Book Review: The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray by B. A. Williamson

The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray by B. A. Williamson is a middle grade novel. Gwendolyn Gray faces an overwhelming battle every day: keeping her imagination under control. It’s a struggle for a dreamer like Gwendolyn, in a city of identical gray skyscrapers, clouds that never clear, and grown-ups who never understand. But when her daydreams come alive and run amok in The City, the struggle to control them becomes as real as the furry creatures infesting her bedroom. Worse yet, she’s drawn the attention of the Faceless Gentlemen, who want to preserve order in The City by erasing Gwendolyn and her troublesome creations. With the help of two explorers from another world, Gwendolyn escapes and finds herself in a land of clockwork inventions and colorful creations. Now Gwendolyn must harness her powers and, with a gang of airship pirates, stop the Faceless Gentlemen from destroying the new world she loves and the home that never wanted her—before every world becomes gray and dull.

The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray is a wonderful story about the power of imagination and being yourself. Gwendolyn is often lost in her daydreams, and just wants to be accepted for who she is. Her world is one of strict conformity, but the issues of bullies and being mistreated for being different is not exactly a strange concept for readers of all ages. I love that her imagination, her spark, is her true strength. I think that our differences are often our strengths, but also the weak points that bullies and people in power use against us. I think that Gwen is a well developed character, and her relationship with her parents is very well done, I think that it was realistic on many levels, and that many readers will be able to relate. I think the world and character building is very well paced, and Sparrow and Starling were my favorites through the entirety of the book. I think the adventure and danger elements were well spread out through the book as well, giving Gwen and the readers time to take everything in and think about everything for a moment before the next wave of trouble hit. Some of the surprises and twists along the way I expected, but many still had me surprised in the reveal or the consequences of that information or feelings. I loved the sheer creativity and bravery of Gwen, particularly when she did not feel like she would met the challenge. I think this is an enjoyable read and could really speak to or inspire readers to embrace their own creativity or differences.

The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray is a wonderful start to a series, with a nearly perfect balance of closure and wonder about what will happen next. I fully expect to continue reading this series.