I know The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will probably end up on a lot of people's favourite bookshelves this year, but having finished it, I can't3.5
I know The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will probably end up on a lot of people's favourite bookshelves this year, but having finished it, I can't say I'm in the same boat. Why? Well, mostly due to the blatant emphasis on prose over plot and unfortunately, character too.
When Addie LaRue is forced into a marriage with no hopes of escaping her boring life, she mistakenly makes a deal with the devil after dark. He grants her wish � Addie will live forever, at the price that no-one will ever remember her again. For 300 years, Addie roams the world alone, unable to make true friends, fall in love beyond a night, even say her name. That is until 2014, in the quiet corner of a bookstore, she hears the words she’d given up on: I remember you
Upon hearing the plot of the book, I expected a very different story. I think the concept is beyond incredible � whether it’s been done before or not, I’m not sure, but it sounded like a refreshing story that I couldn’t wait to devour. Devils, immortality, a mixture of art, history and the meaning of memory/time thrown along the way. I couldn’t wait. Add to that, a modern day depiction of depression that sounded like it’d be utilised to its full potential, I was hooked.
Now, there was definitely a lot about this book I loved. I want to preface this by saying I know where my four stars went. The writing was supreme, each sentence depicting a full blown film in my mind. This style may not be for everyone � there is a lot of repetition and the word weaves maybe a touch too poetic for some � but I adored it, and there’s no doubt I’ll buy the physical copy just to pore over the similes, the structure, each inch of the prose again and again.
Secondly, the themes of time and memory always have and always will speak to my soul. Me being a weird, emo child was obsessed with both from a young age and the older I grow, the more fascinating they become to me. Is my life worth any meaning if I have nothing to prove for it at the end? Is life just a stitched passage of journeys, good and bad, and then ultimately nothing? Am I wasting my youth? Conversely, is Addie’s life a waste since though she is immortal, she cannot write, draw, create without disappearing instantly? She does and does not exist at the same time. I say this as I type my review on laptop, wondering should I be doing something else instead, noticing the time ticking in the corner. Well, lucky for you, no. There is clearly nothing better in the world that I should be doing right now. (Watch as the camera pans in mockumentary style on all my wasted potential, trophies sitting in the background behind me.)
So, yes I can say both were executed very well for me through Schwab’s writing alone. I can’t emphasise enough how her prose saved the book for me. Because this book isn’t what I was expecting and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Speaking of wasted potential. What is this book about? I gave a little summary above, if you’ve read it. I’m notoriously good at avoiding plots (seriously, if you give me a bestseller, I could not guess what it is about unless the title is blatantly obvious), but this one seemed simple. Girl is cursed. Girl travels the world for centuries. Girl feels lonely. Girl meets boy. Now, apparently some people expected a villain as the love interest. Maybe that was an earlier release, I don’t know. But I truly believe this plot did not explore the book’s true potential.
I expected Addie to go through wars, events, see the whole world to its fullest. Honestly, the most she goes to is America, Paris, and her village (Florence for a bit too.) Maybe it’d be less frustrating if inklings of this other plot hadn’t been given off. Occasionally, Addie will mention how an image or a piece of music will bring her back to, City, City, City. Those cities never get beyond being The Rule of Three. They’re placed there so we’ll believe she’s cultured or well-travelled, as if her immortality wouldn’t give us that idea. But the bulk of the story takes place in Paris and New York, and I wouldn’t even say Paris gets as focused a lens as New York does. And I would’ve loved to see a girl live through so many different wars, revolutions, and we know she has, because we’re told it, but the closest we ever get to see is a World War Two scene which takes up maybe? Three paragraphs. I’m pretty sure she’s also supposed to be a spy during this time, but the book payed about one line of attention to it, so who knows? (Let’s ignore the impracticalities of her being a spy, since everyone forgets her once she’s out of sight and it’s not like she can write anything down to secretly slip into their hands)
That’s the issue. We know Addie’s been all these things, or seen all these things, or done all these things, but it’s never shown, only told, and not even in proper detail. Now, there are a load of interesting scenes regarding Addie's curse. But, oh boy, does this book have problems when it comes to “show, don’t tell� and that is primarily the characters.
