Synopsis (From Goodreads):

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. 

Review:

I am a huge fan of V.E. Schwab.  I follow her on Instagram and have been following the saga of the writing of this book.  One can tell the author put their heart and soul into this project.  Although I found the beginning rather slow, the novel became a haunting story of the balance between freedom and responsibility.  With a unique premise, and three complex characters, this was a real treat.

What I Liked:

Premise:

The premise is based on a deal with the devil.  What would you give up in order to have complete freedom?  Of course, when Adeline (Addie), desperate to escape an arranged marriage, makes the deal, she doesn't understand what she is signing up for: an immortality where people forget her the moment she walks away.

I loved how the author shows all the practicalities of this kind of existence.  What does Addie do for money?  She can't hold a job.  Where can she spend the night?  How can she form any kind of relationships when she is utterly forgettable?

Characters:

I loved Addie's resilience.  Each year, on the anniversary of her deal with the devil, Luc (the "devil") visits her to taunt her into despair.  But, Addie refuses to give up.  She learns to live within the confines of her curse, and appreciate the beauty and experiences she is able to witness.

She also figures out small ways in which she can leave her mark.  While she can't, herself, create physical art, she inspires artists to paint her image.  And over time, she also is the muse for countless musical compositions.  It's her way of finding meaning in her life.

Luc, the devil/god who grants these tainted wishes, becomes more real to Addie over time.  At first, Luc is just a scary mythical creature dressed up as an attractive man.  But, we learn that Luc also finds immortality boring.  He finds Addie to be a challenge.  Does he want Addie to give up, or join him?  I like that the author doesn't romanticize Luc.  Addie never loses sight that Luc is not a man, he is a dark creature who steals souls.

Henry is another person who struggles to live with the deal he made with Luc.  He trades his soul for everyone to accept and love him.  At first, he finds the power of this intoxicating.  Everyone is attracted to him, or at least adore him in an platonic way.  But as her realizes that it's all forced from his "deal", he can't see past the lie.  

I really likened his situation to that of a famous person we see on a television show.  Everyone thinks they know him, but they only see what they want to see.  They give him love and adoration without ever knowing him well.  Henry can't make a true connection to anyone because they can't really see the real man.  Could this be the author's feelings about fame, showing through her writing?

Story:

I found the story to be a slow burn.  It took a while for me to get invested in the novel because it did take a while for anything to happen.  The set up was long.  But the payoff was experiencing, with Addie, the joys and pitfalls of a life spanning hundreds of years.  While she pays a steep price for immortality, she also gets to witness a world that changes from groups of self- contained communities, to a place where every place is connected.  I cheered for Addie and Henry, hoping they could connect and stay together.  This was a truly endearing book.

Rating: 

Release Date:  October 6th, 2020

Author:  V.E. Schwab

Publisher:  Tor Books

Genre:  Fantasy

Page Length:  442 Pages

Source:  Bought

Format:  Hardcover

Recommendation: A beautiful story of finding the balance between having the freedom of anonymity and the burden of being seen.  I loved it.