Gifted & Talented was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and it really hit the mark. Part Succession, part magical realism, the story centers the Wren family as they come to grips with the death of their tech mogul father. Rivalries, unmet expectations, and magical abilities come to a head as the three siblings try to ascertain who will inherit the Wrenfare empire—any maybe their father’s approval—once and for all. This book won’t be for everyone, but it was definitely for me. I am a true Olivie Blake stan, and this book delivered all of the wit and chaos that I have come to know and love in her work. Something I appreciate about Blake is that while the stories she writes are so different, I can immediately feel her distinct voice and sense of storytelling. I highly recommend this to those, who like me, like something a little weird—you’ll have a great time.

I will read anything this woman writes. That is my review. She can do no wrong. Reading Girl Dinner immediately. Olivie Blake delivers what I am looking for every time.

What did I just read, and why did I love it so much? Gifted & Talented is pure chaos in the best way. Sibling drama, weird magic, unhinged narration, and a cast of characters who are morally gray at best and completely awful at worst. The Wren family is a disaster, and I could not look away.

The writing is messy, sharp, and self-aware. You’re either going to vibe with it hard or feel like you’re losing your mind. I still don’t totally know what happened, but it was a wild ride and somehow exactly what I wanted. If you like your books strange, smart, and slightly deranged, this one’s for you.

New favorite Olivie Blake book alert! Gifted & Talented was W-I-L-D y’all! We’ve got some magical realism, sibling drama to rival all sibling drama, tons of queer rep, absurdity to the endless degree, & an utterly unique chaotic story. There’s something about the way Olivie Blake writes that is just so visceral for me & I absolutely love it. Highly recommend.

Cannot properly review this book as Netgalley has made it difficult to review anything. This is an accessibility issue now going from ASCM to LCPL.

DNF - I don’t think Olivie Blake’s books are for me. The writing irritated me and I hated all of the characters. Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC.

Yet another Olivie Blake book finished—this is my seventh (ninth if you count the contemporary romances). And at this point, I can confidently say: every one of her books would benefit from being about 100 pages shorter. Don’t get me wrong, I like her writing—Masters of Death is a standout for me—but her tendency to meander with long, winding sentences often dilutes the more interesting parts of the story. If you’ve read her before, you know exactly what I mean.

That said, Gifted and Talented had its moments. The narration was fun, with Blake’s signature fourth-wall breaks and sharp, self-aware tone. And as always, the characters were a strong point—she knows how to write compelling, layered people. But the plot? Kind of dull. The story takes place over five days, and not a whole lot happens. It’s meant to be a character (or family) study, which I get, but I still found myself wanting a bit more movement or tension in the plot.

Not my favorite of hers, but not my least favorite either. If you're already a fan, you might enjoy the style and character work—just don’t expect a gripping storyline.

Took me a while to fully get into this, because the first chapter throws you in headfirst, but I ended up enjoying this and letting myself go along for the ride! The characters are deliciously complex to the point where you don't know if you love to hate them or hate to love them.

Utterly deranged.

I didn’t wholly understand what actually happened, but at least I still get the glimpses of it. The Wren siblings brought chaotic family dynamic and morally grey personalities to another level. In fact the grey was so dark it was almost black. So, morally dark-grey. Huh.

Olivie managed to make a magical realism story that’s borderline unhinged. It was hard to grasp the story at first, and I did consider to DNF early on but I was weirdly captivated? I was curious to see how it plays out. Turned out it was pretty fun (in a crazy way).

The narrative was so messy, felt like thoughts vomit with long sentences and trivial commentaries here and here. The “narrator” didn’t hold back a bit and I love to see that, especialy because the actual narrator was revealed later in the story.

What did I get from this? Idk. But it was sure a reading experience.

Olivie Blake has such a talent for writing multiple characters that have a lot of depth. Like her other works, this one heavily relies on characters to drive the plot forward. There is a lot of commentary between the characters, so readers should be prepared to be in the characters minds. I really enjoyed this one.

You know that feeling when you finish a book and just sit there thinking, “Wait… what did I just read?” That’s Gifted and Talented in a nutshell—in the best, most gloriously chaotic way.

Olivie Blake, reigning queen of eccentric brilliance, is back with a character-driven urban fantasy that’s sharp, strange, and full of superpowers. This time, we follow a group of siblings, each spiraling in their own uniquely dysfunctional way—think corporate fraud, political collapse, and maybe just a touch of the supernatural. It’s witty. It’s weird. And it absolutely skewers power, privilege, and the dangerous glitter of ambition.

