Book: The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue
Genre: Historical Fiction > Fantasy
Date Read: 4.7.21
Stars: ★★★★☆

Recommend: To historical fiction lovers

Summary:
Addie Larue sells her soul to the darkness to circumvent a marriage she desperately needed to escape. She bargains for a life tethered to no one, to make her own decisions, and to live freely. In return, she is granted immortality and zero long term remembrance from those she meets. She lives through decades turned into centuries of history, continents, languages, art, and loneliness determined to leave her mark in the world. Her only constant is the darkness (Luke) in the likeness of a man in her perfect image, until she stumbles into Henry, a man who remembers her days after they met. Thus begins a whirlwind of love, romance, and new experiences. But what of the darkness? Will Addie ever flee from her curse?

Reaction:
It took me a while to read this tome but I decided to finish it for the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge. My favorite was the beginning in 1714 France. It is fascinating because of what women went through in the age of patriarchy. Should I live in that century, I would be Estele, the town witch with my herb garden and tinctures. I digress, Addie certainly was a modern woman for her time but fit right in 300 years later to 2014 where the story unfolds itself.

This book was told in the present time referring back to the past as each chapter reveals itself. Henry also speaks in his point of view. The beginning was detailed and exciting, the middle was blah, 75% in was wow, the end was… it could have ended better.  

One of my complaints is Addie continuing to live the 20’s life, sleeping around, and drowning her sorrows in cheap thrills. She meets Henry and calms a bit, yet still doesn’t acquire a maturity level accompanied with wisdom. Truly, I think that the musician she composes an award winning song with is her soul mate.

*spoiler*
Henry’s character is disturbing. His crucible wasn’t worth everything he gave up for. His denied marriage proposal sent him spiraling into depression. Instead of seeking therapy or talking with friends, he turns to suicide where the darkness convinces him to get off the bridge. The darkness grants him one wish for a price and he takes it, no questions asked. He is unstable and continually seeks for significance. Only when he gets published in the end with Addie’s life story that he straightens out, but it came with the ultimate sacrifice. 

Overall, this book was beautifully written. I loved the life lessons of living in the present and being careful what you wish for. I love the history and philosophy that came with living a long life. 

Favorite Quotes:

“Being forgotten, she thinks, is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered?”
― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

“But this is how you walk to the end of the world. This is how you live forever. Here is one day, and here is the next, and the next, and you take what you can, savor every stolen second, cling to every moment, until it’s gone.”
― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

“I remember seeing that picture and realizing that photographs weren’t real. There’s no context, just the illusion that you’re showing a snapshot of a life, but life isn’t snapshots, it’s fluid. So photos are like fictions. I loved that about them. Everyone thinks photography is truth, but it’s just a very convincing lie.”
― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

STAR APPLIQUE CROCHET PATTERN
By: Gratia Projects in Youtube

Ch 5. Join with sl st to form ring. Round 1: Ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2. (3 dc, ch 2) repeat 4x. Join with sl st to the first ch 3. Sl st in the next stitch.

Round 2: (Hdc, dc, tr, ch 2, tr, dc, hdc) in the space of previous round. Join with slip stitch in the middle of 3 dc of previous round. Repeat 4 times.