I featured The Listeners in my June 2025 new releases video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q31xhbo1tE, and though I have not read it yet, I am so excited to and expect 5 stars! I will update here when I post a follow up review or vlog.

THE LISTENERS is a mix of historical fiction, sprinkled with magic, and romance as well as being the adult debut from the best-selling young adult author Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver, The Raven Boys, All the Crooked Saints and many more). Set in the early 1940s during WWII, the focus is on a fictional West Virginian resort hotel called the Avallon (think The Greenbrier or The Homestead) where the extremely capable general manager is a young, local woman named June Hudson. Through compassion and understanding, she fosters the loyalty and affection of her staff and even many of the hotel guests: "June had long ago discovered that most people were bad listeners; they thought listening was synonymous with hearing. But the spoken was only half a conversation. True needs, wants, fears, and hopes hid not in the words that were said, but in the ones that weren't..." Friction ensues when FBI agents (Tucker Rye Minnick, Hugh Calloway, and Pony Harris) and State Department (Benjamin Pennybacker) representatives arrive because the hotel is ordered to provide lodging for an array of diplomats (German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese), their staff, and other foreign nationals (journalists, pilots) prior to their being repatriated. It is a big ask for locals, many of whom have relatives serving in the US military, but June facilitates the stay while also mourning the recently deceased hotel owner, navigating her own romantic feelings, and managing the magical waters associated with the hotel. THE LISTENERS, the Top Pick LibraryReads selection for June 2025, received a starred review from Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus ("A novel that will remind readers of why they fell in love with reading in the first place."). In the author's notes, Stiefvater suggests several other books to serve as "accessible starting points" about the background history.

This is a creative work of WWII historical fiction, set in a luxury hotel in West Virginia, we follow the internment of Axis diplomats and the hotel workers that serve them during their stay. Despite the interesting premise, I liked The Listeners, but didn't love it. It felt like the characters were kept at an arms length, and I didn't feel overly invested despite the good set up. If you like WWII from alternate perspectives, it's a good one, but not one that I will remember.

I've read... eleven Maggie Stiefvater books now? Twelve?

Honestly, while this might be the most "Maggie" book yet, something about it felt distinctly unfinished. Or, rather, like several different parts of it were.

This book takes place in the days after Pearl Harbor, when the US government is working around the clock to get its bearings in a World War that now has them at the center of it. It revolves around a rural, backwater hotel brimming with mystery and intrigue. It involves charismatic women and people who speak German and people who speak Appalachian. By all accounts, this should be catnip for me.

But... I don't know.

When I first read THE RAVEN BOYS, I could <i>feel</i> the magic, the camaraderie, the expansive cast of characters with distinct voices and reasons for existing. Half the joy was in the journey--the cars that were characters in and of themselves; the relationships (both romantic or otherwise) that ebbed and flowed over the course of all four (seven?) novels; the setting of rural, magical Virginia which, despite having never been to personally, felt plenty real to me. In THE LISTENERS, I got all the same, but only about half of it.

When I first read SHIVER, I could <i>feel</i> the horror of the unknown and of magic that follows rules you can't fathom. The book was downright creepy, so much so that I actually couldn't stomach it. Despite the fact that it wasn't for me, it felt authentic and real. I was impressed. In THE LISTENERS, I got all the same, but only about half of it.

When I first read THE SCORPIO RACES and ALL THE CROOKED SAINTS, I could <i>feel</i> the raw, tangled mess of humanity and nature; of curses and the arcane and weird shit happening in weird places. A small island off the coast of Ireland with man-eating horses and a tiny town in eastern Colorado that converted hopes to curses felt creepily, ominously plausible. In THE LISTENERS, I got all the same, but only about half of it.

It's a "Maggie" novel, sure, but not quite. It's quiet, formulaic, and painfully straight. The magic feels restrained, almost as though afraid that the audience might not understand why magic in a "literary" novel isn't just important, it's necessary. It feels like she was pulling her punches, which is such a strange thing to realize from an author that, in the past, was more than happy to walk you through all the gory details of homoerotically burying a clone body outside of a Catholic church. This book is like the literary equivalent of that pub game where you try to balance a pint between three others on top of a carefully-stacked pyramid of nested knives. It's standing on the shoulders of giants, but on its own, could never make the grade.

