This book is interesting historically rather than a gripping read. There is a very upmarket hotel in West Virginia which belongs to a family which rescued it from being a mess. They restored and upgraded it and passed the management of it to an employee, June. The Avallon is full,of rich guests. However, war has broken out after Pear Harbour and the FBI and State Department are taking the hotel over to house enemy embassy staff. The mix of departmental officials and embassy staff from .Germany, Italy and Japan does not make an easy mix. The enemy staff are on edge hoping they will be transported home. In the meantime the reader is treated to all the comings and goings during their incarceration. Eventually the time comes for the foreign nationals to leave. Historically, this book has some interesting reminders but it does not make a gripping read.

Check in The Avallon for a poetic experience in which the beauty of luxury and the ugliness of World War II intertwin with each other. A charming cast of characters will lead you into a story of magic realism and romance and the unreality of war times far from the war.

I wonder if Stiefvater would have ever suspected how well timed this book release would be. History tends to rhyme, after all.

Having read Stiefvater's little article/essay before requesting this book, I knew I was getting into story that wasn't guided by actions scene or immersive plot (in the sense that "telling" has a greater hold in this genre of books compared to "showing").

And indeed, it is the case. I would even go further and say that the secrets foretold in the blurb aren't very central to the story, or that interesting, for a reader used to more gripping stories. Sure, secrets are present, of all kind. But they do not shape the plot or the story as much as I expected or hoped. Does that mean the story doesn't hold up to its promise? Well, it's a difficult question. I am aware enough of my preferences to be cautious with my opinion here. I love fantasy, mystery and romance. Sometimes historical fiction. Generally, I don"t go for general or literary fiction, because I don't find them interesting enough, despite their good writing and their aim to examine things that makes us human. It's too obvious for my taste.

"The listeners" is a good story, but I feel like it could have been better. I know Stiefvater's prose from the Raven Boys, and I think her style of writing would have suited a story who relied more heavily on magical elements (a bit in the magical realism, even though this genre is very specific and linked to south america and deconolonisation). Sure, the descriptions are great, the sense of place s great, and the idea of dealing with diplomats as the USA join WW2 is promising. June's relationship with the water was, too. The promise of having all kind of love, too. But in the end, it fell flat for me. Probably a genre thing, too much distance from the characters even though we are in their head all along. Seemingly complex characters who feel flat in the end, going through a phase in their life without having much to change for it. Sure, decisions are taken, but it didn't feel like something important. I need to care about the characters to care about a story, and here I just couldn't. Too much telling, not enough showing, not enough shifting of scenes to make things interesting. The story could have fit into a novella and be more punchy without changing much of its form here.

Is it a bad book? No. Was it appealing and emotionnally impactful? No, either. And I must say I am a bit on edge about how some of the themes concerning June and a young girl (clearly depicted as autistic) was treated. There was an undertone of... getting better? Changing, to be more socially adapted, rather than finding ways to have a comfortable life. I didn't like that very much, but I might be wrong in my interpretation.

thank you to netgalley for my arc of this book!

sadly this was simply not a good book. i was excited when i saw the author and the premise i figured if anyone can pull this off maggie can but sadly thats not how it turned out. the book was just boring, the characters were boring, the relationships save 1 or 2 were also boring. i didn’t like the way the autism rep was handled in this book at all it felt as if hannelore only existed to further things for june and she consisted of a lot of stereotypes. overall i can think of few things i liked such as the setting and some of the relationships between june and her workers. for the most part i can think of more things i didn’t like which is a disappointing.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

When I received the email that my Netgalley wish had been granted, I was a few days away from handing in my doctoral thesis about Nan Shepherd. I wanted to just drop everything and start reading, but I kept the ARC until after I had handed in the book I had written. I was in a reading slump, my brain tired from academia. But "The Listeners" was amazing, I loved every single sentence of it and it transported me to a mysterious hotel in America shortly after Pearl Harbour happened.

