Gallant
M**.
Like reading a beautiful classic gothic novel
First of all, this book was excellent. It was beautifully written. The story feels like a classic gothic novel with an orphan, ghosts, a haunted mansion, mysterious journals, plenty of time spent in old libraries and music rooms, a melancholy garden and a creepy garden wall.But all these things are written so beautifully and vividly that I really found myself absorbed into the story, and afraid to look under my bed.The creepy aspect was perfect. Just enough to make for a great gothic story without being TOO scary that you canβt sleep (unless you canβt sleep because youβre staying up reading this!)Second. It absolutely drives me crazy when people complain that an author is βjust writing this for the moneyβ. What an absolutely idiotic take. I HOPE authors are writing for money! Making money means they get to keep writing books. And especially when a writer as diverse as V.E. Schwab tries something a little diffident for them. I love to see those things succeed so they can keep trying new things.I hate it when people read one book they love and then complain that every other book isnβt that book. (ever notice how this is mostly done to women and minority authors?)VE Schwab writes a lot of different styles and kinds of books. But their writing is so vivid and beautiful and their story telling is so captivating. Thatβs what makes them such a fun author to read.Anyway. This book is really good and a perfect October, creepy season, read. It is a younger YA to upper Middle Grade novel so itβs not as complex as some of their other, more adult, books.The physical book is gorgeous with beautiful illustrations that really help the story come to life. I also listened to the audio book, Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt, which really well done. I am happy I own both.I definitely recommend this book, especially if youβre in the mood for a gothic book or as an introduction to gothic style literature.
S**D
Delightful and Dark
I liked this book. It was much different than I expected but in a very good way. I loved the world building and the character development. The ones that needed to be fleshed out were done very well.I enjoyed how it came together and the art that was used in the story.
J**C
ehhh
It just wasnβt for me. I KEPT falling asleep while I read this. I just couldnβt seem to care about the characters.The audiobook was much easier for me to follow as I could just go on a walk while I listened.I think this would make for an interesting short series. Gave me haunting of hill house and labyrinth vibes.
J**A
Fantastic one off book
I had never read a book by this author, but I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style. It was a great read, and I am now moving into some of his other works.
R**T
An Eerie YA tale
:: Gallant ::By VE Schwab.What I love:- a paranormal twist on The Secret Garden. I thought this was so wonderfully spooky, and a great mystery. It hooked me right from the start and I just needed to know how it ended- beautiful writing, like any VE Schwab book, her writing just captivates you. And you can just paint a picture in your mind of everything- Olivia. She is such a unique protagonist. Mute, but a fighter. A lonely girl searching for her family.What I didn't like:- almost too simple of a story? There are only limited locations and characters. I was hoping for more character depth in the side characters, more history.Β ββββ/5CW: blood magic, death,
R**M
great item, it was a gift
great item, it was a gift
J**N
Unusual premise, good writing
I thought the story was interesting and different enough to keep me involved. I'm a huge fan of the author, but this one somehow escaped her normal perfection and I'm not sure why, except, perhaps, I didn't feel the characters as much as I have done in her other books, or the world shes created didn't seem as exciting. Dark and dangerous, yes, but less compelling. However, compared to the normal standard of books out there, this one still shines. I won't give away the premise, but it's certainly a book that should be read as part of her oeuvre.
E**A
Masterful storytelling
Olivia Prior has no family and no voice. Her only tie to her mother is an old journal with a G on the cover, the ramblings of a woman going mad, and seemingly bizarre sketches.Olivia grew up in Merilance School for Girls- an orphanage where she endured bullying from both the other children and the teachers. When she receives a letter from a long lost uncle asking her to come home, Olivia hopes things are about to turn around for her.Gallant certainly moved fast enough to keep my attention, but it has a kind of slow burn feel to it. I loved the way the story of Gallant and of Olivia's parents unfold. There is a dark, creepy vibe to the whole thing, but that feeling doesn't overwhelm.Schwab's writing style shines through here. Every word is purposefully chosen, every turn of phrase elicits imagery. She is a MASTER storyteller.I would recommend this book for all ages. It is appropriate enough for the YA readers, and has enough depth for the adult readers.Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year!
