Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

33 reviews

luxxltyd's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror and Child death

Minor: Abandonment

singalana's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I accidentally picked two very similar books to read at the same time: this and the audiobook In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant. Both have young protagonists trying to figure out the mystery of a weird house. The main character of this story is a girl called Olivia - a girl with no voice. At the beginning of the story she lives in an orphanage, and the only thing she has from her family is her mother’s journal. She receives a letter from her uncle, inviting her to return to their family home - a house called Gallant. When Olivia arrives at the house, she realises there is much she doesn’t know about her family and the house.

The book has an interesting layout: spread throughout the book are illustrations and pages from her mother's journal. And the cover design and the end sheets are absolutely gorgeous. The content, however… I don’t know whether I was somehow distracted or if the writing style was not for me, but I noticed that I had to constantly reread pages and parts of the text because I realised my mind had just drifted and I hadn’t internalized anything I had read.

The reading experience felt heavy, I didn’t much care for the main character and the plot raised a lot of questions. 

I didn’t feel too connected to the characters, and somehow the mystery of the house was not explored enough for my taste. I didn’t understand the logic behind the plot: why were the Priors so determined to guard the secret? Why was the big bad dying? What would have happened if all of the Priors were to disappear? And my biggest pet peeve of them all: the main character falls into a trap that causes the death of another character. I don’t like this trope at all.

 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

yrlaevelyn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicide and Murder

diana_raquel's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"Home is a choice."

Talk about impulse buying! I was browsing the shelves of a bookshop when I noticed this book! I have read other books by V.E. Schwab but didn't know what to expect from this book. But it was a pleasant surprise, mainly because I actually liked a story with horror elements. Usually, horror isn't something that I tend to gravitate toward, but I really liked this book. Maybe because the horror elements are mixed with other elements that I like, such as mystery elements and a darker tone.  The characters are well-developed and well-written. The story has good pacing and is well structured. I also liked the fact that the illustrations themselves are also part of the story and not only accessories, a means to show the scenes. To tell the truth, I think that  V.E. Schwab was the potential to become a must-read author to me since I really liked every book that I read by her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

catesaav's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide

marareading's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Alright, I get it. I finally understand why everyone was falling over themselves to get to this book. It's great. An orphan who sees ghouls, and finds her way to Gallant. An estate with a sorted history. She is mute and the adventure that is coming, so one could prepare her for. 

It is beautiful, Gothic, mysterious, and atmospheric. I devoured this book and will probably do it again. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

saurahsaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

My favorite horror stories are both sad and spooky. This is an amazing marriage of both. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Medical content, and Alcohol

rachelunabridged's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror and Child death

Minor: Animal death and Blood

kassidyreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Suicide, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death

jesselopod's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This novel is like a dark and creepy fairytale for adults without the morality twist. It wasn’t deep tale but it was entertaining and enjoyable although

I would have liked a more conclusive ending, a greater resolution or even a better hook where my imagination could have run wild with what may have happened next

. It was exactly what I wanted to read right now, an easy to read, fast paced story which isn’t an epic multi-book journey but instead a self contained plot. The descriptions and atmosphere in the book are beautifully crafted, and I enjoyed it for the vibe more than the plot itself. The perfect thing to read after binge watching Sandman and then listening to the Stardust audiobook. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Content warning: sleep/nightmare/insomnia related themes