The characters? Deliciously complex. You’ll love to hate them—or maybe hate how much you love them. The prose is trademark Blake: biting, brainy, and bursting with personality. If you're already a fan (hi, welcome to the club), this book will hook you all over again.

My only gripe? The pacing. It occasionally wades into muddy waters, but if you’re patient, you’ll find plenty of gold beneath the surface.

This isn’t just a book, it’s an experience, a ride through chaos, sharp wit, and unsettling family dynamics that leave you wondering what just happened. It moves fast, then slows down, then throws something at you that you didn’t see coming. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause, reread, and mutter, “Wait, what?” more times than you’d like to admit.

There’s no shortage of quotable lines, either. Some are funny, some are profound, and others just hit differently. If you go the audiobook route, do yourself a favor and speed it up a notch. It heightens the manic energy and makes the humor shine even brighter. Speaking of humor, it won’t be for everyone, but if it works for you, it really works.

The first few chapters are a jumble of confusion as Blake throws the reader headfirst into the tangled backstories of the Wren siblings. It’s overwhelming, but once things settle, the real intrigue begins. That is, until you realize you have no idea who Lou is and who’s telling this story. Let’s just say their identity is part of the fun. The reveal? Brilliant. And Lou’s identity? An unexpected twist that makes you rethink everything.

Now, about the world-building. The Magitech industry, with its roots in electromagnetic waves dating back to Tesla’s era, offers a fascinating backdrop. But despite being placed in the fantasy genre, magic isn’t really the driving force here. Sure, the siblings have their abilities, but this isn’t a story about spellcasting or grand magical battles. No, this is a story about deeply flawed people making bad decisions, tangled in dysfunctional family dynamics that steal the spotlight.

And let’s be honest: Gifted and Talented does not offer a single truly likable character. Some had potential, but you wouldn’t want to sit down to dinner with most of them; they’re either morally gray or downright terrible. That said, the morally gray ones would make for some fascinating conversation, but don’t believe a word they say.

This was my first Olivie Blake novel, and I completely understand the hype. It’s unpredictable, clever, and relentless. A book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page.

I’m a simple girl - I see Olivie, I lock in. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I am working through my backlog, and will be momentarily posting reviews for the stories I have yet to get posted but have finished reading.

It's a bold choice to write a >500 page book that is pretty much no plot, just vibes - and I for one, approve of the choice, because I loved every second of it.

Gifted & Talented follows the three Wren siblings Meredith, Arthur and Eilidh, who could not be more different if they tried. Their father, a tech billionaire, is dead, raising the question of inheritance.

All three siblings have their own stuff going on, and as different as they are, they do have some things in common: complicated romantic entanglements, a failed career or career on the brink of destruction, a strained relationship with their father, and some sort of supernatural ability that is not working out to be in their favour.

The book centeres of the complex and, frankly, fucked up dynamics of the Wren family and the people around them - and most of them are assholes. It was a delight to read.
There's death, there's drama, there's toxic relationships, there's lies, but there's also love and joy and people getting exactly what they deserve.

The worldbuilding only just does the bare minimum. To the very end I was not entirely sure how the magic or the siblings' abilities really worked, or what their purpose was. Usually this would bother me extremely, but for this book, it somehow worked wonderfully. Can I say I really understood it, or caught the nuance? Absolutely not, but I loved it nevertheless.

Another aspect of the book that I usually hate but found very enjoyable here is the narration style - there is a seeminlgy all-knowing, omnipresent narrator that direcly tells the story to the reader, and occasionally addresses you directly or goes on a tangent. Usually I hate that sort of narration, as I find it creates an emotional distance between the reader and the characters, and it usually significantly lowers my engagement with the book, but here it somehow worked for me. Maybe it's because of the specific tone, or because the narrator is actually a character in the story, even if they are only introduced later.

I loved the characters. Sure, they are all assholes, but somehow I loved hearing about them and being in their heads. I think the fact that they were ALL assholes is what made this work, as I particularly enjoyed the dynamics between them all.
I did not realize this would be as diverse as it was - there are multiple queer characters (though sexuality is never discussed), and almost all important characters are PoC.

