Gallant
Ratings233
Average rating3.8
I love VE Schwab. I felt this book was missing something the whole time I read it. I couldn't help but think I had heard the story before. I thought yo myself...”this feels like vicious meets Addie, meets Near Witch...”.
As I read though...I saw the story was unique and had that classic Schwab touch. What was so great was how relatable Olivia was.
Overall, the book was great...not phenomenal (like so many of her others). Great read with great characters I just felt like it was missing something. Maybe it was missing a chapter or two on just death, but maybe the mystery was the point. Still unsure.
Thank you Victoria for another great book!
Boring as. I know this first hour was just set up and the real story is coming but I just don't understand why it took an hour to get anywhere.
At the end of the day this was a library loan and I have better things to be reading.
No sabía qué esperar de este libro, sé que lo agregué a mi lista de lectura porque me gustó mucho Addie LaRue y busqué más cosas de la autora. Este es el 3er libro que leo de ella y que maravilla la varieda de tramas que puede escribir. Gallant es una novela de fantasía oscura y llena de suspenso, que trata temas de identidad y pertenencia. La protagonista es una chica muda, pero su personalidad es lo suficientemente fuerte para que no necesite usar palabras para expresarla. El worldbuilding es una joyita y la trama va dejando pistas al respecto para que uno pueda terminar de decifrar lo que está pasando. Recomendadísimo
4.5 stars
This wasn't originally on my TBR for March but when I saw it at the library it reminded me that Destiny and I planned on buddy reading it so I picked it up. I loved the atmosphere of this book and I really liked the character and how they grew throughout the story. Something happened in the end that I wish didn't happen and I also would have liked more of the after but overall I really enjoyed this story.
V.E. Schwab will be the death of me.
The way I'm hugging this book right now its- I need a moment
There's a lot to like about Gallant, especially if you enjoyed her Darker Shade of Magic trilogy. Similar strengths include:
Imperfect but like-able and cheer-for-able protagonists
Tremendous shaping of the atmosphere of her world; the setting feels like a character itself
Really good scope. Gallant doesn't try to be about the whole world/universe in a way that makes the problem feel more abstract than serious (cough cough Marvel). Even though the villain has larger aspirations, the focus is on digging in deeply to one house and its rhythms. This pays off a lot by getting to know the few characters really well and in a few different layers, and the layers we learn about the house pay off in the plot in a non-gimmicky way. Also, in the age of everything being part of a cinematic universe, it was wonderfully refreshing to find an author who had a good idea, told a story about it in a reasonable number of pages, and let it be. It's self-contained because that's all it needs to be
It feels more like a fairy tale than anything, but I really like the tone. You'd think it's bleak and gothic/horror on paper, but it actually feels quite warm and sentimental in unexpected ways, especially the very end. Touching and sweet
Cons: the main character has a million questions, and the biggest ones never really get answered. Maybe that's by design to keep the reader guessing at the mystery of it all (and to make it more of a fairy tale than a hard fantasy, which is fine), but I have the same basic “so, what the heck is going on?” questions as Olivia did and I'd like to overhear someone give her the rundown
Parts of this book were so close to being perfect for me, but it ultimately didn't pack the emotion I was hoping for.
3.5 stars
It took me 256 days to finish this. That makes me so frustrated because I LOVE VE Schwab. Everything I've read from her has been 4 stars and up. Gallant just didn't keep my attention. The beginning hooked me... then let me go til about 70%, which is where it got me again. I just didn't feel like I wanted to pick it up every day. I did love the last 20% of the book, I just wish that action was sprinkled throughout the whole book.
Ehh, it's ok. The start was too slow moving for me, only picking up right near the end. I feel like there was a lot more that could have been done that I was hoping and expecting that never happened. Gives off similar vibes to Coraline if that's ur thing. Overall idk if I would recommend it.
I wasn't really aware of what to expect from this book except from an amazing cover. And I get a dark book full of mystery and tension which I enjoyed from the first page to the last one. A solid 90% rating that would fit 4,5* out of 5*. Strongly recommended if you like haunted mansions.
writing : amazing - love V.E Schwab
Story : not for me, was me to much middle grade
I finished it a long time ago, just hasn't been active here lately. :) It was a very intriguing read, but it got quite repetitive near the end, and I was losing interest.
Me gustó mucho.
La historia es buenísima, y por eso mismo, me quedó corta. Siento que había muchísimo material para hacerla más larga y desarrollar mas cosas, incluyendo el final.
Aún así lo disfruté de principio a fin.
4.5
This is the kind of story that makes me wonder how am I supposed to come up with a story better than this. V.E. Schwab SWALLOWED me on this world with her writing. I was LITERALLY watching a movie. And the world is weird on its own way, but just the way she described it you couldn't get confused.
I want to hug Olivia, such a good character. The story it self is a masterpiece. It was creepy but in a good way. Tho the ending left me wanting for more, I just feel happy that she got to discover her family and her home. The WRITING tho!! SO GOOD! I can't believe I didn't pick this up sooner.
The only negative thing I have to say is that I didn't quite understood Olivia's dad. I can picture him how I imagined him, but the book never really describe how he is. I mean it does, but for me I needed just a tiny bit more of describing.
3.5⭐️
Not really my thing, but I liked the plot. It was kind of predictable, but that's okay. My heart broke a little at the last chapter... (was not expecting that).
Loved the worldbuiling tho!
I quite liked this one!
It was so atmospheric, so mysterious, and even emotional at times. And it was so beautifully written!
Why it doesn't get 5 stars is because I wanted more from the villain and earlier in the book.
Regardless, I highly recommend it.
C'était une lecture étrange, douce. Sauf vers le dernier quart où les choses se corsent.
Je dois dire que j'ai beaucoup aimé Olivia. À la lecture du résumé, j'avais l'impression qu'elle avait au moins 16 ans, mais non, elle en 14. Ce qui m'a plu.
Je comprends les critiques des personnes qui n'ont pas été happées par l'histoire. En soi, il ne se passe pas grand-chose et si on me demandait de résumer l'histoire du début à la fin, c'est vrai que ça ne serait pas long. C'est un roman d'atmosphère et ça, soit on embarque, soit on s'ennuie. J'ai embarqué. :) J'ai aussi aimé Mexican Gothic, avec son manoir lugubre, je crois que j'ai un faible pour ce genre-là!
Un roman avec un léger mystère, pas d'énormes surprises, mais qui dégage une certaine chaleur, de la nostalgie, de la tendresse, un peu d'humour et, à la fin, et à la fois de la résilience et de la tristesse.
This felt more like a mystery or suspense for a while and I kept wondering what would be coming next.
What can I say other than I loved it. A heartfelt and haunting story. It does remind me of the movie Crimson Peak but not in any bad ways. And I think it's good to have a story where a mute girl is the protagonist because representation matters. ❤️