This is a slowburn, considered, introspective read. It had Maggie Stiefvater's trademark lovely, clever prose and nuanced characters who make your heart ache. She captures the Virginian mountains so well, and the characters' longing for them is my own. As a debut adult novel, it's super strong. It's well researched and has that magical feel that I love in Maggie's books and magical realism as a whole. The worldbuilding is immense for such a small and enclosed setting. It didn't feel claustrophobic or shortsighted. I loved June's character arc as she came to realise that the place she loved so much, where she thought she was content and happy, was no longer where she needed to be. (As a neurodivergent person who finds it hard to check in with myself and notice how I feel about things, I relate!). It took me a while to warm up to June, but by the time of this personal revelation, I was fully with her.

I did miss the banter and repartee that I've come to love Maggie's books for, though. The characters, up until the very end, lacked 'fizz'. I know that's super ambiguous and not helpful, but I'm keeping it in because I know Maggie can do it. Her other books have that 'fizz' that makes you so invested in the characters. She can write adults; I've loved her adult characters in her other work. But something in this was missing. It took me a long time to get to grips with the characters and the direction of the plot. This book is very much character led, but even allowing for that, I struggled to see what shape the story was taking and what I was meant to get from it until the end. There are a lot of moving parts and I couldn't remember them all. I had to keep scrolling back to remember little details and who's who. Much of it came together in the end, of course. There were some very satisfying moments of delayed pay-off (which I have always loved in Maggie's other books) and little twists that pleased me even though I had figured them out before the 'reveal'. I think I could have seen some of them coming sooner if I had remembered the things the reader didn't know, if I could have kept track of all the small clues and hints written in. There is a conflict at the heart of this book: there is so much detail in it that you would need to read it quickly to hold it all in your brain and get the full benefits, but it isn't written in a way that demands you race through it. Its style and substance are more suited for a leisurely, introspective pace. I wasn't bored, but I was sated after reading only twenty pages or so. By the last hundred pages or so, however, as everything started to pick up momentum, I was more compelled to turn the pages.

There are (at least) two autism/ND-coded characters in this book and, on the whole, I really appreciated how they were written. I'm grateful, even, for how they were written. The portrayals were nuanced and compassionate and kind without infantilising (beyond one of them being a literal child) or sugarcoating. I had some reservations about how similar the two characters were in how they were coded to the audience (like they had nigh-on identical experiences/expressions of their neurodivergence, which I think was intended more to show kinship specific to these individuals but could be misinterpreted as 'all autistic people are the same') and how records of their symptoms sometimes strayed into stereotype. The latter point may be because I am overly familiar with the symptoms for autism, though, meaning I was more attuned to what was being presented to the reader. The depictions of these characters go beyond what others see, though, and look more closely at the experiences of the autistic people themselves in these situations, which sets these portrayals apart. I saw myself in them, and that's nothing to be sniffed at.

Ordinarily, I steer clear of historical fiction. If it wasn't for the Stiefvater-ness and magical realism, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. It turned out to be a lot more heavy on the historical and realism elements than I was expecting, more closely resembling WW2 fiction than not in some ways, but I was glad that I did give it a go. I may wish it had more magic in it, but that is more a case of personal preference and because I know Maggie writes it so well rather than actual criticism. I don't want to judge it on what sort of book I thought it was. For the book it is, it's a really lovely, worthwhile read. A little slow to find its footing, but Maggie's writing is so pleasing to read - full of little quips and observations and moments captured in time - that I could forgive it a little dallying now and then.

Thank you to Headline/NetGalley for kindly giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful and lyrical novel about a luxury hotel in Appalachia that is forced to host detainees during World War II and the effect this has on the hotel's staff, guests and the sweetwater that runs beneath it. Gorgeously written, with vivid characters, an atmospheric setting and a clever plot. This will be a book I read over and over again to catch every detail.

