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jpanslabyrinthofbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Schwab has crafted a unique, short, novel that hones in on the familial household of the Priors and our protagonist Olivia; an orphan with only her mothers journal to remember her heritage. But as a mysterious letter from her Uncle arrives, she is delivered to Gallant - a place her mother's warns of. There she meets Matthew, an heir to the household and member of the Prior family; a haunting shell of a man, and cousin none the less. However, as Olivia explores the home and is tormented by the Ghouls that seek to disturb her dreams, she realizes soon enough that Gallant is both within light and shadow.
A truly fascinating element was explored in this novel with the construct of the Gallant House model; crafted to show the shadow dimension that exists amongst reality. The general notion being that everything has a shadow, and sometimes those shadows take sustenance and become something more than just a direction of light.
Olivia was a diverse representational character with her non-verbal communication and only able to converse through sign or with the projection of thought. It made the story more powerful to have such a presence when not being able to speak and show emotion in audio. Rather the emotion came through in gestural approaches and action. A powerful description.
Schwab is a master at inventing narratives unique, an author who has been on my radar for a time, and as this is the first novel I read - it did not disappoint.
addieisreading's review against another edition
4.0
I think V. E Schwab has this habit of making slow-paced books that hold really deep thoughts and messages compared to the plot/character development that you either hate it or love it. I'm glad to say I'm with the second group this time as well.
Gallant, at first, seems to be the type of book about a girl that's “not like the other girls”. She doesn't care about her appearance, she doesn't care about love, she doesn't care about being friendless but, most of all, she can see ghouls—spirits of the dead. However, as the story develops, and we get to see more of Olivia and the (few) characters surrounding her, it gets more interesting and even relate a little.
The title is Gallant but the focus of the book, in my humble opinion, seems to be the family, their loss, their hopes, and the way their love is strong enough to beat Death itself (Following the steps of horror movies/books that talk about family but has the house as the title). The only reasons I didn't give it 5 starts were:
- 1. The fact that it took around 160 pages for it to start getting some pace and the plot starting to move somewhere;
- 2. Repeated sentences or phrases (like, "I fall down and I feel a sharp pain running through my veins" or "palm of my hands burning"). It feels like they didn't read the book before publishing and just left a lot of repeated terms again and again.
- 3. Characters seem quite... off??? The story seems to know where it is going, but the characters don't (Like Thomas. We waited for Thomas and then what?) But I appreciated the storytelling, so I'll give it that.
If that book ever makes it to Hollywood, I want it to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro, not only for his experience with silent characters (Shape of Water) but he made one of my favourite spooky season movies of all times, Crimson Peak, that also bears the name of a place as a title while, in fact, talks about the family in it. Their loss. Their fears. Their mistakes. The secrets they hide. The things unsaid that scream louder than the ones they actually do.
And the ghosts waiting for us to watch how they died in there.
reading_bear22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Self harm and Blood
yureisilhouette's review against another edition
5.0
ladylilyofold's review against another edition
5.0
ana_deskin's review against another edition
4.0