3,5* upped to 4
I was more than happy when I was approved for this ARC as I appreciated other books by VE Schwab and, as it was compared to Gaiman and Del Toro, i couldn't wait to read it.
It's a gothic novel and I appreciated the style of writing and found it entertaining.
That said I felt like I was reading a story I already read: the orphan that grew up in an orphanage/workhouse and she will discover her long lost relatives and maybe solve the mystery related to the disappearance of her mother.
As I'm a not-so-very-young I think I read something similar and I had a strong sense of deja vue in some parts, especially in the first half of the book.
I loved some traits of Olivia but I wasn't a fan of any of the characters.
Gallant should be the equivalent of Manderley but, even if it was well described, it wasn't a character but a setting, a place.
The story takes speed and becomes gripping in the second half. I enjoyed this part and appreciated the storytelling and the world building.
I don't think it's the best VE Schwab book but I liked it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine