“The old gods may be great, but they are neither kind nor merciful. They are fickle, unsteady as moonlight on water, or shadows in a storm. If you insist on calling them, take heed: be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price. And no matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.”
I’m Betty Martin with "Martin’s Must Reads" and those are some lines from V.E. Schwab’s fantasy The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It’s 1714. Adeline LaRue is twenty-three living in a small French village. She’s desperate to stop the wedding her parents are forcing on her and in her desperation makes a deal with a god that answers after dark. She only wants to live a life of her own choosing and he grants that in exchange for her soul when she is done.
Three hundred years later she’s still alive and unchanged. She’s figured out she can steal clothes and food for herself but not how to share her name with anyone or get them to remember her once she’s out of their sight. She both dreads and looks forward to the annual visits from the dark god because he’s the only one who remembers her and calls her by name. That is until March 10, 2014 when she steals a book from a small bookstore and the owner remembers her when she returns the next day. Why does he remember her?
This is such a well crafted story with some great questions to ponder...how would you feel if you were invisible, if no one remembered you? How do you convince yourself that you are enough? What are the consequences of making a deal with the devil?
If you’re looking for a masterfully written fantasy with real life questions to ponder, then you must read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
