Thank-you to Netgalley and Maggie Stiefvater for access to the eARC of ‘The Listeners’.

‘The Listeners’ is based in 1942 Appalachia, soon after Pearl Harbour. The main protagonist is June Hudson – the general manager of luxury resort, the Avallon Hotel and Spa. While the Avallon boasts luxury, regardless of the struggles occurring in the outside world, the staff including June come from humble beginnings. As the American’s join the war, people are being drafted and killed, to avoid conscription the wealthy Gilfoyle heir and owner of the hotel, makes a deal with the state department to use the hotel to house captured diplomats. These diplomats include people associated with enemy forces; Germany, Japan and Italy, that the staff must serve while family and friends are being killed overseas.

This novel has a hint of fantasy with the undercurrent of sweet water, which I still am unsure of what it was and its power, but in general felt more of a historical fiction novel.

For the majority I enjoyed reading this novel. It was atmospheric and the scene was set well, and I loved the main character June. June showed tremendous growth throughout the novel, and I loved learning more about her as the story progressed. Maggie Stiefvater is fantastic at developing realistic and interesting characters. I enjoyed the natural incorporation of neurodivergent characters without outright stating a diagnosis. As someone who has been diagnosed with OCD and experienced times of struggling with mental health, in my opinion, these characters were well fleshed out and issues were dealt with appropriately. There is limited romance, but I appreciated the interactions that were included.

The plot progressed very slowly, and I didn’t understand the staff’s commitment to the hotel. The vast majority of the novel revolved around the hotel itself and the main characters love for it, which I didn’t really understand. Although, as we learn more about June late in the novel, it began to make sense. I kept expecting there to be more to the hotel and sweet water, but I’m left feeling confused. I would have enjoyed a greater emphasis on the ethical dilemma of the staff in providing luxury to guests despite their own morals and current situation in the world. This also applies as June acknowledges that the Gilfoyle family and their morals don’t exactly align with her own beliefs, although she still loves them. It’s interesting and relatable to love people that don’t have the same beliefs, and I think this could have had a larger role throughout the story rather than the hotel. I particularly enjoyed the last quarter of the book, which was faster paced and had more tension, but the resolution came quickly.

Overall, the book is okay – the plot is extremely slow, and some elements unclear but there are some beautiful and relatable moments.

**DNF**

This book gave me an uneasy feeling, and I didn't like it at all. Everything (including the water) just felt so unsettling, and I just couldn't keep reading.

My love for Maggie Stiefvater began with The Raven Boys, a series I devoured and cherished. Now, with The Listeners, Stiefvater embarks on her first journey into adult fiction, a transition that often raises questions for readers. Fortunately, she not only maintains her signature style of whimsical characters and mesmerizing descriptions, but expertly weaves them into a narrative that bravely confronts mature themes like the impact of war, entrenched class systems, and the often-overlooked historical treatment of neurodivergence.

The Plot
It’s 1942, and we find ourselves in the Appalachian Mountains, at the Avallon Hotel. With ‘450 staff, 420 rooms on 418 acres,’ it is a world unto itself, meticulously managed by June Hudson, or “Hoss” as her staff affectionately calls her. Yet, June’s most vital duty is something most of the staff are aware of, although it is only spoken about in hushed tones: a childhood spent in the surrounding mountains has granted her a singular understanding of how to balance the mystical “sweetwater” flowing both beneath and through the hotel.
When government officials commandeer the Avallon, converting it into a detention centre for upper-class war internees, June’s carefully balanced existence begins to unravel. June seems to take it all in stride, but her troubles begin to pile up. The staff don’t want to serve accused Nazi’s, a strange little girl arrives with the detainees and seems to understand the sweetwater just as well as June does, a mysterious long term guest in room 411 who refuses to leave, a plague of snails and June knows that the sweetwater is not happy.