The Avallon is a luxury hotel and June is the GM. Just as June has her secrets, the hotel has secrets. When the hotel is used to home people from Germany, Japan, Italy, June has to keep up the peace, she has to appease the Sweetwater, the guests, the Buero, ponder her old love and life, possible new love, her past and her future. She is June, she is Hoss, she can talk to the water, yet she is not part of the rich family that owns the hotel. She can also see kinship with the autistic-coded daughter of a German diplomat, mistreated, prone to be a victim of euthanasia if she is to return to Germany. Nationality, ethnicity, gender, ablebodiness, class, love and everything is part of the hotel's ecosystem. It lives and breathes, the hotel is weirdly alive.

The novel raises more questions than it answers. But that is the Stiefvater beauty of it, something I already loved in the Raven Cycle. The ending is both open and closed, the past is both a mystery and explained, just like the magic of the water is never truly explained. Does it need to be? A constant song while reading was "What the water gave me" by Florence and the Machine. The grand hotel, the bathhouses, the toll to keep the hotel running - both worldly and otherworldly. I really enjoyed this book, I even wish it could have been longer.

There were a few things that did not work for me however:
- As a German native speaker, I couldn't help but find fault with the German in the novel. I have read books from the 1930s and 1940s, I have watched movies from that era. The spelling mistakes or words that make no sense whatsoever will hopefully be picked up by an editor before publication
- Even though Hannelore was autistic-coded and June could relate to her, I found the plottwists surrounding her a bit much. I found the idea that the water can heal both wonderful and unsuitable.
- I am sad that I didn't learn more about the dachshunds. They were very cute and they deserve more attention.

After all an interesting book and I can see why Maggie Stiefvater spent so much time researching and writing it. It was quite wonderful and I also learned a lot.

A random thing though -- and this connects the ending of this review with the beginning -- I kinda imagined June to be a bit like Nan Shepherd. Both are 'of the mountain', go beyond conventions, have a connection to the water and nature that is uncanny. I know that this is pure projection born from my intense engagement with this Scottish author, but I just couldn't help it. Robert Burns recitals in the hotel? A woman going against convention and running a hotel?

I'm very happy to have been able to read this book in advance. What a wonderful treat for me to read after handing in a 380 page manuscript. I can't wait to see what Maggie Stiefvater is writing next.

This was a whimsical book about a hotel during the war and is guests, diplomats possibly spies during World War Two. There was a lots of information, names and stories in this book.

3.5 stars. My first Stiefvater and I enjoyed it. It's a solid book with some great worldbuilding and character development.

Maggie never misses. By far one of my favorite reads in January, Stiefvater has written a beautiful story about the human condition. It’s stuck with me and I can’t wait for the official release.

Over a decade has passed since I was transported by Maggie Stiefvater's writing in Shiver. While a lot of the finer details of Shiver might be lost to me, Maggie Stiefvater was imprinted on my brain as an author that could really transport you through their writing. For this reason, The Listeners was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025.

From its first chapter, I was fascinated by the Avallon Hotel & Spa and my attention was demanded by each new character introduced. The plot is character-driven with countless deviations from the central story. However, each pivot provides meticulous detail to characters no matter how minor they may seem. The story slowly ticks along and is held together by references to a mystic force - sweetwater. I really loved this mythical element, and the complexity it gave to the character of June. My only wish was to have more insight into the mystery of the fourth bathhouse and June’s relationship with it.

I found myself simultaneously not wanting the story to end, and still so satisfied with its clever, though predictable ending. The tension built particularly well in Part 4. Finally, I loved that when I really started to doubt the realism and faithfulness to historical fiction, the Author’s Note really put me in my place. An incredible amount of research and accuracy has been poured into this novel. I can’t wait to tell everyone I know to read this book in June!

I absolutley adore Maggie Stiefvaters writting style. The atmosphere in this book was immaculate. The story itself hit a bit too close home for what is going on right now around the world for my comfort, but I guess that makes it so very important.

Maggie Stiefvater is the type of author you either love to pieces or you can't stand her writing. There's no in between. I fall into the more obsessed category. I've loved her writing for years and I can see the pure love she has for the craft.

