The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by VE Schwab

As a girl in 18th century France, Adeline LaRue’s options are limited and she longs for a wider world. Running from an unwanted marriage, she is offered an escape but gets both more and less than she bargained for. Addie has been cursed to never leave her mark and so can form no kind of relationship; she suffers but can’t die. It has been a hard, long and lonely 300 years, learning to survive while exploring the world, taking pleasure in art and music and books and stubbornly resisting handing over her soul. The story moves back and forth between 2014 and Addie’s past, detailing the early years of learning to adapt to her circumstances, her annual battle with the darkness that wants her soul and the loneliness of her life. Everything changes when she meets Henry, the first person in 300 years who can remember her. But is this real, or the latest in a long line of dark tricks? Although the novel is more than 500 pages the action never flags. The flashbacks, in mostly short sharp chapters, gradually build the reader’s understanding of both Addie’s and Henry’s lives, characters and decisions. Addie’s story mirrors how women have slowly and painfully educated and raised themselves by subverting the control of men. This makes the final twist in the tale all the more satisfying as patience and diligence pay off.