REVIEW: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Are you a romantic at heart who enjoys a book with a bit of magical realism and historical fiction? Then I recommend you try The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab and published in 2020.
The book begins in the French countryside during the eighteenth century. Addie is a young girl destined for an arranged marriage she doesn’t want. She becomes so desperate to avoid this fate she prays to whatever god will hear her plea…and is answered. Of course, to get what she wants, she must strike a deal that saves her from the marriage, but costs more then she bargained for.
I listened to the unabridged Macmillan Audio version via NH Downloadable Books narrated by Julia Whelan who does an excellent job. In fact, Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators. However, she also narrated the last book I listened to which I found to be a bit confusing at first. Lesson learned! I’ll make sure not to listen to books narrated by the same person back to back, unless it is a series.
This book does have some sexual content so it may night be right for every reader.
Spoiler alert: keep reading only if you don’t mind some spoilers.
In order to avoid the arranged marriage, Addie makes a deal with a powerful creature, although at first it is unclear exactly what he is. She asks for freedom in exchange for her soul when she is done with it. She soon realizes, that no one remembers her and anyone new she meets forgets her as soon as they part. She walks the earth for over 300 years in this way until she finally meets a young man named Henry, who does remember her. Soon they find out they have both sold their souls to the same creature. They are forced to face the consequences of their deals when Henry’s time is up.
I’ll stop short of giving the ending away – which I found to be both unexpected and satisfying at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope you do as well!
Copies are available at Griffin Free. Just click on the format you are looking for below:
– Kathy Growney
Wowbrary
