Reviews - The Listeners | The StoryGraph

1.01k reviews for:

The Listeners

Maggie Stiefvater

3.97 AVERAGE

leann_loves_books's review against another edition

5.0

4.5 stars

oaxara's review against another edition

4.5

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

chaseberry's review against another edition

3.25

I'm always seated for Maggie so I know she could have done more with this. There are so many shining, glimmering moments littered throughout that do nothing but shade the rest of the novel in a first-draft sort of light. An egregious abandonment of any sense of time passing, which may have been on purpose but was simply executed too poorly to cause anything but harm. Maybe three or four times a character mentions "the weeks since they've arrived" and that's as much as we get. Weeks? I didn't know it had been weeks. More than once a chapter would seem to pick up immediately where the last one had ended until a character would mention the events of the previous chapter having happened weeks ago. I understand the hotel is supposed to evoke a sort of liminal space but the ultimate result was characters who were supposed to have been bonding over months and months feeling like they only interacted over the course of a few days. I was still charmed though! I enjoyed it and would not tell someone it wasn't worth a read

cmvorra's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

readerjim's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

What happened at the start of WWII to all of the diplomats from the Axis countries? They were shipped off to hotels until they were traded to their home countries. This the premise of The Listeners, a wonderfully written, albeit bizarre take on this time in history. The main character is June, caretaker and manager of the hotel Avallon, situated in West Virginia. Working her way up, June comes to understand much about the hotel, especially the magical sweet water that courses through the pipes. I was conflicted at first; but some intriguing stories, surprising twists, and written that was so well done kept me with it.

bookdragon8992's review against another edition

3.0

slow-paced

zoecribbs's review against another edition

5.0

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: Complicated

No one does magical realism like Stiefvater. I wish every book parading as magical realism would understand this.

I love Maggie’s writing, it always feels like coming home. She has an incredible capability to create mood and ambience in her books that fit the characters and their relationships so perfectly.

Her novels tell you that magic becomes tangible and accessible if only you know where to look. She makes me believe in the something more that she speaks of in trc - they make me believe in magic. And it doesn’t feel idiotic to believe in it when you read her books because her magic is rooted in nature and life. It’s real. It’s in front of you. It becomes a religion of its own and I, the reader, become a faithful follower.

I loved every second of reading this. It’s not flawless but it is wonderful.