I really could not tell you how the story manages to fill so many pages, as there isn't really all that much that happens (as I said, no plot, just vibes) but it was so, so good. I was highly entertained the entire way through. While I absolutely adored the ending, and think the timing of it was perfect, I would happily read another 500 pages about these people.

This one’s for all the former “gifted kids.”

As teenagers, the Wren children were high achievers, succeeding at everything they set their minds to. As young adults, they’re floundering. Eldest daughter Meredith is the founder of a buzzy new mental-health app…but is about to be exposed as a total fraud. Middle child Arthur was elected as one of the youngest-ever members of congress—but a debilitating magical affliction has left him unwell and stressed. And youngest daughter Eilidh has gone from prima ballerina to mid-level marketing manager with a chronic back injury. Oh, and there is a literal demon living inside her trying to bring about the next apocalypse…

When their wildly wealthy father suddenly dies, the three siblings and their loved ones are brought together for the reading of the will. But which failed achiever will be the one to inherit his empire?

I am NOT a fantasy girlie but Olivie Blake is an autobuy author for me at this point. The great thing about her books is that they’re much more about relationships than magic, and the magical elements of this book are handled with an especially light touch. Think of this book as a gossipy family saga a la Crazy Rich Asians, with the addition of a couple of supernatural forces.

The close third-person narration breaks the fourth wall a lot (and you’ll learn why later in the book) with wry, snarky little asides, and it made me laugh out loud multiple times. All of the characters are well-developed, with rich backstories and distinct voices—even the very minor ones.

This book is a longer read, but it’s a completely fun one. If you haven’t given Blake’s work a chance yet, this is a great one to start with!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book.

Succession meets magic and say no more! Blake draws you in and keeps you hooked with fascinating yet realistic magical world building and despicable but lovable characters grieving and coming to terms with their father's will. I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this one....

YUP! 5 stars
Marketed as Succession with magic, I wasn't sure what I was in for when I picked this up, which seems to always be the case with an Olivie Blake book.
Following the three Wren siblings after hearing the news of their father's passing- a man they all had complex relationships with, and the patriarch of the family company, this book tackles the topic of love (kinda) and loss (kinda) with no shortage of queer representation, and of course asshole representation as well because, well... it's an Olivie book!
I could definitely see this book being extremely polarizing, as it is wayyyy too long and also has literally no plot. Olivie's books are always more character focused, which I happen to love, as she does an amazing job at making me love those bitches. But when I say no plot- I mean NO plot. The novel takes place over the 7 days following their father's passing and it basically meanders through the days, serving as a character study.
It was laugh out loud funny while also being extremely dark (my favorite combo) and I can't recall a book in recent memory that I annotated more than this one.
Immediately going into my favorite of all time shelf!

Everything Olivie Blake writes is a masterpiece. Her depictions of the human condition is unmatched.

I can't recall the last time I read a book where so little happened over the course of so. many. pages.

Like, genuinely, the entire span of this book takes place over a handful of days between the moment the siblings learn their father is dead and then the event of his funeral. And yet every chapter, every POV, every singular moment is dragged out into eternity both by way of the spiraling every-thought-spelled-out narrative as well as the style of the narrative and who is telling the story. Which, let me say, might feel interesting and tongue in cheek in a fun omniscient way but it gets tired real fast.

The whole experience made me tired. Because nothing happens. I honestly don't know what or how these siblings made up because of the amount of on-page word vomiting that went on and truthfully I couldn't tell you why they didn't get on in the first page. But it sure was dramatic.

Oh, and if you wanted something The Atlas Six-y with the magic element? Nah, forget that. It's barely a blip. Even when it tries to grow into a bigger blip, maybe even a blob, it.. doesn't.

This might very well succeed for other readers ("it's like Succession but with magic!", I think was the hook that pulled me in) but it wasn't for me.

This certainly isn't the first Blake to fail for me but it's definitely reminded me just how successfully they can fail. And I now regret the other ARC I have in my possession but suffice it to say.. it might be my last.

1.5 stars

This is very much in the style of Olivie Blake, which I know is divisive, but I love it!

So that being said, if you’ve enjoyed her other books- odds are you’ll like this one too! But for those who haven’t enjoyed past books- her writing is the same!

Very character focused with a magic system that isn’t fully explained. A character study with no real plot. And vibes, vibes, vibes. Right up my alley😂