V.E. Schwab is a magical author. I find myself truly absorbed in her words, worlds and characters. With each of her novels, I have never read another one like it and I am mesmerised, each time. This book was dark, twisting and extraordinary with an incredible protagonist – young woman who cannot use her voice to speak – and the true meaning of home. Incredible!

Very atmospheric book, and not sure about the ending, but I like the characters and I love the different forms of communication (and barriers to communication) used throughout.

 3.5 stars

As may others who listened to this book, I feel that a female narrator would have done better in conveying Olivia's emotions. Don't get me wrong, Julian Rhind-Tutt DID A FANTASTIC JOB with pacing, creating tension and atmosphere, but his particular style, in my opinion, did not match perfectly to Olivia's character.
Although I say all of this, I don't think the audiobook is flawed or a flop by any means; the 3.5 stars are deserved.

In this YA fantasy- mistery (closer to middle-grade actually), we follow Olivia Prior- a mute girl from Merilance School for Independent Girls as she receives a letter from an uncle(Arthur Prior) telling her she needs to come to Gallant.

The themes present in this novel are: loneliness, the overbaring weight of the PAST GENERATIONS ON NEWER ONES, family and familial bonds/found family, heirlooms an their many forms,etc.

I think that V.E. Schwab has amazing ideas, and for most of the time, her execution is great for me; but this time, I felt that she held back on consequences: we have real danger and tragic stories rooted in the main conflict of the book, but without the usual unconcious understanding of all this by our main character. Olivia is very much preocuppied with unraveling the mistery her mother is. The journal motif is over-utilised(in my opinion), and it comes a sort of obsession that instead of adding a layer of melancholy and dramatism, it comes off as a distraction from the plot. (I'm not sure how this is possible, given the fact Olivia, the journal, her mom and the danger are all connected...>.>)

Things I think were very much needed and extremely important, but somehow, they did not come of right: use of Gallant description, the fantastic element of this book...I feel it could have been better employed to strengthen the bond in the family...at it was done...Olivia is separated once again from her family...the irony...>..>

Besides the mistery element, we also have a romantic one that doesn't include Olivia in a direct way(thank God). This element is my second problem...I would have wanted more explanation, especially as it has a giant connection to the rest of the plot; it lacked development, or better said, it lacked the necessary unfolding of info in the final part of the book. In the current form, it just feels like a plot device...unfortunately...:(

My final complain...the bad guy...felt kind of cartoonish not gonna lie...>...>...maybe this is appropriate for the age range this book is targeting, but it was still kind of jarring...

Enough with the negativity! Good things worth mentioning!: THIS IS A 100% V.E. SCHWAB BOOK, albeit for a much younger audience! GREAT ATMOSPHERE LIKE ALWAYS, you can feel the emotions exuded by the MCs (Olivia and her cousin Mathew and their lack of understanding...both stranded on their own little solitude island :))); the concern from Edgard and Hanah :) )

If I was to give a number from 1 to 10 for components...here they are :
Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 8 (great but not the best ever)
Writing: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 6
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 7

Content Warnings: forcibly restraining someone to a bed; graphic imagery of dead bodies; death, mental ilness developed under constant stress for long periods of time and slow mental degradation described on page; animal death, mental torture.

Representation: mute MC.

In conclusion, this book is great for anyone enjoying V.'s writing style, but head's up to the age range! I also think this is a great read if you are new to fantasy-mistery/ a little bit of horror elem. I will recommend this book to people enjoying young MC's who look for found family, mistery/horror, and supernatural component as a glue holding everything together!

Enjoy 

I constantly thought the narrator was actually Neil Gaiman and that is the highest order of compliment I can bestow to a male narrator.

Rep: white asexual(?) mute cis female MC, white side characters.

CWs: Death, death of parent, blood, grief, animal death, abandonment, bullying, ableism, child death, suicide, gore, self harm, suicidal thoughts, violence, kidnapping, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, mental illness, body horror. Minor: alcoholism.