If Olivie writes it, I’m going to read it. She is one of the few authors who has such an uncanny ability to write intrinsically flawed and dislikable characters that you can’t help but feel sorry for.

It’s very rare to find a book where the plot is driven by the characters, but everyone that I have read from Olivie is exactly that. It’s a very difficult thing to master and manage to keep the reader’s attention, but I am always glued to the page.

This book was no different. I wanted so much to dislike the Wrens, but I found myself feeling sorry for them, and the way that they were raised that essentially turned them into the people they are in this book.

The addition of magic is nice but manages to not take center stage and instead allows coping with the loss of a parent to be the main focus.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and the author for an eARC of this book to review. 💙

Olivie Blake has a way of making existential crises feel poetic, and Gifted & Talented is no exception. This book is a sharp, introspective, and sometimes painfully relatable look at ambition, loneliness, and the identities we build for ourselves—especially when we’re young and desperate to be someone worth knowing.

The novel follows a group of graduate students at Oxford, each brilliant in their own way, but also deeply flawed. Blake excels at crafting characters who feel almost too real—messy, over-intellectualizing, and self-sabotaging in ways that make you want to shake them and hug them in equal measure. The academic setting is intoxicating, and the dialogue is laced with the kind of wit and self-awareness that makes Blake’s writing so addictive.

That said, this book is definitely more about character exploration than plot, so if you’re looking for something fast-paced, this may not be it. There were moments where the prose leaned a little too heavy on introspection, slowing things down, but the emotional payoff was worth it.

Overall, Gifted & Talented is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished. If you love books about complicated, intelligent people trying (and failing) to figure themselves out, this one’s for you.

Imagine Succession with fantasy like The Umbrella Academy. That's exactly what Gifted and Talented felt like for me.

When Thayer Wren, tech mogul and CEO of Wrenfare Magitech, suddenly dies, he leaves behind three dysfunctional, supernaturally gifted heirs, each vying for control of his empire. There’s Meredith, a Forbes 30 Under 30 tech genius whose entire career is built on a lie; Arthur, the smooth-talking congressman with a complicated love life and an even more complicated ability to come back from the dead; and Eilidh, the underestimated youngest sibling who might just be the most dangerous of them all. Throw in legal battles, buried secrets, and a few very bad decisions, and you have a cutthroat inheritance showdown with powers involved.

Blake’s signature sharp prose and intricate character work shine here, crafting a tale of power, ambition, and very messy family dynamics. Are the Wren siblings likable? Not particularly. Are they fascinating? Absolutely.

I must admit that the book's beginning felt very slow for me. I felt like nothing was going on at the start, and it took a bit too long to get going, but I didn't mind it too much. The characters were very interesting so I was still engaged and looking to see what happened.

While the story sometimes takes the scenic route, it’s all in service of an ending that hits just right. If you love morally gray characters, corporate drama with a magical twist, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you hooked even when you’re screaming at the characters’ choices, this one’s for you.

Olivie Blake always knocks it out of the park! The complicated sibling dynamic really spoke to me as a middle child of six! The Succession meets magic was such an intriguing combination I couldn’t get enough! If you like dark themes, family drama sprinkled with some magic definitely check out Olivie Blake’s newest book! This book will make you happy! ;)

Olivie Blake has blown my mind. This was my first foray into her writing and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long.
Gifted & Talented reels you in with the feeling that you’re participating in some intellectual banter. You’re thrown right into the mix with the Wrens, in their world of wealth, tech, and unfortunately for them, magic. When their billionaire father dies, leaving the family company behind, the question of which of his dysfunctional heirs inherited his legacy is up in the air. The will’s execution becomes tied up in legal complications and with the Wren siblings stuck in limbo, it becomes apparent they need to confront their pasts in the form of a quest for help from the one person least likely to give it.
What ensues is spellbinding story of power, vindication, and family I can confidently say I’ve never read anything like. Blake’s ability to write deeply flawed, unlikable characters that are both insufferable and impossible to look away from is remarkable. There’s so much to absorb, from the quick, sharp dialogue between characters, the omnipresent and perhaps biased narrator, and rich internal monologues, Blake casts a thick spell you’ll find hard to come out of.
If you’re looking for a literary fiction read with a dash of thriller, political drama, and some dark fantasy elements, Gifted & Talented is your next read.