I was disappointed by this book and I think the title is misleading. The précis implied lots of intrigue, and potentially, secrets to be uncovered, but ultimately I felt like it was a story that didn’t really go anywhere. The characters were well written so the writing itself held my attention, but the whole time I kept ‘expecting the action to start’. Sadly for me, it never did. I can’t recommend it I’m afraid; I got to the end wondering what was the point. I guess it just wasn’t for me.

Maggie Stiefvater is one of those authors I would very strongly associate with my teenage reading years - both The Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Raven Cycle had me in a chokehold when I was younger, so it's incredibly exciting to be able to read her adult novel debut!

The synopsis felt so unlike any of her previous books, and I think if readers dive in expecting this to contain the same levels of fantasy as her earlier works, some may be a little disappointed. But only a little! Any magical and fantasy elements do not take the forefront of this story, but nonetheless, they were well crafted and woven into the narrative. This is very much a slow burn of a historical plot, but the poetic prose, with rich and vivid world-building alongside the overall sense of space and character development, made it incredibly engaging and super easy to fall into.

Absolutely loved this read. It felt so different to any other Stiefvater book I've read before but nostalgically familiar at the same time. I normally don't enjoy wartime historical fiction, but this was a worthwhile exception and I regret absolutely nothing.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for a copy of this ARC

***
Posted on Goodreads and Storygraph 26/02

The premise of this book is really unusual and as I’m always a sucker for a bit of magic thrown in with reality, I was really intrigued. I loved June’s character and that of the Sweetwater, both of which flow through this book and it really added an extra dimension to the narrative. There were some elements of the story that I would have like to see developed further, such as what happened to Hannelore, and I did feel the pacing dropped through the middle section, but it was beautifully written and overall I really enjoyed it. Many thanks to the author and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Of course, The Listeners has fascinating subject matter, well played with; a luxury hotel in the mountains turned indulgent prison (and at some times, a stage) for the opposition's diplomats during the early Second World War. But that's all really just the backdrop to a story about how people pretend, present and project themselves onto those around them, and what those people do in response.

Plot-wise, the start has a lot of exciting paths being shown to us, then there's slow-going progress through the middle before the satisfying and rousing finale in the last 15%. The final twist could've used a bit more buildup, but overall I was hooked almost the whole way through. Stiefvater also presents a fantastic use of magical realism to make the story feel full, to materialise these feelings of utter loss and dread and listlessness and steadfastness in a world falling apart, and a cast of characters screaming into the void as it happens.

I am utterly in love with the neurodivergent representation, so seamlessly in place. It's never called that, or really given a name at all, but it resounded so true and personally with me, and clearly what Stiefvater was intending. The power and respect June has, and the 'unusual' parts of how she thinks that make it possible, fills my heart. As a protagonist, she is idealistic and insightful and unmoving, but also not infallible and scared and stubborn. What an adaptation this would make if done well.

I was dithering between 4 or 5 stars for this book while reading - it's a great concept, creatively told, but dawdles in the middle and almost falls into the listlessness of literary fiction. But, actually, I haven't felt this moved in a way I can't articulate in a long time; so 5 stars it is.

This is an interesting book set in a hotel in Appalachian Mountains at the start of WW2. I enjoyed the mystical element and the way the characters interacted with each other. I felt the story was a bit slow to get going but that is my only criticism.

Despite an intriguing premise and an intriguing synopsis storyline, this book just didn't do it for me. It was a clever story and well written with the backdrop of America entering World War II and what happened to the diplomats from Germany, Italy and Japan at this point in time.

However, the fantasy side of the story was just a little weird and it didn't really feel needed. I liked the characters but I kept waiting for things to get interesting, but they never did. It's a shame because it had real potential.

I've grown up being engulfed in Maggie's novels with her lyrical writing that immerse you into the worlds that she builds and it's one of the main reasons that she has been my favourite authors throughout my life. (still to this day I re-read Shiver every October and enjoy it just as much as a 25yr old woman as I did as a 12yr old girl) I was overjoyed at the news of her newest novel 'The Listeners' being released and even more thrilled when I was approved for an early copy!

