Tag: V.E. Schwab

Book Review – Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Young Adult

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

If you’re looking for a haunted house vibe, Gallant by V.E. Schwab is the perfect book. I wouldn’t call it Horror, but it has a sinister tension all throughout the novel that I found equal parts comforting and terrifying. 

Olivia Prior, our scrappy main character, has always seen whispers of ghouls and shadows lurking around Merilance School for Girls. After receiving an invitation to return home to a family she’s never known, Olivia ignores the warnings in her late mother’s journal and journeys to Gallant. 

The secrets of her family begin to unravel as she uncovers the truth of who she is. The decision to take her place with the Priors or follow in her father’s footsteps weighs on her as she explores Gallant.

“When people see tears, they stop listening to your hands or your words or anything else you have to say. And it doesn’t matter if the tears are angry or sad, frightened or frustrated. All they see is a girl crying.”

V.E. Schwab, Gallant

This novel is a campfire ghost story brought to life. As always, Schwab is a fantastic story-teller, weaving a tale that grips and pulls you through the end. There is a slow build, but it’s worth the wait. My compulsion to call haunted house stories cozy says a lot about me, but this story wrapped me up in a warm blanket. The only thing missing was hot chocolate and a fire. 

Gallant has a strong Rory Power (author of Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down) vibe, in that the descriptions drive the terror and the constant anxiety of the story climbs in a steady pace. It’s somehow horrifying without the gore and jump scares. 

“Safe does not mean happy, does not mean well, does not mean kind.”

V.E. Schwab, Gallant

I don’t know if I have to give you a criticism or explanation of why Gallant didn’t reach five stars for me, but here goes. Calm, cozy, warm – those are the words that come to mind for this. It was a simple and enjoyable story. And it was perfect for me when I read it, but it wasn’t hard to put down during reading sessions. My life wasn’t somehow altered by this story or the characters.
Every book won’t do that, and that’s okay. But if you’re looking for an easy read to lose yourself in – I highly recommend Gallant.

Posted on by cieraraeoldham 0

Book Review – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

I’ve had this book on my TBR book cart for a while, and every time I went to pick my next read my husband was there pushing me to pick up Addie LaRue. It took months, but he finally won me over (along with everyone else on Bookstagram who is in love with this novel). 

Overall, I have conflicting emotions when it comes to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I enjoyed the story and the writing is gorgeous, but there are some elements that pulled this book back from a 5 star rating for me. 

I will give V.E. Schwab credit where credit is due – this is one of the best surprise/twist endings I’ve ever read. Even if you generally predict how Addie and Henry’s story is going to end, she throws in a little flare to really move this book high on my list of favorites.

The entire novel flips between Addie LaRue’s early life in the 1700s (progressing through the early 1900s) and present day. We open in France, 1714, where a young Addie LaRue makes a deal with a devil to escape a mundane and normal life in her small village. But her deal isn’t entirely what she thinks. 

Addie is doomed to a life of being forgotten by anyone and everyone she meets. 

We follow our main character across centuries where she learns what it means to sell yourself to survive, plays a role in World Wars, and fights each and every day to live her life – all while trying to stay strong in the face of her devil, who visits her every year on the anniversary of their deal. 

Like all great stories, things change when someone new comes into Addie LaRue’s life – a boy who can remember her. 

The writing throughout this novel is gorgeous – V.E. Schwab is absolutely a talented writer and story-teller. She paints a vivid picture and really gets us into the minds of her characters. I enjoyed every moment I spent reading this novel. I fell in love with the characters show brought to life from Addie to Henry, and even Luc. 

But ultimately, I feel like the flowery and poetic writing was a distraction for a lack of depth in the plot. 

We have a woman who is given immortality and she visits maybe four countries? She has an opportunity to explore the world, meet people from every part of the globe, and experience all the world has to offer – but she stays in France, Germany, Italy, and the U.S.? 

The main character recounts massive-scale world events, when there was an opportunity here to show us something about the world we didn’t know. 

And then there’s the men – Luc and Henry. Every aspect of Addie LaRue’s story, or at least the version she tells us, revolves around the two men in her life. All of her flashbacks, focused on the devil, and all of her present (until they collide), focused on Henry. We know who Addie is in the lense of her experiences with these men. 

A woman’s story is so much more than the man she’s with or loves.

I will take a moment to stop griping and say, I loved the ending and I cried – a lot. So while (over)thinking about this book after I finished, I would recommend this to a friend and hope you take the time to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. 

It’s a beautiful story about a woman who refused to give up or give in to the darkness. Addie’s resilience is awe-inspiring and worth your time. 

Buy The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab here at Thank You Books (Birmingham, AL) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? Let’s talk about it here in the comments or on Instagram.

Posted on by cieraraeoldham 1