Thank you so much to Tor Publishing Group for providing me with this digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride from start to finish. As with most Olivie Blake books, I found myself confused and wondering what the premise of the story was. I liked the whole piece about Chirp and Meredith but other than that, I didn't really care for any of the other siblings. The unreliable narrator was a welcome change and it definitely felt different from what I usually read. All in all, while this wasn't the book for me, I definitely see the appeal.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 512 / Genre: Magical Realism
Release Date: April 1, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Thayler Wren is CEO of both his work life and his family life. When he dies suddenly of a heart attack, his children wait with bated breath to hear who he left the company to. The obvious choice is Meredith, a ruthless bitch of a business woman, but who Thayler honestly disliked. Then there’s Arthur, the handsome and charismatic congressman, who doesn’t actually qualify to be CEO but would make a good face for the position and who has just always wanted to be loved by his father. And then there’s Eilidh, a former ballerina who’s dreams were crushed when she was irrevocably injured and has been just whiling away her days working at her father’s company in the marketing department and who was his obvious favorite.

This book has serous Succession vibes but with some magic realism thrown in. There are a lot of characters to remember, but each one has interesting quirks and peculiarities that help make them stand out. This story really just follows the bit of time from when Thayler dies to when the lawyers read out the terms of his will, with the whole family staying together in the family home. But there’s a lot of flashbacks to important events and backstory explanations throughout. All in all, a compelling and entertaining read.

A testament to the power of Olivie Blake. This novel is powerful and explores ambition through a magical lens in the way that she does best. The family dynamics add a new edge to the book.

✨ Messy, Addictive, and Complicated in All the Best Ways ✨

I didn’t know what to expect going into Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake, but I can definitely say it delivered on all the dark, complicated family drama I was hoping for.

The Wren siblings, Meredith, Arthur, and Eilidh, are a disaster, and I mean that in the most fascinating way possible. Meredith is ruthless and ambitious as the CEO of her own magitech company, Birdsong. Arthur is charming but so desperate to be loved that it’s painful to read. And Eilidh who was struggling to piece herself back together after losing everything she thought defined her.

What really sold me on this book was the way Blake writes these messy, painfully human characters. Meredith’s need for control, Arthur’s constant validation-seeking, Eilidh’s grief and frustration, it’s all so raw and complicated. The family dynamics feel tangled and real, with everyone vying for their own version of success while dealing with the shadow of their father’s death.

Blake’s writing is definitely an acquired taste, it’s poetic, overly detailed, and sometimes a little too heavy. But there’s something addictive about the way she builds her characters and their broken relationships. It’s like reading about a beautiful train wreck you just can’t look away from.

The pacing did drag at times, especially for a book that only spans a few days. But even when I got frustrated, I couldn’t stop reading. Blake’s characters are the kind you hate to love but still want to know everything about.

If you’re into messy, character-driven stories with flawed but fascinating siblings fighting over inheritance and legacies, Gifted and Talented is definitely worth a read. Just be ready for the pretentiousness, because it’s there and it’s thick.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for letting me read this captivating and complicated story early.

INSTAGRAM POST:

✨ Why you NEED to read this book ASAP:

✨WHAT I LIKED:
📌 Meredith’s ambition and how unapologetically cutthroat she is.
📌 Arthur’s desperate need for love and validation.
📌 Eilidh’s struggle to rebuild herself after her dreams are shattered.
📌 The subtle magic woven into the characters’ personalities.
📌 That snarky, omniscient narrator dropping truth bombs along the way.

✨TROPES:
📌 Dysfunctional family dynamics
📌 Power struggles and inheritance drama
📌 Morally gray characters
📌 Tragic backstories and healing from trauma
📌 Found family vibes
📌 Ambition vs. legacy
📌 Messy relationships and complicated love
📌 A moderate amount of spice

Thank you Tor for this ARC.

I keep seeing people saying if you liked the show Succession then you will like this book. I haven’t watched Succession but after reading Gifted and Talented, I think I will.

The three main sibling characters are a beautiful mess. So unlikable but in the most entertaining ways. But my favorite character was the fourth wall breaking narrator, God. The snarky and sarcastic comments on the lives of the Wren family honestly kept me even more invested.

If you aren’t a fan of dry and sarcastic humor along with dark social themes of a modern society that happens to have a touch of magic, then this book may not be for you. The magic/sci-fantasy elements were entwined really nicely into the narrative without taking away from the dysfunction of the characters.

This book did take me a bit to get through because there was quite a bit of information to take in at once. But at the end of the book it was pretty worth it.

