The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?

Addie LaRue, against the advice of her friend and neighbor Estelle, made the mistake of praying to an Old God after dark. As a result, she escaped the fate of marrying someone she didn't love. The cost? Her soul. Addie thought she was clever by bargaining that the dark God could only have her soul once she was done with it, but the devil's in the details - she can live forever, but she is instantly forgotten by everyone as soon as she is out of sight. Still, she is stubborn, and she finds ways to make it through each day: stealing, having affairs that never seem like more than one night stands to her partners, and of course, living vicariously through art such as movies and books:

She pauses at MEMOIR, studying the titles on the spines, so many I's and Me's and My's, possessive words for possessive lives. What a luxury, to tell one's story. To be read, remembered.

300 years after living this half-life, Addie meets someone who does the impossible: he remembers her.

This is a book that many are going to love, but ultimately it was not for me. The writing was beautiful and moving at times, but I felt it sorely needed some editing, as the middle portion drags a bit. Also, a big pet peeve of mine when reading historical fiction is the "and that man turned out to be William Shakespeare" trope, where the main character somehow meets every famous historical figure; while it makes a slight bit more sense when immortality is involved, it still makes me roll my eyes. That said, I will not hesitate to recommend it to fans of historical fiction and fantasy, as I feel it's still worth reading.