This is one of the most well/creatively written books I have ever read. While the ending was emotional, I found it satisfying. Loved all the references to history and pop culture throughout this book. Interesting in reading other novels by this author.

I’m so glad that I heard it was a slow book before I went into it. That helped a lot! If I had gone in expecting something fast paced, I probably would have been disappointed the whole time. However, knowing it was going to be slow, I was happy to listen to it languidly (audio book) and just enjoy the rich language as it went. Things I liked: *The line level language was beautiful. She is a VERY talented writer. I wanted to highlight nearly every line as it was so poetic and perfectly done. The language alone is one of the reasons I liked it. *I liked a lot of the ideas presented and the characters. I also enjoyed the relationships. *I listened to the audio book and whenever I put it on, it immediately transported my mind to a contemplative, melancholy state that was sort of like a trance. It was sort of soothing. Things I didn’t like: *I struggled with the bouncing around timeline. This was not a linear book. It hoped forward and backward and all around with no discernible rhyme or reason. It felt jarring and took a long time to get used to. Honestly, I sort of want to reread it but in chronological order some day. I didn’t find too many moments that felt like they had to go back to back. The only reason I can think of for the bouncing around was to help us FEEL how long and frustrated Adddie probably felt. But still, I would have preferred it in order. *As some people have already said, this book feels like it wants to be a big important book. It does feel at times like it tries too hard to be something grand. I still really liked it though. *I was surprised by how mundane her life was. She lived a long time and didn’t really seem to do as much with her time as I’d hoped. I was expecting a bit more of a grand adventure. Instead it was a simple, mundane life. I’m not opposed to that, I just expected something else. *I didn’t love the ending. I won’t spoil it, but I was not satisfied. I wanted a more definitive ending instead of one that “trails off.” *She also says she doesn’t want to be “tied to anyone” and that ends up not being true. I won’t explain how, but that disappointed me that she didn’t see the error in her “deal.”

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a favorite of my more recent reads. Its premise has an original aspect, the protagonist Addie Larue is sympathetic, there are intriguing twists to the story, and the prose is excellent. The basic premise of this magical realism book is an old one. Addie Larue sells her soul to the Devil, or a devil, or an old god, or maybe simply a magical being. It never is clear. From this initial start, the story is all original. Addie is a uniquely independent French girl, born 1691 in the provincial town of Villon-sur-Sarthe. She yearns for more than a life of bearing children and married subservience. She eludes that fate for some years, until it is decided she must be wed. On the wedding day she runs. About to be caught she meets a man, or an old god. She pleads with him, “I want a chance to live. I want to be free…I want more time.” He asks “How long?” She doesn’t know. He becomes frustrated, and explains that he deals in souls. He will wait for her soul, but not forever. She tells him, “…take my life when I am done with it. You can have my soul when I don’t want it anymore.” This is a deal the old god will do. Addie accepts, not realizing the old god has rigged the game in his favor. No one will ever remember Addie. She can knock on a door and have a conversation, but when the door closes and reopens, the person has no recollection of her. Even her mother and father don’t remember her being their daughter. This would make life impossible for most people, but Addie persists and finds a way to manage over the years without going insane. She seems to be immortal. I found it fascinating how she forges a life for herself. Periodically the old god visits her, hoping to take her soul. Their changing relationship over the centuries is an interesting subplot of the book. Finally, in New York in the present, she meets a man who remembers her. That leads to the climax of the book, although not necessarily the end of Addie’s story. Or maybe it is the end of her story. I don’t want to spoil the finale for you. Once I always finished a book once I started it. Now, I finish a minority of the books I start. I am a tough grader of books, but on a scale of one to five, I give this book a six.