The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a heart-wrenching, unique story written by the New York Times bestseller V.E Schwab.
This article answers some of the most commonly asked questions about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
What is The Invisible Life of Addie Larue about?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is about a young French girl named Adeline.
In 1714, she is 23 years old and engaged.
In an act of desperation, she prays to a god of the night [Luc] and begs him to let her live freely and to have more time.
She offers him a wooden ring, which is her most prized possession.
He rejects it, asking for her soul instead.
She accepts, not knowing that no one will ever remember her again.
Throughout the years, on Addie’s birthday, Luc visits Addie asking if she’s ready to give up her soul.
Addie is stubborn and resilient.
She never gives up, and always has hope that one day, someone will remember her.
The rest of the book goes through chapters of Addie’s long existence.
She meets different love interests and learns what it means to live when there is no one to live for.
Addie later meets Henry, who remembers her.
She tells him about her life and they develop a romantic relationship.
Henry is also cursed for one year.
At the end of that year, he will die.
He has only a little amount of time left.
Thus, the two try to figure out how to save Henry.
When and where is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue set?
The book is set between the years 1698-2016.
The places are: Paris [France], Villon-sur-Sarthe, and New York City.
What is the French town in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue?
The French town is Villon-sur-Sarthe, France.
What are the themes in this book?
I have listed some of the major themes in this book below.
- Enemies to lovers – you see this in Addie’s and Luc’s growing affection throughout the book.
- Existential dread – This whole novel explores what it means to exist if no one remembers you.
- Female Invisibility – Addie is invisible throughout the book.
There are also time periods where women were not allowed to do certain things or dress a certain way.
These are instances where women’s actions were overlooked, forgotten, or never acknowledged.
Is it a romance?
Yes!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has many stories of romance within it.
These romances are between Addie and various people she has met over the centuries.
However, the most prominent relationships Addie has are with Henry, and Luc.
Does it contain LGBTQ+ elements?
Yes, there are LGBT relationships throughout the novel.
Henry and Addie are both bi characters.
Addie has dated women in the past.
The character Sam is an example of this.
Does it have spice?
Yes, this novel does have some spice.
Compared to other fantasy novels I’ve read, it isn’t as descriptive.
Is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue a series or a standalone?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is currently a standalone novel, with no plans for a sequel.
Is it appropriate?
It is appropriate for adults, rated for ages 15-20+.
Ages 14 and under should probably refrain from reading this novel because it has mature themes.
Is it for YA?
No, it is strictly for adults.
V.E Schwab has written other young adult novels if readers are interested.
Is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue sad?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is sad.
Addie is cursed to live for centuries without anyone remembering her.
This includes her own family forgetting who she is.
She watches people she cares about die.
Addie has relationships with people but as soon as their heads turn the other way, they forget her.
It is a very lonely existence…. until Henry.
Other characters in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Luc
Luc is a god of the night who makes bargains with humans in exchange for their souls.
He is the villain in this novel but also isn’t in a way.
He shows a softer side towards Addie and starts a relationship with her.
Luc says he loves Addie, but he isn’t capable of love.
Luc thinks possession is love.
He is one of the main characters of the book and a fan favorite.
Luc is also described as “The Darkness.”
He visits Addie every year on her birthday, which Addie starts looking forward to.
Luc is the only one who remembers her for over 300 years, aside from Henry.
Henry
Henry Strauss was introduced to us in 2014.
He works in a bookstore and is the only one who can remember who Addie is.
We see this after she stole a book from his store, and returned the next day.
Because of this, the two characters spark up a romantic relationship.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Later on, we come to find that Henry is also cursed, and only has 35 days left to live.
After a failed proposal attempt, he tries to commit suicide.
During his contemplation, he meets Luc and makes a bargain with him.
This bargain is the reason why Henry can remember Addie.
Addie sacrifices her soul [to Luc] to save Henry, with the condition that he remembers her.
Henry then goes on to write Addie’s story for the world to read.
He names this story “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”.
His novel is an instant success, although he remains anonymous.
Sam
Sam is an artist who is also Addie’s ex-girlfriend.
We see her a few times throughout the novel.
The two always meet the same way – on the balcony of Sam’s apartment building.
She and Addie have been romantically involved a few times, but Sam always forgets her after.
Estele
Estele is Addie’s good friend in the early 1700s.
She is an old peculiar lady who encouraged Addie to live freely.
She told Addie about the gods of the night, and warned her to not pray to them after dark.
After Addie’s curse, Estele doesn’t remember her.
Estelle passes away later in the novel.
Isabelle
Isabelle is a young girl who is one of Addie’s neighbors in Villon-sur-Sarthe.
We see her get married and have two young children of her own.
She is not one of the main characters.
Remy
Remy is the son of a painter who is fascinated by literature.
Addie meets Remy when she is disguised as a man and bumps into him.