Highlights
One of Maggie Stiefvater's greatest strengths in all her books, which shows up beautifully in The Listeners, is the way she integrates magic into the plot. Here, the pervasive sweetwater is subtly woven into the narrative, an undeniable force important to the plot, but never overused or overtly obvious. This ensures the reader remains engaged with the struggles of the characters, rather than the magic itself being the sole focus.
Stiefvater’s focus on character interiority really shows in The Listeners, illuminating the complexities of class struggles in a way that is both humorous and had me nodding my head in agreement. In particular, the young detainee, Hannelore, stands out when I think about this. Her portrayal, which hints at neurodivergence without explicitly naming it, keeps with the understandings of the time the book is set, and is simply beautiful. A powerful quote that perfectly captured her unique sensory experience and resonated deeply with me was this:
" A change of scenery always provoked her. Food tasted loud. Clothing sang on her skin. Perfumes screamed in living color. Voiced braided during conversations, seeming to be in the wrong language no matter what was being said."
Did I mention the three dachshunds (two smooth, one wiry)? Any dog in any book is a highlight. (-- unless we’re talking Cujo.)

Drawbacks
Full disclosure: finding a "drawback" for this review was surprisingly tough. If I'm completely honest, my only lingering thought about The Listeners is a perceived lack of a strong, overarching central conflict, particularly for our main character, June. Yes, June is pulled in a dozen directions at once, dealing with a whole heap of immediate pressures, but there isn't one singular, propelling conflict that truly drives the entire story forward. But is that even a drawback? I'm not entirely sure! Given the rising tide of "cozy" fiction, which often embraces a gentler pace and a less crisis-driven plot, perhaps this isn't a flaw at all, but rather a deliberate stylistic choice.

The Final Take
On the surface, The Listeners is a story of a grand hotel, its resourceful general manager, and the diverse individuals housed within its walls. Yet, beneath the surface, Maggie Stiefvater has packed in layers of social commentary. The hotel becomes a microcosm for exploring intricate class systems, the consequences of war and the many-sided treatment of 'the other,' whether by race, class, culture, or neurodivergence.
The Listeners a strong 5 stars of me. I can’t wait for whatever Stiefvater conjures up next.
Quotable Quotes
“This was the nature of the average Avallon guest: people so high on the social ladder they had to duck for the sun to go overhead.”
“This is the language of the lower class: immediacy, possession, lust, hunger, the obvious. This is the language of the ruling class: legacy, humor, artifice, generosity, subtlety.”

This one just was not working for me. The writing style felt like it was keeping my at arms length and it felt so stilted and dull it felt like a chore to pick this one back up.

There is a line between fantasy and magical realism, a distinction as subtle and nuanced as the genre itself. It's our world -- but different. Just different enough to perceive the fantastical. It's like good foreshadowing, a feeling in your chest, the crease in your brow.

Maggie Stiefvater's 'The Listeners' is magical realism at its absolute best. From the transportative, lyrical prose, to the beautifully realised characterisation. Everything about the world she's crafted is a dizzying, compelling balance of real and unreal.

The 'real' of the setting is so firm and grounded, you can truly feel the love and dedication put into the research behind the luxurious and quirky Avallon Hotel. This commitment to authenticty is utterly delicious set against the strangeness of the underlying plot.

This is absolutely a book worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at The Avallon.

So thrilled to receive an ARC of this book!
I am a big fan of Stiefvater, but not really much of a fan of historical fiction, so I was really interested to see how I would find this book.
Thankfully, the lure of a grand hotel was very enticing, and it more than lived up to my expectations. The Avallon and its staff are a delightful group of… misfits? Led by General Manager June Porter Hudson, there’s many a character to get attached to and curious about among their ranks.
This is a WW2 novel, and I’m not usually a fan of those. Focussed on a very specific group of people and situation, the war is the backdrop but not the main point.
There was almost an element of magic in the link to the waters, too - those fond of the Raven Cycle books could almost find familiarity in the ley lines of that series, with the way June relates to the waters in this book.
I am a nutter for a strong sense of place and I absolutely adored the descriptions of the opulence of the hotel and its events, and the surrounding buildings.
Loved the book and am grateful to have one to pass on to all my historical fiction friends!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I loved Stiefvater’s standalone novel The Scorpio Races as well as the Raven Boys series and eagerly picked up The listeners her adult novel, which was so engrossing that I could not put it down, reading it in a couple of sittings. January 1942. June Hudson is the General Manager of the Avallon Hotel & Spa, owned by the rich Gilfoyles. It has always been the height of luxury for its influential and powerful patrons. Set in the wilds of West Virginia, the sweetwater that runs from the mountains eases away the pain and troubles of its high society clientele. Then June is told that all its guests will have to leave and instead it will host three hundred diplomats and Nazi sympathisers, supervised by the FBI as part of the war effort. Many of June’s staff have friends and relatives already serving in the armed forces and she has the massive job of juggling their feelings while trying to keep her unwelcome guests happy. FBI Agent Tucker Minnick is there to listen to the diplomats’ secrets, but with an Appalachian past, he understands the threat of the sweetwater that flows beneath the hotel.
I loved the magic realism in The listeners. The sweetwater can harm as well as heal and must be kept happy for the guests at the hotel to be content and the sacrifice that June makes to keep everything on an even keel is gripping. Tucker understands the power of water, showing June the flow from his village, and recognises her true nature and what she is undertaking.
In the author’s notes Stiefvater discusses her historical sources relating that luxury hotels were taken over to house diplomats following the attack on Pearl Harbour. The description of the running of the luxurious hotel and the amount of work that is involved in providing for unwanted was fascinating and gave a depth to the novel. However it was the complexity of the characters that stood out for me. I gradually grew to know the inmates of the hotel very well. June is unusual, a woman managing a hotel, still retaining her Appalachian accent and Tucker has secrets from his past and ones from his career as an FBI agent. The heartrending plight of Hannelore, the little girl who does not speak and could face danger if deported to Nazi Germany with her parents is a thread that I followed eagerly, as well as that of Sandy Gilfoyle, also silent in a wheelchair.
There are twists and turns, surprises and romance making this a memorable and unique story. It is highly recommended.

