Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

25 reviews

hippievamp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Terminal illness, Confinement, Gun violence, Animal death, Suicide, and Bullying

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Grief, Abandonment, and Violence

Minor: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Animal death, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Bullying, Self harm, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

ayoung720's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed this book, I felt like it was a great introduction to darker fantasy when I'm more used to "wizard and orc" fantasy. The world building was great, the main character is amazing, the role of her muteness in telling the story is fascinating - I never thought a mute character could say so much through internal thoughts. The setting is beautifully described and I'm sure it's even better for its intended YA audience. 

HOWEVER, I have a gripe with the last 15 pages... Essentially everything the main characters do is completely irrelevant? They hatch a rescue plan but then William dies, Olivia nearly dies, Death escapes but then is recaptured, and everything ends the same way it started except now Olivia is in charge of keeping Death locked behind the door instead of William? It just felt incredibly inconclusive. The only "change" is Olivia's realization of her powers which felt completely underdeveloped. 

I still enjoyed the book overall and am excited to read more of Schwab's works, but the ending has definitely knocked my rating a bit .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Confinement

justmys's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An brilliant book that would be perfect reading on a stormy winter's night. 
Beautifully paced with intriguing characters and a bone chilling ghost story woven throughout. It's not a hopeful read, but it's a gift of a story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Death, Bullying, Medical content, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, and Child death

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Body horror, Pregnancy, Blood, Ableism, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting

hayleythegoose's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death

Moderate: Abandonment and Animal death

abbyschalupa's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Felt very flat, while the premise is enticing the writing and plot heavy story with lack of character development made it feel on the young end of YA. I can understand some people thinking it could be shelved as middle grade- I just don’t think the addition of suicide was necessary for the story but besides that the writing felt incredibly simplistic and juvenile. The atmosphere could be fun but a large portion of the book was slow until the end. I was left disappointed after the climax and wanting more of a resolution. Glad to cross it off the tbr, though I won’t be revisiting this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Suicide, and Child death

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Confinement

binreads's review against another edition

dark hopeful 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

5.0

The kind of dark that tricks the eye. Makes you see things where ther are none. Or miss things when they are there. The dark that lives in spaces you know you should not look, lest you catch sight other eyes, staring back.

I loooooved this. The story was extremely detailed and immersive that I could picture it all in my mind as vividly as if I was watching a movie. Not only is the cover beautiful but the illustrations within the book are gorgeous and are a great addition. 

Very much gave Coraline vibes with the themes of the a girl finding a portal to this other world..

And the Other Mother is basically Death. Feeding off of their victims.

The beginning was a bit slow but once I got to the halfway point then banged it out in one night. Would not recommend reading in the dark in the middle of the night because I started to spook myself out, unless you're into that then go for it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Confinement, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Suicide

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Bullying

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, and Religious bigotry

alibrarymouse's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

Beautifully written with gorgeous aesthetics, but the characters weren’t much and I have to admit I wasn’t too fond of any of them. We weren’t really given too much to be fond of, and with Olivia there was a lot of potential that doesn’t get fully realized. Everything I wanted, I didn’t get, but maybe my expectations were too high? 

It’s modern gothic, catharsis in its own way, but—at the same time—fantasy offers a twist I think would have made for a better ending. Schwab has realism going for her at least. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Murder, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

a_alves00's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Confinement, Child death, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Grief