by Ashley Schumacher
Wednesday Books, 2023. 310 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Raised in the ren faire circuit, seventeen-year-old Madeline
is grieving the loss of her mother when she meets Arthur, the son of the
faire's new owners, who encourages her to go on adventures, take chances, and
enjoy life.
Such a little summary for a book with big feels. I
love Ashley Schumacher. She has written three books and I have devoured them
all. They all deal with great big issues by focusing in on the smallest details. The banter is bright and chatty and creates an overall good feeling when you read it. In the story, Madeline not only deals with the death of her mother, she also deals with the
crippling effects of grief that would keep her from making new friends, doing
new things, and living her life. She also deals with body image issues and how women
and men are often defined by how they look and not by their feelings and hopes
and dreams. Schumacher pulls all of these different threads together by focusing on the relationships of Maddie and her dad, Maddie and Arthur, Arthur and his dads. It is a
lovely tale.
If you liked The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, you might
also like:
by Jaqueline Firkins
Clarion Books, 2021. 329 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Harper works in her mom's wedding shop, altering dresses for
petulant and picky brides who are more focused on hemlines than love. After
years of watching squabbles break out over wedding plans, Harper thinks romance
is a marketing tool. Nothing more. Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One
date and he's already dreaming of happily-ever-afters. He also plays the
accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped
tree house, cries over rom-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very
seriously. When Theo's shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth
heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to
the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As
the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time
upholding her end of the bargain. She's also checking out her window to see if
Theo's home from his latest date yet. She's even watching rom-coms. If she
confesses her feelings, she'll undermine everything she's taught him. Or was he
the one teaching her?
by Crystal Maldonado
Holiday House, 2021. 343 pages. Young Adult Fiction
by Julia Murphy
Blazer + Bray, 2015. 375 pages.
Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.
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