First of all I have to say I really struggle with reading stories about the world wars because although I understand the basics of them the politics goes right over my head. However the concept of this novel intrigued me, and when I saw my request on NetGalley had been approved I actually squealed (Ariana can testify) And you know what, I really really enjoyed this novel.

I struggled in the beginning to get into it (but I think that’s because I was travelling and didn’t have much time to read) but once I reached about the 30% mark I couldn’t put it down. The reveals at the end had my jaw on the floor and the romance was very minor and in the background but I loved it, truly.

My biggest takeaway is that Stiefvater’s writing is absolutely beautiful. And that I really need to hurry up and get to the raven boys.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for proving me with this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always try to give every book a fair shot, especially when the premise pulls me in like this one did. The Listeners had such an intriguing concept, the kind of eerie, mystery that normally would be right up my alley. The idea of something sinister building quietly in the background, the psychological tension, the subtle unravelling of a character’s reality… it all sounded so promising.

But I have to be honest: the pacing just didn’t work for me. I found myself struggling to stay engaged, waiting for something to click or pull me in, and unfortunately, that moment never came. The writing itself is thoughtful and atmospheric, but the story moved too slowly for my taste, and I couldn’t connect with it enough to keep going. It felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen and eventually, I just had to put it down.

I didn’t finish this one, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the perfect read for someone else, especially readers who enjoy character-driven narratives with a very gradual build. If you’re a fan of slow, introspective literary fiction with a touch of unease, this still might be worth a try.

Actual review 3.5 stars

This was another of my most anticipated reads for 2025 which has left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

Yes this has the same lyrical writing style that I have come to associate with Maggie Stiefvater but there was just a whole lot of words without a whole lot of stuff actually happening. Also the use of sweetwater (the magical water that can affect people) was slightly off putting coming off the back of reading the Dreamer trilogy with sweetmetal (magical items which can affect people).

It was an interesting idea and I do enjoy a spot of history in my books but sadly I am marked safe from buying many expensive copies.

Thank you to Hachette and Netgalley for the eARC and because its raining (again!) I have left an honest review.

It is 1942 and World War 2 has landed in the United States. The diplomats and dignitaries of unfriendly nations are being rounded ready for deportation. The Avallon Hotel and Spa is an institution of opulence and discretion where the needs of the guests are foremost. The Avallon Hotel is nestled in the hills of West Virginia and fed by the magical power of the local sweet water. The Avallon is for 'people so high on the social ladder they' have 'to duck for the sun to go overhead', it is an oasis in troubling times. June Porter Hudson, Avallon Hotel General Manager is determined of retaining that status despite the drum beats of war. When June is advised, in no uncertain terms by the owner that the hotel will host potential enemies of the US, June does what she is best at adapts. She focuses her staff to retain high levels of service, even if it is for Nazis and the Japanese. With the guests comes, the FBI and the State Department who are hell bent on running the Avallon to meet their requirements. This causes tension with staff, the guests and the hotel itself. June who maintains an air of professional distance but finds herself being drawn to the enigmatic Special Agent Tucker Rye Minnick and concerned over the welfare of Hannelore Wolfe, the daughter of a German diplomat. As the stay of the diplomats continues, the waters that feed the Avallon become temperamental requiring more from June and forcing her to make a decision on who or what should be saved.

