Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

10 reviews

kgreer's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was such a good read, the spookiness and the mystery kept me engaged until the last page. The added element that the main character could not communicate with spoken word propelled the story forward: it added to the suspense, kept the mystery going, and allowed the worlds to develop in ways that it wouldn’t otherwise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness and Panic attacks/disorders

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

macaroons06's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.75

Thought this book was creative and interesting. I was really hooked by the author's style of writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Self harm, and Child death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Grief

Minor: Gore and Eating disorder

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

diana_raquel's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

"Home is a choice."

Talk about impulse buying! I was browsing the shelves of a bookshop when I noticed this book! I have read other books by V.E. Schwab but didn't know what to expect from this book. But it was a pleasant surprise, mainly because I actually liked a story with horror elements. Usually, horror isn't something that I tend to gravitate toward, but I really liked this book. Maybe because the horror elements are mixed with other elements that I like, such as mystery elements and a darker tone.  The characters are well-developed and well-written. The story has good pacing and is well structured. I also liked the fact that the illustrations themselves are also part of the story and not only accessories, a means to show the scenes. To tell the truth, I think that  V.E. Schwab was the potential to become a must-read author to me since I really liked every book that I read by her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Confinement, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Pregnancy, Bullying, Body horror, and Violence

marareading's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.75

Alright, I get it. I finally understand why everyone was falling over themselves to get to this book. It's great. An orphan who sees ghouls, and finds her way to Gallant. An estate with a sorted history. She is mute and the adventure that is coming, so one could prepare her for. 

It is beautiful, Gothic, mysterious, and atmospheric. I devoured this book and will probably do it again. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Animal death, Terminal illness, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Violence

jesselopod's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? No

3.75

This novel is like a dark and creepy fairytale for adults without the morality twist. It wasn’t deep tale but it was entertaining and enjoyable although

I would have liked a more conclusive ending, a greater resolution or even a better hook where my imagination could have run wild with what may have happened next

. It was exactly what I wanted to read right now, an easy to read, fast paced story which isn’t an epic multi-book journey but instead a self contained plot. The descriptions and atmosphere in the book are beautifully crafted, and I enjoyed it for the vibe more than the plot itself. The perfect thing to read after binge watching Sandman and then listening to the Stardust audiobook. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, and Confinement

Minor: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Bullying, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Content warning: sleep/nightmare/insomnia related themes

relearning2read's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I found it overall enjoyable, but the ending strangely unsatisfying compared to the potential of the elements that were introduced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Terminal illness

tarynlannister's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

I gobbled this book up. I can't remember the last time I found a book where all I wanted to do in my free moments, no matter how short, was get in a few pages, where in the tense parts my eyes were racing over the pages almost faster than I could understand the words. It's a lovely, reflective little book. It's dark, but more in a Gothic way than a depressing way. Death is a major theme, but the persistence of our spirits and our connection with those we love beyond death is too, and definitely mitigates that. I wish it had resolved a little differently in some ways, but otherwise I really loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Violence, Blood, Suicide, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Terminal illness, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death