Published Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: Fantasy, Gothic, YA
Rating: ★★★☆☆
REVIEW
I am a self proclaimed V.E. Schwab fan. I absolutely loved her Shades of Magic series. The Invisible Life of Adie LaRou made me cry so hard, and I find her writing style beautiful. She has very unique and interesting ideas that I am always intrigued about. However, I have put off reading anything in the YA age range from Schwab. I have heard mixed reviews for them, as well as this book, but I decided to pick it up anyway.
SYNOPSIS
"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 Gallant 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?"
MY THOUGHTS
The bones of this book were great! It had American Sign Language rep that seemed very well researched. It would definitely be frustrating having everyone around you not even attempt to communicate with you, and rather have you write on a board that you have to wear around your neck. Olivia, the main character, is very strong willed and I liked her curiosity and fearlessness when faced with ghouls. But she was really the only character that had any depth. No one else was really explored other than surface level. I think that this felt very middle grade or early/young YA because it reminded me of the books I read when I was younger. The main character is the hero and the side characters are just there to make the book feel fuller. I felt like something was missing in this regard. The characters didn't feel young adult. They didn't really do anything to make it fit in that age range other than be a certain age. I guess I was just expecting more with the characters.
While the plot was interesting, this book felt both too long and too short at the same time. It was slow in parts and a bit repetitive, but I also wanted more to happen. There was a lot of waiting for something to happen and it built up such high expectations that the ending just felt a tad bit blasé. It was somewhat predictable and I just wanted more. While it did have a gothic feel and creepy atmosphere, it didn't feel complex enough to warrant almost 350 pages. I wish the plot did have more depth and that we got to know the Prior family a bit more. I think that if Schwab maybe tried to make this an adult novel instead it could have been much creepier and fully fleshed out.
That being said, there was nothing inherently wrong with this book, it just felt off. The writing is still beautiful like all her prose is. Overall, I didn't love it and far from hated it. I think this is the definition of "middle of the road".
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