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Review: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

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The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway
Ashley Schumacher
Wednesday Books
Published March 14, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favourite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.

Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie’s plans even more. For some reason, he wants to be her friend – and ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire. Now Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved and going on road trips vastly different from the routine she used to rely on. Worst of all, she’s kind of having fun.

Ashley Schumacher’s THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY is filled with a wise old magician who sells potion bottles, gallant knights who are afraid of horses and ride camels instead, kings with a fondness for theatrics, a lazy river castle moat with inflatable crocodile floaties, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide-open heart… if only she just admits it.

My Review

Is there anyone who writes complicated grief like Ashley Schumacher? I’ve read all three of her books, and loved all of them. THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY introduces Madeline, a girl who’s approaching the first anniversary of her mom’s death– and her mom’s favorite Renaissance Fair, which has been redesigned by new owners. So, her grief over losing her mom and how it’s changed her life irreversibly gets kind of mirrored by this other big event. I thought it was really clever to pair those two things so closely together.

I really liked Maddie’s character, too. She’s a loner, but not in a sad, get-that-girl-some-friends kind of way. She’s an introvert who treasures close relationships with a few people.

The only thing that worried me at first was Arthur’s approach to Madeline. He gives her a nickname she doesn’t like, and plays the “I know what you need better than you do” card, which tends to rub me the wrong way. It’s a little too close to refusing to respect someone’s “no.”

However, in several scenes, Arthur listens to Madeline’s preferences and quickly adjusts his behavior in response to her boundaries, so I liked that. And I liked that it became clear that wasn’t his whole approach to relationships with girls.

One of the subplots of the story is the evolution of how Madeline feels about her body and how she behaves in response to those feelings. She’s a curvy girl who still carries some hurts from unkind things people have said to her. When Arthur first asks her to be the Fair princess, she has a hard time believing he’s serious, or that accepting the role won’t open her up to ridicule. But as she begins to explore what makes her comfortable in her own skin, she realizes that some of the things she’s been thinking about herself aren’t reality-based. And she finds ways to shop and dress that make her feel good. I liked that journey, and I especially liked that while it didn’t happen in a vaccuum– there were people who influenced her here and there– it was still her journey.

Conclusion

All in all, I loved this book. It had lots of goofy moments and starry-eyed love. I think fans of Jenn Bennett should definitely check out THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Arthur has two dads.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Madeline carries a coin that, according to family lore, predicts the future. She flips the coin before making big decisions. She feels bound by the coin’s predictions, especially since it predicted her mom’s death from cancer.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Stateless by Elizabeth Wein

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Stateless
Elizabeth Wein
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published March 14, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Stateless

When Stella North is chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first air race for young people, she knows all too well how high the stakes are. As the only participating female pilot, it’ll be a constant challenge to prove she’s a worthy competitor. But promoting peace in Europe feels empty to Stella when civil war is raging in Spain and the Nazis are gaining power—and when, right from the start, someone resorts to cutthroat sabotage to get ahead of the competition.

The world is looking for inspiration in what’s meant to be a friendly sporting event. But each of the racers is hiding a turbulent and violent past, and any one of them might be capable of murder…including Stella herself.

My Review

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Wein’s books since first reading CODE NAME VERITY. I missed a few of her books since then, but when I saw that STATELESS was coming out this spring, and that it was about a lady pilot, I had to read it!

This book delivers a rich historical setting in a 1937 Europe still reeling from the first World War. Already, the tension is building toward World War II. The whole story is from Stella’s point-of-view, which I loved.

Stella has both a sharpness and a softness that I really liked. She’s a woman, a rarity in the world of aeroplanes and pilots of her day. She’s aware that everyone from her colleagues to the press to her own family members will treat her differently because of her gender. Sometimes she second-guesses herself. Sometimes she worries about being too emotional. But she also recognizes her strengths and finds ways to create space for herself.

