Scan barcode
rinku's review against another edition
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? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, and Child abuse
lisa_m's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.75
I liked a lot of things about this book but I feel like there isn't a lot of story to it, mostly just vibes and backstory.
I really liked reading about a mute main character and about how she is communicating with other people.
I liked Olivia as a character and her thoughts and storys where really interesting to read about.
But I constantly felt like I was stuck in the build-up phase of the book. The book is quite short and that also means that the main story is underdeveloped. All the characters besides Olivia are not really flushed out that well and even the main story of the wall and the not-Gallant felt under explained.
The ending was the biggest let-down for me.It is not really an ending but just exactly the same as where we started. The big conflict of the book is not solved. The emotional conflict of her wanting a family does not have a conclusion either because the other characters don't have real personalities. It's just "you choose your family" but it glosses over the fact that she not only looses the last living family she has, the last piece connecting her to her mother (the diary) and does not get many real answers about her father & mother either.
Realistically she just took over Matthews place and is now probably going to die soon. What also bothered me was that the main "adventure" / rescue Mission was completely useless. Honestly the Priors would have been so much better off if Olivia hadn't come. Matthew would still be alive, the Master would be Locked away and nobody would have hope that then gets shattered. They truly do not gain anything from her being there which is sad when you think about it.
It was really beautifully written though. I enjoyed the spooky vibes and what we got from the worldbuilding was interesting too.
I just don't like how the story went and it feels unfinished.
I really liked reading about a mute main character and about how she is communicating with other people.
I liked Olivia as a character and her thoughts and storys where really interesting to read about.
But I constantly felt like I was stuck in the build-up phase of the book. The book is quite short and that also means that the main story is underdeveloped. All the characters besides Olivia are not really flushed out that well and even the main story of the wall and the not-Gallant felt under explained.
The ending was the biggest let-down for me.
Realistically she just took over Matthews place and is now probably going to die soon. What also bothered me was that the main "adventure" / rescue Mission was completely useless. Honestly the Priors would have been so much better off if Olivia hadn't come. Matthew would still be alive, the Master would be Locked away and nobody would have hope that then gets shattered. They truly do not gain anything from her being there which is sad when you think about it.
It was really beautifully written though. I enjoyed the spooky vibes and what we got from the worldbuilding was interesting too.
I just don't like how the story went and it feels unfinished.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Ableism, Death of parent, and Death
doodeedoda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Drug use
ilaxaria's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Ableism
kaitieg97's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
I really enjoyed this story! It's rare to have a main character with a disability that isn't "goody-goody" all the time! I enjoyed watching Olivia struggle with her disability, AND BE MAD ABOUT IT!
Plus there's ghosts which is pretty cool!
Plus there's ghosts which is pretty cool!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, and Ableism
Moderate: Bullying and Suicide
_haggis_'s review against another edition
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.
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)
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 -
All in all, a really quick read with plenty of spook. 13 yr old me would have adored it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Murder
Minor: Ableism and Suicide
poisonenvy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Gallant follows Olivia Prior, a young nonverbal girl who's grown up all her life in an orphanage. Among the abusive Mothers and the bullying children, she's never felt like she's found a place where she belongs. All she has is her mother's journal and the ghouls that only she can she -- the ghosts of people who'd once lived and died there.
And then, one day, she recieves a letter from her family, calling her back to her family home where she belongs, and where she's wanted. But when she gets there, it's not what she expects.
This story was very enjoyable. It was an easy read with beautiful prose. I can't say that the story was especially deep -- it sometimes feels more like dressings than a fully realized story -- and the ending was anticlimactic, but I still very much enjoyed myself throughout the entire story.
As an aside, the book itself is beautifully out together too. I had the Illumicrate special edition, which is to be expected for some of the extra flourishes -- the journal pages were designed to look like journal pages and the section dividers were lovely -- but even the regular editions that my friends read had beautiful ink drawings and certain pages were white text on a black background which I thought was an especially nice touch. I'm a big fan of when books put forth just that little bit of extra effort to make their books something special.
And then, one day, she recieves a letter from her family, calling her back to her family home where she belongs, and where she's wanted. But when she gets there, it's not what she expects.
This story was very enjoyable. It was an easy read with beautiful prose. I can't say that the story was especially deep -- it sometimes feels more like dressings than a fully realized story -- and the ending was anticlimactic, but I still very much enjoyed myself throughout the entire story.
As an aside, the book itself is beautifully out together too. I had the Illumicrate special edition, which is to be expected for some of the extra flourishes -- the journal pages were designed to look like journal pages and the section dividers were lovely -- but even the regular editions that my friends read had beautiful ink drawings and certain pages were white text on a black background which I thought was an especially nice touch. I'm a big fan of when books put forth just that little bit of extra effort to make their books something special.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Animal death and Mental illness
kathrynleereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't ever read a book where the main character was unable to speak, and it was really enlightening to be able to visualize and better understand the struggles Olivia was going through.
I've always enjoyed reading a story with a static clue that twists and morphs throughout the story, just as the journal did in this book. The context and meaning of the journal entries and drawings shifted as the story went on and as Olivia began to understand her mother better and better.
I do believe that the story ended a bit abruptly and could have used a bit more at the end.
I've always enjoyed reading a story with a static clue that twists and morphs throughout the story, just as the journal did in this book. The context and meaning of the journal entries and drawings shifted as the story went on and as Olivia began to understand her mother better and better.
I do believe that the story ended a bit abruptly and could have used a bit more at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
sapphicsoilscientist's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Death
jes312's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Great world building, but not much happening in the world. The premise hooked me (the main character can see ghouls) , but there characters didn't have much depth (I wasn't really impacted when Matthew died . I wish there was more insight into Olivia's feelings at the end, how she feels about moving forward and knowing her predicament/fate wasting away like Matthew . Or maybe she won't, because of her dad and being partially from the other world? .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Ableism