Recently I received an Advanced Readers Copy of
The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray
by
B.A. Williamson
from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so let's go!

The story starts out with Young Gwendolyn Gray who is 12, who does not want to grow up because adult life is oh so boring and Gray. Yes, she lives in a world of sameness and no color. Everyone has hair that is black or washed out blonde and dresses in the same drab dull gray. Her whole world is in shades of black and white and gives off a very dystopian vibe. At school Gwendolyn is bullied because shes different. The red-headed girl was special in her own way and everyone could plainly see how different she was, although they felt like she was a freak. She has no real friends and mainly talks to inanimate objects and her drawings. In class she let's her imagination run away with itself and refuses to use the soul sucking lambents.
One day everything changed when her imagination made things real, so real that Gwendolyn gave her classmate, Missy bunny ears. Not only that but something else weird started to happen, I don't want to spoil it for you, but this is when things start getting real good. She finds herself in a sticky situation as she realizes there is a lot more to her city. There is something secretly going on and she finds herself running from faceless bowler hat wearing guys. She finds some adventure companions along the way, Starling and Sparrow and all their steam punk glory. They’re brother and sister that came from a whole new world. Kaden was delighted when these two arrived out of the blue...or should I say gray. :)
I'm not going to share much more, but I will tell you my opinion. This book was a great read and would be so cool as a movie. The way the Author describes this adventure and all the details is magical. I will be honest and say that there are some bully scenes that made me a little uncomfortable. Maybe it was too close to home with having a special needs child, I don't know. But, I will say I am happy we read it out loud so I could improvise that part. I didn't like the use of words like freak, but, I understand it was used to describe the depth of the situation Gwendolyn was dealing with. I also didn’t like the unnecessary romance! Gwendolyn wasn’t even in her teens yet. It seemed a little forced and unnatural, especially for her character. But all that aside, it ended really well and Kaden and I look forward to more from this Author.

I really really loved this book! I had no set expectations going in, but the writing really grabbed me from the first pages! I know that you may be wondering, why an adult would read a children’s book? Well, if every children’s book was as good as this one, more adults would read them!

The plot was fast, with the right amount of adventure and humour and with very nice vocabulary, which is something I always look for in children’s book especially. I believe that when a kid reads a book he ought to have fun, but he also ought to learn something from it, whether that’s the moral of the story or the chance to expand his vocabulary.

Gwendolyn and Sparrow were my two favourite characters in the book, they were funny, adorable and fearless and overall, I loved them so much! Sparrow made my laugh countless times with his antics and as an older sister myself, I could really relate with Starling’s (Sparrow’s older sister) exasperation regarding him!

“The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray” is the kind of book I wish I read when I was 11, because I found Gwendolyn very similar to myself when I was her age. I loved the message of the book, how it tells you that no one’s weird and having traits that separate you from the group, doesn’t mean you are abnormal or an oddity.

Summing up, I urge everyone with a younger sibling or any parent to gift this book to their loved ones. It is and amazing adventure, filled with many twists and exciting themes, like pirates and airborne ship battles, which are sure to enchant any child!

The story was awesome, and i love how the writer describe Gwendolyn as a wild and clever character. I even forgot that she was just a fiction lol, I love her! But i don't really like the ending.

OH, AND THIS COVER! OH MY, I LOVE THE COLOR, IT JUST CAUGHT MY EYE! I think this novel will be the next new york times bestseller!

The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray was written by B.A. Williamson and published by North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press. It a story for young children aged 9-14/15 and went well beyond my expectations. Going into this story I thought it would be a humorous story full of adventures of a young girl. What I got was a dystopian world and the adventures of a brave young girl not willing to conform to society’s demands. There is a powerful message in this story.

When I began The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray, the start reminded me sowewhat of George Orwell’s 1984. Everything in young Gwendolyn’s world is very gray. Gray skies, gray school, gray buildings, gray clothes and so on and in this world Gwendolyn stands out with her fiery red hair.

In this world Gwendolyn has something other don’t have (anymore) – find out why in the story – imagination and a wish to be different from everyone else. This is where Gwendolyn’s story starts: when her imagination gets the better of her and thingsgo haywire. Suddenly her world is turned around.

