A review by rinku
Das unsichtbare Leben der Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

When I finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I gave it five stars without a hesitation. After some time passed, I lowered my rating just a bit to 4.5 stars. 

Still, I really enjoyed this novel for various reason. The premise of Addie resonated with me instantly: After being forced to marry, Addie makes a deal with the devil which makes her immortal, but she also is forgotten by everyone instantly after they or she leave the room. We get a tour de force through Addie’s 300 years of life while simultaneously experiencing her story in the present with Henry, a boy she meets in a bookstore that can remember her. 

When Henry comes into play, I was wondering from the beginning how Addie would tell him about her curse and how he would react. When she tells him the truth, a great surprise is revealed to us that
Henry made a deal with the devil as well. After knowing that everyone has to love him because of his curse, I really wanna reread the book someday to see how early this is noticeable. I think at the beginning, I was already wondering why so many people in the bookshop were interested in him
. 

Some people complain that the book was boring and repetitive, but I had this feeling not one time. Instead, I found the pace and the way the story was told just perfect. It was interesting to see how Addie perfectionated her life more as more time passes since she has no other choice than doing so. Schwab wanders well back and forth between the different times and POVs. This was also by first book by Schwab and her writing style amazed me. 

The ending was so well-written as well, and it made me almost cry. I wouldn’t stand behind it with hundred percent, especially since
Addie was way too fast ready to give up her life for Henry’s – they barely knew each other for a month
but I still appreciate it. 

Generally, the characters are described in such a vivid and relatable way, even really small side characters, like a man selling books that Addie passes by everyday in today’s New York. When looking at the main characters, there are three important ones: Henry, Addie, and the devil aka Luc. Henry was okay and I was not so much interested in him but more in Addie herself. I can’t really put into words the reasons why, but I loved Addie so much and especially the view she has on the world and on art. 

I’m also not supposed to like Luc and I realize how toxic his relationship to Addie is, but I was always excited when he appeared. I was honestly more interested into him than into Henry; Henry’s just there but Luc has such an intriguing and fascinating presence. Luc is for a long time the only person – or rather creature – in Addie’s life that is able to interact with her regularly, no wonder that she
even has a relationship with him at one point
. Later in the novel, the time passing until the present is well told through Addie’s meetings with him. 

The reason I can’t give five stars though are some smaller critique points I have concerning the story itself. It has been mentioned by other people as well, but first, the lack of people of colour was a bit weird considering the fact that Addie has been alive for over 300 years. The whole story is Eurocentric in this aspect. Second, she barely experiences any of the wars or revolutions happening since the 18th century – and there were a lot! 

Besides those critique points that should be reflected on, I can recommend The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue totally to people who want to read a fantasy story that’s a bit different with interesting leitmotifs, like decay, art, or obsession. 

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