Thursday, May 10, 2018

Spring Reading 2018 The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray

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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.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

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