In five-ish words: Memory, Magical, Love, Connection, Cursed
This is a classic example of if the positive reviews are piling up about a book from many people who you trust their book taste, go ahead and read it already! I don’t know why I was hesitant to read it, I think in my mind I conflated it with the movie “Age of Adeline” which seemed drab to me but this book was much more than I bargained for and not at all what I expected.
Many recomenders said the same thing and warned me of a slow beginning but wasn’t that slow for me (maybe because I was prepared for it?). I did have to spend a little time adjusting to all the time and location jumps as Schwab is constanatly pulling you across hundreds of years and countries that make up Adeline’s life.
It is the ultimate cautionary tale of “be careful what you wish for.” Adeline is desperate to escape the confines of her small village life and bargain with a dark force at the edge of the forest gives her the freedom and independence she is deperate for, but at a great price: as soon as she is out of someones sight line she is instantly forgotten. Schwab has tapped into something important because even typing that last sentence sent chills down my spine: I cannot imagine a fate much worse then immortality paired with invisibility. I admire Adeline’s fierce determination to not capitulate to her twister captor but instead adapt to an impossible burden and make the best of her situation. Every day has become the same for Addie, until, one day, the impossible happens and someone remembers her.
I won’t say much more about that or the plot, but I need to add that this book has one of the strongest endings I’ve read in a while. Nothing is more disappointing to me than a strong story that unravels at the end, but Schwab really nails it. I’ve also seen some interesting fan theories about how it could be interpreted that were even more curious and would love to discuss them if anyone is interested…