I have to be honest, trying to capture the essence of this story without giving anything away is hard, for the joy is in the glorious discovery of the characters, their backgrounds, their motivations and their journey.

The story centres around June Porter Hudson and what a wonderful character she is. There is nothing cliched about June, she is a delightful conundrum. June runs the poshest of hotels, has a mountaineer accent with short clipped vowels and verbs, dresses unconventionally, wears slacks with a jacket and is attended to by three obedient dachshunds. June is a force, she is aware of everything and everyone, runs a tight ship and seems infallible but there are weaknesses. The hotel and June are intrinsically bound together, for it is the sweet water that fuels the Avallon and key to its success. The maintenance of the sweet water is June's responsibility, as the story unfolds you learn of the imposition this costs and it is an interesting dynamic.

The relationships that swirl around June are all complete with their own challenges, regrets, doubts, fears and hopes. All these characters are beautifully realised and how they interact with June. Tucker Minnick, is one of the primary relationships and you are never sure whether you should loathe or empathise. He is driven to atone and driven to be efficient in getting the job done. He and June undertake a slow dance over the course of the story with a few heated moments and plenty of complications. The Wolfe family is an interesting problem that June is faced with and becomes central to the outcome. I am not giving that away.

The cleverness of Stiefvater is in how she melds, balances, and develops all these relationships so that you want to know how everyone will all fare. She takes you on a journey that is unexpected and rewarding. The history is well researched, compliments and folds seamlessly into the story. The sweet water brings in a healthy dose of magic realism but it is the characters and in particular June who make the story. Maggie Stiefvater has crafted an intricate story that is unique, strange and compelling. I was never really sure where the story was going, it is not predictable, it is highly inventive and captivating.

I was kindly provided an ARC by Hachette Australia & New Zealand.

Oh, if you don't follow Maggie Steifvater's Facebook account, you are missing out on daily updates on dachshunds, well worth it.

A story of love, lies and betrayal based on real events that are steeped with eerie magic. All brought to life in this mesmerising portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance and a world in peril. An unforgettable cast of characters who know that real power comes to those who watch and listen, told from the backdrop of a world on the brink of war and a woman trying to keep the tumultuous water in check who demands their due.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 | 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

arc review | the listeners
2 ⭐️
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Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the eARC!
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This one hurts. As many of you know already, The Raven Cycle is my favourite series of all time, and although The Listeners is an entirely different genre, I had such high hopes. I really, truly, wanted to love this.
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The Listeners is marketed as historical fiction with a touch of magical realism. While I did enjoy the glimpses of magical realism, there wasn’t enough to keep me invested. It felt like it was being dangled over me, teasing me, just out of reach. The plot felt a little too vague, and the slow pacing made it difficult to stay interested. For 70% of the book, I was completely bored if I am being honest. And the fact that I could not connect with ANY of the characters just made it an even more disappointing experience.
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I did like that although June and the Avallon Hotel were fictional, Maggie Stiefvater included real historical events that occurred during diplomatic relations post Pearl Harbor. As a lover of history, I appreciated the homage to real history.
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Overall, I just don’t think this book was for me. But there are so many good reviews of this book that you should definitely read and compare to make your own decision of whether you should read this or not.
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Release date: June 10

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed below are my own.

This was my first Maggie Stiefvater book. I think, after looking at some other early reviews, I benefited from this, as I went in with no prior expectations of what the writing or the story would be like. The Listeners is not your traditional fantasy but an adult historical fiction with a mysterious, speculative twist to it.

It took me a long time to read this, with a near month-long pause in the middle when my 3 year old broke her femur. Despite this, I remembered everything clearly and the feelings this story invoked in me returned the moment I picked it back up. The writing is tidy, vividly descriptive, and in places quite surreal. The characters are fantastically written and deeply compelling. The mysteries keep you guessing and the writing is so beautiful that it pulls you through the intentionally uncomfortable moments in the plot. It's not a long read but it's one I will think about often.

