Gallant

by V. E. Schwab

Overall: This is a quick YA fantasy/horror story – more like a long fable or very dark fairytale than a full, complex novel.  Olivia, a mute orphan who can see ghosts (ghouls in the book), was abandoned by her mother as a child at an orphanage called Merilance with only her name and a small book of dark, cryptic journal entries.  Then a letter arrives beckoning Olivia to a house called Gallant.  I love Schwab’s style and every page has a beautiful description or turn of phrase that kept me engaged with the writing.  The gorgeous illustrations by Manuel Šumberac play a starring role.  If you like ghost stories and are looking for something quick and creative in the fantasy/horror genre that’s not too gory, this is your book.  While I don’t think it’s the best thing Schwab has ever written, I’m still glad I picked it up.

Likes: The descriptions of Merilance and Gallant were fantastically detailed and made these settings characters in their own right.  I found Olivia intriguing and the questions about her mother’s journal – was her mother mentally ill?  Haunted?  Both? – kept me guessing.  I love thoughtful book design and beautiful illustrations, and this has both.

Dislikes: This is a book with a slim cast of characters, and only Olivia felt fully developed to me.  I especially wish I had gotten to know Matthew, Edgar, and Hannah better and understood their motivations more.

FYI: This book is a ghost story, and the ghouls, as they are called, are often missing body parts.  There are references to/implications of suicide, murder, and mental illness.  One character is restrained in a disturbing way. Loss of family members (parents, siblings) and abandonment are major themes.