The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

By V. E. Schwab,

Book cover of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Book description

"For someone damned to be forgettable, Addie LaRue is a most delightfully unforgettable character, and her story is the most joyous evocation of unlikely immortality." -Neil Gaiman

A Sunday Times-bestselling, award-nominated genre-defying tour-de-force of Faustian bargains, for fans of The Time Traveler's Wife and Life After Life, and The Sudden…

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Why read it?

18 authors picked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I've come to love Victoria Schwab's style. She creates characters that are far from perfect, who are very obviously flawed, and totally relatable. She also creates very realistic—despite being fantastical—worlds that are believable and engulf the reader.

There is so much I can appreciate about this book and its craftsmanship. It is filled with beautiful imagery, an almost poetic message about life, love, family, and what really matters. It’s one of those books that makes you think about the world and life. It made me consider whether I would make such a deal with the devil where I could live forever, but no one would remember me.

I tried to imagine what it would be like to form a relationship with someone one day, and then the next day, when I saw them, they would have completely…

I typically enjoy books with well-defined characters and distinctive voices that I relate to. Rea Nolan Martin brilliantly uses a writing technique that is sometimes difficult to pull off. I loved that the story is told from the viewpoint of each character. I was particularly drawn to the interplay between the main character, Maya, and the voice in her head of her alleged “twin,” Maya.

This book had me thinking about the mysteries of life. There are not enough books with a "moral to the story."  This one has a number, but you may need to read it closely to…

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Book cover of The Haunting of Fury Falls Inn

The Haunting of Fury Falls Inn by Betty Bolté,

6-book series set in a haunted roadside inn in 1821 Alabama!

Cassie Fairhope longs for only one thing: to escape her mother’s tyranny. Her plan? Seduce the young man, who is acting as innkeeper while her father is away on business, into marrying her. But Flint Hamilton has his own…

I love this because, though fantastical, it just works.

It starts in 1714 when a young girl rescues herself from danger by making a pact with the devil; this makes her seemingly immortal. So far so unlikely I thought - but I was hooked. With the premise accepted I found the tale rattled along as she spends the next 300 years trying to live a life in which she appears normal. It is difficult, and that difficulty creates a roller coaster of a plot that had me reading long into the night.

I found it a valuable lesson in going…

I rarely find a book with a plot so unique that there’s nothing to compare it to, and that’s exactly what I found with this next book. The pace is fairly slow and leisurely, but I didn’t mind because I loved living in these pages.

V.E. Schwab has such a beautiful, elegant way of weaving a story that feels like a classic and a fresh new book all at once. It was one of the most creative stories I’ve ever read, and I adored the characters in this book (Luc is my favorite).

I found myself thinking more deeply about…

The prose was so dreamy; Schwab's writing floated across the page, and I was completely swept away.

I loved the descriptions of 1700s France and of the old gods and how easily attached I was to Addie as she went from feeling trapped in the restrictive time she was born in to finding herself trapped in a curse that should have given her boundless freedom. There was so much heartbreak in this particular curse. Addie's identity is taken from her so that she's forced to live this ghost-like existence throughout the ages.

The jumps between her past and current timeline…

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Book cover of Aftermath: Into the Unknown

Aftermath by Lena Gibson,

Robin dreamed of attending Yale and using her brain. Kory lived on the streets of Seattle and relied on his brawn. Without the asteroid, they never would have met.

For three years, Robin and her grandfather have been hiding, trusting no one. When a biker gang moves into town, Robin…

In 1700s France, the titular heroine of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue makes a deal with a strange force in the forest, and attains one of my favorite superpowers: the ability to not be noticed.

Addie is immortal, and people always forget she exists the moment she leaves their presence. As a result, her life has been sad, lonely, strange, and fundamentally unchanging... until, in the modern era, she meets someone who does remember her. It's a fascinating take on one of my favorite premises.

From Tim's list on fantasy with women heroines.

One word sums up how I would describe this book—magical.

The journey I witnessed while reading this book was a once-in-a-lifetime experience: I met various historical characters, lived through wars and paranormal events, and, most importantly, met the striking protagonist, Addie LaRue.

One of my favorite reads of the years! A magical, historical story that spans hundreds of years and reaches through time as Addie struggles to find meaning and love despite her past.

I love stories that have historical elements, threads of magic, that are written so well that the reader believes anything is possible. V.E. Schwab creates a flawed character that we don’t love at first, who must overcome the Faustian bargain she made to carve out a life and find her soulmate.

My favorite part? The evolution of Addie’s character and a different version of happily ever after!

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Book cover of Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter

Beyond the Cemetery Gate by Valerie Biel,

"A haunting YA mystery. Touching on everything from police ineptitude and community solidarity to the endless frustration of being patronized as a young person, this paranormal thriller confidently combines timely and relatable themes within a page-turning storyline." - Self-Publishing Review

"Biel's writing is fast-paced and sharp!" - author Christy Wopat…

V.E. Schwab’s premise is brilliant. Her writing is stunning.

In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, “The Darkness” grants Addie LaRue immortality but in return, no one can remember her for more than a day and she can’t even say her own name. For centuries, she travels through distant lands and historical events, growing more solitary and despondent until she meets Henry, the first human to remember her. Alas, their meeting isn’t mere fate. “The Darkness” has tricked them.

Addie LaRue’s perseverance reminds me of my own fierce female protagonists. Can her cleverness outsmart the star-crossed dilemma he’s devised? Don’t…

From Carol's list on star-crossed soul mates.

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Book cover of The Haunting of Fury Falls Inn

The Haunting of Fury Falls Inn by Betty Bolté,

6-book series set in a haunted roadside inn in 1821 Alabama!

Cassie Fairhope longs for only one thing: to escape her mother’s tyranny. Her plan? Seduce the young man, who is acting as innkeeper while her father is away on business, into marrying her. But Flint Hamilton has his own…

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