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A review by onthesamepage
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I've had a similar reaction to Schwab's last two releases: an initial, "well, that was lovely" accompanied by a rating of 4 stars, but then, the longer I think about it, the more I realize the loveliness is very surface level. Of the 3 books I've read so far, This Savage Song is probably my favourite. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Gallant have similar issues, which is a lack of substance.
Schwab's writing is always beautiful, and it makes it really easy to sink into her works and enjoy them. Gallant relies a lot on atmosphere and vibes, and that part was executed really well. The exploration of the manor, as well as the feeling of secrets being hidden from the protagonist by the other characters, put me in mind of The Haunting of Bly Manor. I actually liked the setup of this, and was intrigued by the story of Olivia's parents, but there are several issues that made me lower my rating.
Olivia is mute, and has spent most of her life surrounded by people who never bothered to learn how to communicate with her. In Gallant, Edgar knows sign language, but we get repeated instances of him deliberately turning his back on her when she is trying to communicate, and he's not the only character to forcibly silence Olivia this way. I could really sense her frustration with how they were acting towards her and all the secrets being kept from her, and it evoked a lot of sympathy in me for her situation. And yet, Olivia is never forthright with them about her family and her ability to see ghouls either, even when it becomes clear that the knowledge she has may be the key to saving them.
There's very little focus on developing the relationship between Olivia and the others. We do get a few scenes between her and Matthew, but I don't think it was enough to flesh out their bond or even the characters themselves, and this goes double for Edgar and Hannah. Ultimately, this led to a disconnect from them and their circumstances, which makes the story much less impactful than it could have been. I also thought the resolution happened way too fast, and ultimately wasn't very satisfying, but pretty in line with what Schwab usually does.
Schwab's writing is always beautiful, and it makes it really easy to sink into her works and enjoy them. Gallant relies a lot on atmosphere and vibes, and that part was executed really well. The exploration of the manor, as well as the feeling of secrets being hidden from the protagonist by the other characters, put me in mind of The Haunting of Bly Manor. I actually liked the setup of this, and was intrigued by the story of Olivia's parents, but there are several issues that made me lower my rating.
Olivia is mute, and has spent most of her life surrounded by people who never bothered to learn how to communicate with her. In Gallant, Edgar knows sign language, but we get repeated instances of him deliberately turning his back on her when she is trying to communicate, and he's not the only character to forcibly silence Olivia this way. I could really sense her frustration with how they were acting towards her and all the secrets being kept from her, and it evoked a lot of sympathy in me for her situation. And yet, Olivia is never forthright with them about her family and her ability to see ghouls either, even when it becomes clear that the knowledge she has may be the key to saving them.
There's very little focus on developing the relationship between Olivia and the others. We do get a few scenes between her and Matthew, but I don't think it was enough to flesh out their bond or even the characters themselves, and this goes double for Edgar and Hannah. Ultimately, this led to a disconnect from them and their circumstances, which makes the story much less impactful than it could have been. I also thought the resolution happened way too fast, and ultimately wasn't very satisfying, but pretty in line with what Schwab usually does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death
Moderate: Ableism