It is safe to say that Maggie's writing style if that of a genius and I still find myself being amazed at the ways in which she encompasses you in her story. I feel like she was taking a peek into my soul when describing June (especially with her Mary Janes and dachaunds) I enjoyed the magical realism aspect and its almost mystery element with the building curiosity of the sweetwater throughout the novel. I also thought the way that she highlighted the contrast between the beauty and luxury of the Avallon Hotel in juxtaposition against the ugliness and brutality of the war that is ongoing was done perfectly.

The Raven Cycle is one of my favourite YA fantasy series so when I heard Maggie Stiefvater was publishing an adult book, I was instantly intrigued.

In some ways, this couldn’t be further from Stiefvaters young adult books, it’s a historical fiction with the slightest hint of magical realism. But the prose, atmosphere and setting are every bit as beautiful, vivid and whimsical as her previous works.

The Night Circus is one of my favourite books so I really love when a setting becomes an important character in itself, I was completely transported to the Avallon and fell in love with all of its enchanting quirks and enjoyed discovering its many secrets. I loved that there was such a large ensemble cast to get to know with the staff and clientele and I really loved watching June interact with them all.

This is an extremely character driven story so if you’re looking for an action packed plot you won’t find it here. You can tell it’s been impeccably researched and it was really interesting to see just how steeped in truth it was reading the authors note at the end.

Stiefvater remains an auto buy author and I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next.

A fabulously written haunting story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

went into this with no expectations; turning the last page with my mind blown.
The Listeners has all the magic of old fantasy I used to read under the covers with a flashlight. It weaves together WW2 and coal country and sentient water and the most complex interpersonal relationships so easily that you don't even realize how many layers this has till you try to explain it to someone. It approaches the very tenuous political climate of multinational diplomats stuck in a hotel together with surprising clarity. It feels like the kind of story that becomes a classic. It is and isn't a love story. It ends how you'd expect but somehow that makes it better not worse because of how it gets there. I will be thinking about this for a while.

First of all, thank you to Netgalley, the author and the editor for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is not a type of book I normally read but it was so interesting!

I loved the characters and also the story behind them. June Hudson, or Hoss, is an incredible and amazing women who had me hooked since the beginning to know more about her.

This book happens during the World War II at the Avalon hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels of America.
Some diplomats and their families are sent to this hotel to be departed for their countries (including Germany, Japan, Hungary…)

And the best of all, it has a spark of magic!! They call it the sweetwater, something that only Miss Hudson can now control.

It was an awesome reading, with a little romance too (because I’m addicted to romance hehe).

The only thing that I didn’t like so much was the big chapters because looked like I was reading in a reallyyyyyyy slow pace.

One of my favourite reads so far this year. June runs a luxury hotel which gets taken over by the feds and Axis diplomats during WW2. Craziness, tension, and a bit of romance ensue.

The book is set in Appalachia; the author did a good job of encapsulating the aura of the hills of West Virginia (having family there myself, I can attest!).

There is a mild fantasy element to this book that I wasn’t expecting: the sweetwater. It doesn’t really give or take away from the story itself. Though, it did provide a ‘going out with a bang’ of sorts.

I really enjoyed the story-telling of this novel. The times I wanted to know more, I was given more. The plot line was clear, and each main character’s story was cleverly contrived. I especially enjoyed Hannelore’s pov and would easily read another book from her full perspective. I just wish she would’ve received her lemon drops ;)

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview!

maggie’s first adult-y book, slow paced and slow burn.
jane is a strong character that stands out, like all stiefvater books her characters are well developed and likeable.
the setting was very different and a complete style change. i missed the banter from her ya books but that did not make the book less enjoyable.
filled with folklore, history , gritt and utterly beautiful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for a review copy of this novel. I have long been a fan of Maggie Stiefvater’s storytelling in her YA novels, which I read as a librarian of children’s services. Her manner of creating worlds and a sense of place is vivid, but also she also adds a witty twist or otherworldly charm that makes her stand out from other writers. This novel, though not quite like her other novels that have stronger elements of paranormal or fantasy threads, still contains those wonderful aspects. This novel woos you, slowly enchants you, just like I imagine the Avallon hotel would if it were real. There’s a definite charm in the novel and the hotel with an undercurrent that’s unsettling, but despite that unsettling feeling, you have to know more. And as the hotel’s name suggests, the hotel has an otherworldly suggestion that hints at perfect happiness.

