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I’ve been wanting to read this so I’ll pick it up today!

I've managed to get hold of this book, and am going to start right away. It looks very interesting. I've been meaning to read something by V.E. Schwab for a while now.

I started and finished it yesterday...

Wow, that's impressive! :)
Although, I am also flying through it, I'm on Chapter 20. The book really draws you in, and it is a struggle to stop reading it.

Okay, I'm finished. That was rather a strange story.
I couldn't figure out if Olivia was 14 or 16, does anyone know?
Apparently this book is listed as being fantasy, but I think it is more of a horror novel.

@Jane
I must agree with you about the lack of a strong plot. I mean it is not like the evil is conquered in the end. He is just forced back behind the wall. And we know that nothing has changed because the last scene in the book has Olivia pulling up those dead strangling weeds in the garden.
Thanks for confirmation on Olivia's age.

I read this book in a day, it really sucked me in. There's not a strong plot but it's more a vibe. I feel it's more of a middle-grade book than a YA one. Maybe I feel like that because I just finished her middle-grade series before reading this but it reads more like a MG book.

I think Olivia is 16. She mentions something happening 14 years before and she was 2 when she was dropped off at the school.

@Chrissy
I think you're right about it reading more like a middle grade book. That would explain a lot about the writing style, and how the story unfold.

Olivia did seem a bit immature for 16. But, what you mentioned, does seem to suggest that that is her age.

I just finished it today and while I liked it, I agreed with the people saying there was a plot lacking. I was hoping for another ending. I feel like there could be a sequel to this with a bigger plot, although it totally works on it's own too, I was just a bit underwhelmed I suppose.

Yeah I wouldn't put her at 16, she definitely felt much younger than that. Although it could just be trauma that's making her feel that way

I just finished the book today - I enjoyed it, although I do agree that there wasn't too much of a plot and more of a vibe. It was a nice reading experience though, and the writing style was so hauntingly poetic that I had to keep going

And Olivia did feel much younger, but I feel like that was intentional because like Quinty said Olivia had a lot of trauma in her life and she was raised pretty much on her own so it would make sense that she would act younger than her age

I thought I remember it mentioning that she was 14. I find the book definitely reads like a middle grade novel, it felt young to me but I enjoyed it anyway. I think its a bit of a stretch to classify it as YA.

It's quite interesting because since this is under the name V.E. Schwab instead of Victoria Schwab, Schwab considers this book adult fantasy (maybe due to the darker imagery/themes?) but I do agree that it read more like a middle grade/lower YA novel probably partially due to Olivia's character

I don't know why but it sort of gave me the same vibe as The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which was a middle grade fantasy. I think you guys are right, it is probably due to the immaturity of Olivia. And since neither of us can quite agree on her exact age it doesn't help settle the matter.

I find it weird how Schwab has different accounts for the maturity of her books, and yet people are shelving ADSOM and Gallant as YA.

Thanks Graphemie, that post clears things up and makes a lot of sense. :)