𝟰.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

”but hey, a bad dad is a bad dad.”

from as long as i can remember, words have always flowed effortlessly whenever i tried to write a review. but 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 has proven to be my most challenging yet; perhaps because of the characters’ complexity, the plot’s layered diversity, or the tangled, conflicting relationships that unfold within its pages.

at its core, this is a story about three siblings, bound by blood yet fractured in ways only family can be. 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐡, who built an empire on a fraudulent app, her success now threatened by an ex-boyfriend journalist poised to expose her. 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫, the eldest, a married politician navigating a polyamorous relationship while still tethered, irrevocably, to his wife. and the youngest, their father’s golden child—𝐄𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐭𝐡—a former ballerina whose dreams were shattered by an accident that forced her into the rigid embrace of corporate life, right beside their patriarch.

their father’s death is the catalyst, the moment that sets everything into motion, yet the story is less about 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 and more about how they dissolve. told through shifting perspectives and an arsenal of writing styles, this novel is a masterclass in narrative craftsmanship. Olivie Blake’s penmanship is anything but orthodox; it demands attention, forces you to linger on every syllable, every carefully chosen word.

but beyond its literary prowess, this is a book driven by characters. or more accurately, 𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴. the brilliance of it lies in how it captures the subtle yet seismic ways siblings can grow up under the same roof, share the same parents, and yet; experience entirely different versions of the people who raised them.

Blake caricatures this phenomenon with precision, braiding in threads of magical realism and just the right soupçon of family drama. it’s messy, it’s intricate, it’s painfully human. and maybe that’s why it’s so difficult to review; because how do you encapsulate a book that isn’t just a story, but an examination of the bonds that define and destroy us in equal measure?

thanks for the eARc !

Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake is a book that should not have worked, but it absolutely does. We have three thoroughly unlikeable adult children of a billion business entrepreneur, Thayer Wren. First born, Meredith, a genius who founded her own company, Birdsong, with a product, Chirp, that will make you happy. Meredith likes to remind people that she is a prodigy, a genius, and it is definitely in her wheelhouse to do what ever it takes to win. Arthur, the middle child, and only boy, is the second youngest Congressman ever elected to the House. His wife Gillian is lovely, but he is very busy with his extracurricular activities in a thruple that has nothing to do with Gillian. He will tax every last bit of your patience because he feels unloved and misunderstood by everyone. Finally we have the youngest Wren daughter. A prima ballerina with a bright future ahead of her, until a car accident prevents her from ever dancing professionally again. She is very busy feeling sorry for herself and working in marketing at her father's company. Thayer unexpectedly dies and the kids gather to hear the will - they all want to know who their father loved best. Multiple narrators including an omniscient narrator, god. So many reasons this should not have worked, and yet, it does. Such a good read. I give this book 4.75 stars and need to thank Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for my advance reader copy.

You all know Olivie Blake is an auto-buy author for me, but this one needs to be on everyone’s list.

In Gifted & Talented, we follow three deeply-flawed siblings in the wake of their father’s unexpected death. Their relationships are already tenuous, but when it becomes clear that the inheritance of their father’s tech dynasty is now up for grabs, things really begin to fall apart at the seams.

Oh, and to complicate matters further, each sibling possesses a magical mallody that seems to rear its head at the least opportune time.

G&T was less about the plot and more about deep character studies. Normally that’s not my vibe, but I was absolutely obsessed with these characters and all their messy, emotional wreckage. The side characters were particularly enjoyable (Yves you lovable buffoon you), and each romantic relationship was more heartbreaking than the next.

What really drew me in was Olivie’s stinging social commentary and her omnipotent, God-like narrator (“A Brief Note From God” had me dying). Olivie got mad within this one. The sassy, sarcastic mad that you don’t fully realize until after it’s hit you. Some might call the prose flowery or purple, but you can give me all the paragraph-long sentences as long as they leave me with a gut-punch and a blown-mind.

If you’re a fan of Olivie, this is a must-read. If you’re new to her work, I think this is a good one to try first!

Olivie Blake once again crafts a fascinating character study and intriguing family drama in her latest novel Gifted & Talented. This is definitely a character driven story more so than anything else, there's not too much plot but the vibes are definitely strong! Filled with her signature wit, dry sense of humor, spot on political and societal commentary, this is another hit from Blake.

If you love character driven stories then this is definitely for you. The book lets you know from the very first line that you will not like these characters. So at least you're prepped for it! But as you continue the read, there is a type of 'enemies to lovers' situation going on between you and the characters. Olivie Blake always finds ways to have unique perspectives and writes her stories in an unconventional manner that can be chaotic yet refreshing. This book finds ways to make you feel fully and completely. You may be disoriented (like these characters for the majority of the book lol) and I think that's the point. Life is chaotic, disorienting, and confusing but it is also forgiving, lovely, and passionate.

pub day review: gifted & talented by olivie blake

this book will make you cry :)

the wren siblings are struggling. meredith’s entire career is a lie. arthur’s life is messy (he has a wife, a boyfriend, & a potentially pregnant girlfriend). eilidh has no purpose & she’s spent the last few years working for her father who is now dead. thus begins olivie blake’s latest novel, filled with flawed characters, complex family dynamics, and hilarious side plots. she does what she does best by making all these unlikeable players become so lovable. without giving too much away, let’s get into it.

