Gallant by V. E. Schwab | Book Review

【 GALLANT 】

This was a great little spooky read.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Author: V. E. Schwab
Published: March 2022
Publisher: Umbriel
Pages: 288 (paperback)

Everyone said this is a quick read and really good, and they were right. I always love Schwab’s magical way of weaving a tale, and Gallant really captures your imagination as you’re taken into Olivia’s world.

The spookiness of the story gives a fun, melancholy twist to the narrative and just knowing that a shadow/mirror world is somehow involved really piques your curiosity and keeps you turning the pages. The fact that Olivia can’t speak added to the heavy atmosphere of the book, feeling almost filmic with laughs that are breathy and screams that are silent – like accidental horror, because it’s not to scare you, it’s just that Olivia cannot make a sound.

The book itself is beautiful too. Filled with illustrations throughout that are a form of metafiction themselves, reflecting a journal that Olivia holds in her possession. It’s certainly an interesting and captivating piece of fiction that Schwab has written.

I loved the found family trope you find in these pages and the way the narrative toys with the concept of home. But the thing I loved the most was the language. Schwab brought this story to life the same way she intensely personifies objects in the story. It’s so real you could almost touch it.

For the spook fans out there, this is surely a must read. While at times a little freaky for me (but with pleasant resolutions that made me feel better), I really enjoyed this and found it to be a quiet but exciting read.