When Stella witnesses one of her fellow race participants attacked by an unidentified plane, she realizes reporting everything she saw may place her own life at risk. Instead, she begins to quietly investigate the other racers and support staff, trying to identify the murderer before he or she has a chance to strike again. That part of the story had me turning pages as quickly as I could. The tension ratchets up so quickly in some scenes. I held my breath as all the pilots gathered, ready to take off from one of their stops. I felt like I couldn’t breathe until I knew they would all escape.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a little bit less violent than CODE NAME VERITY, but still delivered that same rich historical setting and unforgettable characters. I think Elizabeth Wein’s fans and fans of historical fiction will be absolutely delighted with this one.

Content Notes for Stateless

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Characters are from different countries in Europe. One of the pilots is Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently. A couple instances of British swear words.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The pilots attend a vigil for a missing comrade. One, a young Jewish man, does not attend the church service as entering a Christian church isn’t permitted per his family/faith.

Violent Content
Pilots discuss battles and a murder case that were recently in the news. Stella sees what appears to be one pilot sabotaging another, causing a fatal crash. Other pilots experience evidence of sabotage in their aircraft. A man shoots multiple people. Multiple planes crash.

At one point, Stella listens to a soldier recount being shot down and gravely injured in an attack.

Drug Content
Characters smoke cigarettes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of STATELESS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Her Story, Her Strength by Sarah Parker Rubio

Biography, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Her Story, Her Strength
Sarah Parker Rubio
Zonderkidz
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Her Story, Her Strength

Girls are beautifully and wonderfully made in God’s image. This comprehensive collection of stories focused on 50 women of the Bible shows how God worked in their lives and continues to have a plan and a purpose for his beloved daughters today.

In a world that too often tells girls that they are not enough, HER STORY, HER STRENGTH uses biblical retellings and reflections that include the historical context behind each story to remind young women that they have a God who loves them deeply and empowers them to live and love like he does. For any girl ages 8 and up who is asking questions about her worth, identity, and place in the world and church, this colorful and engaging book provides a positive, loving, and scriptural lens that helps them interpret the messages they receive from their peers, media, and society.

Girls who read HER STORY, HER STRENGTH will:

  • come to a profound, unshakable understanding of God’s love for them and their value in his eyes.
  • see how they reflect God’s image both innately and through the actions, words, and attitudes they choose each day.
  • learn about biblical characters and events in a way designed specifically for them.

My Review

I have some feelings about this book. Let me start by saying that I love the idea of a book filled with the biographies of women from the Bible. I think that’s a really cool idea. Celebrating the lives of women mentioned in the Bible and talking about God valuing women sound like great goals for a book for young readers.

I also love that there’s a cartoon illustration of each of the women or characters profiled in the book. Those show brown-skinned women, and the author comments on this in her biography of Mary. The author points out that artists often depict Mary, Jesus’ mother, with fair skin and blue eyes when she would have looked like someone from the Middle East. I love that the author commented on this.

Was including 50 women’s stories too ambitious?

The book profiles 50 women (including four stories from writings in which a woman is depicted as part of the story rather than being a person who was born and lived). 50 is a pretty ambitious number.

The book includes all the stories I was familiar with as women heroes of the Bible: Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Elizabeth, Mary, etc. And it included some stories that I didn’t remember. One that stood out to me were Shallum’s daughters, who helped him rebuild his section of the wall that would protect the city of Jerusalem even though that was considered the duty of a father and his sons.

The book also included some choices that I thought were odd, like Wisdom, the Woman of Virtue, and the Bride from Song of Songs. Those are not actual women, but are virtues personified as women.

I found myself wishing that instead of 50 stories, the author had chosen a smaller number of stories and focused specifically on the “positive, loving” ways it shows their value in God’s eyes.

Instead, the book feels muddied by the inclusion of stories in which the author has filled in assumptions about the woman’s character or motives that aren’t included in the Bible. There are also stories in which women are treated in harmful, immoral ways and the author doesn’t comment on how God views this treatment.

Assumptions and Lack of Comment on Immoral Treatment of Women

HER STORY, HER STRENGTH also tells the story of Naaman’s servant, a young woman who the book identifies as having been carried off into captivity as one of the “spoils of war”. The general who captured her falls ill, and she suggests he visit a prophet to ask for healing. The virtue identified in the story is her great forgiveness for the captors who enslaved her. That’s quite a lesson to pull from this story. Also, the Bible is not clear about her motivation. It felt like a big leap to assume she spoke up because she forgave her captors and then frame a whole lesson around that idea.