The Listeners is no different. This book presents a very particular snapshot of history to the reader and since the setting is so intensely focused on one place & time, the characters feel a bit limited to what they can do and who they can be. If you're an uninformed reader, like myself, and you don't have a deep knowledge of West Virginia's history & cultural significance, a lot of this book will be lost to you. I feel like I missed out on a lot of nuance because I'm not American.

As always, her writing is a true wonder to experience. She knows exactly how to string a sentence together and make it feel like pure magic in your brain, fizzing through your thoughts. I feel almost entranced by the way she crafts descriptions of people and their backstories. It's very intricately & seamlessly woven into the narrative.

All in all, I enjoyed the reading experience but I felt like the time & setting hindered any real plot from occurring & limited the characters development. I loved the writing & will always enjoy what Maggie Stiefvater puts her mind to.

I've been a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater for years. I read The Raven Cycle during my university years and it changed my life. I ended up writing my Masters thesis about it. I know her writing intimately and I know her books are not for everyone.

Since The Raven Cycle is all I've read from her, I was very hesitant to start The Listeners. Reading it has made me very confused how I feel about her body of work. It makes me want to read her entire backlist whilst simultaneously swearing off anything she writes except for The Raven Cycle.

This book feels like a long, winding vignette of a moment in time. A very specific and detailed moment of time that needs a lot of context to be understood fully. Not being American & not being from West Virginia in particular made me feel like I was missing vital information in order to fully grasp the emotional and historical complexity of the setting and the main characters.

I found June Hudson to be a very compelling character but she also felt quite one note at times. The plot varied very little which did not give the characters much room to show what they can do when put in difficult circumstances. This book could have been a novella and the story would have packed much more of a punch if it had been reduced by 150 pages.

The shining star in this book is Stiefvater's prose. Her writing is like magic and I just feel wrapped up in its web, unable to tear my eyes away from the page. She has such a way with words that make me feel like this is the first and last book I will ever read.

The Listeners was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and I knew going in that it would never live up to my impossibly high expectations. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I will enjoy seeing other people's reactions to the book even more. Reviews will probably be very divisive.

I took a class in college called "the weird, the eerie, and the uncanny" where we read shirley jackson and lovecraft watched hitchcock and lynch and unpacked questions precisely like the one maggie stiefvater said she posed herself when writing this book: "what do you call the genre that approaches fantastical elements with awe instead of terror?" where she landed on Wonder, we decided that genre was simply Fantasy, as a collective. i was so eager to read this book precisely because of the way she handles this genre of hers, Wonder (and Fantasy), in the raven cycle, easily my favorite series of all time. as I have grown since the first time I picked the series up in high school, so too has my interpretation of the elements of that series, and I see the matured version of the themes of class and yearning that first bubbled up in trc make their way into the listeners, with some added explorations of thematic questions like "what is luxury, really?" the writing, of course, brings an emotional magic far outside of the literal magic of the plot; even descriptions for the most mundane objects and actions become preternaturally awe-some in the true sense of the word. this, too, is a return to one of the aspects of the raven cycle that makes it so special to me, even all these years later. in the dream thieves, ronan is thrust ("shoved" or "pushed" I believe is the word used) into a dream, and one of the first, tone-setting descriptions we get is "the air grinned." in the listeners, the tension in the avallon has come to a head, and "the air shimmered" to match. this is a debut, an entrance into the world of adult storytelling — a transition that stiefvater has written about for her newsletter, in an article that gives a surprising amount of insight into the process — but in some ways, it feels more similar to the raven cycle than anything else of hers I've read. it feels like a homecoming, but also an evolution, a reinforcement of strengths and a trimming of weaknesses. this book isn't even out yet, but I already need whatever story she tells next.

