The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

"But it is a lonely thing to be forgotten.  To remember when no one else does." 

Hi, everyone!  How are we doing out there??  Just trying to stay afloat over here and willing warmer weather to come and stay in Chicago for more than 12 hours at a time.  I’ll be catching up on a lot of blogging over the next few weeks (hopefully), and I am excited to share what I’ve been reading/ordering/collecting lately.  It’s so hard for me to find the balance between reading and blogging and posting to IG, and keeping up with all of those things at once.  THERE’S NO TIME!!!  I mean I guess there is time, but I love my early bedtime and my eight hours of sleep.  So anyway, I’m in the “doing me” stage of blogging, where I am doing what I can and trying not to let the feelings of inadequacy get to me.  On that note…ADDIE LARUE OMGOMGOMG.

I rarely, and I mean RARELY, read anything that is fantasy or anything over 400 pages, so The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue might seem like it is coming out of left field in terms of my typical book type, BUT I promise it is the closest thing to realistic fantasy that you’ll find.  I actually don’t know if that’s true, but I’ve read (Google searched) that this book can be considered fantasy, historical fiction, or historical fantasy, soooo I’m gonna call it historical fantasy fiction with romance tendencies. AKA it’s just a good story with lots of layers, okay?!  

I was turned on to this book by my friend Sheila, who reads all of the things.  She gave it five stars, so I knew it had to be good.  Plus, it’s gotten so much love from the bookstagram world–like there are some V.E. Schwab stans out there!  I had no idea.  

Book: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

First things first, this book is long and heavy.  Plan accordingly.  And maybe I am a slow reader, but I would be reading for like an hour and only get ten pages turned.  I like to think I was paying super close attention because I didn’t want to fail at my first fantasy book.  Don’t worry, I’m in therapy for these feelings.  :)  Once I got past the length and fully committed to Addie, I could not be stopped.  

Addie LaRue–the girl with seven freckle stars in a constellation on her face, a face that always shows up blurry in a photograph–made an accidental deal with the darkness and has been living for hundreds of years. And while her request to live forever may have sounded good at the time, it is the caveat that she is never remembered by anyone that agonizes her.  She has lived through so much and met so many people.  But a meeting is as far as it ever goes.  There is never a memory of her, never a trace or a recollection that someone knows her.  It brings her close to surrender many times, but she refuses to give in to the darkness.  Three hundred years into her life, Addie stumbles upon a bookstore, and upon a boy, Henry, who does something that no one has ever done–he remembers.  While seemingly a chance encounter, it quickly comes out that Henry has also made a deal with the darkness, and the two must navigate their paths forward.  

Schwab transported me to another world while I was reading this book.  But I guess that’s the point of fantasy, right??  Am I doing it right??  Worlds???  From France to New York City, from the early 1700s to 2014, from magic to realism, I was hooked on it all.  I loved Addie’s strength in the face of the darkness, yet I appreciated her vulnerability during the hard times and her inner struggles with all of the unfinished business–all of the “what-ifs” that her life has been made up of.  Henry was just a dream (as in dream boat; as in I loved him; as in he was real/human; not a dream dream don’t want to get the fantasy stuff confused please don’t kick me out of fantasy club).  I totally thought he was going to be too-good-to-be-true, and that the Henry/Addie relationship would somehow not work out in the end, and if you want to know if I was right you’ll just have to suck it up and read all 400+ pages because I put in the WORK to get to find out and so should you. :)  And while we’re on the topic...the ending!?!?  It begs to be chatted about over red wine and a charcuterie board. Let’s talk.

There are so many intricate details to this novel that make it so mesmerizing and unforgettable.  The characters are charming and captivating (what’s up, Robbie?!?).  The way Addie is unable to say her own name for so many years until she meets Henry.  The darkness lurking in expected yet unexpected places.  The way Addie just lives and lives and lives and lives while being instantly forgotten by everyone.  Whew.  This one is a ride that you need to be on. It does, however, get a little repetitive, and did I mention that it is long? :)  RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

Look: Skirt and Top - Loft; Shoes - Target (linked similar)

I love it when an outfit matches a book so perfectly!  This skirt is perfect for work, and I feel like Addie would have worn it after she stole it from a Loft in NYC, right??  I’ve gotten exactly one compliment on it at work from my friend Erin, who gives me style tips on the reg and is basically the Bea to my Addie except she remembers me.  When you find your style soulmate, hold on tight and make sure there is always something in your cart to run by them before clicking “purchase.”  We’re currently scoping jeans, shackets, and wide-leg work pants.  Send intel.  Anyway, I love that this skirt is ribbed and that you can dress it up or down.  There is also a matching top, but I haven’t quite hit the I-wear-matching-sets stage of life.  But maybe you have and that is so great.  For now I’ve paired it with just a basic black long-sleeve and the same shoes I always wear from Target!  

Thank you for reading about Addie!  I’d love to hear what you thought of this book if you’ve read it, or this look if you’ve shopped it, are thinking about it, or you just like it!  Leave me a comment or send me a message on IG @thetrendyreader! 

Happy Reading!

-Amy-