The Avallon Hotel, situated in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia is a place of luxury, especially in the onset of the second World War and June Hudson knows its value and as its manager is famed for maintaining its perfection in the wake of the recent death of its owner. June grew up in the surrounding mountains, dirt poor and definitely strange, but as someone who knows the sweetwater that flows from its mountain and made the hotel famous. But that sweetwater, the hotel and June find its match when the government appropriates the hotel to house Axis power diplomats, their staff and other well known figures of these countries who’d resided in the USA. Secrets, lies and betrayal are their currency and for June, who relies on her ability to keep the contentment and happiness of her staff and guests at a high level, she finds her heart mind and soul at risk amidst the turmoil. Her surprise support and quiet help through this is not the owner’s lothario son, whose long declared admiration and love for her is belied by his constant carousing in New York, but the taciturn FBI agent, himself a former resident of the locale. His own fear and rejection of his very roots have driven him to be a man of the agency, to reject anything personal, something the sweetwater itself challenges the moment he arrives.

The novel is powerful on many levels and its thread of what might be described as magical realism embodied in the sweetwater that permeates the book is so seamlessly part and central to the story that somehow the reader is committed to its truth and existence just as it pulls the truth from those who are near it. The novel is inspired by real events which contributes to its magic in a way, because the alchemy that such a gathering, with the tension of war surrounding these people, could only have created something out of the ordinary. In Maggie Stiefvater’s hands we get a novel filled with richly drawn characters, compelling in their depth and humanity, their flaws and struggles. We also get a tense filled plot with twists and turns that keep the pages turning, and we get wonderfully wrought sentences and some wit that lets you know that in Stiefvater’s hands you have a wonderful book. Highly recommended.

At first glance a story about the upheaval of a hotel that is forced to swap its luxury residents for enemy diplomats in the Second World War.

At a deeper level it considers the sacrifice that certain people make for the happiness of the wider group and the difficulty of balancing that with a path that leads to their happiness. The tug of war between ought and want…

In this novel, the author channels the whimsical yet dark energy of The Grand Budapest Hotel, setting the stage in a peculiar Appalachian town during the 1940s amidst the backdrop of World War II. What follows is a delightful and intricate tale of sentient sweet water and an ensemble of eccentric, compelling characters, each adding their own flavor to the story.

At the heart of it all is June, a complex and fiercely determined protagonist. With the weight of the hotel’s future resting on her shoulders, June must navigate the tense and dangerous political climate of wartime America.

The plot itself is a dizzying whirlwind of twists and turns, keeping readers on their toes with every page. True to Maggie Stiefvater's signature style, the writing is both captivating and hauntingly beautiful, effortlessly drawing the reader into a world that's as rich and unpredictable as the characters within it.

Stiefvater writes best when she's building a new world and exploring the crevices of her characters.
Hudson and Tucker were interesting and fleshed out characters with strong ideals that would have been interesting to see develop if the plot was stronger.

The story thrives when it's examining interpersonal relationships and dynamics of wealth and class but it struggles to match the enormity and tensions of of WWII. There were interesting moral questions the characters had to face but felt a bit hurried.

Stiefvater writes with such a wonderful style and detailed care that its flaws in plot can be mostly overlooked.

This is probably a case of "It's not you, it's me," but this book definitely was not for me. I've read all of Maggie Stiefvater's books and she's one of my favorite authors, so I didn't hesitate to request The Listeners, even though historical fiction isn't one of my go-to genres. This book gets an extra star because Stiefvater's prose is excellent as usual, but the plot fell flat for me. I kept waiting for things to get interesting, but they never did. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and overall just found the story boring. I do hope this book finds its audience, but it's just not going to be me.