Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Gallant

As I struggle to write this review, I’m doubting if it really deserves 5 stars. Because the thing about a 5 star review is that it implies perfection, an exemplary book, a story that would be universally enjoyed. This book is not perfect and I don’t think everyone would enjoy it. But it was perfect for me; and so, it gets 5 stars.

The thing is, I just really love VE Schwab. I love how her prose can be both beautiful yet haunting: a shiny rose, vivid and colorful; its stem full of sharp thorns, tangling around a skeletal hand. This story was as dark, mysterious and fantastical as I hoped it would be. Though I wouldn’t describe it as fast paced, I was constantly kept at the edge of my seat, savoring the rich setting that is the Gallant manor along the way. The illustrations and the diary were beautiful, a perfect picture of Olivia’s parents’ relationship. This book, I think, will stay with me for a long time to come, and will probably remain one of my favorites of 2024.

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rachel_sherck's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.25

My first read by this author (I know, I’m tragically late to the party) and I was blown away by the incredible atmosphere and setting she generates with such strikingly lovely, lyrical prose.

The plot was in some ways predictable, but the way the clues came into gradual focus, and the immersive writing, held my attention nonetheless.

I’m definitely eager to read more by V.E. Schwab.

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ayoung720's review against another edition

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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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sarah_shelf's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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? No

3.75

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hammie_32's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.25

This was delightful, I genuinely loved this book. It's been a while since something I've read has actually creeped me out or made me feel so intensely empathetic towards the MC. As far as I'm aware, the author is not disabled, however she seems to have done a great job writing for a

mute MC

and representing how frustrating it is to be so easily silenced and ignored. The reason this didn't get a full 5 from me is mostly the ending: most of the book was very slow-paced and did an excellent job at drawing you into the mystery and asking you to keep guessing, giving bits and pieces at a time. Unfortunately, the end felt really rushed. So much of the novel, we spend so much time in Olivia's head, and that falls off very quickly as the conclusion approached. It ended up feeling very impersonal to me, just because it stopped telling the story of Olivia's internal world/experience and moved on to the events as they were. It made it hard to celebrate with the characters at the end and connect with the stakes. Otherwise, I would read this over again just for the atmosphere and world-building that Schwab crafted, gripes aside. Had it been stretched to 400ish pages, I think this would've been perfect.

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drewett's review against another edition

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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? Yes

5.0

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justmys's review against another edition

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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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