Hi there! I’m here to talk about one of my favorite authors releasing one of my most anticipated books of 2023! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
Ever since 2019/2020, I have followed Ashley Schumacher and her YA publishing journey. She took my heart away with Amelia Unabridged, which I reviewed here, and then broke me completely with her 2022 release Full Flight, which I reviewed here. Her character work is truly incredible and these books are some of my favorite YA contemporaries that I’ve read in a while. So when I saw she had a release for 2023, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, I knew I had to request it on NetGalley. I picked it up when I needed something light yet heartfelt, and honestly I’m thanking Wednesday Books every time for allowing me to read some of their titles early because this was exactly the book I was looking for at the time.
It’s been almost a year since Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway lost her mom. Since then, she’s determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. She keeps extensive lists in her journals, goes to therapy once a week, and looks forward to working the monotonous year-long ren faire circuit selling wares with her dad. But when summer hits and they arrive at her mother’s favorite end-of-tour stop, Madeline realizes the faire is under new management and nothing is the same. Her plans of skirting by the faire unnoticed as always takes a turn when she meets Arthur, the lute-playing bard son of the new owners, who insists on being her friend and bringing her out of her shell as the Princess of the Faire. Hesitant at first, with the help of her mother’s family coin Maddie embraces her role and change in routine, and has fun doing it. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a tale full of a potion-selling magician, camel-riding gallant knights, a crocodile-floatie filled castle moat, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide-open heart… if only she can admit it to herself.
This story was absolutely delightful. Ashley Schumacher has noted that of her three novels, this one is the lightest in tone, and I’d have to agree – I’ll also say that the lightness in tone does not take away from exploring deeper topics, like grief, death of a parent, dealing with body issues as a plus-sized teen girl, and making friends as someone who does online schooling. Madeline lost her mom almost a year before the story begins, and there are some days where she and her father are still struggling with grief. It can be especially difficult as the year-anniversary approaches, and Maddie has to create the jewelry pieces to be sold at their ren faire booth, which was previously a big part of her mom’s contribution. When they arrive at the end-of-tour stop, Maddie is terrified to find that the environment is completely new due to new management, which, as someone who strives for as little change as possible, is difficult for her to accept. And then she meets Arthur, a skinny bard who plays the lute and saves her from security after she’s around after-hours because his dad’s are the new owners. At first she’s confused as to why he wants to be her friend so badly, but he can tell that Maddie, or Gwen as he fondly calls her, is in need of some adventure this summer. Their banter and friendship was truly lovely to watch grow throughout the story, and the respect that Arthur has for Maddie’s boundaries while also encouraging her to go out of her comfort zone one step at a time. At first it looked as though the two had completely different philosophical ideologies – Maddie does not believe in fate, while Arthur seems to embrace it – but as a team they work so well as being both a grounding force and a sense of encouragement. I loved how present Arthur’s dads were, as both owners, and kings, of the faire but also as a representation that allowing yourself to love, and be loved, can be scary sometimes but it is worth it. Maddie’s dad is less present in the story, but he grants her the space to go out on her own and try new things, especially make new friends. I appreciated how Maddie attends a weekly teletherapy session, as it gives her a way to talk through some of her feelings when she doesn’t understand them, but also encourages her to allow herself to be a kid and live in the moment. As someone who can also feel scared of change, I found Maddie’s “noticing” journal extremely relatable – it gave the illusion of being present but all the noticing can take away of just enjoying whatever the moment brings. I also wanted to say that I appreciated the lack of girl-on-girl hate – sometimes in YA books we can find several female characters pitted against each other, for reasons that include both vying for a love interests attention, power dynamic struggles, or simply teen insecurities that cause jealously. While there was a moment where it could’ve gone in that direction, when a former crush of Arthur’s also begins volunteering at the faire, when we’re introduced to that character it’s clear that a misunderstanding has occurred, and the two actually strike up a really sweet friendship – which I loved because as a teen who’s done online schooling almost her entire life, Maddie wasn’t always in the position to make many friends her age. Though I will say that when Arthur’s classmates begin working at the faire, there are several moments where we see Arthur feel a bit of jealously, and that made for some interesting scenes that brought a smile to my face.
All in all, I was smiling a lot while reading this book. I love the way Ashley Schumacher writes her characters for teens and lets them be kids that may have had some serious things happen to them, but work through their feelings and emotions with friends and family. She’s said that her next novel may just be the most devastating yet, and I honestly can’t wait to see just how much it tears my heart apart. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is set to be released on March 14th, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy if you’re interested! *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Macmillan
Ashley Schumacher’s site
Thoughts About Things 