S**A
No sabΓa que venΓa asΓ
No sabΓa que la portada de enfrente estaba un poco mΓ‘s corta h me sorprendiΓ³ en un inicio pero llegΓ³ bien sin estar maltratado ni nada
Y**.
Perfeito estado
Veio antes do prazo, em perfeito estado
S**.
Not upto the mark
I really love books and i read this one also with full expectations but its not upto the mark
Y**B
Dark gothic horror for YA readers
This is my first time reading one of this author's books and I think I chose very well when I decided to buy a copy of Gallant. This was a fabulous gothic-style mystery that did have similarities to another wonderful book, The Secret Garden, but Schwab does go darker.The story is of an orphan, abandoned and unwanted. Olivia doesn't speak, this means she doesn't have friends but what she does do is watch. When she is coming to the end of her time at the Merilance School for Girls a strange message arrives saying that Olivia does indeed have family and they have been searching for her.When she arrives at her home she discovers a place that has very few people there. It seems that the family and quite possibly the house is cursed. There is a wonderful eerie presence throughout this story and the author increases this as it goes on.Rather than having the warm welcome she expected, she is received with some shock and surprise. Why on earth would anyone want to come to this house. Why would they want to stay?I love the mystery in this story and it just oozes that eerie-ness and wonderful gothic thriller/ horror feel. There are many strange things that happen in this story, yes it is a fantasy but one that I adored, but then I do also like fantasy.This story may be about Olivia, but it is also about the family and what originally brought them there, and why they remain. It provides some interesting and unexpected twists.Fabulous reading, wonderful characters, and a great storyline. I really enjoyed this and I look forward to reading more. I would definitely recommend this one.
F**N
ππ«π’ π¬π£ π±π₯π’ ππ’π°π± ππ¬π¬π¨π° π’π³π’π― π΄π―π¦π±π±π’π«
ππ―ππ«π π’π° π π©ππ π¨π±π₯π¬π―π« - π½πππππππ½πππππ: β β β β β ββββββπππ¬π¦π©π’π― ππ―π’π’ βπ’π³π¦π’π΄ββββββWOW. Totally a 5 stars read!To be honest, when I first started reading this book, I wasnβt expecting any of this.This was my first book written by V.E. Schwab and even though I was expecting to enjoy it, I wasnβt expecting to love it as much as I did.For some reason, I never felt the urge to buy a book by this author, maybe because I always have this bad feeling when everyone loves too much a certain author... because I'm always expecting to be disappointed. BUT, that's actually a good thing, you know? If you already think you're going to be disappointed with something, the disappointment will never come in the way you were expecting it to come.Everything about this book was just amazing. The way the story was βtoldβ, the characters, the vibesβ¦A dark, mysterious fantasy, really easy to read and to love if you enjoy ghosts/ghouls.I'm going to tell you what this book is about as well as I can without giving you spoilers since this is a spoiler free review, so bare with me.This book is about a girl, named Olivia, who doesn't have parents and lives in a kind of orphanage. Her life is not good because, as you can imagine, not having parents and leaving in a School for Girls who don't have families is not the dream of any young adult girl. All her life, the only thing she had that kept her connected to her mom were some "letters" written by her. Olivia never understood what these letters were about or for whom they were written, but she knew that they were her mother's, so she couldn't lose them. One day, Olivia is minding her own business when she's called to go to the director's office, and there she is told that they received a letter from someone from her family and since life isn't looking bright for her anyway she should just read the letter and follow what the words said, that was "going to Gallant", her families house.It's really hard to give you a synopsis of this book from the point of view of someone who read it without giving you any spoilers, so I'll stop right here.What I think you must know: this is indeed a fantasy book, I don't consider it horror because from my point of view this is not scary even though some parts are a tiny bit dark. I don't think it is a children's book (IT'S NOT AT ALL) but the type of writing is pretty simple, the book is really easy to read, and the plot is fast-paced.There are images/drawings in the book, at least in this version, and they are totally amazing and important for the context of the story, just as Olivia's mom letters are.Totally one of those books that youβll find yourself reading in just one sitting and loving every second of it, always wanting to know more and more.100% recommend this book. I could write about it all day to be honest.
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