Gallant by V. E. Schwab

From the Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and A Darker Shade of Magic comes a standalone novel where The Secret Garden meets Stardust. Sixteen-year-old Olivia Prior is missing three things: a mother, a father, and a voice. Her mother vanished all at once, and her father by degrees, and her voice was a thing she never had to start with. She grew up at Merilance School for Girls. Now, nearing the end of her time there, Olivia receives a letter from an uncle she’s never met, her father’s older brother, summoning her to his estate, a place called Gallant. But when she arrives, she discovers that the letter she received was several years old. Her uncle is dead. The estate is empty, save for the servants. Olivia is permitted to remain, but must follow two rules: don’t go out after dusk, and always stay on the right side of a wall that runs along the estate’s western edge. Beyond it is another realm, ancient and magical, which calls to Olivia through her blood...

4.5

it's like The Secret Garden but gothic
SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE SECRET GARDEN AND THIS BOOKsimilarities between The Secret Garden and this book:-orphans get sent to their uncles house that never wanted them-male cousin is sick and gets forced to stay in bed-male cousin thinks they are doomed to die-both aunts are also dead-dead mums ghost comes to visit them -trying to get past a wall to see a garden-everyone is secretive whats in the garden and tells them to never go in there-magic plants-welcomed into family at the end-and many more but its 10pm and im tired

also mute character that doesn't miraculously talk at the end! as a mute girl its sad to see that mute people only get to have happy ending if they talk but being mute is fine and we can have happy endings too!

4/5 stars

I want to, soooo so badly, to give this 5 stars. Because it's VE Schwab, my favorite author ever and I love everything they do, but I don't give out 5 stars as easily as I used to and we've got to be honest with my rating.

But let's be real here, I'll probably go back and give it 5 stars. I'm just such trash for Schwab that it's not even funny anymore. And there were definitely parts that were 5 stars here, especially the writing, which was absolutely gorgeous (as per usual with VE Schwab) and the story between Olivia's parents. If this story was just about Olivia's mother and father, it might be one of the easiest 5 stars I have ever given out, but, unfortunately, it probably would have been too reminiscent of Addie Larue and we got this book instead.

And, also as per usual with VE Schwab, the plot and the world are so beautiful and complex and unique. Truly unlike any other book out there.

I loved all that, but I was left wanting more (and not in the good way).

I just think the story was rushed and the characters didn't seem very fleshed out. And there were a few times here and there where I was bored. I wasn't compelled to pick it up.

I finished it a long time ago, just hasn't been active here lately. :) It was a very intriguing read, but it got quite repetitive near the end, and I was losing interest.