Remy takes Addie to a café where he speaks to her of many different authors.
At this point, Addie can’t read, so she is unfamiliar with the things he speaks of.
Robbie
Robbie is one of Henry’s friends and is also Henry’s ex-boyfriend.
He doesn’t take to Addie very well, because he still has feelings for Henry – the result of Henry’s bargain.
Henry’s relationship with Addie
Their relationship is one of the most prominent relationships in the book.
In fact, Henry is the only one who remembers Addie after 300 years of everyone forgetting her.
Because of this, they foster a meaningful and deep relationship.
They end up living together, and Henry starts writing down her story as she tells him about her life.
Henry ends up becoming an author, anonymously publishing Addie’s Story.
Henry’s and Addie’s relationship comes to an end, by the end of part 6.
Luc’s relationship with Addie
They have a very interesting relationship.
She prayed to Luc, a god of the night, who cursed her.
Every year on Addie’s birthday, Luc comes and spends time with Addie.
Eventually, Luc starts showing a softer side towards Addie.
Addie ends up falling for Luc.
This lasts for about two decades.
Their relationship ends when Luc asks if Addie is ready to sell her soul.
This makes Addie believe that he was playing with her.
Luc says he loves her, but he is not capable of love.
Luc is only capable of possession.
At the end of the novel, they are together again.
This time, Addie is the one playing the games.
Does Henry die in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue?
No, Henry doesn’t die.
Addie is to thank for this.
What is Henry’s curse in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue?
After having his heart broken, Henry makes a deal with Luc to be loved in exchange for his soul.
People will see Henry, for whoever they want to see.
The catch is, the deal is only for one year.
After the year is up, he dies.
Because of this curse, everyone he meets falls in love with him.
He also gets job opportunities because of this curse.
What are the love interests in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue?
- Luc
- Henry
- Sam
- Toby
There are many other relationships throughout the book, but they are discussed in only limited detail.
Luc quotes
“You think it will get easier,” he says. “It will not. You are as good as gone, and every year you live will feel a lifetime, and in every lifetime, you will be forgotten. Your pain is meaningless. Your life is meaningless. The years will be like weights around your ankles. They will crush you, bit by bit, and when you cannot stand it you will beg me to put you from your misery.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“…but this is the difference between us Adeline” he whispers, fingers grazing her chin. “I will always answer.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“Do you think a life has any value if one doesn’t leave some mark upon the world?” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“Dine with me,” Luc says as winter gives way to spring.
“Dance with me,” he says as a new year begins.
“Be with me,” he says, at last, as one decade slips into the next” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Other quotes
“Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives–or to find strength in a very long one.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“…it is sad, of course, to forget.
But it is a lonely thing, to be forgotten.
To remember when no one else does.”― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“What she needs are stories.
Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget.
Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books.
Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“Blink and you’re twenty-eight, and everyone else is now a mile down the road, and you’re still trying to find it, and the irony is hardly lost on you that in wanting to live, to learn, to find yourself, you’ve gotten lost.”― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“Nothing is all good or all bad,” she says. “Life is so much messier than that.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“It is just a storm, he tells himself, but he is tired of looking for shelter. It is just a storm, but there is always another waiting in its wake.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“You know,” she’d said, “they say people are like snowflakes, each one unique, but I think they’re more like skies. Some are cloudy, some are stormy, some are clear, but no two are ever quite the same.”
― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
What is the deja vu quote?
The popular deja vu quote in this book is, “Déjà vu, Déjà su, Déjà vécu” meaning already experienced, already known, already lived.
What are some similar books to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is unique.
I’ve never quite read a book like this one.
If you love the fantasy romance aspect, I would suggest the “A Court of Thorn and Roses” series by Sarah J Maas.
If you love the historical aspect of this book, “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah, or “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens are both great reads.
These are also heart-wrenching stories.
Both of these books made me sob, just like when I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Does it have a happy or sad ending?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has neither a happy nor a sad ending.
I would say it is more bittersweet.
How does it end?
[SPOILER ALERT]
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ends with Henry writing about Addie, and selling a book describing her life.
Addie is in a bookstore, hearing customers say her name over and over.
It’s a new thing for her, so her skin prickles.
Addie is with Luc.
Her plan is to drive him mad, ruin him, and break his heart.
Her goal is for him to release her once she has succeeded.
The book ends with a cliffhanger, and unfortunately there aren’t currently any plans for a sequel.
What do I read after I finish this book?
This book is one that causes a “book hangover”.
This means that getting into another book that compares may be hard.
Yet, some didn’t enjoy this book as much.
So what you read is completely up to you.
That said, if you enjoyed it you may want to check out some of the books i mentioned in the similar books section above!
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this article. I hoped it helped you understand what The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is about! If you have any questions that I did not have answered, please feel free to let me know in the comments below!
