Muneel Zaidi's Reviews > The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

A beautiful example of rethinking old ideas to form a story that feels both original and authentic. What emerges is a fictional biography with a theme of "be careful what you wish for". The story spans centuries; French historical fiction intertwined with a contemporary New York narrative, all following one life's events.

Addie has promised her soul to gain freedom from her peasant life, a life where she has no say in who she is to marry, where she is to live, or what she is to do. In doing so, she has unwittingly become free of the world. Losing the ability to leave any marks or be remembered, except by the Devil...

What follows is a lonely 300 year-long journey of her struggle to keep finding a reason to live. In a life without her name, anyone to love, or anything to leave behind, she turns to art as her refuge, becoming a muse. But the Devil wants her soul, and the story cannot be so simple.

A haunting book. Superficial in concept but deep in execution. Examining themes of loneliness, mental health, and philosophical ideas on living. Written in a poignant, poetic, but beautiful demeanor, highly recommend.