Addie…I’m not sure what her personality is. She has seven freckles, I can tell you that. They look like stars, everyone says so. She likes reading and drawing, you know arty stuff. Her voice is written really, really well, though it's usually only focused on the plights she suffers. And I’d be okay with that...if Addie isn’t supposed to inspire every artist she meets. This is one of her core characteristics. She’ll met a guy or girl, they’ll draw or paint her in that evening, then they’ll forget her. Of course, the artwork never can fully capture her appearance, nor can photos, but there’s always an element of allure and mystique to them. To summarise bluntly, everyone she meets is so entranced by her and think she's the most spectacular person ever. But why? She’s not particularly witty or charismatic. The book will consistently tell us how amazing she seems (without showing it), so it makes some kind of sense that everyone falls in love with her on contact. If this was part of her curse, sure, I’d believe it. But it’s not, so I’ve just settled on she’s hot. Like, really, really hot. Supermodel type of hot. I never knew there was such a fetish for freckles, but there’s got to be if people are this drawn to her (ha! Puns).
(Also, Addie seems to be in a load different art works, but don’t think we ever meet these artists or learn their experiences of getting to know her or being with her. There’s two, three maybe max? Once again, the showing part of the story being ignored)
(Also Number 2: Addie mopes the entire book. And I know these kind of circumstances realistically call for Endless Moping, but God, it would be a lot more interesting if Addie wanted to do something fun every once in a while.)
Let’s move onto main character two, and that’s Henry. This book could’ve be renamed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue AND Henry, and I would've accepted it. He gets his own section and there’s more to his character than we expect. Initially, he is the first person to ever remember Addie which I can say was a pretty impactful moment to read about. Then they begin a relationship (let's ignore the age gap), and we learn more about him. He’s a sweater vest wearing, bookish kind of guy. He’s nice. Nice is the key word. Sometimes that often co-ordinates with being bland in books, and it's no different here.
See, Henry’s got his own troubles. I can’t remember if it’s named in the book, it’s clear he has depression, and possibly anxiety. Good mental health rep is hard to find and I thought this book would be it. When Addie asks him “would you rather feel nothing or everything?� and his face goes blank, I thought “oh, this is going to be real.� But, personally, I rarely felt the emotion of Henry’s suffering, even when it was written so well. And then something (no spoilers) happens to him, and his reaction to it for the rest of the novel felt a little underwhelming? It was once again felt like his feelings were told, rather than shown. Likewise, the chemistry between the two wasn’t visible for me, either than him being immune to Addie’s curse which is reason enough to strike up a relationship, I guess. I don’t think the emotions ring true though, and it may be because of those prose. It’s clear Schwab has poured these similes and metaphors onto the page after years of practice and planning, but it feels a little too clipped, a little too perfect to carry the realness. Words don’t compensate for the actions that incite our feelings. I could be wrong, but that’s my little estimate anyway. Still, I’d rather Addie and Henry have been friends over lovers.
As for the real plot, I suppose, it’s Henry or Addie showing each other around New York, intersected with flashbacks to Addie’s past which is primarily in France, or her hating the effects of her curse along with some moments with the Devil dude. It’s a kind of cheesy, indie movie plot which will win some Oscars and become an aesthetic for tumblr (and don't worry. This is becoming a movie) They show each other the joy of living through things they haven’t seen before. And I do believe that element is executed so well, even if it’s not what I wanted once again.
(Also, if you think any of your faves haven’t sold their soul, they have apparently.)
It’s right I should finish this with the ending. Mmm…I don’t know. I thought it was quite sweet and satisfying, but Addie who is a very resilient and strong character didn’t get the ending I deserve. I can’t explain it without spoiling but with the theme of feminism and independence running so strong through the book, that’s how it finishes? I don’t want a sequel, but I just wished it had been a bit more clear in finishing Addie’s story.
Anyway, I think a lot of people will love this book. Overall, the themes and writing completely captivated me. The characters, less so, but their stories were still very interesting to read about. I would tell readers, you won’t get to see any major historical events or wars, bar one or two that are very short. You won’t see Addie’s travels throughout the world. This book is much more focused on grief, loss, memory, loneliness and how two people help each other to get through their pain. Schwab has spent ten years on this book. Was it perfect? I don’t think so. Would I read it again? Definitely. But as a new favourite, or something ground breaking, this happens to be a miss for me....more
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