Gallant - V.E. Schwab Review

06/10/2022

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother's journal-which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home-to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn't matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant-but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

I've heard a lot about this book, and I was immediately sold to this pretty pearl. I was really looking forward to start reading it.

The story started off pretty well and I was immediately sucked into the story. I thought it was so fascinating to read about the orphanage. And I also loved getting to know Oliva better because she seemed to have such an intriguing story to tell.

But after a while everything started to change. It was going pretty well, until she reached Gallant. Everything went south to me. I lost my interest in the story and Olivia wasn't as fascinating as she was in the beginning. She started to annoy me actually. Like how many warnings do you need 'Your mom met Death' there behind the fence'. What makes it sound like 'Oh that must be a verry interesting place, maybe I should visit it sometime?'. Sorry this whole attitude was so frustrating, and I don't know, I kind of lost interest.

I did read the dutch translation, so maybe in the near future I'm going to give this book a second chance in its original language, but for now it isn't my thing.

About the book:

- Author: V.E. Schwab

- Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

- Themes: Blood, death, orphanage, upside-downworld, ...

- Publisher: Greenwillow Books

- Published: March 1st 2022

- Number Of Pages: 334 pages

- ISBN-Code: 9780062835772

Rating: * * *