The Listeners is a captivating blend of historical fiction, suspense, and a touch of romance, all centered around a strong female protagonist, although it's more plot-driven than her other books. While this is a departure from Stiefvater's typical fare, her talent for crafting compelling characters and immersive settings shines through. The novel goes into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the moral complexities of war, all set against the backdrop of a nation on the brink of change. This is clearly an adult novel, not a good entry point to her books. If you're looking for a well-written historical fiction novel with a strong female lead and a suspenseful plot, The Listeners is a promising read. Just be prepared for something different from the author of the Raven Cycle.

First, thank you to Headline and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first ever read by this author (Yes, I know, how? I plan to read The Raven Cycle this year do no worry) and in retrospect I think it was best since it’s very different from her previous work. Her first adult novel as well. An historical fiction set after Pearl Harbour happened, in the beginning of WWII and based on real events twisted with eerie Appalachian magic. Enough to be curious, right? I definitely was and it did not disappoint.

I’ve previously heard about the author's character work and prose. Now I understand all the praise. The writing transported me up the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia with such an ease as well as thought the rooms and backstage "staff only" restricted areas of the luxurious Avallon Hotel! The characters were so compelling, complex and well written too. From June, our enigmatic General Manager to Tucker, the very bureau-minded federal agent of this operation but also, Sandy, Pennybacker, the whole staff and of course, Hannelore.
Even if we mostly follow the story through June’s journey, as the caretaker of the sweetwater, I loved the three POVs, they were very complimentary.
The mysterious "magical" elements were so interesting too. Some people hear the water laugh, speak? Some say it heals. One person especially is afraid of it, while June seems to understand it. 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. It definitely raises more questions than answers, but it didn’t bother me personally. It’s an atmosphere I really enjoy.

The pacing was so good. I couldn’t put it down - especially towards the end! (I ended up reading until 2 am one night without really noticing). I highlighted so many quotes.. I’m just sad I can’t fit everything in here -nor share everything since some of them could spoil some parts.
I found it so interesting that the story follows this side of the war, through the diplomatic plot. It’s not something I’ve seen/read about before.

It’s definitely a story that follows you a long time after. I can feel it. Like the sweetwater itself flooding near.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for providing an ARC in exchange for a review. This review contains my honest thoughts and personal opinions on the book.

Having just been introduced to Maggie Stiefvater’s books last year I was beyond excited to get an early copy of her adult debut. Unfortunately, I wished I liked it more than I did.

Set in 1942 in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, The Avallon Hotel created the picturesque ideal of luxury in its little corner of the world. I was immediately enraptured by the place Maggie had created. The Avallon has secrets and its staff are full of charm and personality. In charge of it all is June Hudson, General Manager of The Avallon who has even more secrets and a hidden past. The beginning of the book was inviting and it clearly established the world of luxury that The Avallon provides while simultaneously getting to see its inner workings. Even the side characters felt developed and it just made me want to live there or be a part of the world to some capacity; the hotel felt very real to me when it wasn’t at all.

Unfortunately for The Avallon, the hotel is taken over by the State Department to house Axis diplomats and Nazis after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. This creates the main tension for the novel as June, along with her staff, must put their feelings aside to provide enemies of war the same level of luxury that they would for any of The Avallon’s guests. Furthermore, FBI agents like Tucker Minnick are searching to find secrets among the hotel’s guests.

Stiefvater’s writing felt very on brand from what I’ve read of her books. Her writing reminds me of all the possibilities there are when it comes to telling a story; it feels as if the author has somehow made the English language her playground and is almost whimsical at points.

June Hudson is a very complicated character, which made her a very interesting one. There is Hoss who runs the Avallon who puts on the right show and knows just where to be, what to say, and who people–and the hotel–need her to be. I love how June and her staff felt like family. I can admire the belief she has in them and the utter trust they have in her. Part of me was swept up in her performance of being The Avallon’s GM while also getting to see her inner conflict as a result of the demands of her job– one of which is to manage the sweetwater running under the hotel.

The magical aspect of the sweetwater (which was more like its own entity) was honestly confusing for me to fully comprehend. I know that to read Maggie Stiefvater’s writing you learn to expect being in the dark and understanding to read between the lines. However, although I do like the role the sweetwater plays in the story, I do feel that the author could have explained it better as I didn’t really understand how it worked until near the end of the book, which doesn’t help with a reader’s overall engagement with the novel.

