The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

   What would you give up for the thing you want most in life?

  In Addie LaRue's life, she was willing to give up her soul to be free.  

  Only in this case, to be free meant that no one could ever remember her.  She went through life as a shadow, passing across people and places but never lingering, leaving little more than a temporary impression of her presence.  She had no ability to build relationships and was unable to carry anything with her.  She was free, yet at great price.

  V.E. Schwab writes an intriguing tale in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and it leaves one thinking about the things in life that you'd give anything for.  Maybe it was freedom, or young love, or money.  As you age, you often look back and realize that such a thing wasn't worth the hours you spent pining for it.  It reminds me of the old Garth Brooks song Unanswered Prayers, where he reflects upon how hard he prayed for a relationship that didn't work out, and how things have turned out just fine, despite thinking at one point that the world might end of such a prayer wasn't answered.

  This book reminds me not to get too hung up on worldly hopes, and to be careful what I wish for.  Sometimes, the things we think might solve all our problems only end up creating more problems!  Sadly, such is the fate of too many lottery winners.  We're occasionally better off not getting what we want.