Several stories mention the practice in those days where a woman would “give” her servant over to her husband to impregnate her. If the servant had a child this way, the child belonged to the people who enslaved her. That’s stated pretty matter-of-factly and without any judgment passed on the inhumanity and immorality of that practice. Seems a weird choice for a book with a goal of teaching women their value in God’s eyes.

Conclusion for My Review of Her Story, Her Strength

I really enjoyed some of the stories in the book, especially the stories of Deborah and Rahab in addition to Shallum’s daughters, which I mentioned above.

Telling fewer stories would’ve allowed the author to emphasize stories that best teach spiritual lessons on women’s value. Some of the problematic stories could be left for discussion with an older audience, where it would be easier/more appropriate to address those issues. I would have liked to see more in-depth stories of women like Esther and Miriam, too. I’d love to see something for kids that went into more depth on biographies like those.

Content Notes for Her Story, Her Strength

Mentions of murder, torture, and sexual assault.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Most of the women profiled in the book are Middle Eastern, and the cartoon illustrations show brown-skinned women. Many of the women represented in the book are also Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Vague references to sex. This isn’t identified as rape in the book, but it is. Many characters become pregnant in their stories. The book identifies Rahab as a prostitute.

See violent content for note on sexual assault.

Spiritual Content
These are stories from the Bible. A section called “Her God” encourages readers to reflect on spiritual principles and ideas raised through the narrative biography.

Violent Content
In the story of Jael, she murders a general with a tent stake and hammer. The story doesn’t overtly describe this, but we see her contemplate killing him. She picks up those weapons before the narrative jumps to after the man’s death.

There are also several stories which reference a woman “giving” her servant to her husband with the intention that he will have sex with her (the servant has no say in this arrangement) and hopefully get her pregnant. Nowhere does the book challenge this practice as immoral, cruel, or evil, not to mention that it’s rape.

One story describes a group of women who watched as Jesus was tortured and executed via being crucified.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of HER STORY, HER STRENGTH in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Making More by Katherine Roy

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Making More: How Life Begins
Katherine Roy
Norton Young Readers
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Making More

Everywhere, all around you, life is making more. From fish to mammals and plants to insects, every organism on Earth must reproduce, and the survival of each species―and of life itself―depends on this and on the diversity it creates.

In this groundbreaking book, Katherine Roy distills the science of reproduction into its simplest components: organisms must meet, merge their DNA, and grow new individuals; and she thoughtfully highlights the astonishing variety of this process with examples from across the natural world, from ferns and butterflies to trout, hawks, rabbits, and more. Lucid, informed, and illuminated by beautiful paintings, Making More weaves a story that seamlessly explains life’s most fundamental process, answers children’s questions, and provides an essential tool for parents, caregivers, and educators.  Full-color throughout.

“Highly recommended for nonfiction and even parenting collections, where it will fly off the shelf with science-loving kids and neutralize any adult melodrama around talking to kids about sex.”― School Library Journal , starred review

My Review

The beautiful, painted illustrations are the first thing about this book that caught my eye. I love the soothing color palette and the way each page makes me feel immersed in nature.

The book addresses how different types of plants and animals make more of themselves in simple terms. I liked the way the author introduced different types of reproduction– crossing versus cloning– and gave simple explanations for why both are important.

Animal classes like fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals each have their own page giving an overview of how they reproduce. Some technical terms are present, but used more in diagrams than in the paragraph text. I think the book strikes a great balance between simplifying a complex process for young readers while still presenting real biological information.

