Addie secretly agrees to be Luc’s lover for eternity in order to spare Henry’s life. Eventually, Luc reveals that he purposefully arranged for Addie to fall in love with-and eventually grieve-Henry to teach her that mortal love isn’t worth all the pain and heartbreak it causes. They eventually learn of the other’s deal with Luc, though Henry initially doesn’t tell Addie about his looming death. Everything changes when Henry meets and falls in love with Addie, whose own curse allows her to see Henry objectively.

Soon, Henry realizes that his deal is really a curse. But he soon realizes that everyone’s love is artificial and meaningless-people only love him because Luc’s power forces them to. At first, Henry loves being loved and wanted. After that, Henry will give Luc his soul and die. After their breakup, Luc interferes with Henry’s suicide attempt and convinces Henry to make a deal with him instead: for one year, Henry will be loved and desired by all. Henry feels especially miserable and unwanted since his girlfriend Tabitha recently rejected Henry’s marriage proposal. Henry suffers from “gray” periods of intense sadness that perplex his family. He’s terrified about wasting his life not knowing what he wants to do or who he wants to be-an anxiety that gains deeper significance once the reader learns that Henry’s deal with Luc means his death is imminent. Having recently dropped out of graduate school, Henry feels aimless and insecure.

Henry is in his late 20s and working at a bookshop when he meets Addie-and becomes the first person in 300 years to remember her.

The invisible life of addie larue cover