A review by paigedc
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
3.0
Sadly, I don’t think the buzz over this book lives up to the reality. The premise is so unique and catchy, and the writing is beautiful (I love VE Schwab and have read several of her other books!), but this book was so slow, and the back-and-forth time jumps really didn’t serve the story until the end. It reminded me a bit of The Night Circus, which I LOVE, but it wasn’t nearly as good as that.
Addie LaRue makes a deal with a devil one night in 1714 to be free, but the catch is that she will be forgotten by all with whom she interacts. She wanders through the world, struggling for 300 years until, in a bookstore in Brooklyn in 2014, a man remembers her. The reasons are unveiled slowly, and there is a love story and love conflict associated with this revelation. All deals have consequences, and no one is truly free.
This book is a must to read on paper, as the jumps between years and the samples of artwork throughout are important to pay attention to and would be lost on audio. I’m sad it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me, but it was an enjoyable story, especially the last hundred pages or so. Keep pressing on through the slow bits because the ending is good.
Addie LaRue makes a deal with a devil one night in 1714 to be free, but the catch is that she will be forgotten by all with whom she interacts. She wanders through the world, struggling for 300 years until, in a bookstore in Brooklyn in 2014, a man remembers her. The reasons are unveiled slowly, and there is a love story and love conflict associated with this revelation. All deals have consequences, and no one is truly free.
This book is a must to read on paper, as the jumps between years and the samples of artwork throughout are important to pay attention to and would be lost on audio. I’m sad it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me, but it was an enjoyable story, especially the last hundred pages or so. Keep pressing on through the slow bits because the ending is good.