As for FBI agent Tucker Minnick, I neither liked nor understood his character. For me there was nothing about his character that compelled me to be interested in his thoughts or empathize with him. I couldn’t follow his reasoning for his actions and his overall POV made the plot hard to follow. As a result, I don’t have much to say about him. His role within the story felt expendable besides his role as a love interest. In fact, as a love interest I didn't think Tucker and June’s relationship made any sense, beyond their shared past. Instead of slowly developing, it felt like I missed something and they suddenly had feelings towards each other.

How Stiefvater chose to include a different take on these historical events (diplomatic intrigue instead of at the front of the war) was definitely a new aspect that I hadn't read in historical fiction before. Yet, I do feel that as the author told this story from a different perspective on the war, it at times felt superficial. For example, some of June’s problems while running a luxury hotel is the fact that she’s losing staff to the war draft or that her butter machine is broken and her biggest concern is that she has to replace them– not that her staff, which are like family, are going to fight a war or that their sons or husbands are dying fighting a war. At some point, luxury is irrelevant in the face of such horrendous events.

As for the overall story and plot, I thought it was relatively well done particularly towards the end. I just wish it had been more engaging for the reader or that the plot was more focused on. When I heard that there were going to be secrets I was expecting to be pulled in by intrigue and instead was fed small tidbits that made me feel like a passive participant in the story. With all the characters, the love story, historical aspects, the secrets, and the magic sweetwater, the story couldn’t effectively focus on one part well. There were too many things that struggled to work together, which was disappointing because the parts that I enjoyed were bogged down by the ones that I didn’t like.

This wasn’t really what i expected from the description. I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn’t get into it. I felt it boring and not at all what I expected from the author. It is, however a nice leap into adult fiction and a new genre, but it clearly wasn’t to my taste.

I feel the writing was very good, the plot interesting and there’s really nothing wrong with the book. And I know a lot of people will like this a lot. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.

I'm not sure how to talk about this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it didn't disappoint, but also it didn't fulfill my expectations.

Like every other Stiefvater book, the prose is well-crafted, it has that characteristic style of hers and I love it. Stiefvater's way of presenting the characters is always something that amazes me at how subtle she constructs them, dropping little pieces of who they are into the narrative.

I can say that June was the strongest point of this book, she controls every chapter from her point of view as seamlessly as she controls everything that happens in the Avallon. I liked her as a character, but at the same time I wanted something more.

About Tucker I can't say a lot, it was interesting to see his dynamic with June, but I honestly couldn't care about his character.

The plot as a whole kind of fell short for me, I have to say that everything was thoroughly researched and it shows on the prose, however I didn't see the point of the story. There are some occasions in which it feels like it's going somewhere, mainly because of the commentary on war and certain themes, but most of the time I kept asking me what was the point of this story.

There were some magic elements with the strangeness of the water, I liked the descriptions of it and how it seemed to affect the emotions of those around it, but again I was expecting more.

All in all it's a good book, it's well written and it kept me entertained. As Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors, I enjoyed seeing her writing for an adult audience and I'll be expecting whatever she writes next.

Firstly, Stiefvater is obviously a good writer - I loved the characters and there were plenty of twists and turns in the plot. June is a great heroine and the description of her right from the beginning of the book really evokes someone interesting and unique. However, I found the over-description of the hotel, The Avallon, began to grate as the book went on. I got that it was beautiful, lush and that it was the epitome of luxury - I just didn't needed to be reminded and re-told again and again. I feel that the casting of the hotel as the other most significant character after June meant that the conclusion of the plot was slightly rushed towards the end.

Maggie Stiefvater is a master of subtle horror and mysteries, brought to life through her love for detailed surroundings and light shifts in mood. With 'The Listeners' that skill decisively gets to prove itself to an adult market and doesn't fail to envelope one in its mysteries and intrigues throughout the story.