GIFTED & TALENTED is a character study told across multiple povs, & it takes place over the course of a few days, which gives us lots of time to simmer in all of our protagonists’ consciousness. last month, i got to attend a signing & told olivie that i had a feeling that this book will break me. & i was right to assume so. as an only/oldest daughter, meredith’s ambition & endless search for validation resonated deep within my soul. my insecurities were laid out on the page like an exposed wound, & i was both so uncomfortable yet comforted about being so transparent. meanwhile, arthur’s relationships posed so many questions about marriage & love, which felt apt for me (having just got married six months ago). eilidh may be the most “likable” of the three wren siblings, which isn’t saying much tbh, because of her own longing for belonging, even if she isn’t doing much to fight for herself.

overall, i think this is some of olivie’s best work. it doesn’t take much for her to craft a story that sticks with you, with little nuggets of wisdom hidden beneath her clever sense of humor. while i know this one won’t be for everyone, it definitely worked for me in this season of life so thanks again olivie. i knew this one would break me.

GIFTED & TALENTED is out today.

I will always be in awe on how Olivie writes her characters. How they’re so witty and just fun to follow and read about. What I love most is how the characters are troubled, victims of their own circumstances. It truly is gifted child to clinically depressed pipeline. One I could completely relate to. It’s a book about family, self worth, navigating ambition and the dysfunction it entails.
I could not put this down, I love Olivie and I love this book and thank you for the arc!

I'm not sure how Olivie Blake managed to take everything I constantly say I don't care for (slow-paced, character-driven, unanswered questions), shove it all into one book, wrap it in her equally beautiful and funny prose, and make me love it, but here we are.

The Wren siblings, Meredith, Arthur, and Eilidh, are brought together by their father's sudden passing. Keeping the peace between them is difficult enough without the added tension of waiting to see who will inherit Wrenfare Magitech, the billionaire's actual favorite child. Throw in the fact that Meredith is being investigated for fraud, Arthur is losing his re-election campaign, and Eilidh has a penchant for causing small apocalypses, and they'll be lucky to last long enough for the lawyers to decide which will is Thayer's actual final testament.

I was hooked from the very first sentence- and can now attest to the fact that Meredith Wren is indeed an asshole. The ridiculous sibling antics were enough to keep me reading, but with God's added snarky narration, I was audibly laughing throughout the entire book. I don't understand how I can hate a cast of characters so much and still root for them endlessly. They are entitled, privileged, whiny, and varying degrees of bad people, and yet there was also something so humanly relatable about being a burnt-out, previously-labeled-gifted child turned depressed adult that made them almost endearing to me (Meredith especially, damn her). I genuinely wanted each of them to find their version of happiness. Which is what I think this book is really asking- what does it mean to be happy, and how do we get there? I loved watching their journey through grief, and I don't think I could ask for anything more from a family drama.

This story perfectly suits Blake's writing style. If you've read any of her previous novels and didn't enjoy the writing, then this one may not be for you as it's much of the same. But if you, like me, know that you love her prose and the way she structures her narratives in a not-so-linear fashion, then I cannot recommend enough that you pick up a copy of this immediately. There's something special in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, TOR Books, for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

Olivie Blake is an exceptional writer and I never know what to expect from her book to book. In Gifted and Talented, she has served up some major family drama, The three Wren siblings have complicated relationships and like most people are sorting through the damage of their childhood. But in the Wrens' case, there is the extra layer of magic, competition and expectations within the family company, and so much more. Clever and sharp, as always, Olivie Blake has written a tome that will have you sat for its duration, always wanting more.

thanks to Tor for the e-ARC

I’m pretty stingy with the full five stars, but I think this book deserves it, even despite being long enough I read it in multiple sittings. I’m someone who has believed in Olivie Blake’s skill and potential even as I’ve had issues with most of her books, and it’s in this book that I think her unique talents get to shine: flawed characters that you still get invested in, witty narrative voice, and experimental writing style.

I spent every page of this book alternating between loathing and mourning for these characters. they’re all certainly obnoxious, but they’re also determinedly human in a way where it’s hard not to empathize with how miserable they are. the text plays with this- reminding you that they suck when they’re seeming to sympathetic, and giving you a human moment when they’re seeming seem villainous.

the narration and writing style are experimental in a way that paid off for me. sarcastic and conversational omniscient-ish third person is incredibly fun, and helped maintain some continuity across different character focuses. the periodic short chapters or format changes also helped me maintain interest during a longer book.

I really think this sort of standalone with a grounded plot but wacky world is the perfect sandbox for Olivie Blake’s writing, and I’m thoroughly satisfied by this read.