#ve schwab herself said she wanted it be seen as such

[vanitasphobe]

i tend to stray from drama and discourse bc it gets really tiring but you know what. i’m a hater now. what the fuck netflix

#first kill #i was so excited for first kill bc it was the first show i saw with a black lesbian as a mc #and like i know it wasn’t the best quality with the best budget but that didn’t MATTER #what mattered was the representation. #what mattered was being able to see yourself in a shitty vampire show that isn’t all white and straight #ve schwab herself said she wanted it be seen as such #i’m so tired of hearing all these wlw shows being canceled like. #why do you hate wlw so much? if you’re just going to cancel a wlw show no matter how big it is #then what’s the point #i’ve seen people complain about the lack of wlw in media #and i agree. it’s upsetting that people will always go towards mlm first #and like i get that it’s bc they have more content #but choosing to completely ignore wlw just bc it’s already appreciated so little is #part of the problem.

[turquoisebooks]

After finishing Gallant, I felt and I still feel so… touched by it. It definitely left a mark. It's an amazing peculiar YA book with a great gothic atmosphere. It´s got Coraline plus Crimson Peak vibes. Yes, give me all the half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways and the eerie undertone of a huge house called Gallant and a crumbling mansion mirroring the said house, hidden behind a wall with an iron door sealed by blood. Thanks to the fact that we spend most of the time of the book either in the girl´s school and later on in one of the versions of Gallant with Olivia and three other characters the story feels quite intimate. 

I think that Gallant is the kind of story that forces you to look deeper in order to appreciate its message which I am still not sure I fully grasped. Of course, there is a plot full of ghouls, shadows, and a rather terrifying Master of the House, but besides these ominous hauntings, the book deals with the power of belonging. The heroine Olivia is an orphan living in a Preparatory school where her mother left her when she was very young. She is an outcast - the other girls either openly avoid her or bully her - and her loneliness is everpresent. It is dark and gloomy indeed. You can almost breathe in Olivia´s longing for warmth and family. Olivia stubbornly and not exactly wisely (since her mother warned her about the house) yet understandably enough, does not want to leave the place that may turn out to be the only home she will ever know. Interestingly, Olivia doesn’t speak, yet she did not feel like a silent character to me. I think she is pretty vocal even without uttering a single word. Schwab does a great job finding ways for Olivia to express herself without speech.

Furthermore, the book is about accepting two realities at the same time. Life ends as Death is inevitable but at the same time, Death can be banished so life may continue. It is also a story about sacrifices. As we learn more of Olivia’s parents and the ordeal of the Prior family, the weight of what the family has to endure really sets in. Throughout the book, we come across several diary pages with writings and gorgeous illustrations which just enhance the remarkable story inside. Regarding Olivia, her origins, and the diary, Schwab manages to tell the same story, that of Olivia’s parents, repeatedly throughout the book, yet, there is always some new information coming to life, making it interesting enough to keep your attention.

The second half of the book being is more action-packed than the first, but it felt a little bit more… ordinary, which is probably due to understanding what was going on. The mystery simply toned down a little. Speaking of the second half, I was interested in the world beyond the wall and the Master of the House. Honestly, I imagined how it would look like if Olivia followed him to the dark side and for a moment wished it to happen. There is no romantic or sexual connection between them so this is just me wishing once to see a heroine who gets swept by the darkness luring her in.

Regarding the ending, I´ve seen someone complain that when it was done, thinking the story hadn't moved anywhere and pondering ‘what was this all for?’, but I cannot agree with that. I think that´s the point. Not everything has to move forward toward a happy ending. Sometimes, and that's what I think will appeal to those who loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as I feel like both books play the same note, the ending is quite bittersweet.

Overall, If you want a book with a lot of action, this may not be the IT for you, but if you wish to dive into a very atmospheric and thought-provoking story, which is kind of based on opposites, exploring the balance between life & death, good & evil… with a very interesting heroine, Gallant is probably what you are looking for. It slowly nestled itself into the corner of my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with this e-ARC.

#turquoisebooks #turquoisereview #Moodboards #V E Schwab #gallant #netgalley arc #NetGalley