I really liked how this story was presented. It’s a dystopian story, but filled with magical realism and a rebellious little girl. The writing is great with lots of imagery. There is also some great worldbuilding here, because the author managed to draw me straight into the story and keep me there to find out all about our main character and the world she lives in.

There are some great elements to the story. Friendship, imagination, pirates, rabbit ears, creepy men in bowler hats. In fact when you read this book you get the same wonder that you get with Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland with the power of storytelling.

I also liked that Gwendolyn’s parents are neither good not evil. They are not perfect, but you have a sense of sympathy for them.

This is one of those children’s books that adults will love too. Well written with a great story. I get the sense that there will be more stories as some plotlines were unresolved or left open. I for one really hope so, because it’s been a long time since a story challenged me as a reader. I can only imagine what a story like this will mean for young readers.

P.S. don’t you just love this cover? It’s beautiful!

Hmmm. It's hard to know where, to begin with, this book. It's marked MG, but many, many parts seemed more YA to me. I wouldn't hand it to a kid under the age of 12. If it were a movie it would be PG13 if that gives you any context. It depends on your kid, I felt a little uncomfortable and edited a scene at the beginning while I read it aloud (a mean girl bra snapping incident) but the rest was fine for my 12yo.

Gwendolyn lives in a gray city (world really) where the buildings are the same and the people are the same. Gwendolyn with her red hair and nonconformist attitude has a difficult time. She rebels but not in an angsty way more in line with Princess Leia.

I think it was a great twist on fantasy and dystopian.

Verdict- Buy

Gwendolyn is a beautiful character with a very large imagination ability.
She takes you through childhood dreams, fears and in my opinion insecurities.
I loved this book! It was beautifully written and I was left captivated by the sheer ability of the author to transport me to the life of Gwendolyn.
A must read!!

Extremely cute book full of adventures of the imagination! Thank you so much for letting me have a free copy for an honest review.

This delightful adventure crosses worlds of imagination with a singularly creative young heroine. At times the settings reminded me of A Wrinkle in Time, Kidnapped, Peter Pan, and The Never-Ending Story, to name a few. Humor tempers the seriously creepy villains, and the dramatic story moves right along with more than its share of twists and turns. Gwendolyn Gray is not only a resourceful and sympathetic heroine, but someone I would have loved to play with as a child. My only reservation about the book concerns the audience, since Gwendolyn is adolescent, but the length of the book and the complexity of the world place it more in the YA/teen niche. Regardless, I look forward to more imagination-fueled adventures.

SUMMARY

Gwendolyn Gray lives in The City where there are no stories. There are books that no one reads. But imagination is highly discouraged. The only problem is that Gwendolyn is highly imaginative. So much so that her peers (and even adults) look down on her in disdain–especially at her bright, curly red hair. For all intents and purposes, The City is black and white. Cityzens have black hair or platinum blonde hair. But Gwendolyn is special.

One day, after an incident in school, Gwendolyn finds herself at The City’s limits. She has never even imagined the possibility of there being an outside to The City. But as she is being attacked by two Faceless Gentlemen in bowler hats, she is rescued by two mysterious travelers.

Thus begins her adventures with her two new companions. Now Gwendolyn needs to figure out a way to stop the mysterious men, who seem in part responsible for why The City is the way it is.

CHARACTERS

The three main characters, Gwendolyn; Sparrow; and Starling, are all fairly well-rounded. Sparrow and Starling’s sibling relationship is done very well. They are brother and sister, and they act like it. While they bicker a lot, you can still tell they care about each other immensely. Sparrow is a very active child, getting into lots of trouble. However, he has a heart of gold. Starling is usually the one getting them out of trouble and is very clever when it comes to technology. Gwendolyn as well is a clever child. Her imagination allows her to think outside of the box.

Personally, though, my main concerns with the characters were the minor characters. Perhaps the best one was Kolonius Thrash, a swashbuckling teen captain. He was fun and had a bit of depth to him. The rest of them were, unfortunately, largely forgettable. The Cityzens and the ship crew felt very one-sided to me. Not only that, but the antagonists had a moustache-twirling quality that I’m not a fan of personally. I did like the Faceless Gentlemen a bit, though. They had a mysterious quality to them that really worked well for the story. They were eerie and unsettling without being over the top.