Maggie's still my favorite author of all time, so I am going to round this novel's 2.5 stars up to 3--but if you were hoping for a more adult version of her other work? Unfortunately, the only thing I think you'll find here is all the same, but only about half of it.

(Special thanks to Penguin and Viking for the ARC!)

Quite an enjoyable and informative story about how nations, the U.S. in particular, handled the issue of foreign diplomats in the country when WWII was declared. As this novel explores, these people were held in the finest hotels until diplomacy ran its course and they could be exchanged for American diplomats held overseas. As to be expected, nothing is easy and friendly when Germans, Italians, Japanese, and Americans are all housed together when tensions between their countries run high. Luckily, the hotel in this novel has a little magic available in the form of sweet water that deals in emotions.

An excellent job by this author in creating a perfect setting for her story. The sights and smells of this corner of Appalachia come to life. Her characters are pretty strong and believable, especially their interactions with the injured veteran in the wheelchair. The one area I wish had been explored a bit more was the sweet water, maybe some history or treated more like a character. I enjoyed the story a lot!

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking/Penguin Random House for the ARC to read and review.

The story of The Listeners is truly mesmerizing. The West Virginia Appalachian story interwoven with the mysterious elite hotel and German diplomats being exiled kept me fascinated the whole time and tho I found it very sad overall it was a well told story.

This was my first Maggie book and I absolutely loved the writing style though the plot itself felt too weirdly paced at times especially the ending
would still read more though
3.5 stars

I'm a big fan of Maggie's, having worked at the literary agency that used to represent her. That said, it's unclear to me what this book actually was or meant to be. The opening is very atmospheric but we get a lot of characters thrown together, without a lot of forward momentum to entice readers. I gave it an honest try but didn't know where it was going after about 10%. I'm afraid this one was not for me.

I was intrigued by this novel because I love both historical fiction and magical realism. Additionally, this was based on true historical events that I was unaware of. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and the story of June Hudson and her hotel.

Maggie Stiefvater has a penchant for writing complex characters and complicated dynamics and this skill is only further exemplified in The Listeners. If you wanted to read strictly for romance, I would ask you to temper your expectations, because while it's there it's not the point of the story and instead allow yourself to be brought in by an interesting cast and circumstance.

I look forward to seeing what other adult books Stiefvater puts out in the future!

A special thank you to Viking Penguin for the opportunity to read this arc through NetGalley!

I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of this novel. This story is grounded in research, has an exquisite appreciation of Appalachian culture, and has a complex ensemble of characters, but I truthfully became underwhelmed by the lack of urgency in the plot by the end. All magic has a cost, and in this case it was dramatic tension, albeit framed in the most elegant of writing.

The Listeners was my first Maggie Stiefvater book, even though she’s been sitting on my TBR for way too long. After finally reading it, I get the hype. The writing is lush and almost hypnotic, the language is sharp without being overdone, and the whole thing leaves this haunting kind of weight when you're done.

What stood out most was how quiet and deliberate it is. There are no huge explosions or dramatic twists just for the sake of it. Instead, it’s this slow build that pulls you in and makes you pay attention. The layers of espionage, war, and romance unfold in a way that feels natural, not forced.

The romance especially hit different. It’s understated but hits hard, full of longing and tension without falling into clichés or melodrama. Every moment between the characters feels earned, like you're always waiting for something just out of reach.

Even with the Nazi espionage backdrop, this isn’t an action thriller. It’s more about the quiet unraveling—the moral gray areas, the unspoken tension, and the way war quietly wrecks people from the inside out.

What I appreciated most was how much trust the author gives the reader. There’s no hand-holding, no heavy exposition. The details are there if you pay attention, and it all comes together in a way that leaves you thinking long after the last page.

If you want fast-paced historical fiction, this isn’t it. But if you’re in the mood for something atmospheric, slow-burn, and emotionally layered, The Listeners completely delivers. I didn’t want it to end, and when it did, I just kind of sat there, processing.

