Gallant (YA Annotation)

Title: Gallant

Author: V.E. Schwab 

Genre: YA

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Pages: 352

Geographical Setting:  England

Time Period: Victorian

Plot Summary:  

    Olivia Prior is an orphan who has lived most of her life at the Merilance School for Girls. She was left at the orphanage when she was two, her only possession being her mother's Green leather-bound journal. This journal doesn't tell her much about her family except that her father is dead and her mother likely went mad. It doesn't even tell her their names. It does warn her to stay away from Gallant.

    Olivia is isolated from the others she grows up with because she cannot speak. At one point in her childhood, one of the matrons who ran the orphanage taught her sign language, but when that matron leaves, she was left with no one else who understood her, unless she takes the time to write it out. Her inability to speak isn't the only thing that makes her different. She also has a secret: she can see things others cannot

    Unexpectedly, a letter arrives at the school. It appears to be from her uncle, claiming he has been looking for her for years. The matrons send her out in a car the next day to be dropped off at a grand manor in the countryside. The manor's name is Gallant. 

    While the housekeeper immediately recognizes Olivia's mother's features in the child standing at the doorstep, and invites her in, as it is getting dark, it is clear they weren't expecting her. In fact, her uncle is dead and her cousin doesn't want her in the house. Despite the fear of her mother's warning, the unwelcome response from her only living relative, and the strange nightmare she has her first night, Olivia is determined to stay. After all, it has to be a better life than the sad, gray, poor, oppressive life at Merilance, right? Plus, it might be her only chance to learn about her family.

   Strange nightmares and her daily explorations begin to reveal secrets about the house and her family. The others in the house will only tell her half-truths, clearly hiding fear and concern behind vague explanations. It becomes clear to Olivia that something unnatural lives on the other side of the garden wall, and tries to extend its reach to the manor each day by sending out weeds that strangle the life out of living things in the garden. It is also clear it is her family's mission to keep this thing at bay. She knows she must fight it as well, except she also knows she has a strong connection to the world on the other side of the wall.

This is one of my longer summaries because there is a lot to unpack in each part of this book. However, I'm hoping to keep it vague enough that I'm not giving it all away! Can Olivia save herself and her cousin? Will her connection to the world beyond the wall help her or hurt her?!

Subject Headings:

orphans

family secrets

Appeals:

Pace: Intensifying 

Tone: Suspenseful 

Writing Style: Richly detailed

Schwab skillfully builds the story in a way that slowly builds the tension throughout. The details of Olivia's life at Merilance are rich and this part of the story is not skimpy. This part gives the reader an idea of Olivia's character and history and gives just enough hints that there is more to learn about Olivia and the mystery of her life. Schwab keeps giving away just a bit more of the mystery and fantasy details as you read until you are suddenly fully in another world with different rules from reality and still the tension builds as Olivia must now fight for her life.

Setting: Set in a Victorian England

There are details of the buildings, cities, clothing, and societal expectations that set the stage and a "level of detail and description through which these eras are conjured anew" (Joyce and Sarick, p.131) that make this a historical fantasy. combined with a portal fantasy that becomes clear when Olivia steps beyond the garden wall into a strangely reflected world with a strange kind of magic. 

Relationships: Aromantic

There is no romance story in this story for the main character. Olivia mentions that there was once a boy that kissed her, and while she thought she would feel a longing to be wanted by him, she didn't feel anything from the kiss. It is interesting to find a YA book that doesn't have a romance for the main character. It is worth mentioning because there are readers who seek out YA books for the specific kind of YA romantic longing common in it and this does not have it. 

Terms that best describe this book:

compelling

historical portal fantasy

gothic & ghoulish

Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty

Olivia is not frightened of the ghouls in Gallant and while their nature is a little gruesome, the descriptions aren't overly graphic. If readers can read about how a ghoul and other characters are formed from floating eyes or have areas where bones show through their flesh, they may appreciate a strangely humorous take on death. 

Necropolis: London and Its Dead by Catharine Arnold

Because of the ghoul descriptions, a book about the dead in London might be of interest to readers. This book dives into history and shares anecdotes. Just as Gallant looks at death head-on, so does this book.

Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Another YA fantasy book, this one is about a girl whose family life is a mystery she can't uncover until she leaves boarding school and returns home. She finds a dysfunctional family with secrets of a supernatural nature. This one is more leisurely paced.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Unlike Olivia, Alice grows up with her mother. However, she also never felt like she had a home, as she and her mother move around a lot. When they try to settle, unfortunate accidents eventually follow. Alic'es mother has also been hiding family secrets that reveal dangerous magic. Also, a portal fantasy. This one with a dark fairytale twist.