AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
“A bone-chilling standalone . . . which fuses Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Gripping worldbuilding, well-rounded characters, and fantastic horror.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Unsettling and intriguing.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.
#1 New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab weaves a dark and original tale about the place where the world meets its shadow, and the young woman beckoned by both sides. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this stand-alone novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman.
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Galla
ant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?
New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, stand-alone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert, and Garth Nix will quickly lose themselves in this novel with crossover appeal for all ages.
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Schwab uses a blend of Gothic, fantasy, and horror to create an unsettling story that reads like a cautionary folktale to beware the shadows. Olivia Prior spends her days at the Merilance School for Independent Girls reading her mother's journal and longing for a family. It seems her wish is granted when a long-lost uncle writes to her and calls her home. But when she arrives at Gallant, no one is expecting her, and her angry cousin, Matthew, just wants her to leave. When Olivia eventually finds herself in a warped mirror version of Gallant, she finds answers, too: what happened to her mother, who her father is, why she can see ghouls wherever she goes. She will have to make a choice; which version of Gallant will she choose? Will she stay and step into her role as a Prior, or will she stand behind the dark creature that rules the other Gallant? There is so much grief in this story: over losing family, home, and the way things were. Olivia is a protagonist who doesn't go out of her way to be likeable, but she still very much wants her found family to want her back. The Priors are white. Olivia cannot speak, and her cousin, Matthew, cannot read. VERDICT A must-buy for libraries where Holly Black, Neil Gaiman, Emily Lloyd-Jones, and other authors of creepy and unnerving tales circulate well.—Ness Shortley
Review
"A haunting and beautifully tilled garden of darkness, V. E. Schwab's Gallant unearths the shadows—webs of family history, the price of deadly bargains, and the secrets we guard—plunging readers into a triumphant tale that can't be missed." -- Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times–bestselling author
“Seeking a place to call home, Olivia uncovers long-buried secrets after arriving at Gallant. . . . Olivia unravels the ominous secrets of both her family and the house, where ghouls lurk around every corner and the dilapidated garden gate calls to her. The evolving relationships between Olivia and her found family shine, and themes of freedom, the self, and belonging are well depicted. . . . The gripping writing and effective incorporation of horror elements, including haunting, inky artwork, are satisfyingly spine-tingling." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Olivia is elated to receive a letter from her uncle Arthur, inviting her to come live at Gallant, the Priors’ estate. Upon arriving, however, Olivia learns that Arthur is dead, and neither her ill-tempered cousin, Matthew, nor the manor’s kindly caretakers are expecting her. . . . [But] she’s determined to uncover the truth regarding her family’s past in this place. Evocative prose, eerie [black and white] artwork by Šumberac, and superbly rendered characters . . . elevate this affective, bone-chilling standalone from Schwab, which fuses Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman.” -- Publishers Weekly(starred review)
