It's refreshing to find a children's book with the main character happy with being different as well as being clever. Gwendolyn's imagination takes her on an adventure that might or might not result in changes in everyone's future.

In a world that is all black, white, and gray, things can become extremely boring! No one knows how that feels better than Gwendolyn Gray! She faces a very serious problem… she doesn’t think in black and white. She is the only person her age that doesn’t think the way everyone else does, and that leaves her as an outcast. As her parents and classmates continue to fall under the influence of the gray, dull society, Gwendolyn’s vivid imagination runs wild and naturally gets her in trouble. There are two faceless men who will stop at nothing to stop Gwendolyn from changing the world as they know it, including completely wiping cities off the map. Can Gwendolyn, with the help of two friends, stop the two faceless men and save everyone from a dull, gray existence?

This was the kind of book I read as a child! It is so awesome to read about a child having such a vivid imagination! There is something about a child using their imagination to save the world that is absolutely amazing. There are so many great things about this book: a narrator who acknowledges the readers and makes you feel as though you are a part of the story, Gwendolyn realizing she isn’t just some silly girl. There is a real power in your imagination. Stirling and Sparrow are great characters! The addition of siblings Stirling and Sparrow helped create the steampunk feel this book had. The story was great and I loved the small moments when the narrator would say, “I’ll spare you the boring details…”, “Sparrow said a few words that wouldn’t be polite to repeat…”. This might be a turn off for most, but I enjoyed it. The pacing was quite quick with world-building along the way, which was spectacularly done.

What was amazing about this story was the way it challenged the way stories/fairy tales are usually told. Normally it would start with “Once upon a time…”, but instead, it challenged you with “What if…?” Here’s to Gwendolyn Gray, for showing us it’s okay to stand out in a world where you were meant to blend it, for showing us it’s okay to use your imagination, and going against the norms… because being normal is overrated.

A wonderful, bright middle grade fantasy story with a clear message at its heart.

Gwendolyn Gray lives in a literally grey world devoid of colour and emotional nuance. The population are subdued into bland and complacent thoughts through use of Lambents – orbs of light that, when stared into, seem to wipe thoughts, memories and ideas from the user. Gwendolyn is the walking antithesis to her world – flaming red hair, a wild imagination that has taken to making things real, and an aversion to Lambents. These traits get her into trouble, bringing her to the attention of Mister Men in bowler hats who would very much like Gwendolyn to fall back in line with the rest of the City, thank you. Through a series of misadventures Gwendolyn falls out of her own world into a variety of others where she encounters airship pirates, underwater ships, and a mysterious destructive force threatening to destroy it all that seems somehow linked to Gwendolyn’s grey original world.

The story itself almost feels broken into sections or separate adventures that flow together, each with a different setting with a different challenges for Gwendolyn and her friends. I quite liked this as a structure, particularly for middle grade audiences, as it helps the narrative feel manageable. The narrative itself was original and held real threats, twists and had a great pace once it got going.

Williamson’s prose was witty and had a strong narrative voice, though at times I found some of the turns of phrase were working a bit too hard and I wondered whether their intended audience would follow some of them. But, I think this would really suit being read aloud and middle grade readers would probably appreciate the bombastic action and vivid imagery.

I found the opening scenes difficult to get through, however. They read a bit disjointed and, in the context of the rest of the book, perhaps took up too much time and space, hiding the real story behind set-up. But once we got into the colourful, alternate worlds hijinks I was hooked. Hang in at least until you meet Sparrow and Starling!

Gwendolyn herself is a pretty solid character – willing to get her hands dirty and follow her own instincts. Her overall arc was unexpected but nicely done, leaving enough room for follow-up instalments.

An advance copy of this book was kindly provided by North Star Editions, Jolly Fish Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gwendolyn Gray is an absolute delight, a complete surprise!

B. A. Williamson has created a story filled with charming characters and adventure. Further, the story reads as a classic, due in no small part to Williamson's use of authorial intrusion. The narrator at times speaks directly to the reader which makes the story feel more akin to The Princess Bride and A Wrinkle in Time than to Harry Potter. Reading his style made me feel like a kid again being lost in the wonder of a story that was all mine.

