The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a Fantasy Fiction novel by author V.E. Schwab published on October 6, 2020. The story follows a young girl by the name of Addie LaRue who lives in 1714 France, as she is about to be married off to a man she does not know. In a moment of utter desperation, she prays for more time. Unfortunately, the god she has prayed to answers her plea, grating her eternal life, but also curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets. The story follows her life and journey ranging from flash backs to present day and how she has lived almost three centuries without anyone remembering who she is. However, after almost three hundred years of this solitary life, she finds the impossible, someone who remembers her.
I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue last Spring and it made me fall back in love with reading. This stand alone novel by V.E. Schwab brings a new and exciting concept and pairs it with a fantastic writing style that is articulate and emotional. I was instantly hooked by the first chapter and could barely put the book down. Addie’s character undergoes so many changes and adversaries throughout the novel that I felt like I was right there with her throughout her journey. After praying to the devil to change her fate, Addie is cursed to never be remembered, until she meets Henry, the first person in three hundred years to remember her name. I loved the duality of Addie’s character portrayed in flashbacks from her younger self to her current life as she learns how to cope with her unfortunate situation. Addie LaRue was a great blend of fantasy fiction and historical fiction, combining the two aspects into a modern novel that could be enjoyed by a wide range of readers. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my favorite books that I have ever read and the first of my five-star books.
While this book is not explicitly about the media, I chose to review this book because of its impact that it has had. This book was published in October 2020 and was quickly circulated around the popular social media app, TikTok. Book reviewers created short video reviews about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and it sold out almost overnight. It hit the top of the charts and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for thirty-seven consecutive weeks. It became an instant hit on TikTok with the reviews having millions of views and comments. This book started the TikTok community, loving known as “Book-Tok,” where people post different reviews about their favorite books from all different genres. This online community has single handedly revived how books are perceived by a younger generation. “Book-Tok” has become a popular online community that promotes new books, as well as books that have been already published. It has also given author’s a wider platform to promote their books to a range of different people.
Schwab, V.E. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. New York, Tor Books, October 6, 2020.
V.E. Schwab. Tor Publishing, 2021. https://www.victoriaschwab.com/. April 27, 2022.