Atmospheric and captivating, The Listeners is a tale with a strong sense of it's place and people.

June Hudson is the manager at the opulent and fabled Hotel Avallon but when war comes knocking at the door she struggles to maintain the quiet luxury that she's spent a lifetime cultivating.

Like Stiefvater's other offerings, the dazzling parts of The Listeners exist in the mundane. She writes in a way that doesn't mince words and as such every line of dialogue lands so effectively. The Avallon and the folks who run it feel like a love letter to Appalachian culture without being heavy handed. With whimsy and grace we watch June navigate her new reality as she comes to understand that horror and beauty often coexist and that so much of life truley exists in the grey.

The premise to The Listeners sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately the characters didn't feel real and the plot was a bit too slow.

I really don’t get the point of the story. Like where it was supposed to go. The magical realism part of it was never really explained, it was very superficial and bland, i thought it would be more of a primary theme in the story but it was just barely mentioned.

Too many side stories that didn’t really connect and i think only one of them had an ending or something like that.

Overall the only thing i liked was the writing style but i was really expecting something more exciting than this, it felt pointless and boring, it gave me nothing really.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review.

Leave it to Maggie Stiefvater to deep dive into a concept in story form and make it fascinating.
THE LISTENERS feels different than her other books in some ways—slower, you want to feel the shape of the words in your mouth. But it’s a Stiefvater novel through and through.
I found myself studying the shapes between people in this book more than usual. Peering at the strings of tension binding the hotel staff and their guests together.

It’s World War II, and the luxury hotel Avallon has been requisitioned to host Axis diplomats. June Hudson, the general manager of the hotel, holds the many strings and and must keep it all balanced.
And then there are the springs. They run with sweetwater, and ghosts, and they…complicate things.

It’s a strange story, but if you love Stiefvater already, it won’t disappoint.

The Listeners is Stiefvater's adult debut, and I was intrigued by the premise: a luxury hotel in the Appalachian Mountains is forced to house foreign diplomats at the start of WWII. The Avallon is a special resort, with all sorts of interesting characters working there. At its heart is June Hudson, a local girl who has worked her way up to GM and who has a treasured place with the Gilfoyles, owners of the hotel. This is a character-driven novel, mostly about June, and while I enjoyed it, I always felt a distinct distance from June and the other characters. That can work in an action-driven novel, but it was a bit of a problem for me in a character-driven one. Still, there was enough of interest in the story to keep me engaged. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for a digital review copy.

Writing has a lot of character, but feels a bit out of sync for me, so I struggled to feel connected while reading. The sweetwater mystical aspect is interesting and I really appreciated the growth June goes through by the end of the book. The ending felt like it wrapped things up nicely and I really enjoyed most of the hotel staff, especially Toad, god love her. The war details felt well written and at times left me with chills.

As Stiefvater herself said on the B&N podcast, this novel exists in the in-between, for the Avalon, for the country, for our characters. And there is also an exploration of the duality of all of these. Liminal spaces, and the transformations therein, are narratives interesting to me. But, even as a fan of Steifvater’s voice and tone, there are times I fear we drown in the metaphor here. This was most evident with the magic element of the novel—and something I was particularly glad to see as a fan of Stiefvater’s YA fiction—with the sweetwater. And I liked the malleable nature of the sweetwater’s magic. Though at times I think the double-edge sword of this is that it made it start to feel a little heavy handed in the reference.

It’s a slow novel, propelled by character and theme, and so even with the high stakes, it’s the smaller internal moments that propel us as readers forward. And yet some of the big reveals don’t feel grounded in much of anything narratively. June and Tucker are compelling characters, but the prose keeps us somewhat distanced from them.

At the same time, that prose that keeps us slightly distanced turns us as readers into the voyeurs, the listeners, in some ways. Which also cushions us from some of the harsher nuances of the historical explorations. There are big ideas being explored here, through subtle moments. And that’s how most of us live our lives, as the small subtle moments in the shadow of the big idea.

I loved this historical fiction. It was interesting to think about what being in that hotel was like. History you discover through fiction is my favorite! I wasn't sure about the magical realism aspects of the book, but then I am often not a fan of magical realism.