Gallant was a beauty read with a haunting gothic vibe. Perfect for October evenings.

Abandoned at an orphanage when she was just a baby, the only thing Olivia Prior has ever had of her parents is an old journal from her mom. It's here that she feels close and loved. But it's also here where she can see her mother's descent into madness. When a long lost relative suddenly sends for her, Olivia finds herself at the house her mother grew up in - but it's also the house her mother warned her away from.

This book was interesting in the fact that the main character didn't speak. It's never really discussed how or why, it just is. So I found the reading experience to be a little different because you didn't get the normal camaraderie as you would with dialogue. Most of the book was just Olivia's internal thoughts. But because of this, I was able to feel more and really fall into the story.

OH MY OH MY! V E Schwab has done it yet again. A truly unique story blending gothic vibes with somehow almost, dare I say, coziness. It is lush and vivid and beautiful while also being incredibly eerie. Beautiful.

I am always on the look out for books I can recommend to some of my students that are more mature readers. This book is one I could see them loving. It has a strange house, with a locked door and a mysterious family history. Olivia does not speak and yet it was easy to feel a connection to her. V. E Schwab is one of those writers that sucks you into her world so far that it feels tangible. It's hard for a many horror books to feel real, but this one did.

V.E. Schwab gives readers a lush, spooky tale about a girl who doesn't know where she is from and how she finds her place in the world. Oliva lives at the Merilance School for Girls, and the only clue she has of her family is a journal belonging to her mother. It is full of pictures and writing that slowly unravels, with a warning to her to stay away from Gallant. One day she receives a letter from her Uncle inviting her back home to Gallant only to arrive to her cousin, Matthew, who had no idea of the invite, insisting that she must leave and that his uncle died the year before.
Olivia, wanting nothing more to stay and connect with her family, cannot understand his reaction, and begins to explore the house. We learn that Olivia can see "ghouls" or ghosts of people and she piece by piece discovers the history of her family, including a door in a garden that leads somewhere shadowy and spooky.

The writing was wonderful and I was intrigued the whole time. The whole story ties together and this would be a perfect darker fantasy tale for an older middle grade and YA reader. The combination of journal entries, images, and third person POV of Olivia worked well and I will be excited to see how the final book comes together, especially the gorgeous illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Olivia has grown up in a home for girls, with no family, and no voice. Her one familial keepsake, her mother's journal, is deeply unsettling. And when Olivia is called to her family's ancestral home, she realizes why. There are deep secrets in Gallant. It's easy to get lost among the shadows. The weight of her family's heritage is heavy upon her cousin, and it may weigh Olivia down as well. This is spooky and atmospheric, excellent for readers who could see themselves slipping between the cracks and trading pieces of themselves for the ability to belong somewhere, or to have a little power of their own. Recommend to those who like lyrical gothic family dramas.

Coraline has always been the book I read to my students in the fall. However, next fall, I am absolutely convinced I am going to give this book a try in the classroom. Everything I and my students love about Gothic stories is here, and I think my students would relish in the opportunity to explore such a supremely crafted world. I loved it so much that I finished the book in one sitting, if that says anything at all!

V. S. Schwab's Gallant is an engrossing, dark tale that takes the reader to a journey to the other side. The novel introduces us to Olivia as she tries to fit in and find a family. She soon discovers dark family secrets that make her reexamine how she sees herself.

This was an enjoyable novel that I would recommend to my students.

Thank you for the advanced copy,

The writing is beautiful and magical let's get that straight.
Writing aside let's be honest, I had a lot of unanswered questions at the end of finishing this and my understanding is that this is a standalone so idk if my questions will never be answered or if the final copies will have more info regarding my questions I'm just....unsatisfied.

Ok, I get that the master of the house is supposed to be like the embodiment of death but my question is why is he doing the things? Just for the sake of being death? Or is there a bigger reason that I didn't get or understand.
Also, why this family? Is there a specific reason or just bad luck that they chose the house?
I'd like more backstory on hannah and Edgar and how they got involved.
Probably just more backstory overall. Finally, I'd like more information on the ending, maybe an epilogue so as to explain if the wall ever breaks or if Olivia's children carry on the tasks.

