in eighteenth century France and are not the qualities of a good wife. It is Addie’s friendship with Estele, an elderly lady in her village, who believes in the god’s of nature and the idea of leaving them offerings that leads her to her fate. Addie believes it her offerings to the river and nature that have helped keep her free from the bondages of marriage until the age of twenty three, when in desperation she pleads to the deity of the night, and conjures a spirit she calls Luc, after Lucifer. Her bargain of an eternal life of freedom in return for her soul after her death, at a time she chooses, has consequences she could never have foreseen. But, Addie is stubborn and determined, not wanting to give her soul away and admit defeat and plays Luc, who visits her on the anniversary, at his own game. Whilst she may be instantly forgettable, unable to say her name or write anything down, as an artists muse she appears in many paintings, leaving her mark in history. Love and friendship are also unattainable due to being forgotten,until she meets Harry. Interstingly through out this book we see Luc and Addie spar against each other, trying to get the upper hand and out do each other, but they are more alike than they realise; both are lonely, both are immortal and unable to maintain attatchments, both need and want to love and both are intelligent and stubborn. Henry shares similar traits in that he also wants to be loved and accepted for who he is. He is the youngest in his family and always feels he doesn’t measure up to his high flying brother and sister who, with his parents seem to pressure him to decide what he wants to do, and to make something of his life. His relationship with Addie feeds both their need for love espcially after Henry had his heart broken by his previous girlfriend. Luc and Harry are the dark and light in Addie’s life; they look alike but whilst Luc is a reminder of the darkness of her bargain and her immortal companion, Henry is all about pleasure, enjoyment, love and the present.Their stories demonstrate how as humans we have a need for love and acceptance by our contemporaries, and the want to share our lives with someone.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue deals with a lot of difficult issues in an honest and empathatic way, including the subjects of suicide, mental health, and sexuality. V.E Scwab creates a world of light and dark, good and evil, especially in the form of Luc, who only appears in the dark to make bargains with humans at the darkest of times in their lives. I loved the sweeping history of this book, from eighteenth century Paris, through the revolution, to Florence, New Orleans to the First and Second World Wars where Addie has to live by her wits. The three hundred years also show the changing attitudes to women and their position in society over the centuries.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a magical and captivating new take on the Faustian myth, bringing it into the twenty first century. V.E Scwab is a skillfull storyteller whose lyrical and flowing prose swept me away on a journey I didn’t want to end. What I took from this book was that whether you only have one year to live or three hundred you should make he best of every second, make memories and live life to the full. Addie’s and Harry’s story reminded me of a quote from my favourite poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson from his poem In Memoriam A.H.H 27 Tis better to have loved and lost/Than never to have lovd at all. Whilst Addie’s character will never be remembered in the book, I think she will live forever in the hearts of the readers of this book #IrememberAddieLarue.

I would like to thank Titan Books for my copy of this book to read and review.