I really enjoyed it, even the parts that were not fun to read. I will definitely have to pick up The Raven Boys because the writing had me hooked. Highly recommend if you enjoy either historical or speculative fiction.

The Listeners is out 10 June 2025.

Watered down or wonderfully weird? 🤔 Sadly, this one didn’t hold water for me. 🌊

The Listeners is Maggie Stiefvater’s first adult novel—and my first by her. Set in the atmospheric Avallon Hotel high in the Appalachian Mountains, it blends historical fiction with magical realism, a genre I usually adore. The “sweetwater” running beneath the hotel is vividly imagined and almost character-like, but ultimately felt more ornamental than essential.

Although 300 guests are said to arrive, the story focuses on a tight circle: General Manager June Hudson; Hannelore, a child who doesn’t speak but sings lyrically; her parents Sabine and Friedrich; the Gilfoyle family; FBI agent Tucker Rye Minnick; and State Department representative Benjamin Pennybacker, the mysterious guest in Room 411.

I found it difficult to fully connect with the narrative—perhaps due to a combination of underdeveloped characters, a meandering plot, and a languid pace.

What did jar was the portrayal of Nazi sympathisers enjoying five-star treatment. While fiction allows space for moral ambiguity, this blurred the line between humane detainment and luxury indulgence in a way that felt off-kilter.

The stakes never quite built, the tension remained elusive, and the atmosphere, while promising, didn’t pull me in. That said, Stiefvater’s prose glimmers in places, and her dedicated fans will likely appreciate the genre-bending ambition. For me, it felt a little disjointed, discombobulating, and yes—diluted. 💧

Out 10 June 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Listeners in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

This book was such a great read & storyline was well thought out. The characters were intriguing & compelling.

This is a book I would recommend to others

Read if you like: Descriptions of hotels and how they operate (I didn't think I would but I did) or you like books that ask a lot of questions but not necessarily all of the answers.

As June Hudson would probably say, this book was all about luxury. Who has access to it? How does it manifest? When does it end?
When the General Manager of the Avallon, June, is told that her beloved hotel will become host to detained Nazis and other Axis diplomats awaiting repatriation to their countries she resolves to continue running the hotel as if they were normal guests. However as the war continues she, and the rest of the hotel, are faced with hard questions. How much does it cost to maintain the facade of luxury? How long can something be ignored for the sake of comfort? Who has the luxury of choice? How long can you go with the luxury of not having to question yourself or face something ugly before it changes you?

The description of this book threw me off a bit, I'm not sure it resolved everything I would have liked it to and I feel the magical realism and romance aspect was maybe a bit underdeveloped (still enjoyable), but in the end it was a thought provoking read about complicated people making hard choices. I don't usually read historical fiction or non-fiction history but this book may convince me to pick up the author's further suggested reading to learn more about the context for this book.

If you liked Maggie Stiefvater's young adult books for the writing style, I would give this a go but just be aware that the themes, plot, and pacing are definitely more in line with an adult historical fiction book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia and New Zealand for the ARC.

Full review posted on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7367320453

As per usual, Maggie's writing is beautiful and her main characters are rich and interesting. I loved the setting of the hotel and loved to read about June and her relationship with her staff and the hotel.

I've never had an issue with slow burn romance but I don't think I was 100% sold on the two main characters. They definitely had chemistry but without spoiling too much, there was much more build up between the fmc and another character that I think it detracted from what could have been between the two main characters. I think also, the author's writing style is best suited to fantasy and the book could have expanded a bit more on the fantasy aspect.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Maggie Stiefvater's latest offering is a surging, wondrous thing that will delight, wound and heal you in one fell swoop. And that is how I read this book - in one sweeping swathe of time. The year is 1942 and June Hudson is the general manager of luxury hotel The Avallon, in West Virginia which is built over magical springs. Ordered to host captured Axis diplomats as the war looms ever larger, June and her team of staff must set aside their own misgivings to provide their guests with the luxury experience The Avallon is known for. A rare blend of whimsy, history and moral conflict, The Listeners is exquisitely clever and the best book I've read in years.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Listeners in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
This book provides such a great read. The storyline was well thought out and written with compelling characters that provide intrigue.
Would definitely recommend this book.