Full review on the Genre Junkies podcast! https://www.genrejunkies.com/22-fantasy-the-marvelous-adventures-of-gwendolyn-gray-by-b-a-williamson/

I started reading more Middle Grade books after reading The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken, which I absolutely LOVED! (Also, I am SUPER sad that the sequel is not scheduled to be released until January!)

While Prosper Redding is still one of my favorites, I really liked this book!

The story is about Gwendolyn Gray, who is considered weird in her bland and boring city, with her fiery red hair and wild imagination.

Even though my adult-self enjoyed reading this, I know that I would have loved reading it when I was younger!

Also, I really like the author's story! B.A. Williamson (@BAWrites) is a teacher and has been writing this book with input from his kids for the past 6 years. How awesome is that?

Check out an interview with him talking more about this HERE!

The only thing about this book that irked me was the romantic vibes. This is an MG book, and Gwendolyn is way too young to be getting into any kind of romantic plotline. I know I don't want to read about a 12-year-old having a romantic relationship. However, the book is not overly saturated with romance, it is a small plotline among many other more exciting ones.

This was a very unique concept, and B.A. Williamson executed it brilliantly! I can't wait to see what he writes next!

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ebook copy of The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray from NetGalley in exchange for feedback and an honest review,

Gwendolyn Gray, age 12, lives in the City, a rather boring, monotone place where stories don't exist. The world outside the City--if there is one--is unknown and information is transmitted colorlessly from small, round devices called lambents at work, home, and school. With bright red curls, green eyes, and a keen imagination, Gwendolyn stands apart from her peers and feels she always makes situations worse.

When her imagination leads to the disappearance of a classmate and a pair of mysterious men start following her, Gwendolyn's exploits plummet her into an entirely new world with new friends.

Imagine, if you will, that you have never heard the phrase "Once upon a time." This is where we find Gwendolyn in the beginning, but she will go far before we're through. This story asks: "what if there was a place without stories?" and, "what if imagination were magic?" simultaneously. With a matter-of-fact narrator, a charming cast of characters, and a great deal to accomplish, The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray is a real delight.

Such a great read! My girls and I devoured this book quickly after beginning it. This was the perfect tale to end our school year with. I loved it, even as an adult. It was full of magical, mystical creepiness that really took us on a wild adventure. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this. We'll definitely be checking out more works by this author.

I was sent an early copy of this book for my independent and honest review.
This is a middle grade book suitable for older middle grade readers. I loved our female protagonist Gwendoline.
She lives in a future world where everything and everybody comes in all shades of Grey. However Gwendoline really doesn't fit in. She has a beautiful imagination and everything is seen in glorious technicolour.I
I really like the characters in this debut novel, especially Gwendoline. She always stays true to who she is and sets a good example to younger readers to always be yourself, don't change just to suit others and be kind.
I enjoyed the writing style too.
As an adult reading this book, I didn't feel as engaged with the plot as I am when reading some middle grade books, even when I am not the target audience.However this does not mean this isn't a good book, I think it would suit older children who like dystopian worlds and adventure. The ending leaves an opening for further adventures so if you like your endings to be neatly tied up, then be aware of this.
A good addition to any middle grade library

I have to admit, I’m becoming more and more enamored with JollyFish Press. It’s gotten to the point that, if I see their name in the publisher field, I don’t even bother reading the description, because I know I’m going to love the book!

And, really, look at that cover !?! What’s not to love?!?!

What I liked: The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray is such a fun book!! Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down, and as soon as I put it down, I purchsed copies for my middle-grade readers (& older) because I knew they’d love it too.

This adventure is terrific. Every time I thought it was close to the end & our heros had won another wrench was thrown in and the Mister Men showed up again!

Gwendolyn Gray lives in The City and attends School, which consists of looking into little spheres called Lambents. She doesn't like how they make her feel dull, so she instead draws during class time and continues to let her imagination loose. Her imagination is starting to affect the world around her, and there are two faceless men in bowler hats intent on erasing the changes she had made, as well as Gwendolyn.

