Gallant
Kids say
Based on 3 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Gallant is written by V.E. Schwab, aka Victoria Schwab (Monsters of Verity) and illustrated by Manuel Sumberac. It's about Olivia Prior, whose uncle invites her to the family estate named Gallant, a place with secrets. Olivia is mute and is often frustrated with her inability to communicate with those around her. She breaks things as her way of making as much noise as she can. At the Merilance School where Olivia grew up, some of the girls used to bully and make fun of her. She imagines hurting them and does retaliate on one occasion by choking a girl and dumping a bucket of bugs on her. Both at Merilance and Gallant, ghouls, partially formed spirits of the deceased, haunt Olivia. They don't hurt and can't touch her. The Master of the House from the other side of the wall is missing pieces of himself. He also kills the animal he makes from ash. Some of the violence is self-inflicted, with some characters accidentally and intentionally slicing their palms, and a flashback reveals that another character committed suicide. Though this book is classified as horror, it's more atmospherically spooky than truly scary.
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What's the Story?
In GALLANT, orphaned Olivia Prior has lived at the Merliance School for Independent Girls for as long as she could remember. She remembers nothing about her father, and the only thing she has from her mother is a journal filled with ink illustrations and entries to a mysterious you. One day, Olivia gets a letter from her uncle inviting her to Gallant, the Prior family estate. But when she arrives at Gallant she finds out that no one's expecting her. She meets the caretakers, Hannah and Edgar, as well as her cousin Matthew, who for some reason wants her gone. Soon Olivia discovers a family secret, a curse that has left Matthew and Olivia as the only surviving members. There are two Gallants, one is the shadow of the other. The Master of the House from the other Gallant wants to get to this side, and he needs Olivia to help him. Will she be able to keep The Master from escaping and protect her new home and family?
Is It Any Good?
This haunting fantasy is a beautifully written and atmospheric piece of work. The metaphors and descriptions in Gallant do a great job of creating a spooky atmosphere. The ink illustrations from Olivia's mom's journal are a mystery in themselves. Readers can try to figure what the images represent. The mysterious dark splotches also add to the ghoulish atmosphere.
The pacing of the story takes a back seat to the descriptions, so it feels like there's long stretches with not much happening. Though there isn't edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced action, there are suspenseful moments in Olivia's confrontations with the Master of the House.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about communication in Gallant. Olivia is unable to talk to people, so she finds other ways to communicate. How does her inability to communicate affect how she sees herself and her interactions with others? What can we learn about communication from Olivia, her attempts to communicate with people, and their attempts to understand her?
A girl at the Merilance School bullied Olivia and she responded with violence. What are some nonviolent ways she could've responded with instead?
Doors and what they represent are a prominent theme in Gallant. Why are doors significant? How would you describe what doors represent, both in the book and in your life?
Book Details
- Author: V.E. Schwab
- Illustrator: Manuel Sumberac
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Greenwillow Books
- Publication date: March 1, 2022
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: June 1, 2022
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