OVERALL

The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray is a book that makes imagination real. And that is where I think its strong suit lies. It encourages a message of positivity in the face of negativity. Furthermore, it does not shy away from some very real consequences. Regardless of ones actions, sometimes things just happen. I could imagine reading this book together with a child around the age of 10-12. There are a few references some adults might find amusing.

For me, personally, the weakest area was with the writing. When it was good, it was good. The ending was especially well written. However, there are many parts that felt like the narrator (who adds fun little quips every now and again) was talking down to the reader. Telling them things that I think would’ve been better incorporated through the use of context clues. I also felt that the romantic relationships were unnecessary and brought up some unneeded stereotyping, such as mentioning that all/most teenage boys act like such-and-such. With the narrator being outside the story (i.e., as far as I’m aware, the narrator was not Gwendolyn Gray), I wasn’t a big fan of the stereotyping.

Regardless, I would still recommend this book. It’s fun and has emotional depth. It doesn’t exactly answer every question, but it still has a great ending that could possibly lead to more adventures.

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[I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

There’s a reason that middle grade books are such a big part of my reading life in my 30’s, and books like this are exactly it. This was such an engaging story that kept me captivated from beginning to end. The style of writing was witty, conversational, and perfectly descriptive.

I loved the adventure, the characters, and especially the overall message of finding your own path and letting your imagination guide you. While his message is important for middle grade readers, it may be even more so for adult readers. Too many adults are quick to dismiss imagination and creativity (and would probably be happy to live in the full world Gwendolyn began in!)

The world built in this story was so entrancing that I honestly didn’t want to leave. I hope that all of the loose ends and “stories for another time” might be clues that more will come from this world. For now, I will have to settle for buying a copy for all my friends with middle grade readers. (and a read aloud copy for my not-quite-middle grade readers)

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read and review The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray. I loved this book! It's fabulous, and I can't wait to pick up more Gwendolyn Gray stories to read with my daughters :)

A charming read that sticks to your ribs afterwards. The narrator was everything I love in a narrator, and Gwendolyn is amazing! (Comparisons to Merida are warranted)

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a review.

A great story of a young girl that is at the difficult juncture of being a child starting the transition to the woman she will become. The story begins in a grey, boring unimaginative world, where Gwendolyn sticks out because of her ability to use her imagination. The adventure that ensues has a great steampunk feel and overall it's a very enjoyable book.

I got the digital ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you have child-like high imaginations, you will love The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray very much! If you full of wonders and are a thinker, you will treasure it very much! That's what I felt. I was like, WOW! That's my kinda book. This book is full of imagination and creativity. This book reminds me of House of Secrets series.

Gwendolyn Gray is a twelve year old red-headed girl who lives in a black and white world. Colors and imaginations are big nos. She is special. She is full of imaginations and wonders. She is also a rebel in a good way. The story follows her adventures of saving worlds from the collector and the mister men. While on her adventures, she met amazing people. Though, there is a twist in the end. I'm sad!

I think the romance is unnecessary. It's cringe-worthy...

Overall, the story is supamegafoxyawesome! It taught us that, that's awesome to be different!

Thanks for writing this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was quite sweet and even as someone in their mid 20s, I remember feeling (and still do really) like the odd ball out or having trouble finding people that understand me or don't judge me.

Gwendolyn is an incredibly likable, enjoyable and intelligent character that I couldn't help but root for and want to protect. Her curiosity and strength were so admirable and definitely my favourite part of this book as a whole. She's a really great character to root for and watch develop. I also really loved her brother-sister duo helpers...and Gwendolyn's love and passion for that one book (we all have one book we would take with us on an adventure).

I loved all the portals and the chase happening from Mister Five and Six. I also enjoyed the concept of the segregation within Gwendolyn's home world and then you zoom out and see other worlds. Loved getting to travel all over the place and the creativity that went into the transportation and "magic"/inventions.

My only two complaints were that I don't think the villain dystopian guys were quite as fleshed out as I would have liked and the pacing. The pacing wasn't bad, I just found that parts where there were supposed to be climaxes, I found myself inhaling and waiting...and waiting and then realized they had returned to the traveling aspect of the adventure journey.

