Review of Gallant by V.E. Schwab
When I first picked up Gallant, I was buzzing with excitement. V.E. Schwab has a knack for crafting captivating fantasies, and I expected this one would be no different. The alluring premise combined with striking themes of isolation and secrets drew me in. After all, who could resist the tagline, "Every house has secrets"? But as I delved deeper into the world of Olivia Prior, I found myself lost in a web of clichés and predictability, leading to an experience that left me feeling more disengaged than enchanted.
The story follows Olivia, a girl raised in the austere confines of Merilance School for Girls. Armed with just her mother’s haunting journal, Olivia receives an unexpected invitation to Gallant—her uncle’s mysterious estate. Rather than a warm welcome, she is met with hostility from her cousin Matthew and visions of ghastly ghouls roaming the halls. Intrigued as I was by Olivia’s journey, the tale quickly became a patchwork of familiar tropes. “Safe does not mean happy,” one quote reminds us, but unfortunately, this book wasn’t safe nor happy for me; it was unremarkably bland.
Schwab’s writing style shines with its lyrical quality, and I found myself appreciating her talent for crafting beautiful sentences—yet this was all the more poignant given the plot’s shortcomings. The pacing felt off as well; after an intriguing opening, the narrative succumbed to what felt like endless descriptions of Gallant’s haunted hallways, with little action to carry the story forward. What should have become a tantalizing exploration of the gothic estate quickly turned into a monotonous journey where nothing of significance transpired.
I’ve often found Schwab’s characters compelling, yet here, I struggled to connect with Olivia and her few companions. Each seemed molded by similar archetypes, sharing traits with previous protagonists and lacking differentiation; the tough, emotionally detached female character is becoming a reliable formula rather than an evolving one. As I read, I couldn’t help but reminisce about Schwab’s other works and wonder if they were beginning to feel repetitive. I long to see a greater diversity of character types, especially in depictions of female relationships, which felt notably absent in Gallant.
This dissatisfaction was further compounded by the book’s treatment of dark themes—bullying, death, and mental health-related struggles. While these topics are significant and can offer depth, they were presented without the nuance needed to resonate genuinely. The result felt more like shock value than a meaningful exploration of the issues.
Despite my profound disappointment with the narrative and character development, it seems that Gallant might resonate differently with readers who appreciate Schwab’s established style. If you enjoy gothic atmospheres and a poetic writing style, perhaps this will prove enchanting for you. However, for those looking for fresh storytelling and dynamic characters, as I was, this journey may fall flat.
In conclusion, while Gallant has its moments of beauty, I found it to be a disappointing entry in Schwab’s oeuvre, leaving me craving something more original and emotionally engaging. If you’re new to Schwab, you might find it a notable starting point, but as a long-time reader, I felt a pang of loss for the potential that was left untapped. Here’s hoping her future works embrace the diverse narratives and characters we long to see!