The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E.Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 

By V.E.Schwab 

Published Year: 2020

Medium Used: Kindle PW

Genres : Historical Fiction, young adult, Soul, Devil, Romance, 2022-read.

Rating : 4.25/5

This is my first book by the author and I am pleasantly surprised by the depth and insight she has into human nature and emotions. I really liked the evocative nature of her writing. I would say the word to describe this book would be : it is impactful, heavy, deep, soulful and literally dealing with souls. But also, I have more questions than those answered in the book. These questions and musings, pertaining to the devil, might be uncomfortable to some and morbid to all. But still, I can't help but wonder. Its just the nature of the book that gives birth to these thoughts in me. I am sure of it.  

A young girl makes a deal with the devil/God of the woods and sparks a game spanning over 300 years, with him chasing her, trying to seize her soul while she evades him. He pushes her into situations where embittered, frustrated and broken, she should be ready to offer her soul. But stubborn as she is, she chooses to forge on time and time again. This is a never ending cycle where the resilience of her indomitable spirit is on display. I don't think it is possible for someone who cuts a deal with the devil to evade it. Atleast I haven't come across this idea ever before! Why did she make a deal with the devil? Is the devil more accessible than God to beleaguered souls? 

Yes! Addie LaRue is a young girl of 23 who born in a small village town of France and has big dreams..to explore the world, experience things  beyond her limited world/imagination. She doesn't want to spend all her life in that small village and die there like all the others. When she is forced to marry a man not to her liking, she makes a deal with the devil, Luc, that she gets absolute, unfettered freedom, in exchange for which, she will offer him her soul when she has had enough with life. Her wish is granted but it increasingly feels like a curse because the devil intends to break her and possess her every chance he gets. She is doomed to walk among humans as a ghost; no one remembers her after a one night stand or after catching a glimpse of her or after an encounter is wrapped. She can't have  any possessions to her name except a trinket - the ring her father has made for her and which she offered the demon during her deal. She falls in and out of love with many people, none of them remembering her. Some artists paint her picture but no one knows who the girl is. But this way, in a way, she leaves a mark on the world. 

The demon keeps chasing her, demanding and reminding her to relent but she holds on, until one day she meets Henry, a boy who remembers her after she walks away from him. She feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from her. It feels so liberating to have someone finally remember her. And they start their tale of romance. How can Henry notice and remember her when no one else can? Why is he different himself from the rest? Well..as it turns out. That is a surprise in the can. As their love becomes blossoms, he chronicles her past as she recites it. Unfortunately, Henry's time is coming to an end and to save him and their love, Addie makes one final deal with the demon. 

 In the whole bargain, I felt that the demon is made to look like an imbecile by Addie from the start. The devil has immense power and cruelty but here he is falling in love and becoming needy of her, while she twists him around her little finger like a ribbon. He seemed very human-like and even kind when rescuing her from brutes/prisons in Germany and France. Maybe this game goes on for much longer time since she is not ready to give up yet. If I search my bookish memories about what it is like to make a deal with the devil, it is not pleasant. It is not benign. He is cruel and exacting. But here it feels like he is rescuing her from danger, falling in love with her and acting all antithetical to what one would expect. Is it a direct deviation from the norm by Schwab or is the devil not all bad for real? And if the devil really wants to seize her soul by pushing her into dangerous situations, why does he go helping her and saving her? Lol, some character flaw I guess?!