I was so nervous to read my second V E Schwab book. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue set the bar so high, but I didn't need to be worried. Schwab's writing is as beautiful, moving, and atmospheric as ever.

Eerie and heartbreaking, Gallant tells the story of Olivia Prior's need for power and autonomy and home. A letter summons her from the miserable grey existence she's always known at Merrilance - a finishing school for abandoned girls - to the family she always dreamed was waiting for her. But all is not as it seems... She is fast drawn into a secretive family history more dangerous and strange than she could have ever imagined. Beautifully told through dual perspective that features a collection of gorgeous illustrations, this story is so poignantly told. The longing jumped from the pages and I was completely sold by Olivia as a character. 

This is more of a middle grade than a YA story. Be aware of that when starting this book. 

This is a short book with some ilusstrations

I loved that the representation of someone who can't speak. But, I didn't enjoy this story that much. I was bored and read this really slow. I was debating to DNF but something kept me going. It was atmospheric, eerie and creepy, but I still should have DNFd this one. 

Had a hard time focusing due to pain so may deserve a higher rating lol. Mind kept wandering - the plot ended a little abruptly & was a young narrative, but it was a fun interesting story and I enjoyed the nonverbal protagonist 

The Secret Garden meets Coraline. Gallant is essentially about life and death.

“Death comes for everything”

This novel is incredibly atmospheric  and detailed, so much so that it does create a movie in your head. However, because of how detailed visually the book seemed to be written as, I felt as though the character development with the main character, Olivia, fell flat. The pacing took too long in getting her accustomed to Gallant, that by the third act I was already bored, even with her meeting

Death

. Even with the found family trope of the book, it felt cliche and forced. I felt as though the author could have done more with her bonding with her found family, and maybe create a balance in her finding out about her parents and appreciating her found family. I genuinely think that this would make a great movie, but as a novel, it did fall flat. 

What was that ending?
I have to admit I was expecting more...

I mean, it was a fitting ending to the story, but at the same time I felt it rushed. 
And my question is... What is going to happen to Gallant once Olivia is not there anymore? What if she decides to have children? 

I liked Olivia as a character, she was interesting to read, how she could picture and feel the world around her. She felt real, a curious girl who has always wanted something and is finally getting it, although not as she expected. 
Matthew was very human. He was afraid and tired of everything.  You can definitely see how that shaped his actions throughout the book. 
Edgar and Hannah were mostly side characters, and didn't have much relevance to the actual plot, but I liked them. 

This book was dark and I was expecting some closure at the end, however, as I mention at the beginning, the ending was fitting for the type of story and the information given to Olivia. We as readers know the same about Gallant as she does. Therefore making her actions understandable and not childish or rash, since Olivia was filled with curiosity for a world she did not know anything about. 

I would have liked to rate the book higher, but I was expecting a bit more of action at the end and I would have liked more information about her parents. Still, in real life we don't always get the answers we seek. 

A simple yet hauntingly beautiful story