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France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

I wanted to like this book–it felt like the type of plot I could get behind–but it didn’t quite hit with me.

For starters, split timeline. Did this book need it? No. (Full disclosure: I’ve yet to read a book that does.) I loved the creativity of the book and watching Addie learn how to navigate her new life, but I hate the Addie never really changes. She lives for 300 years, but she never learns to see beyond herself. I honestly thought I’d love the book (besides the split timeline–I can’t forgive that), until the absolute end, when the book ends with revenge instead of change.

A lot to like about this book, but too many issues for me to really love it. I had the same feeling with The Night Circus–so much potential, but not quite a hit for me.

Rated PG-13 for adult content (sex, drinking, drugs).

For more magic realism books, check out:

The Night Garden by Lisa Van Allen
The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer