Welcome to Our Read Along of Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake!

We’re kicking off our latest book box read along with Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake—and full disclosure: I’m a little behind. Instead of the planned twelve chapters, I made it through the first nine. So, we’re pivoting! This will be a five-week read instead of four.

No biggie. The pace change actually suits this book better, because let me tell you—this text is dense. That’s not a complaint, just a fact. If you’re feeling the same, know you’re not alone.

First Impressions: Narration Style and Story Structure

The omniscient narrator is the biggest hurdle for me so far. We’re working with an all-knowing POV that dips into each character’s head and drops exposition like confetti. Personally, I prefer to uncover character motivations and story dynamics as they unfold—not all at once.

The heavy exposition in the early chapters slowed me down. I found myself wishing there was an audiobook version available—something to help immerse me in the tone and complexity without rereading sentences.

Long Sentences, Asides, and Appositive Overload

Another pacing challenge? The sentence structure. Blake leans into long, layered sentences with lots of em dashes, parentheticals, and appositives. Here’s an example:

“Cass, too, that was nice. Expected to some extent, as he was something-something operations at Tyche (she and Cass had had to disclose their personal relationship when Tyche’s partnership with Birdsong first went public, a relationship that was then only hazy at best—she’s been surprised Cass had managed to come up with a term that wasn’t “fucking sometimes”), but still, nice.”

It’s a stylistic choice that might work for some readers, but for me, it made reading slower and more analytical than immersive.

Cliffhangers and Conversations: What’s Working

Now let’s talk strengths—because Blake absolutely nails a few key things.

• Chapter endings: Each one ends with a mini cliffhanger or emotional gut punch that makes you want to keep reading.

• Dialogue overlaps: The characters often talk over one another or hold multiple conversations at once. It feels chaotic and real in the best way.

• Complex characters: While I’m not rooting for anyone yet, I’m intrigued. Especially by Meredith and Jamie’s backstory—and what we’ve learned about Arthur and Eilidh.

And don’t even get me started on Lou. WHO is Lou? What happened to their mother?

What I’m Hoping for Next

Right now, I’m hoping the emotional complexity builds into something more cohesive. The characters feel like puzzles—intriguing, but hard to decode. I want the payoff. The “aha” moment. And I’m definitely in it to find out what happens next.

If you’re reading along, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Are you vibing with the narration style? Do you feel like you need a degree in psychology to untangle the characters, too?

Next week, we’re tackling Chapters 11–20. Let’s see where this goes.

Bonus: Want More Enemies-to-Lovers Vibes?

While we read Gifted and Talented, our current Bite Me Box is featuring The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. If enemies-to-lovers, high-stakes fantasy romance is your thing, you’ll want to check it out.

🖤 Grab your July box here!
📦 Limited quantities available!