A Thique Chick Book Review

Entertainment

Blog:By Neecie

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue is a beautifully haunting tale that explores what it means to exist. In the story, Addie - a poor young woman from 18th-century France that is being pushed into marriage - enters into a pact with a dark entity known as "the god" that grants her immortality. Unfortunately, the price for that immortality is that she will be forgotten by everyone she meets.

I was fascinated by this story because what does it mean to live a life without leaving a trace behind? How frustrating would it be to live a life where connections are always fleeting and self identity is a constant struggle? Plus, Booktok kept raving about how good it was.

Now, I have to be honest, I started this book last year and didn't finish it until this year. Why? The beginning of the story is depressing and a tad infuriating. It was chapter after chapter of exploring how Addie moved through the world. It was complicated and sometimes a bit shady. Since she couldn't be remembered she couldn't work and could barely find places to sleep at night. She would have "friends" but would end up reliving the first night they met as the person would forget who she was as soon as they woke up. A true bummer. Ya girl had to put it down for a bit. However, when I reached the middle of the book and met Henry - someone who remembered her the next time he saw her - I couldn't put it down.

I enjoyed reading how Addie navigated decades of loneliness despite having many lovers. I was especially entertained by how she managed to create some meaningful connections while experiencing revolutions, even during turns of the century, all while fostering the complicated relationship she developed with the dark god she summoned that fateful night in the forest.

Schwabs writing is immersive, poetic, and reflective. The story's real strength is buried in the introspection of memory and how others' perceptions truly shape our lives. Addie's story, although definitely lonely and isolating, is also freeing and joyous because she is able to maintain her independence. She gets to be more than just some married woman in France. In the end, the reader gets to decide if her sacrifice was worth her experiences.

This book is not just a love story, though the examples of love in this story are spicy and devastating, it's also a story about the passage of time and the human condition. It questions what it means to live a meaningful life and the importance of being seen and remembered. If you are someone who appreciates stories that delve deep into the human heart, stories that are moderately sexual but with a touch of magical realism and a whole lot of soul - then you would love The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.