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.

3.75 rounded up to 4.

First and foremost, thank you so much to Netgalley and Headline for providing me with an early copy of this novel! It was one of my most anticipated of the year and now I’ve read it barely before the year has even began. I’m very grateful. <3

I have a lot of thoughts about this book, most of which are positive, but I had to spend some time thinking about how I wanted to review this. For context, I’m a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater’s previous series’, The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy, and so I had a lot of high expectations when going into this as I feel like I can safely say that Stiefvater is one of my favourite authors based on those works alone. I have not read anything else outside of those series’, and so I wasn’t really sure what to expect beyond beautifully written prose (a given for any Stiefvater venture) and an element of well-crafted magic throughout the novel. I certainly got both of these here with The Listeners.

The Listeners was clearly well-researched and more a passion project for Maggie; you can feel it in her prose, the way she tends to the setting and her characters delicately and with a fair amount of grace. Even her antagonists are handled as though we’re viewing them through rose-tinted glasses, obscuring their more vitriolic and hateful rhetoric behind language barriers and obvious, but again - delicate - symbolism.

Our protagonist, June, is the strongest element of the book from the very first page, beyond even the magic system and setting of the grand Avallon hotel which sits against the backdrop of the Appalachian mountains (a place that Maggie so obviously adores). She commands each scene with her inner monologue and a distinct personality (and aesthetic) that separates her from all of the background characters - even though everyone with a name has their own subtle appeal. Perhaps there would’ve been more to love about them if this was stretched into a duology, or given a longer page count. Regardless, it’s June Hudson that sticks out here, a wonderful blend of some of my favourite characters of Maggie’s in her previous works who makes such an impression, half of my rating could be afforded to her. She does get into a bit of a love triangle, which I could've done without, but it's nothing too egregious

I have some not-so-positive things to say, also, in regard to the glaring lack of queer characters in this novel. Now, fans of Maggie may have been expecting at least one lead or side character to have a queer arc. I believe Maggie even stated somewhere (perhaps in response to an Instagram comment) that this book would include queer representation. What we are given instead is the most subtle and, frankly, kind of insulting single-sentence confirmation that two of the characters (who are so inconsequential to the story that I don’t even know their names) are gay. Whoop-dee-doo. Congrats to us. I would’ve preferred to have no expectation whatsoever and be pleasantly surprised by their quick and fast ‘reveal’ than the author telling us to expect something that came and went like a breeze. It was disappointing, to say the least.

I have more to say and I’d be happy to talk about other elements of the book for those who might be hesitant to pick it up without more details, so please feel free to reply on Goodreads to start a (spoiler-free) dialogue. As for now, I’ll be patiently waiting for Maggie’s next endeavour, as I still adore her work and know she has it in her to do something truly extraordinary again.

2.5 stars.
First, I have to admit that I haven't read a Stiefvater book since my book-tumblr-obsession-time with the Raven Cycle about ten years ago. Of course, this isn't what one would call a "typical" Stiefvater novel.

It's supposed to be her adult debut, and I guess it is. Naively, as I requested this, I still expected ... fantasy. Storygraph tags this release as "historical fiction," but the synopsis made me think of a magical sort of hotel; whimsical, lovely, and bright, put in sharp contrast to the arrival of WW2 and the detained Axis diplomats it brings. You know, contrast. Balance, maybe? Juxtaposition, at least.

I did not get that.

The Listeners is a bleak novel. The hotel itself, supposed to be this haven of luxury built on a natural mineral water spring, feels cold and hostile even before the Nazis haunt its halls. A sort-of sentient house is a common trope in fantasy lately, but the Avallon Hotel in The Listeners is not alive, but a soulless husk, leeching out any sort of positivity out of the text. When reading, you feel as if the hotel has died several years ago, and is now just some dried-out mummified body, while everybody still pretends it's alive to keep up appearances.

Our main character, June Hudson, general manager of the Avallon, is equally soulless. This is a very character-focused novel, but unfortunately, the character it's supposed to be focused on is a blank slate. It often felt as if Stiefvater held back characterization moments for June just to keep up the mystery aspect of the book. Tucker, the main "love interest," seems to be that just because he is the other POV character of the book. He and June end up together not because they interact, talk, or have a connection and grow to genuinely like one another, but because they are the main characters in a novel and are therefore destined for each other. Tucker, at least, is a more interesting character than June, but even he feels colorless and empty.
The only characters I could feel genuine warmth towards were Sandy and Hannelore, and both of them seem to be merely catalysts for the few actual plot points that happen in the course of the novel.
The other characters are merely set dressing, sprinkled around the hotel like decoration. Fancy vases in the form of humans.

It's no secret that Maggie Stiefvater has a very unique writing style, leaning towards the poetic and purple. This works extremely well for her fantasy novels, where the lyrical prose underlines the story beats and character moments. In The Listeners, her writing style felt decidedly out of place. I can't even really explain it, but her writing carries with it this hope that something magical is about to happen, but it doesn't. Reading The Listeners feels like build-up after build-up after build-up, only to never reach a climax. Instead, it fizzles out into unimportance. What was all this for?

I found myself speculating on a lot of things. The sweetwater running through the hotel, for once. Is it a magical thing, as the text would suggest, or is it simply ordinary mineral water that June projects her hopes and dreams for her career and this hotel onto? And why does Tucker fear it so? In the end, I feel like I haven't gotten an answer that satisfied me. That might have been intentional, actually. (However, just like when I reviewed "I Who Have Never Known Men" - the intentionality of keeping of the mystery to allow for reader speculation is something that frustrates me personally. I like getting answers. I like solving mysteries. I like having conclusions. That feeling when it all comes together? Irreplaceable. I cannot deal with speculation. That may be a fault of my own, however. Others might like it.)

In conclusion: Could've been great, but it just feels cold and empty. What a shame.
Also, I can't believe that June has three dachshunds and hasn't even given them names.

Plus, annoying commentary of an English-German, German-English translator: Please, look at the German in this book again. Some of it is alright, but most is incorrect.

Maggie Stiefvater’s The Listeners is a lyrical and haunting exploration of connection, creativity, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. Blending her signature poetic prose with a sense of eerie mystery, Stiefvater crafts a narrative that feels both deeply personal and profoundly otherworldly.

The story revolves around characters bound by secrets, whose lives intersect in unexpected ways as they are drawn into a web of supernatural intrigue. Themes of belonging, obsession, and the cost of truly listening—to oneself and to others—are beautifully woven into the narrative.

Atmospheric and thought-provoking, The Listeners is a mesmerizing tale that will resonate with fans of magical realism and introspective storytelling.

Omg this book! Where do I start?!?!? The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater is such a good story. This is so lovely... 5 stars from me. So so good.