The Thing about Giants by Christopher Galvin

Jacq is destined to hunt fearsome giants to protect her city--but when she meets a sensitive young giant named Corman in the forest, she realizes the world isn't quite what she's been taught. A page-turning adventure full of heart.

Thirteen-year-old Jacq Dyer is the daughter of two renowned giant hunters, although she's never had much stomach for what they do. In a city built from giants' bones, people rely on hunters to keep them prosperous and safe, and everyone knows that giants are violent, senseless creatures . . . aren't they? But when an accident leaves Jacq lost and injured in the wilderness, she ends up face-to-face with Corman, a frightened young giant, and Misneach, his overgrown badger. Corman has just lost his dad to hunters, and he and Jacq must learn to trust each other if they're going to find their ways home. 

But as they start finding out the truth about giant hunting--and the shadowy Resistance Jacq has grown up hating--they discover there's more at stake than either of their people know. 

With captivating world-building and rich characters, debut author Christopher Galvin offers an engrossing and thought-provoking tale.

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A giant hunter’s daughter discovers the monsters she was taught to fear might not be monsters at all.

Pre-Reading Thoughts
A young girl raised to hunt giants meeting one face-to-face - and realising everything she’s been taught might be wrong - is such a classic adventure premise. I was hoping for big landscapes, unusual creatures, and a story that leans into empathy as much as action.

Post-Reading

As I thought…
At its heart, this is very much a story about questioning what you’ve been told about entire groups of people. Jacq has grown up in a city literally built from the bones of giants, where hunting them is seen as necessary for survival. Watching her slowly realise the truth is both thoughtful and adventurous, especially once she teams up with the young giant Corman.

It surprised me by…
How lively and imaginative the world feels. Different kinds of giants appear throughout the journey, and the landscapes they travel through feel vivid and varied. There’s also a strong Irish flavour to the setting, from names like Misneach (the enormous dog-badger companion) to the rhythm of the place itself. It’s easy to imagine this working beautifully as a traditional hand-drawn animated film.

Music Pairing 🎵

Featured Song: Into the West – Annie Lennox

Vibe Album: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Harry Gregson-Williams

Artist Recommendation: Clannad

Vibe Check

🎨 Colour Palette: moss green, stone grey, sky blue
🎬 Soundtrack: sweeping orchestral adventure
🌱 Season: early autumn
💭 Mood: curious, hopeful exploration
🌿 Scent: damp earth, forest leaves, woodsmoke

Tarot Pull 🔮

Page of Swords
The Page of Swords is curious, questioning, and ready to challenge what they’ve always been told is true. Jacq begins the story surrounded by certainty - giants are dangerous, hunters are heroes - but her journey forces her to ask harder questions. Like the Page, she steps forward with courage and curiosity, even when the answers might change everything she thought she knew.

For fans of:
📚 How to Train Your Dragon
🎬 The Iron Giant