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Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

172 reviews

_haggis_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Atmospheric and intriguing. The world building was really compelling and it was hard to put down! I found Olivia a little unlikeable at first but she definitely grew on me and I really liked the other characters. It was really lovely having a main character who communicated entirely in sign language and I thought  V E Schwab did a good job in making you feel Olivia's frustration at people not listening to her/taking her seriously/silencing her. 

The thing that stops me rating this 4 stars is that although the world building and mood are gripping, the climax is very fast and abrupt (only about 20 pages in total)
and the fight is too easily won/just not engrossing enough
. 

The story about Olivia finding out who she is and what she can do is really intriguing but told at the cost of the parallel plot - the family secrets, death and the wall. I think it feels a bit underwhelming and the plot potential & villain never quite fully realised.

Having said that, Schwab really trusts her reader and doesn't spell everything out - she gives us hints and things to ponder -
perhaps that's why Matthew dies - although it' tragic and feels like it was all for nothing, it points to bigger questions of death and meaning.


All in all, a really quick read with plenty of spook. 13 yr old me would have adored it. 
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fionamatilda's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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littletiramisu's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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eerieehobbit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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audbaum's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I really enjoyed this book. I liked its somewhat spooky vibes and its mystery. I did find the ending a little lackluster. While it was somewhat satisfying, I feel like Olivia is still somewhat unfulfilled as a person. Her main longing, for a family and people who genuinely care about her, feels both met and unmet. She ends up with a few people, yes, but I wanted her to have more of a community. I don’t know exactly what I would have wanted instead, but it left me feeling a bit upset.
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aimee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I did really enjoy the gothic atmosphere of this book and the elements of mystery. But I felt like the end was a bit anticlimactic and I was left with a few questions that weren’t answered by the time I had finished reading. 
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bone_empress's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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_paperserpent's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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stormeno's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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charlottx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I wasn’t too fond of our protagonist in the beginning but I greatly enjoyed all of the side characters/ villains! I look forward to reading more of Schwabs works and hopefully I can find some that have more horror elements as that’s what I thought I was missing in this book! 
Loved Matthew <3 
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