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| Gallant by V. E. Schwab |
V. E. Schwab has an ability to write wonderfully atmospheric fiction, no matter the genre or the age level the book is aimed at. Gallant is not an exception. It’s middle grade horror that’s exactly scary enough to spook younger readers and perfect for adults like me who don’t like to be too frightened.
Olivia is an orphan girl of fourteen in England around 1930s. She’s mute, unable to form the smallest sound, without friends in the orphanage where she’s lived since she was baby, and able to see ghouls. She knows nothing of her parents, but she has her mother’s diary where she warns her daughter to stay away Gallant.
Her life changes when her family contacts her, and without any inquiries, the orphanage sends her to live with them instead. She ends up in Gallant, a manor in northern England. But it turns out she isn’t welcome there after all.
Gallant has a secret which slowly unfolds to the reader. We follow Olivia as she tries to make sense of it, unable to properly communicate with the people in the house. She learns that her parents have been part of the secret too, and they’ve left her a legacy unlike the rest of her family. When it’s time to face the foe, it’s her duty to do it.
This was well-written, easy to read fantasy horror that kept me in its grips from start to finish. Olivia was a great protagonist: tough, stubborn, and not easily scared. Her muteness didn’t bother her as much it bothered other people, and she had a way to express herself by drawing. It wasn’t solely a gimmick either, but it could’ve played a greater role in the plot. The ending wasn’t a perfect happily-ever-after of MG fantasy, but it was satisfying. All in all, a great book for readers of all ages.
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