The cover is STUNNING and a fantastic representation of the book. I will definitely keep an eye out for a finished copy for myself and will certainly be picking up a digital copy for my libraries.

Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful book!

I thoroughly enjoyed Gwendolyn Gray! A wonderfully imaginative story that seems a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and The Neverending Story. Loved the characters, loved the story, loved the nonstop action and adventure. Sure to be a hit with the upper elementary at my library!

Gwendolyn Gray is no ordinary child. She faces something everyday which is a bit difficult for a child her age living in a grey and dull city to do: control her imagination. However, when her imagination finally comes alive, she catches the attention of two men who will do everything to restore order in The City by erasing those who threatens it.

themarvelousadventuresofgwendolyngrayI wanted to love this book. The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray is one where the main character is a child who has an incredibly vivid imagination which she used to save her world from being consumed by mediocrity and gray-ness (if that is even a word).

It started off a bit slow for my liking and I was finding it hard to keep on reading. However, I powered through because I was promised marvelous adventures and a world of colour.

It is a good read for children as the difference between Gwendolyn’s everyday normal life was vividly differentiated from the burst of colour from her imagination. Imagination in children is a good thing. It has to be nurtured and allowed. As much as it confused me, I appreciate the fact that I can’t tell where Gwendolyn’s imagination took over her adventures.

If there is anything I wish there was more of in this story, Mr. Williamson, it would be the following:

What happened to The City? Why is it in the state it is in?
Who are the Mister Men, and who do they work for?
Who is the Collector?

… Because it would really be great to know.

This book was pretty good
I loved the idea behind it, the characters were so well done. Can't wait to read more by this author

Picture a pre-teen Merida (from Brave) with Mr. Smith (from Matrix) after her for daring to stand out and change her dreary, grey-scale world. Throw in some treasure island, the narration from Series of Unfortunate events along with some easter eggs and this is what you'll get. And I'm all for it.

Gwendolyn Gray is a mini Merida, but in a world where everything is gray and bland and ordinary. Fortunately for us, Gwendolyn is none of those things. It reads similarly to Series of Unfortunate Events, as the narrator tells us a story, defines big words and provides us with metaphors and imagery we would understand but Gwendolyn maybe wouldn't. There are two Faceless Gentlemen titled Mr. Five and Mr. Six, not unlike Mr. Smith, who try to keep order in Gwendolyn's chaos. They work under the Collector, who we don't meet who I am assuming is another child from the clues given.
The first third of the book is Gwendolyn in the City, dealing with her dreary life with parents who don't understand her, awful bullies and boring classes. Then, as her imagination escalates, so does her life. She begins to imagine things to life, like easter eggs! Beaker from the muppets meeps an appearance under the name of Criminy. Also, she meets new friends, Sparrow and Starling who introduce her to the art of hopping through worlds. Which is what she does. She hops into the world of a storybook filled with steampunk pirates and imagination. Things go bad, friendships are made, romances are had, and then the book ends with a sad twist. A very cute story! Looking forward to the sequel (P.S. Mr. Author, please write a sequel) and learning more about the world(s), the Collector and what the deal is with Misters 1, 2 and 3.

I have had the best luck finding amazing titles on Net Galley and this is %100 one of them because holy cannoli this was AMAZING!

You see, this story is all about our young heart-warming main character, Gwendolyn and like most of us humans on Earth, she does not want to grow up. Her entire world revolves around the color of blah!! Gray everything! No color whatsoever. Except for Gwendolyn, who has the brightest colored hair of all, RED! Not only is her hair bright and wild but so is her imagination and the other kids do not like this so they set to bullying her. (Rude!) Well, guess what bullies, Gwendolyn then begins to make things real and that's when the plot thickens!

What's great about this book is that it's kind of set into story arcs. So 3 phases that help with the pacing of this story but to be honest, I would have flew through this story otherwise! This book is stunning. The writing is absolutely perfect. Everything is described so beautifully and the world building is fantastic. Everything about this book is beautiful and magical. I felt like I was on an adventure while I was reading. I was captivated in the imaginative, fantastical world that B. A. Williamson created and I never wanted to leave. DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE!