Title:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author:

V. E. Schwab

Category:

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Rating:

Date Reviewed:

June 5, 2022

his is the first novel by V. E Schwab that I have read. Her other novels sound intriguing enough, but I just haven't gotten around to reading any of them - there is never enough time. But after reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I wonder if I should read her other books, because certainly they cannot be as good as this one. (Schwab did just release a new book called Gallant, dare I give it a try?)

Adeline LaRue is a young woman living in the peasant village of Villon in 18th century France. It is 1714, and she is about to married off to Roger, a widower who needs someone to look after his child. There is nothing wrong with Roger, he seems nice enough, but Adeline cannot imagine herself bound by the constraints of marriage and motherhood. She wants to be free to live her life as she chooses, to draw and wander and make her own decisions. And so she flees in her wedding dress from her family escorting her to the church. Adeline runs into the dark forest, and there she makes a fatal mistake. Estele, the wise old woman of the village, had warned Adeline to never pray to the gods after sundown, because the gods of the dark are not to be trusted. It is after twilight, and Adeline wishes to fervently to escape her fate that she prays - and a handsome figure appears from the shadows.

Adeline asks for immortality, for freedom to live as she chooses. The dark god acquiesces, asking for her soul in return. The bargain is sealed with a kiss.

When Adeline returns to Villon, no one recognizes her - she is a complete stranger. To be totally free means to be without history, to pass through lives without leaving a mark. Adeline finds that she cannot even write - the letters fade from the page as she scrawls them. Whatever she tries to build will soon collapse it a heap. Stockpile any treasure, and it will soon be found and pilfered. Adeline has no possessions and no friends. She can meet someone as a stranger, and talk to them for hours, yet as soon as one of them leaves the room, all memory of her will evaporate, and at their next encounter, Adeline will have to re-introduce herself all over again. Adeline is the living embodiment of "out-of-sight, out-of-mind".

The novels hops back and forth from different eras. Half of the chapters take place in New York City in 2014, where Adeline roams, relishing all the wonders of the modern age even though she is 300 years old. The other half of the chapters tell the tale of Adeline through the decades and centuries, as she learns how to adapt to her new condition. She finds that she cannot die of starvation or thirst, though she still suffers from hunger or cravings for water. Adeline can be wounded - and feel the pain from her injuries, but she will magically heal immediately. She cannot even cut her hair. The forgetfulness of the people she meets allows her to steal - grab an item, disappear around the corner, and no one will remember that she walked past. Over the years, she becomes adept at stealing food and clothes, but there is no point in trying to possess more.

Every year the dark god appears to Adeline, asking her if she is tired of living, tired of the loneliness, is she willing to surrender? But Adeline has learned to enjoy her bizarre existence, to travel and learn. Even a life as bizarre as her own is still full of discovery and joy. Adeline has a fierce spirit and tough stubbornness, she defies him every year, even though he is the only being who remembers her.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a romance book. It is about love and relationships, even in the brief lives that we humans enjoy. It reminded me of The Time Traveler's Wife, another terrific story about people falling in love despite obstacles. Since it is a fantasy, the author can write about only the magical moments people spend together, and never mention how reality intrudes - characters never have to visit the dentist, trudge to work at a soul-sucking job, or turn on the television and learn of another massacre. It is great to read about characters who truly "seize the day" and make their moments together truly count.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a big book, but the short chapters are quickly read, and the narrative is compelling enough to make you read "just one more chapter". It would probably have been an unnecessary tangent to the narrative, but I wish Addie had ask the dark god why he needs to bargain for human souls? Doesn't he receive millions every day? I also wondered about the precise constraints placed upon Adeline - could she save a drowning man? Staunch a wound? We learn that she can plant. She can perform tasks such as washing dishes. There are hints that she can work as a spy, passing along vital information. I recommend this novel!