[A quick note: I ordered the OwlCrate version of this book before it released. I just knew I was going to love it. There was so much hype. And I wanted to have a special version. I do wish I had the UK version or one of the dust jacket versions since those are so pretty. The candle here is from the Owl Crate box too. And it smells amazing. And I’m afraid to burn it cause I don’t want it to run out.]
“...𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒅, 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆, 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏. 𝑻𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔.” —VE Schwab
The year is 1714. France. In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a careless deal with the dark. Addie LaRue will live forever but be forgotten by everyone she meets, unable to leave a mark on the world. Centuries pass, spanning continents, wars, art. It is a lonely existence. Until one day she stumbles across a young man in the bookstore. And he remembers.
Different! So different! That is the most striking factor about this story. But what can I say that hasn’t already been said? Addie LaRue’s story is unforgettable. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. Deep. It’s the kind of story that makes you think about your own life. That makes you reflect. That sweeps you away. This was one of my top five best reads of ALL TIME. I smiled. I cheered. I wept. It will make you feel EVERYTHING.
Addie LaRue is a forward thinking woman in 1700s France. Unlike most women in her village, she is NOT okay with simply resigning herself to a life of marriage, baby making, and death. She wants to LIVE. She wants to explore. She wants to discover the world. She’s a dreamer, and her mind is just too big for her small village. But she has no rights, and marriage is thrust upon her. There is no choice left. And in desperation to escape, she calls upon the gods after dark. This starts the chain of events for the whole story.
This story is told in jumping timeframes, which made it really unique. It was like piecing a story together part by part. Like a puzzle. Normally I wouldn’t be super into this. But I was so invested in both stories unfolding that I was always excited to jump from one to the other. I think that’s one of my favorite aspects of this book.
“Because time is cruel to all, and crueler still to artists. Because visions weaken, and voices wither, and talent fades.... Because happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end... everyone wants to be remembered”
There were so many quotes that resonated with me. But the above ^^ was a definite favorite. As an author, we are artists, and there is simply never enough time!
Finally, there was all the usual stuff that made this story great. Fantastic writing. Beautiful imagery. Deep statements. A girls struggle that spanned centuries. I love the way the story ended. It allowed me to cultivate all sorts of scenarios for what might happen next, while this is very obviously a stand alone. Highly recommended. 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝟱/𝟱⭐️
