Bibliographic Information:
Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
ISBN: 978-0765387561
Publisher: Tor Books/MacMillan
Copyright Date: 2020
Genre: Fantasy/historical fiction
Format of the item: Print book
Awards or Honors: Nominated for 2020 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, YALSA Teens’ Top Ten 2021 (voted by teens)
Reading Level/Interest Level: While technically released as an adult book, the subject matter’s focus on the meaning of life and the nature of leaving one’s mark is very much relevant to teens.
Plot Summary: Addie has never wanted an ordinary life, but as a girl growing up in 18th century rural France, her options have always been limited. Her wise neighbor warned her to “never pray to the gods who answer after dark,” but in a moment of desperation, she forgets (Schwab, 2020, epigraph). A deal is struck: her soul in exchange for freedom. But she doesn’t set the terms, and while she’s suddenly free from a forced marriage, the real price is revealed: no one will remember her, ever, at all. As the years pass, Addie forges a hard-earned wisdom as she learns to play the long game with the dark spirit who is tormenting her. She lives through revolution, literary renaissance, and vast technological change. But one day, someone remembers her, and her life will never be the same.
Author Background: Victoria Schwab was born in 1987 and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee (Wikipedia, n.d.). She attended Washington University in St Louis, and sold her first novel before graduation. She has since published many novels, some as Victoria Schwab (her middle grade and YA fiction) and some as V.E. Schwab (adult fiction). She divides her time between Nashville, rural France, and Edingburgh and does not like Earl Gray tea (Schwab, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation: This book totally sweeps you away: it’s a yearning exploration of what it means to build a life, to be human, to leave a mark. The narrative alternates between Addie as she makes her devil’s bargain, learning year by year through the sweep of history, and a (much) older, wiser Addie who has figured out how to live with her curse. The book is punctuated by artworks she has managed to inspire, and her plight is an elegant metaphor for the creative muse that strikes all artists. The plot twists keep the pages turning, and the insights from Addie’s hard-earned wisdom will have you thinking long after you reluctantly turn the last page.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Art scavenger hunt. Bea notices Addie’s presence in art through the ages. Have library patrons search through art reference books for works they think could represent the same person over centuries (male or female). At the end of the month, this could make a fun display.
Speed-Round Book Talk: Addie traded her soul for immortality, but with a twist: no one will ever remember her, the second she’s out of their sight. Can Addie leave a mark anyway?
Reason for Inclusion: Given that this book is so popular with teens (YALSA, 2021), speaks to such important issues as identity and self-determination, and normalizes queer relationships (both Addie and Henry have had same-sex relationships though they are not the main part of the story), it feels like an excellent addition to the list.
Want more? This interactive map of New York shows Addie and Henry as they explore the city.
- References
Schwab, V. (n.d.) FAQ. Retrieved from https://www.veschwab.com/faq/
Schwab, V. (2020). The invisible life of Addie LaRue. New York, NY: Tor Books.
Wikipedia (n.d.) V.E. Schwab. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._E._Schwab
YALSA (n.d.). Teens’ top ten. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/yalsa/teenstopten
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