The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue

By V.E. Schwab

Life is meant to be lived, and people are meant to be loved.

The Ugly Truth:

This book changed my perspective on life; no, seriously, EXCEPT the dramatic shift of outlook all happened in the literal last 10% of the novel; before that, I would have been singing a much, MUCH different tune. Does that mean it was a good book overall? Well, we will dive into that more. Still, for now, in my emotionally distraught but perfectly satiated state, I am giving this an astonishing four stars (and this is truly astonishing if you look at my other reviews).

Taking a quick step back from the new me, let’s dive into my review of the first 90% of the novel. What was that? No… seriously, what was that?? It felt like someone was trying to drunkenly tell me a story at a bar where only snippets can be heard, and the rest just goes in one ear and out the other. The plot is just a story of life, and to me, there was no real beginning, middle, or end. Perhaps I missed the message that that is the point of it all – showing that there never really was or will be; only the now and the people around you that make it so. Nevertheless, readers be warned that it is a lot of pages of just someone else’s story. It was interesting and entertaining, sure, but there was never a moment of clarity or resolution, only the ups and downs of reality. Furthermore, it had me questioning the theory of everything – if the darkness can do anything and make anything, then what is actually real? Once that thought train took off, it was hard to actually enjoy anything without thinking it was all orchestrated perfectly for another’s agenda.

Now, what made this book everything that it was was not really the story and small snippets of history tossed willy-nilly into the mix but the characters themselves. Starting with Adeline – Addie – Larue, the most spectacularly spiteful little creature who I adore so completely. Despite many trying, it is hard to create a strong female lead who is open to being guided by her emotions, but V.E. Schwab made no errors when she crafted up Addie. Here was a woman whose future was set to be nothing more than a small plot of grass in a forgotten cemetery in a forever-changing landscape, and so, she did what so many dream to do: she wished for something better and changed her future forever. There were so many times throughout the book that I felt she must be regretting her decision, but each time, she managed to find beauty in her choice and joy in the outcome. She was, hands down, one of the most inspiring female leads who was willing to inspire rather than take credit for and to live her life freely without needing the recognition of doing as such. Addie was a reminder to me that life is precious and full of opportunity to discover something new. She was equally influential in the novel as she was in my reality, forever shaping the future without taking actual shape.

After reading about such a colorful human, it makes sense then why I shunned Henry Strauss, who was masquerading as the leading man, so quickly. Simply put, Henry was a rain cloud on a sunny day, a wet towel on a humid night, and an honest and true stick in the mud. I recognize that this was Schwab’s way of depicting depression and, perhaps, a smidgen of bipolar disorder, and to that extent, I applaud her for tackling a tougher topic. However, for at least 60% of his story, I felt nothing but annoyance towards his character. He was so desperate for love and someone to control his life and paint his future that he had no idea who he was or what he wanted. Henry was a lost soul who latched to beautiful ones, and it really bothered me the amount he needed to be almost babied. I was honestly concerned when the first sparks of love began to fly between him and Addie because it felt like he would serve as an anchor to her unattached life.

It was only in the last ten percent of the novel that I found beauty in the fact that, in more ways than one, they both needed each other and found what they were both looking for in the other. More than that, it was the two of them trading off chapters that I began to see what love was as a human – a lifeline, a moment in time, fragile.

The true co-star of the book was, of course, none other than Darkness itself. Luc was easily one of the most complex and unique characters I have read about. He never truly claimed the title of the devil, but he dealt with souls and life and death too freely to not be. His connection with Addie made him the best part of the story. They started as enemies, cursing each other for the mistakes they both made when it came to their deal. The relationship, though, morphed into a mutual respect as the centuries passed until, as Addie describes it, it became a game between the two of them. Finally, you see that the culmination of almost 300 years together resulted in something more than friendship, and you see that even the darkness can be thrown off-kilter by unspoken feelings. The humanization of his character had me screaming at the two of them to put down their swords and be honest with one another for once. To this moment, I still do not think there was a moment where they ever breathed peacefully in each other’s presence despite both desperately wanting to.

Personally, I, for one, would not even HESITATE to be his - we love a dark romance - but I respect Addie for withholding from him for as long as she did. That being said, there was something more to their story than we readers will ever truly know, but it is safe to say that they were built for one another. This is why I do not support the end of the novel. Instead, I recommend that all those who have read it take a look at this Reddit thread, which offers a better ending possibility than the one we were given.

As I put this book on my shelf, all I can think is, boy, do I have a lot to do today to make each second count.