Allison’s Book Report -- The Invisible Life of Addie Larue written by V. E. Schwab

As readers, we all know that there are a million different ways to get our hands on reading material. 
    Of course, the Churchill County Library is free, and I love it and I use it all the time – but I can't lie. I love buying, owning, and collecting books of my own, too. Some might say that I am a bit of a book hoarder, and to that, I would answer, “Reading books and buying books are two very separate hobbies, and I love them both equally.”
Unfortunately, I can acquire books much faster than I can read them, no matter how hard I try - so I always have a long (read: never-ending) list of titles waiting for me. This week, looking at my shelves, I decided to choose a book that has been hanging around for a while instead of gravitating to one of my newer titles.
    I decided that it was time for me to finally crack open “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab. I'm not sure why I've been putting it off, it has gotten so much attention on social media and in internet reading/book communities, maybe I was just worried that it would not live up to the hype. I don't know. At any rate, here I am, three years later (this was published in 2020) and, while I was late to the party, I guess you can say that I'm finally officially obsessed with Addie LaRue.
    In this story, Schwab tells the tale of Adeline LaRue, a young woman living in France in the 1700s, who makes a Faustian deal with the devil – in return for her soul, Addie can live forever. The catch is that in return, the deal makes everyone she meets instantly forget ever meeting her, rendering her essentially invisible. The story is told using dual timelines - one taking place over Addie's past 300 years and one in Addie's present year of 2014 – and over the course of three centuries, Addie is faced again and again with this question: “What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?”
    Who knows? Maybe this week, you will consider diving headfirst into “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab, or maybe it will be something else that's been lingering on your bookshelf for a while, just waiting to become your new obsession. Either way, enjoy whatever you're reading this week – and come tell me about it on Instagram @allison.the.reader