Gallant by V.E. Schwab (2022 YA fiction)

Gallant starts out with a mute girl named Olivia Prior who can see ghouls at a “school” called Merilance, but it’s really just an orphanage for girls. Olivia only has one clue as to who she is: a journal her mother wrote. One day a letter from her uncle arrives, calling her to Gallant; the one place her mother’s journal tells her not to go. But Olivia goes anyway, as it may be a new lead as to who she is. But when she arrives, something is wrong; the uncle who supposedly sent that letter had died a long time ago, and her only living relative is her cousin Matthew, who seems both sad and angry that he isn’t the last Prior. As Olivia settles into her new home, she uncovers mystery after mystery, like who sent the letter, or what the locked iron door in the garden leads to, or who all of the ghouls are and why she can see them. This book was lots of fun to read and each mystery hooked me into the book even more. Every time one of the mysteries was solved, more of the story made sense, and it all led up to the ending in a beautiful way. Gallant is a story of self-discovery and figuring out where one belongs. This book is 334 pages and is a standalone book. It is mostly mystery but has some fantasy/supernatural aspects to it. Very much recommended.

Reviewed by Evan Marsh