When I wrote this post, more than 1600 people on Goodreads tagged The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue age rating as adult fiction.
If you are not an adult yet or a parent who wants to give your kid this book, this might concern you.
But there is an adult who has just finished reading the book—me. And in this post, I will tell you if the book is the right fit for your child or yourself.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Age Rating
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab is suitable for 17+ years old readers. In the book, expect to find characters who drink, have intercourse, steal, and smoke. Some of its contents and themes you have to be aware of include arranged marriage, toxic relationships, prostitution, war, and violence.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Content & Trigger Warnings
You may be wondering how graphic the content that I mentioned above is. I’ll go more into detail in this section while trying not to give too many spoilers.
If you don’t mind them though, you may also just want to read my summary of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue to see it yourself.
Toxic Relationships
Addie, the book’s main character, finds herself in a toxic relationship with a man. He grants her something, but in exchange, he thinks he now owns her.
I raise a question about this in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Book Club Questions.
Arranged Marriage
It’s only a tiny section of the book, but the character’s decision on the day of the wedding carries throughout the whole book.
The character refuses to marry the man that her parent chose and she runs away from the wedding.
Alcohol and Drug Use
You will see the characters spend some time in pubs, liquid stores, and bars several times.
Smoking
Characters who smoke in the book are only side characters, so they don’t come very often.
I’m pretty sure they also just smoke when they get a bit frustrated.
Thieving
One character in the book normalizes thieving as something that she has to do.
She steals books, food, clothes—and even breaks into someone’s apartment when they’re not there. She uses everything that is not hers.
Prostitution
In return for some coins, there are characters in the book who give their body for men’s pleasure.
The author doesn’t describe the activity in too much detail. You will only find some exchange at the beginning when they bargain for a price.
Sexual Intercourse
There are a lot of sexual intercourses in the book with no coins involved that are also described moderately. Most of these are a result of one-night stands.
War
The book sets from 1700 – 2014. Expect to find real-world wars to be mentioned in the book, such as the French Revolutionary wars.
Violence
Violence in the book is pretty graphic and causes a lot of changes in the victim — physically and mentally. There are mentions of blood and knife.
Deaths
Addie has to face a lot of deaths throughout her life, including her parents, teacher, and her friends. She frequently visits their graveyard and where they used to live.
Rejection & Suicide Attempt
A character in the book proposes to his girlfriend only to get a rejection that leads him into depression. He drinks alcohol and attempts suicide before someone stops him.
See a snippet about the character’s thought process in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue quotes, quote number four.
So, will you read it?
Most likely, there are some important warnings that I missed covering in this post. But I hope you now have the idea if the book will suit your age or is safe for you to read it.
