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A review by justagirlwithabook
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Another book from Victoria Schwab for readers of all (or at least most) ages!
Olivia Prior is all alone and living most of her life (from what she can remember) at Merilance School for Girls. Her only company is a journal of her mother’s filled with thoughts that don’t quite make much sense but that still bring comfort to her in the midst of a lonely life without much love or feelings of belonging.
One day, unexpectedly, a letter arrives from a supposed uncle asking Olivia to come home to Gallant, where she has a family who loves her and people waiting to welcome her back. But upon arrival, Olivia feels less than welcomed and over time begins to discover that there’s a lot more to Gallant than meets the eye and more to her mother’s journal than she initially realized.
Something sits and waits behind a gate on Gallant’s grounds, and it is hungry. What will Olivia discover beyond, and can she muster the courage to save the something (and someones) that she’s only just found, or will she be too late?
What I Loved:
- This has Victoria Schwab’s writing style all over it. The phrases she strings together to describe feelings and sometimes small, but momentous and meaningful events … chef’s kiss. No one writes like she does.
- I loved the gloomy atmosphere, but it wasn’t too stifling and it didn’t overwhelm, it just was. While the story wasn’t super crystal clear on a historic timeline, it felt very Victorian era but I imagine it might’ve been a bit more recent than that (early ish 1900s?). It almost gave me “A Little Princess” vibes in regards to atmosphere and setting.
- There were so many fun elements to the house, Gallant, that I loved, like secret passageways and hidden doors leading to other places. It was easy to get wrapped up in the adventure of exploring spaces.
- I loved the story of Olivia’s parents that is slowly revealed.
- The premise was really interesting and had scenes that were slightly reminiscent of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as well as Shades of Magic.
- I loved the “friendly ghost” aspect that was really key to the story and their abilities to interact with Olivia in the way they did.
What I Didn’t Love:
- While this book did end on a positive note, there were plenty of little moments of sadness (though they were all part of the story and well done and necessary, etc., etc.)
- Aside from that, I only wish that there had been more.
Overall:
I really loved this book. There was something about it that was soothing to fall into. I always picked it up at night before bed and felt like I was reading myself to sleep with a good middle grade novel. There were some fantasy, horror, and sort of paranormal elements to this story, but it wasn’t too creepy, though for much younger readers there might be a character or few that an active imagination could run away with. I think it’d be a great read for middle graders and up. (And yes, definitely adults!)
Content Warnings:
- Loss of family members (grief, coping)
- Death of a relative
- A tinge bit of violence but nothing wild
Other Notes:
- Free of language
- No mature content
- Potentially a character or two that might be deemed a bit scary for younger readers
Thank you to Netgalley and Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins for an e-ARC of this book!
Olivia Prior is all alone and living most of her life (from what she can remember) at Merilance School for Girls. Her only company is a journal of her mother’s filled with thoughts that don’t quite make much sense but that still bring comfort to her in the midst of a lonely life without much love or feelings of belonging.
One day, unexpectedly, a letter arrives from a supposed uncle asking Olivia to come home to Gallant, where she has a family who loves her and people waiting to welcome her back. But upon arrival, Olivia feels less than welcomed and over time begins to discover that there’s a lot more to Gallant than meets the eye and more to her mother’s journal than she initially realized.
Something sits and waits behind a gate on Gallant’s grounds, and it is hungry. What will Olivia discover beyond, and can she muster the courage to save the something (and someones) that she’s only just found, or will she be too late?
What I Loved:
- This has Victoria Schwab’s writing style all over it. The phrases she strings together to describe feelings and sometimes small, but momentous and meaningful events … chef’s kiss. No one writes like she does.
- I loved the gloomy atmosphere, but it wasn’t too stifling and it didn’t overwhelm, it just was. While the story wasn’t super crystal clear on a historic timeline, it felt very Victorian era but I imagine it might’ve been a bit more recent than that (early ish 1900s?). It almost gave me “A Little Princess” vibes in regards to atmosphere and setting.
- There were so many fun elements to the house, Gallant, that I loved, like secret passageways and hidden doors leading to other places. It was easy to get wrapped up in the adventure of exploring spaces.
- I loved the story of Olivia’s parents that is slowly revealed.
- The premise was really interesting and had scenes that were slightly reminiscent of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as well as Shades of Magic.
- I loved the “friendly ghost” aspect that was really key to the story and their abilities to interact with Olivia in the way they did.
What I Didn’t Love:
- While this book did end on a positive note, there were plenty of little moments of sadness (though they were all part of the story and well done and necessary, etc., etc.)
- Aside from that, I only wish that there had been more.
Overall:
I really loved this book. There was something about it that was soothing to fall into. I always picked it up at night before bed and felt like I was reading myself to sleep with a good middle grade novel. There were some fantasy, horror, and sort of paranormal elements to this story, but it wasn’t too creepy, though for much younger readers there might be a character or few that an active imagination could run away with. I think it’d be a great read for middle graders and up. (And yes, definitely adults!)
Content Warnings:
- Loss of family members (grief, coping)
- Death of a relative
- A tinge bit of violence but nothing wild
Other Notes:
- Free of language
- No mature content
- Potentially a character or two that might be deemed a bit scary for younger readers
Thank you to Netgalley and Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins for an e-ARC of this book!