The tag line for this book is essentially, “Who wouldn’t enjoy the account of a young French girl’s 300 year love affair with the devil – to whom she’s made a deal: her freedom for her soul.” This book languished on my desk for weeks and I never felt compelled to pick it up. Yet customers kept preordering it, and I knew I needed to understand the buzz for the sake of my profession… I do not typically gravitate towards historical fiction, fantasy, romance – any of the obvious genres in which this incredible gem of a novel can be categorized. I devoured this book. It is a delight – one of the rare storylines that I couldn’t predict, didn’t want to end, and can’t wait to continue following via a sequel, if it is possible, and I think it is. What a fresh concept, a beautiful meditation on what truly matters most in life (time vs. love vs. recognition vs. power…). I most appreciated the love notes to literature and the arts Schwab dispersed throughout. Addie’s quality of life starts to improve as she learns to read. She begins to view her greatest power as her ability to shape art in her image (as she encounters difficulty creating objects herself due to her terms with, oh yeah, the devil). I long for the extent of her powers, and depth of her feelings, to be further revealed. Hopefully a sequel won’t take 10 more years to crank out, as this one did – but if it does, *totally* worth the energy. This book is gorgeous, with a note perfect ending.