This is a middle-grade book that invokes the power of imagination and individuality in the middle of a world bent on enforcing conformity. Because of this, there is bullying from Gwendolyn's classmates, the quiet disappointment of her parents, and the sinister way that the men in the bowler hats follow her. That subtle menace can be frightening, especially for children; my nine-year-old daughter reading this found them to be creepy and thought they would give her nightmares. (They didn't, not to worry!) Gwendolyn is a very likable main character, and stronger emotionally than she thinks she is. The travels she goes through to escape the men in the bowler hats, as well as the journey through different worlds, is quite impressive. There are moments where she was fearful or made difficult decisions, which any child will relate to.

As much as there is an adventure in this story, this is also a story about a twelve-year-old growing up. Gwendolyn has to realize her own limits and take measure of what's important to her, which is difficult for children to do. She has to deal with friendships, budding romance, loss and the searing disappointment and grief that can come with it. All of this is handled very well within the confines of fantasy, which also makes it a great vehicle for conversations about a lot of potentially difficult topics.

In a drab world, it's up to Gwendolyn Alice Gray to bring a splash of color into life. Twelve-year-old Gwendolyn is a spunky girl with wild red hair whose colorful imagination sets her apart from the rest of the citizens in the City. When she discovers she hold a hidden power, the Faceless Gentlemen seek to capture Gwendolyn and give her power to the Collector. Before she knows it, Gwendolyn is living one of the adventures she always dreams about….but will she have a happy ending?

B.A. Williamson is able to paint the pages of the book with humor and adventure much like Michael Ende's "The NeverEnding Story." Looking forward to reading more works by Williamson and Gwendolyn's adventures!

Gwendolyn Gray is a twelve (going on 13) year old red-haired girl in a seemingly Dystopian Gray world and the only citizen who has an imagination and that's her problem. With her colored hair and vivid, colorful imagination, she's labeled as Rebellious and Rioter. And at first, she didn't even know the real danger of her imagination, or the real beauty of it. And as everything in Gwendolyn's Gray world turned clearer to her, she was also thrown into a perilous adventure that includes saving the world and her own made-up world.

First, I love Gwendolyn and her ability to conjure everything that comes in her mind. Second, I love the double meaning of every sentence and of the entire story. It shows how powerful imagination can be and how magical. And by making imagination as some kind of magical ability, it also brings a message to us that any of us can have colorful lives, all we need is our imagination.
I was really surprised to find myself so fascinated while reading this. And the storytelling is amazing. The narrator, which thankfully isn't Gwendolyn as I'm afraid of what she might sow in my mind with her imagination (lol)...anyway, the narrator succeed on taking me into Gwendolyn's world and share her adventures. I particularly loved how it ended. Not only did everything turned alright, but the little surprise (though I actually guessed it beforehand) was a nice treat.

If you love Middle Grade and Children's, this book is for you though I am 25 and terribly enjoyed it. If you're older you can buy this for a kid. Children will like this story best as its very magical and imaginative.

Imagine a city where the sun never breaks through the clouds, where everything is meant to be done with the least amount of fuss. The most terrible thing is the way the schools are run. Teachers are actually only babysitters who sit and supervise the children. The actual teaching is done by stones called Lambents which the students stare into and receive any knowledge they need. And anyone who disturbs the smooth operation of the city and the school is persona non grata, bullied by the other children, scolded and punished by the adults. That child is Gwendolyn.

Try as she might, Gwendolyn cannot rein in her imagination. When she tries to stare into the Lambent like everyone else in class, it gives her headaches and hurts her eyes. Unlike everyone in town, she enjoys reading and even reads old documents from the hall of records - a place no one else even visits. But when she finds a storybook in an empty apartment, Gwendolyn winds up on an adventure that rivals any novel. Rather than gloom and grayness, there is a colorful world, incredible inventions, and larger than life heroes and villains. Can she save this new and exciting place as well as her own home?

For those who are familiar with "The Matrix," the men from the city who pursue Gwendolyn in an attempt to control her imagination and its effects will bear a remarkable resemblance to Agent Smith and his cohorts. But they also mix in with the men in hats from "The Adjustment Bureau" since they wear bowler hats that have peculiar properties.

