Hi friends and welcome back to Reading BookTok Books So You Know Which Ones Are Worth It with Roshni, where for the last couple of months I have read my way through a lot of “BookTok’s most recommended.” Book-buying is an expensive hobby and the books being recommended on BookTok can be hit or miss, so I would love to save you some time! Here’s my review on V.E. Schwab’s popular read:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 Stars
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of the most talked-about BookTok books. It is often included on lists such as “5 Star books” or “Booktok books that are worth the hype,” and is generally claimed to be completely worth all the attention. I am here to say that I completely agree.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was one of the best books I’ve ever read in my entire life. Given its reputation, I was naturally nervous to read it; I was worried it was overhyped and I would just be let down… again.
However, this wasn’t the case at all. For a week after I finished reading the book, there was not a single moment where I could stop thinking about it, and as a result, I genuinely couldn’t pick up another book for a week after. I am a dramatic person so I thought I was being crazy, but it seemed like other people had that same post-Addie-LaRue experience. All in all, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue made me question every other book I’d ever considered giving 5 stars to in the past.
The book follows Adeline LaRue, a 23-year-old girl who makes a deal with the darkness in a moment of desperation. The deal is simple: She is able to live forever, but she is unable to be remembered by anyone she meets. Despite this, Adeline makes the most of her deal and explores as much as possible, marvelling at the world despite knowing that she will forever be alone. Or so she thought, until 300 years later when she walks into a hidden bookstore and discovers someone who remembers her. Suddenly, she is not alone.
While the story itself is beautiful and unique, the characters and writing are truly what makes all the difference. Every character introduced, whether main or side is complex and extremely well-developed. They are all different and relatable in many ways, but most importantly, they feel real. The book flips between dual perspectives, as well as timelines — showing both present and past for two protagonists. Starting in 1714 and working its way up to 2014, this book makes the development of characters engaging and interesting at all times.
As for the writing, it was simply gorgeous. The book felt like poetry. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was 460 pages of incredibly beautiful writing. There’s no other way to explain it, but that still does not do it justice. Not one page of the book felt rushed or underdeveloped. Throughout the book, there are thought-provoking quotes that inspire and quotes that you cannot help but marvel at their beauty. Some of these include:
“What is a person if not the marks they leave behind?”
“Moments like Polaroids. Like paintings. Like flowers pressed between the pages of a book. Perfectly preserved… And in the morning it looks like ghosts have danced across the kitchen, and they pretend there were two instead of one.”
“The wind is up… the city sprawls around her like a low night sky, full of artificial stars.”
V.E. Schwab chooses her words so carefully and the imagery was so intense, it blew me away.
A word of caution, while the book is undoubtedly incredible, the story starts slow. Given the nature of the plot, there is a lot of build-up and as a result, the book may take a while to get into. But I promise it is so worth it. The world created in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one that I think everyone needs to experience. It is filled with love, passion and wonder — but also heartbreak, hurt and sacrifice. I cannot recommend The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue more, it’s a story so beautiful story everyone should read.