Rating: 4 stars 

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” a historical fantasy adult fiction novel written by V. E. Schwab, is an enticing and memorable story full of excitement and adventure. 

Released on Oct. 6, this novel tells the story of a young girl in 1714 France, who sells her soul to a devil named Luc to escape an arranged marriage. However, her bargain with the devil comes with unexpected consequences. Although she gains immortality, she is cursed to be instantly forgotten by everyone she meets. 

The story jumps between the past and present, which takes place 300 years later in New York City.

Addie meets a bookstore clerk named Henry, who is surprisingly able to remember her unlike everyone else. The story takes off at that point, circulating around Addie, Henry and Luc’s dynamic relationship. 

Centered on Addie’s struggle and determination to make a mark on the world despite her curse, the story places great emphasis on people’s natural desire to be remembered by those around them. 

Not only is the novel intriguing, the vivid descriptions used by Schwab gives the story a very strong start and finish and leaves readers wanting more. 

However, the plotline of the story did feel quite slow and repetitive in the middle, when similar situations played out multiple times but on different characters. This 570 page story could have been much shorter and still have the same storyline.

Although the idea of the story is perfect for those who love fantasy books, it may be too whimsical for some readers’ liking. 

Some of the logistics in the story are underdeveloped, which may irk readers who approach books in more logical manners. 

For instance, Addie’s true age simply does not add up with her childlike persona, causing certain aspects of her character to feel surface level. Some historical aspects of the story also fail to reflect realistic scenarios of the time period. 

However, the story is still enjoyable once you look past these flaws. The action and conflict in this novel makes it a thrilling experience. Despite Addie’s curse of not being remembered, her story is one that I will recommend to anyone looking for a fun and extraordinary adventure.