If you enjoy stories that pit spunky heroines against seemingly overwhelming odds and adults with vast powers, then you should give this book a try. Highly recommended for middle grades and up.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

well what an adventure to be had whilst reading this book...younger readers will love this one but having an open imagination works just as well for everyone who reads this one....

it starts off dark and dismal because that is the world that gwendolyn lives in but shes a rebel and causes all sorts of mischief to happen and along the way the adventures start...

This of the story of Gwendolyn Gray - a twelve-year-old girl with wild, bright red hair and a colourful imagination living in a dull and colourless world. She is creative, determined and extremely odd among her peers. One day, even she finds herself rather odd when colourful things from her imagination start appearing in the otherwise dull city. Then, by complete accident, one of her classmates grow bunny ears, she finds herself at the boundaries of the city being hunted by two mysterious creepy men and she is saved from their clutches by two very odd children - Sparrow and Starling.

Sparrow is a boy around Gwendolyn's age who is kind but idiotic and has a bit of a crush on Gwendolyn. Starling is his older sister who has blue hair and a really standoffish personality. This brother-sister duo are castaways - children who went through a portal to another world and are now world jumping hoping to one day find their way home. They are skilled and savvy enough to survive while constantly on the run and are quite shocked to come across Gwendolyn and her rare abilities.

The story is split into three sections - grey, gold and red - and the names of these sections are symbolic. Grey is the first part where the story starts and takes place mostly in Gwendolyn's dull city. Gold is the second part in which Gwendolyn takes her new friends, Sparrow and Starling, to a world she read about in a book that is full of light and colour. The third and final part of the book is Red, where the adventure and the conflict that has been building throughout the previous two parts reach its peak and blows up. 

The other thing I need to mention are the weird lambents that everyone stares into and receives all the knowledge they need but also seems to drain them of individuality, self-thought and common decency. I can understand why Gwendolyn hated where she lived if that is what she was faced with every day. Also, that is some weird dystopian stuff and the scariest part is that technological developments may already be making creepy stuff like that possible. Public service announcement: Do not go staring into large marbles that light up and somehow transfer information into your brain. 

I feel the storyline works but it is definitely aimed at younger audiences. The character development and the world descriptions were good, but the actual events seemed confusing due to rushed scenes and lack of explanations, though that may just be personal preference. The book and the "figment" Gwendolyn finds were two of the best elements in this book, but I felt they were not focused on enough nor was it really explained why she found it with stuff that had her initials on it. I also think there needed to be more explanation as to who the creepy men hunting Gwendolyn down were, who they worked for and what they truly wanted. It was probably the biggest plot hole that I could not fully work out by the time the book ended. 

I think this was a good children's / middle-grade novel with that "kids can save the world" vibe and quirky characters that my 8-year-old self would have really liked, but it does not quite hit the mark for me.

This book was an adorable children's book! I loved so many aspects of the book, and it's one I'll share with my younger cousins

I graciously received this as an ARC thanks to Net Galley!
This was so Amazing!
steam punk, meets Matrix, meets meet the Robinsons with a whole lot of IMAGINATION!!
I Loved Gwendolyn Gray! I Loved the world sad little world she lived in and all the colorful magical places she didn't! This story is at its core all about the power of Imagination! the worlds where richly imagined and wonderful. The character where heartfelt and real. And i even Loved how the Narrator was a character all on their own! I want to read this to my students, I want to read this to my own children! I think all kids should read this and learn the power of imagination and all they things that they can dream up!!

A mid grade level to young adult dystopian with themes targeted at the repression of the imagination and the spunky girl who resists. Great beginning to mid point, but hits a slow spot around the ¾ mark as the story tries to incorporate a bit too much of every genre. Gwendolyn Gray is a young heroine worth rooting for, and the ending redeems any minor flaws along the way.

Managed to get through this book in a day! It lived up to my cute expectations, I was totally getting Disney vibes from it and it didn't disappoint. Merida from Brave definitely made an appearance in my head, stepping in to play the role of Gwendolyn :p
I loved the magical whimsicalness to it, while also the fantastical elements such as the Lambents and her imagination running away with her. I didn't even cringe at the cronies because it's just the type of cute middle-grade story this was :) Although that ending did break my heart a little. I want to read more!