The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy and romance
Author: V.E Schwab
Favorite quotes: To be determined during a re-read
Summary: What does it mean to be free? In some people's mind it means the freedom of choice, the freedom of speech, or even the freedom never to be weighed down by another soul (not a definition we consider most of the time). And that's the dilemma. Adeline is just a girl, a girl who wants to be free, yet doesn’t quite know what that means. It took only this slight act of ignorance, the inability to describe exactly what freedom meant, that forced Addie Larue into eternal damnation. The curse of invisibility. To be loved, and to be forgotten just as quickly. Throughout this classic novel, we follow our timeless character on a journey to seek knowledge, excitement, and the achievement of a dream that would make it all worth it. Yet, heartbreak ensues every time she is reminded that love will forever be out of the question. No matter the impact, the lust, or the yearning to be found again, there will never be someone who remembers long enough to love her. Not until hundreds of years later, in a miniscule bookstore does this life start becoming exactly what she imagined.
*Spoilers
My thoughts: In all honesty, I procrastinated reading this book for months. After hearing countless reviews about how boring and mundane it is, I was thoroughly expecting it to be exactly that. Thankfully, I have now learned to organize my own opinions rather than listen to booktok. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is the perfect example of a contemplative, transporting, 5 star read. The one adjective I can think of to describe V.E Schwab's writing style is simply beautiful. Every chapter contained at least one quote I stopped to ponder at, dissecting its meaning, wondering how the author was able to curate such an introspective sentence. Contrary to my previous worry, I enjoyed the slow pacing. It truly made me feel as if I were spending every moment of Addie's life right by her. Feeling the pain of loneliness for hundreds of years and the cold shudder of abandonment after just one night of glory. The commentary on suppression was accurately portrayed throughout the plot. Adeline’s aspirations and determination to experience the world were very obviously built from her previous inability to make decisions. It was inspirational to see a woman relentlessly overcome the challenge of eternal isolation yet still be able to justify her decision. Because in the end she truly was happy to have been free the way she was. To this day, Addie is one of my favorite book characters purely because she feels so familiar. Though, the male lead, Henry Stratuss, did not reach the same caliber of impact. I enjoyed the plot twist of his arrival and the fact that he was forced to cherish every remaining second of life based on previous misjudgements. However, there wasn’t anything in particular that made him memorable or worthy of Adeline in any way. I actually found myself rooting for the darkness. There was something so romantic about how she found comfort in his presence year after year and how a simple human could seduce a self-driven entity. To sum it up, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is looking to become one of my favorite books in 2024. It had me sobbing on the floor countless times at the most unexpected moments. If you like thoughtful books with deep character lores and exquisite writing, this novel is for you.
