A review by fatimaelf
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a fun read! It felt like a weird rom-com, found family book for about two-thirds of it, then turned quickly into a fast-paced espionage royalty novel as the ending picked up a whole lot of speed. This book isn’t set in Arthurian times, but a hundred years after, but it kind of resembles modern times in terms of attitudes and speech — minus, of course, the pretense of monarchy, knights, and tourneys. The cultists versus the Catholics, though, felt very relevant. I will say that I found Arthur unbearable for a lot of the book; his sarcasm, barbs, and general demeanor were just cruel, and the explanation of his abusive father didn’t do enough to make him sympathetic. I would have liked to have seen much more interaction between Arthur and Gwen, Gwen and Bridget, and Arthur and Gabriel, because all of their relationships felt just a bit rushed, but I enjoyed when they came together and the dialogue was witty and fun. The world building was sufficient for a YA novel, and did a great job of setting each scene. The ending wasn’t quite unexpected — it wasn’t a book that relied too heavily on mystery — but it was satisfying enough and I put the book down feeling as if it had delivered its promise. Overall a mostly light-hearted, very enjoyable book. 
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