In V.E. Schwab’s “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” a woman named Addie LaRue dreams of having a life beyond her inevitable fate of marrying unhappily and bearing children. On the night of her wedding, she makes a supernatural bargain for her freedom, at the cost of spending an eternal life being forgotten by everyone who meets her. Her breathtaking adventure spans centuries and continents as she explores how she might leave her mark on an unremarkable world. 

Schwab uses the life of Addie LaRue to explore profound topics such as mental health and the nature of existence. Through Addie’s story, Schwab encourages readers to dream, like how Addie dreams of a better life.

Through the subsequent centuries, Addie struggles with the dilemma of either dying and surrendering to the devil, or continuing her unremembered existence. She deals with the question, “What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?” 

Wanting to live a life she will not regret, Addie refuses to give in to the devil. Instead, she turns to art and books to keep her sanity throughout the centuries.

When one of Addie’s few remaining family heirlooms inspires the creation of a famous sculpture, Addie realizes that art is the one way she can affect the world around her. Addie inspires artists to create art based on her, often featuring her constellation-like pattern of seven freckles. 

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” is truly unique in the world of young adult literature. Schwab’s engaging style and present-tense writing pulls the reader into a wild and enchanting story, following Addie as she bargains with Luc, meets Henry, and falls in love. 

It is a book that makes you smile and breaks your heart: a book that, much like its protagonist, is deserving of its own constellation.