This book review was written by Anastasia Kutselik of Richard Montgomery HS
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab is a timeless story. The book is about a girl named Adeline LaRue, who’s a young french girl with seven freckles resembling the night sky. The story goes back and forth between various time periods, from the 1700s and 1800s to a more present time, 2014. The historic time periods are flashbacks into Addie’s past life, while the present time is the main plot.
Addie LaRue is a normal girl living life in Villion-sur-Sarthe, France in 1714. Unlike other girls, she doesn’t want the family life. Addie enjoys the trips to Le Mans with her father; she loves traveling outside Villion. Addie’s mother wants her to become a woman and is outraged when Addie’s father teaches Addie. But her father continues teaching her to read and write, giving her the gift of knowledge. Addie specifically loves her father’s stories. Addie is very naive and wants to live a free life with no care in the world. Her naiveness leads to the life-changing decision she makes.
Estele is an older woman who lives in Villion, near Addie’s family. She prays to the old gods, different from those the rest of the village prayed to. Addie grows an interest in Estele’s life, as she is an independent woman. Addie admires her lifestyle. Estele teaches Addie about the other gods and Addie starts doing the same rituals as her. She clearly warns Addie about praying to the gods of the dark and specifically tells Addie not to pray to them.
“The old gods may be great, but they are neither kind nor merciful. They are fickle, unsteady as moonlight on water, or shadows in a storm. If you insist on calling them, take heed: be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price. And no matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” -Estele, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Addie’s wish to the dark god was a desperate call for freedom. Not wanting to get married and getting into family life, she prays for freedom. Luc is the dark god that she has called out to. She sells her soul for freedom, too naive at that time to process the consequences. Luc gives her the curse of being immortal and everyone who meets her forgets if they simply turn around for a second. This contrasts with Addie’s dream of wanting to leave a mark on this world.
“What is a person, if not the marks they leave?” - V.E Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
This quote summarizes the story as a whole and teaches an important lesson. Addie, being cursed, has no way of leaving a mark, but does end up finding a very creative way. This quote sticks with a lot of people who read this book, as it expresses the modern-day ideal that you only live once. It really got me thinking that flying under the radar can be the safe option in life, but doing things outside your box can leave a “mark” and in the end, you don’t really regret it. But Addie LaRue, without being able to leave a clear mark teaches the reader that you don’t have to do big things to be remembered; it can be small things in life that go unnoticed. This lesson really goes well with modern-day life, as many people think they need to do big accomplishments or become well-known to leave a mark in the world. Addie shows how a person can be “invisible” and still work behind the scenes to leave a “mark”. This is just one of the many lessons that you can get from reading this book, as different parts teach different lessons.
One thing that we don’t see a lot is LGBTQ representation in books. The author includes various characters including the main character, Addie LaRue, as being bi. I find it really nice to see LGBTQ representation in literature especially when it’s very casually used in books. The characters in the book treat the LGBTQ community as a normal thing and don’t discriminate against them like in modern-day society. They don’t have characters who stand out just because they aren’t straight, and it overall produces a good environment for everyone.
Overall the plot of this story is different from other books that I’ve read. The plotline of this book is very interesting but moves slower than other books, so if you like tons of action in a book then it’s not the book for you. I would recommend it to someone who loves a book with a romance story, as a lot of the book is about relationships. This book reminds me of Tuck Everlasting, the family had to hide from everyone, while Addie gets to explore the world but is constantly forgotten. V.E Schwab thoroughly describes details, which makes the story come more alive in your head.
Although the plot has little action for some or romance isn’t your ideal genre, it’s definitely worth trying the book as you easily get hooked with the plot. Besides the romance, this book is a historical fantasy, with vivid descriptions giving you a peek into the past. The slower, less action-filled plot sets a more natural life setting that relates to reality more, making the story more relatable. The characters all have different background stories and personalities meaning a reader could relate to at least one of the characters at some point in the book. I would recommend this book to any who may be looking for a book to read and loves a mix of genres.
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