Image: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Tor Books, 2020. All rights reserved. Cover illustration ?. Photograph of book taken by me. Image used on this blog under the “Fair dealing for criticism or review” provision of the Commonwealth Copyright Act, 1968.
Adeline LaRue is growing up in a small French village in the early 1700s and dreading the (very real) prospect of living a small, confined life. So, on the eve of her wedding, she makes a deal with someone who may or may not be the devil: her soul for her freedom. But she doesn’t have to give up her soul until she wants to.
She didn’t realise exactly how tricky the fine print is on these sorts of deals: she is immortal, unaging and free, yes; but she can’t write or draw or make any mark on the world. Everyone forgets her existence as soon as she’s out of sight. She has no possessions. And she can still suffer.
Nearly three hundred years later, she’s lived through revolutions and met artists, and she’s still looking for new experiences. But she’s tired and she’s very lonely. Until…
This didn’t disappoint. It was sweet, romantic and intriguing and managed to avoid a fair number of clichés that I was faintly worried it was going to slam into at some point. There is one brief moment involving a famous composer that was a bit wobbly, but beside that, it was on tune the whole way through. It reminded me of The Time Traveller’s Wife and Practical Magic, and, of course, Faust. A delightful, absorbing read: I wanted to sit in The Last Word and pat the cat, hang out in Brooklyn, etc. The ending is particularly good.
Definitely recommend.
Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Cover design: ?
First published: Tor Books, 2020
Genre: fantasy, historical fantasy
Representation: LGBTQIA+ (supporting characters), BIPOC (supporting character)
Suitability: years 9-12
Fyi: non-graphic depictions of prostitution, rape threats, war, death and sex. Suicidal thoughts, depression, drug use. A demonic character and soul-selling.
Themes: art, immortality, legacy, the good life, relationships, resilience, regret, potential
Literary features: intertextuality, motifs (particularly palimpsests), multimodal elements, non-linear structure, interwoven narratives, metafiction
NSW syllabus: potential related text for Texts & Human Experiences (English Standard/Advanced); potential contemporary manifestation of a key text (Faust) for the Related Project (11 English Extension 1); potential text for Literary Worlds (12 English Extension 1); wide reading
If you like this, try: The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger or Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE LIBRARY... 
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