The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

"Done", is where she thought her life ended.

"I remember you", is where it actually began.

Adeline LaRue never wanted an ordinary, monotonous life, which is why she prayed to the old gods, one who listens after the dark, named Luc. She strikes a deal where she gets to live a life without rules and shackles and in return, promises her soul when she is done with this limitless life. Little does she know that the deal was a curse in disguise, where she will be forgotten by anyone who knows or meets her, within seconds. That is when she ceases to be the known Adeline and becomes the unknown Addie. However, her life takes a turn when Henry Strauss utters three words, "I remember you"!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is a wonderfully written book. It reminded me of the movie 'The Age of Adaline', for its resembling name and plot. You really sympathize with Adeline as she is wiped out from her parents' memory. Everyone who meets her forgets about her the moment they turn their back or walk out a door. It is hard to relive the same day with the same person, when all they have is a quizzical look of meeting a stranger while you remember every single detail about them. This is the reason why our hearts beat in anticipation when Henry shows recognition as it breaks Addie's 300-years long curse of living like a shadow.

The writing of this book is quite poetic and in many ways, thought-provoking. Credits to Schwab for weaving beautifully similar feelings into one sentence (I had to close the book and envision the beauty of some sentences!). I enjoyed the 7-part division style of writing with introductory descriptions. They gave a starting point to what that part of the book revolves around. This book keeps going back and forth between the past and present, which I found difficult to follow most of the time. I also felt disconnected from the characters towards the ending as there was a lack of gradually established relationship between the different characters. Henry's story line is something I couldn't completely understand as I was left to sometimes wonder whether the writing was metaphorical or straightforward. I loved the ending as it was heart touching and elegantly wound up the major conflict of the book.

Overall, this book deserves a read for Addie's timeless journey of 300 years around few parts of the world, the poetic writing style and its ending.

Maybe not much for the head-spinning timelines, poor relationship establishment and sometimes disconnected writing :(