I love this book, and I think it’s a great resource for kids who are interested in animals or biology. This is definitely one I want on my own family library shelves, and I think it’d make a great book for classrooms and public libraries.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Representation
There are a few illustrations of people. The group illustration shows families of diverse backgrounds.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The book is about how plants and animals reproduce. The page about mammals does name a penis and vagina and note that they are used in reproduction. The vagina is described as a path to birth. Those descriptions are pretty low key and brief.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to predators and parasites preventing some offspring from reaching adulthood.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MAKING MORE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Missing Clarissa by Ripley Scott

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Missing Clarissa
Ripley Jones
Wednesday Books
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Missing Clarissa

In a gripping novel perfect for fans of Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, two best friends start a true crime podcast—only to realize they may have helped a killer in the process.

In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.

Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…

But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?

My Review

One of the things I’m really curious about with this book is why the cover design doesn’t feature the face of Clarissa Campbell, the missing girl. Since the story became largely focused on understanding her and her life, I guess I wondered why her face wasn’t on the cover.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book going in. The cover didn’t give me a lot to go on, but the writing immediately pulled me into the story.

So, the book has an interesting style. It’s primarily from Blair and Cam’s points of view, but in a head-hoppy way. Like, one sentence might be from inside one girl’s head and the next might be inside the other’s. There are a couple brief scenes or paragraphs from other characters’ points of view, too.

It took me a little bit to get used to that style, but I actually enjoyed it once I got a feel for it. I liked both girls. They’re both really different and the kinds of different that makes them a great team.

In terms of the mystery elements, I felt like the story was very well organized. The mystery surrounding Clarissa’s disappearance felt to me like a long thread that Cam and Blair kept pulling and chasing down as it unraveled. It was easy to see their thought processes and how one clue led them to another, but I didn’t find the revelations to be obvious, either, if that makes sense?

All in all, I liked this book a lot. I found the characters compelling, and the mystery captivating. I can totally see fans of SADIE by Courtney Summers or THE AGATHAS by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson loving this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Cam is a lesbian and biracial– white and Latine.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. References to sex. Rumors about a teacher having sex with students.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Cam and Blair learn to shoot at a range. A car runs Cam and Blair’s vehicle off the road at night. A man ties a girl up with a clothesline and tosses her in the basement. A man shoots another man. Someone shoots a man in the knee.

Drug Content
Cam and Blair attend a party in the woods and drink beer there. References to a party in the woods the night Clarissa was last seen where teens drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MISSING CLARISSA in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music

Biography, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , ,

Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music
Rebel Girls
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music

TRUE STORIES OF WOMEN WHO RAISE THE ROOF!

This collection features 25 stories of extraordinary women in music–women who have moved hearts and minds with their lyrics, uplifted other musicians, and gotten people to jump, dance, and sing along with their music.

Belt out pop anthems with Lizzo, bang on the drums with Nandi Bushell, and write country hits with Dolly Parton. The women in this book come from all around the world. They play different instruments, experiment with new sounds, and stand out in their genres. But one thing is true of them all: They rock!

With a foreword by iconic rocker Joan Jett and activities curated by Gibson Guitars, this book will have readers everywhere jamming out! Plus, scannable codes let you listen to more stories on the Rebel Girls app.

My Review

I’ve come across a lot of books by Rebel Girls, but this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to read one, and I felt really excited about that. I love that they publish so many collections of biographies about women and the ways they’ve impacted the world. That’s such a great thing to celebrate.

So, REBEL GIRLS ROCK contains 25 one-page biographies of women in the music industry. I loved seeing familiar names on their list, like Ella Fitzgerald, Dolly Parton, and Lizzo. I also loved learning about women in the music industry who were new to me. Though most of the women in the book are musicians, there are producers and DJs as well.

Rebel Girls has an app that can supplement the stories in the book, too, which is a cool idea. I didn’t know anything about the company that makes the Rebel Girls books until I looked them up as I was writing this review. The Los Angeles Business Review has an article that does a really good job covering the Rebel Girls founders and company goals.

The reading age for this book is a little younger than I expected, but I think it’s very well targeted for readers in middle elementary school. The biographies are told in story form and just long enough to hit some high notes. A perfect step up for readers who loved the She Persisted book series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 10.

Representation
Features biographies of woman of many different racial and ethnic backgrounds. One featured musician is a transgender woman. Another is deaf.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of REBEL GIRLS ROCK in exchange for my honest review.