By: V.E. Schwab
Released: October 6th, 2020
Pages: 442
My Rating: 4/5
Goodreads Synopsis:
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
My Review:
When I started reading Addie Larue, I wasn’t sure about it. I found it slow and more angsty than anything else. I nearly DNF’d it, but I also knew that so many people rated it their top book of 2020, so I kept going. As I read on, I found myself getting more and more engaged and about halfway through I could not put this book down.
You follow Addie throughout 300 years of her life. Yes, I typed that correctly Addie is 300 years young. You begin the story in her childhood and you see how simple her life was living in a small town in France with her parents. Quickly, you learn, that Addie lusts for more out of life than the normal day to day tasks that bore her beyond belief. She is a dreamer at heart and vows to never be tied down to anyone or anything.
Que dramatic moment where she is left to either make a quick decision or have her worst dream come true. Trapped in what she thinks is her worst nightmare she thinks on her toes and makes a deal with the shadows.
The deal she made was to be free and with that came a twist that no one will ever remember her. She can talk to someone only to have them forget all about her moments later, cannot write without words disappearing, and cannot leave her mark on anything. There were a lot of moments where her curse had me feeling anxious, but it also had me thinking, “if I could make a deal like this would I?".
While the story is a (extremely) slow build I found the ending to be worth it. This was one of a few books I read in 2020 that I had to sit and contemplate it for days after finishing. It really got me thinking about life, and time, and what I desire most. While the novel centers around Addie I found myself loving all the other characters just as much, if not somewhat more than her at times. I also enjoyed how each chapter takes place at a different moment in time, that helped to keep it interesting.
Addie Larue is a beautiful story that really punches you in the feels and was a great way to wrap up my 2020 reading. I found myself liking characters I should not (aka Luc), rolling my eyes at moments (almost every part that took place in Paris), and sobbing through the last 20 pages (that ending!). If you are looking for your next read, I would highly recommend this one. Now I am off to finish The Hating Game because I needed something a little lighter and who can turn down a good romance?
Catch you later,
Molly
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