Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Page Count: 444
Publication Date: 2020
Category/Genre: Fiction, Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Historical Fiction, Magic Realism
Good Reads Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.24)
My Rating: ★★★★★ (4.5)
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name
In a moment of desperation, Addie makes a bargain with the devil which leaves her forgotten by everyone she meets over the next few centuries. More importantly than those forgetting her even moments after meeting, she is unable to leave her name or any mark of hers on the physical world. It leaves her feeling empty,
“If a person cannot leave a mark, do they exist?”
As time passes, Addie is compelled to find ways to leave her mark upon the world and stumbles upon a remarkable idea and truth about how one truly leaves a mark.
“The first mark she left upon the world, long before she knew the truth, that ideas are so much wilder than memories, that they long and look for ways of taking root”
It reminded me so much of how in this day of social media, everyone thinks they need to leave their name or become viral. But leaving your mark goes so much deeper and the important parts are done under layers of time, anonymity, and love. Lessons, sacrifices, time, support, inspiration, blood, sweat, and tears. It’s the moms, the parents, the teachers, the extended families, the dreamers, the creatives, the laborers, the engineers, the designers, the doers, it’s all of us, and all of us together.
It is a story that deals with the consequences of our actions and how most people truly want to be remembered by someone.
The writing, like the story, was magical and breathtaking. It was a quick and easy read in terms of storytelling but packed a powerful punch for those of us always seeking ways to make a difference, leave a mark, or wonder what legacy we will leave behind when it’s all done.
Down the Rabbit Hole 