I love a Gothic novel and had this on my to-read list for ages. While the concept wasn't as original as Addie LaRue (think Rebecca, Crimson Peak, Fall of the House of Usher with a dash of Coralline), I found it a more enjoyable read. 

Schwab's descriptions of place in the book are immediate and visceral. I particularly loved the use of colour, nature and decay to immediately situate you between Merilance, Gallant, and the not-Gallant. The slow reveal of Olivia's parents' story and the mystery behind the house at Gallant was well paced, with diary entries and images used to good effect (although I wonder if they would have had even more impact if I weren't using an e-reader).

I particularly loved the description of the ghouls; it was creepy and horrific to imagine a small child seeing flashes of of hovering body parts and half-people out of the corner of her eye. The use of the word ghouls instead of ghosts also differentiated them and their relationship to Olivia; it made them seem more real and tangible than if the word "ghost" was used.

I enjoyed Olivia as a character; she was relatable, resourceful, and charming without being cloying. Although I have no lived experience, I also thought the portrayal of disability and ableism was strong. Olivia is constantly underestimated by others due to her inability to speak, which has significant consequences on her happiness and wellbeing, but she is never treated with pity by the text; instead, the reader shares in her frustration with the limited thinking of the people around her.

I was expecting a happy ending at the end of the book from the way the story had framed Olivia as embarking on a hero's journey,

and I was surprised and a little bit cheated to not receive one. However was also impressed with Schwab for not pulling her punches, and I admire how the melancholy ending stayed true to the Gothic tradition.

Overall there was nothing ground breaking about this book, but I found it entertaining, moving, and well-written.

This was such a good read, the spookiness and the mystery kept me engaged until the last page. The added element that the main character could not communicate with spoken word propelled the story forward: it added to the suspense, kept the mystery going, and allowed the worlds to develop in ways that it wouldn’t otherwise. 

ES:

Mi último libro del año :)

La verdad es que Schwab nunca me decepciona. Historia de casas encantadas, fantasmas y misterios para acabar el año. Me pareció muy interesante el concepto de la historia y cómo la articula...además de que la protagonista es discapacitada (y eso siempre le hace escalar puestos en mi ranking). 
La única pega que le pondría es que se me ha hecho corto (y que lo he tenido que dejar por trabajo un poco de lado, así que perdí un poco el hilo. Pero este último detalle es cosa mía).

A pesar de lo que dicho anteriormente, me lo he pasado muy bien y este libro me ha envuelto completamente hasta el punto de no poder hacer otra cosa que leer.

EN:

The last book of 2023 and I could not ask for something better! Ghostly enchanted houses full of secrets and spirits! Give me more, please!
I loved the concept of the story and how it developed. It was very immersive and I loved that we had a disabled main character, which rarely happens. I was very focused on the story, even when, because of work I had to abandon it for a bit, but I could not do other thing other than reading.

An brilliant book that would be perfect reading on a stormy winter's night. 
Beautifully paced with intriguing characters and a bone chilling ghost story woven throughout. It's not a hopeful read, but it's a gift of a story.

There are a lot of authors that can write beautifully, and Schwab is one of them. The two series I had read from her which is A Darker Shade of Magic and City of Ghosts (her Middle Grade work also, she wrote it under Victoria Schwab), this book has the same formula. There are certain authors who has a style that you can recognize and Schwab is definitely one of them. There is a certain flair to her words, making it dauntingly eerie and also beautiful. It creates a world that we're absorbed in, a place that we can get lost in as well. For Gallant, it was that, and more.

Personal Ratings : 4🌟

Short Summary
Gallant tells the story of young Olivia Prior, who is mute, and has no family. When one day a letter came to her at the orphanage telling she has an uncle and a family who wants her, she's beyond ecstatic. Things became out of hand when her cousin Michael didn't even seem to know about her existence.A story that is eerie, dark, mysterious and also heartwarming. Its of a girl who can see more than she could but couldn't say out what she saw. A family secret, dark and daunting, Gallant is a middle-grade story that is of love and freedom.

Personal Thoughts

It took me awhile to coherent my thoughts into words for this book, and I would say that this may not be Schwab's best work. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but I felt that the pacing of the story was a bit too slow. There was also the slight issue of the misleading marketing of the book. A lot of people had gone into the book thinking its set for an adult audience, where its intended more for a Middle-Grade / Younger YA audience rather than for an Adult setting; which might come in hand when you're diving into the book.

Personally for me, there was nothing wrong with the book, but there was nothing that memorable either. The prose was beautiful, like Schwab's writing in ADSOM (and I am an absolute fan of the series), but for Gallant, there was a slight pacing problem for me because the start of the book was too slow for my liking. However, when everything made sense, I thought that every illustrations and the arrangement of the book actually MADE A LOT OF SENSE , which was why I thought it was clever of Schwab to narrate the story in such a way. It was beautiful and admittedly, I teared up a bit at the end of the book.

Schwab was known for her characterization, and since this is a Middle Grade/YA, there are not much development of the characters in here. However, the Setting of the book has been done marvellously! It was eerie and scary with hints of mystery, which made me so absorbed in the book. If I were given a book like this when I was younger, I would have definitely devoured it in one seating. It will be a great book for anyone who loves Gothic-themed stories, because dang Schwab knows how to narrate a story!

In terms of Representation , there is a Disability Rep where Olivia, the main characters is mute and her cousin is dyslexic. Whilst I cannot comment much on this matter, I am thankful to Schwab for portraying a character that is brave and steadfast. Whilst Schwab still needs a lot to improve for her female characters (i'm sorry I love you Schwab, but lets face it, she's a mini Lila Bard), Olivia was still a protagonist that I had enjoyed reading.

The most winning point of the book will be the way it was arranged and narrated. I own the paperback and mygosh its still beautiful ! The illustrations in here helped to understand the condition of what's happening in the story, and made it make a lot more sense, which I really appreciate!

Overall
I think this is quite a messy review, but all in all, Gallant was one of my anticipated releases this year, and eventhough it was not Schwab's best works, it did not dissaopoint. I would say this would be a good book to start if you haven't read any of Schwab's books before. For the intended audience, it was okay and like I said previously, I would have devoured this book if this were given to me as a child. As an adult, I still loved it eventho I craved for more in depth of the characters, but for the intended audience it had served its purpose! Recommended still especially for gothic-dark-eerie-vibes book lovers!

Thank you to Pansing Distributions (@DefinitelyBooks) for generously providing me this gorgeous copy of the book.

Disclaimers: All my reviews are my thoughts of the book and according to my personal preferences. Even though I had received a review copy, it does not affect my review and honest thoughts for the book.