The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: A Review
What would you trade your soul for? Would you make a deal with the devil for immense wealth, eternal fame or true love? In V.E. Scwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the protagonist Addie LaRue makes a deal with a deity. In exchange for her freedom, Addie gains immortality, but would never be remembered by others.
Addie’s life begins in a small French Village in 1714, where Addie LaRue, nearly forced into marriage, gains the attention of a dark entity, whom she later names Luc, who offers her a way out of her seemingly concrete future. Addie takes Luc on his offer, and is granted eternal life at the cost of being forgotten by everyone she meets. While initially over the moon at her new prospects, Addie soon realizes the severity of her situation, as she is unable to forge connections with anyone on earth. After each and every conversation, the memory of those she talked to would be wiped clean of her existence, meeting Addie for the first time in every encounter. The novel alternates between Addie’s present in New York and her past, offering readers an insight into her three century long existence.
Initially, Addie’s curse seems to be too big a curse for her to live with. Unable to rent a room, Addie was at times forced to live on the streets. Due to her immortality, Addie can also never die, unable to escape the hunger and cold through death, but suffering eternally in the exact condition. However, after she figures out ways of borrowing rooms through another, her quality of life increases dramatically. Her ability, while often being a negative, also allows her to openly commit thefts, as her crimes would never be remembered, and she would never be prosecuted.
For while her curse forces all to forget her, Addie has found her own way of leaving imprints in history. Subtly influencing artists, musicians and poets throughout time, the time she spends with them, although never remembered, shapes the artist’s works. With one lover writing a song about Addie, and another painting her freckles, Addie’s presence ironically remains in history, even when others do not remember her.
Addie’s life takes a sudden turn when she meets Henry—who somehow remembers her. After three centuries of being forgotten, unable to form meaningful relationships, Henry’s existence means the world to Addie. Their relationship is beautifully developed, set in the New York hubbub where they somehow find connection after connection and grow their love. As the narrative unfolds, the tension builds as Addie seeks a way to break her Faustian curse and be remembered once again. However, she soon discovers that her, Henry and Luc’s fates might be more entwined then she ever thought—and that breaking her curse comes at a heavy cost.
In conclusion, “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is a novel that goes far beyond conventional genres. With elements of historical fiction, fantasy and romance, the book drags readers in with its enchanting plot and setting. Through its compelling characters, complex themes and beautiful prose, V.E. Schwab successfully immortalizes the story of Addie LaRue in the minds of all who read the novel.
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