The characters were great, the setting magical, the prose beautiful and the plot while I did have questions, it held through to keep me entertained and gripped.

Thank you as always to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Spooky and eerie, readers will be drawn to Schwab’s newest book. Olivia Prior was abandoned by her mother at a home for girls when she was a very young child. Now in her later teens, she is invited to go to the family home called Gallant. But she’s not welcomed by the only living relative who lives there. Matthew, her cousin, is angry at her arrival and wants her gone.

Is it that he won’t share the family legacy or is there something else going on? When mysterious things start happening, Olivia is drawn to the property’s secrets. There are ghosts and a mysterious wall that beckon.

Schwab is masterful at creating a world with alternate realities. She transports readers with her tale of impending doom. This book will add to her standing as a gifted writer of paranormal entities and passageways between the real and the spirit world.

<i>Gallant</i> is Victoria Schwab's latest young adult book. The story centers on Olivia, a young mute orphan at a school that trains girls to be servants in well-to-do houses. Olivia's misery is the school is shortlived when she receives a letter from a long-lost uncle who invites her to come to the family home called Gallant. However, when Olivia arrives no one is expecting her and the uncle who sent the letter has been dead for years.

This is a delightfully spooky book for young adults. It would be a great intro for preteens who want to venture into horror but aren't quite ready for really scary books. Like Schwab's other books, she really creates an encompassing world for her characters. I read this one over Halloween weekend and it was a real treat.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Another wonderful (but different) ghost story from V.E. Schwab. It was amazing that because Olivia never speaks a word we have a more intimate window into her thoughts, impressions and observations. Olivia's character development was outstanding and we really come to care about her and her feelings of loneliness, desire to belong, and longing to know what happened to her mother.

The story was gripping and at times nail biting. It was full of mystery and secrets that kept me engaged.

My only disappointment is that this is a stand-alone novel, as I wasn't happy at Olivia's fate at the end of the book. I hope the author will consider writing a sequel.

3.5 Stars Rounded Up

Beautiful Cover.

Another beautifully written novel by V. E . Schwab. The story itself reminded me of Coraline meets Secret Garden. While I found Gallant to be enjoyable, I didn't love it and found the ending of the story to be a little pointless. I wanted an expected more from it, especially after The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue.

This is a Schwab book through and through. It's clever, creepy, and bittersweet. I found it so clever that Olivia never said a word, and yet I found myself forgetting that detail entirely.

Such a good read. Spooky and atmospheric. I loved the characters and the family history, and the way everyone came together. Everything about the story was so interesting and the journals/drawings really added to the plot. Very well done.

This has been the first book by this author that I did not enjoy. Generally love everything else by this author.

As I expected, the writing is full of description and color. Schwab makes her settings come to life.. This book reminds me of The Secret Garden, but traveling over the wall is not always a good thing. It is a haunting, well written, rich book. The protagonist grows up in a school for girls. She is invited to come home through a letter, but when she arrives, no one expected her. She knows Gallant, her home, is hiding something. We follow her journey to unlock the secrets. Maybe sometimes locked doors are best left locked.. maybe not.

V.E. Schwab is a masterful storyteller. I love this teaser and cannot wait to put this into students' hands. Wonderful YA fantasy set up, also, beautiful illustrations.

A very spooky and atmospheric, almost gothic tragedy, with very spooky and atmospheric accompanying illustrations. I only wish it was a little less tragic!

This latest offering from V. E. Schwab does not disappoint. Dark, shadowy, and Gothic, the book weaves a web of intrigue that keeps the reader turning the page. Olivia Prior is a heroine to root for, her character strong and relatable. The book discusses the concepts of family, belonging, and the complex circle of life and death. It's slow burn suspense that makes the reader want to venture just a little further into the dark.

Gallant was like a love letter to Shirley Jackson. It reminded me somewhat of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but with more sound and color. Schwab’s books are always so descriptive; you never have any trouble seeing the story unfold in your mind. And I’ve always loved her dedication to building strong female characters.