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A review by ccrtb
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Brilliantly written—the novel was able to balance relatable and familiar young adult language while still keeping up with its historical fantasy identity. Very humorous and heartfelt. The romance was very good too—the build-up of tension and desire was excellent and the first kisses had me gasping with delight.
The discussions of sexuality within the novel would actually be helpful for young adults who’ll read this, especially if they’re still figuring out their sexuality or even just learning how to be good allies. This was written with great care and understanding.
I have little knowledge about the milieu, but it didn’t matter since the novel was able to give me most of the context that I needed to understand the historical background of the time.
I appreciate that Bridget is realistic about her relationship with Gwen and that she knows herself enough to know what’ll make her happy. Just because they fancy each other doesn’t mean she’ll throw away years of knighthood training to become Gwen’s lady-in-waiting just so they can be together in secret, especially since they don’t even know each other that well yet.
While Gwen and Gabriel definitely helped Arthur realize that he isn’t a good-for-nothing piece of shit that his father wants him to believe that he is, I noticed that Arthur, Bridget, Sidney, and Agnes impacted the royal siblings a lot more. It’s likely due to the fact that the two of them were sheltered from the world and only knew of their duties and were expected to act in a certain aristocratic way. So it’s good for them too, to learn how to be with people of different social classes and not to treat people in lower rankings like shit, especially since they’re going to be ruling a whole country. It sends a good message to young readers.
The discussions of sexuality within the novel would actually be helpful for young adults who’ll read this, especially if they’re still figuring out their sexuality or even just learning how to be good allies. This was written with great care and understanding.
I have little knowledge about the milieu, but it didn’t matter since the novel was able to give me most of the context that I needed to understand the historical background of the time.
While Gwen and Gabriel definitely helped Arthur realize that he isn’t a good-for-nothing piece of shit that his father wants him to believe that he is, I noticed that Arthur, Bridget, Sidney, and Agnes impacted the royal siblings a lot more. It’s likely due to the fact that the two of them were sheltered from the world and only knew of their duties and were expected to act in a certain aristocratic way. So it’s good for them too, to learn how to be with people of different social classes and not to treat people in lower rankings like shit, especially since they’re going to be ruling a whole country. It sends a good message to young readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, and Violence