This was a perfectly pleasant novel, but wasn't quite what I was expecting. I loved the idea of the book, but the execution was not quite there for me. The story, that the Emily of the title has to solve a series of clues that her grandmother has left behind after her death, in order to keep the home she loves so much, is clever and intriguing. There were lots of things I liked about the novel, including the growth of Emily as a character and the author's refusal to make everything neat and as expected (I won't give anything else away). I did feel though at times that this was more like a YA novel than one for adults. Perhaps it was because the two main characters are both extremely young, despite their actual age.

I found this just ok, I never really engaged with the lead character, nor found her quest particularly believable. Wouldn't rush to recommend as feel there are other better examples of the genre.

Emily has been set a puzzle by her recently deceased grandmother, one she must complete to get her inheritance. She is accompanied on her journey by a childhood friend & in great “quest” tradition, on the way she discovers far more than the answers to the clues, she discovers more about her grandmother, and of course about herself and her future.
I found the start of the book hard going – I think it was because it went straight into the obituary of Catriona Robinson with no context - however once I persevered through the first chapter I was completely drawn into this book & didn’t want to stop reading! The story weaves elements of mystery, love, heartache and friendship together into a quest that pushed Emily out of her comfort zone, and takes the reader on a journey that to locations that would be completely unexpected at the start yet totally believable as they unfold.
I really like the inclusion of the birds - at various times they become companions, messengers, keepers of secrets and they help to change the pace of the story. At one point in the story I wished I could have seen the illustrations that are described, yet I realised that the way they are described enables me to picture them in my own mind. There is something in the way that it is written that makes it seem vivid and real – in many way I can see this easily translating to a screen adaptation yet I fear that it would lose some of its charm if it did. As it stands, it’s a charming example of the type of book that paints pictures in your mind as you read it, in a way that so many modern books don’t.
Whilst I would LOVE to hear what Emily did next, I suspect that will also have to live in my imagination as it doesn’t feel like a book that needs a sequel
This is a debut novel & the author has a lot to live up to with her next one - I will definitely be looking out for more!
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Emily has got a race against time ahead of her. She must successfully follow the clues her recently deceased grandmother has left in order to get her inheritance. During the course of her search she discovers far more than the answers to the clues. Emily rediscovers herself and develops a new understanding of her grandmother and their relationship.
I did find the beginning of this book a little flat, but the author seemed to warm to her task as the story went on and I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Indeed the final diary entry by the grandmother is one of the most beautiful and emotive pieces of writing I have ever read. For a debut novel this is a huge accomplishment and I look forward to reading future offerings from this amazing new talent.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.
Sent from my iPad

What a lovely book, the discovery of a girl when faced with the loss of her grandmother and the adventure she has to take in order to find herself and plan for her future.
I enjoyed this story immensely, the characters were warm and easily likeable. I wished I had been reading this on a sunny beach - the perfect travel companion.

When Emily's grandmother dies, she's left bereft. Catriona Robinson was a successful author, loved by millions, whilst Emily illustrated her grandmother's wonderful tales. What does she do now? Catriona liked a mystery and leaves a trail of cryptic clues for Emily to decipher. Having been in a horrific accident as a child, that left her parents dead, Emily shies away from the world and is unsure she can walk in her grandmothers footsteps. A charming book with plenty of heart. It kept me entertained throughout, as Emily struggled with her loss and her task. I enjoyed the brief look into Catriona's past through diary entries and the pace of the story.

I really enjoyed this book. For a debut novel it was a great read.
I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Katherine Slee has given us something pure and breathtaking in this, her debut novel. I truly adored every word of this amazing book. For Emily, begins with the death of her beloved grandmother, a famous children's author who wrote a series of books about a girl called Ophelia who discovers a magical atlas that transports her all over the globe. Emily tragically lost her parents in a car accident, that also left her severely injured. Losing her beloved grandmother has left her rudderless and bereft. But with a series of clues left by her grandmother in the form of books, letters and diary entries, Emily is pushed far out of her comfort zone and we are taken along with her as she travels to Paris, Rome, St Tropez. On this journey she discovers more about her grandmother than she ever knew, and at the same time, learns that she is stronger and more willing to try new things than she ever thought possible. It was truly a privilege to see Emily blossom and spread her wings, to see her soar despite her heartbreak. For book lovers this is a joy to read, it is thought provoking, philosophical and uplifting. Truly, a triumph.

https://lynns-books.com/2019/09/07/for-emily-by-katherine-slee/
3.5 of 5 stars
For Emily is a lovely read about a young woman coming to terms with loss. In some respects it puts me in mind of PS I Love You in that Emily is sent on a voyage of discovery by her deceased grandmother (not the same as PS I love you but similar(ish)). I would say this would be a good book to take on holiday and sit reading by the pool or on the beach – which probably sounds odd or contradictory after saying it’s about a young woman coming to terms with loss – but, this is a light read, it’s not overly sombre and Emily herself goes on a number of excursions that take her to some beautiful places along the way.

This isn’t my usual type of read to be honest, no hints of the supernatural grace these pages, no ghosts or unexpected bumps in the night not even a suggestion of magical realism but it was a quick and light morsel between some heavier to digest books and in that respect it worked well for me.

Emily’s grandmother (Catriona) passed away a few weeks before the book starts and as the story begins a stranger appears on Emily’s doorstep to deliver a letter that Catriona wanted delivering. From here on out we discover that Emily’s gran has set her a mission which will take her on a journey following in the footsteps of Catriona herself as a young woman when she set off on her own adventure.

By way of background we soon discover that Emily has been raised by her gran since the death of her parents in a terrible car crash. Emily was the only survivor, sustaining terrible injuries herself that took a long time to recover from. Catriona became Emily’s guardian and retreated to a small cottage in Norfolk where the two embarked on a writing project that saw Catriona become a famous author of children’s books that Emily provided the illustrations for.

This was a nice light read. The writing was very easy to get along with and there was a good balance between pacing and backstory. I would say that it reads a little bit ‘twee’ at times but not overly so.

The settings are probably what make the book for me, probably because I’ve been to a number of the places involved along the route and it almost felt like I got to revisit some of them as I experienced Emily’s journey.

The characters. We get to see a little of Catriona’s past life as we follow Emily’s progress which was a really lovely way to find out about her. Catriona was obviously a very spirited individual who led quite a fascinating life and made some very good friends along the way – this is a side to her that Emily never saw. For Emily, Catriona had always lived in the small cottage that they called home – in fact Catriona had herself made lifestyle changes after her own daughter died in the car accident. Emily, well, this felt like a journey for me as well as Emily in that at first I found her a little infuriating – for example, when she receives the letter from her gran she puts it to one side – I was almost shouting at her at that point – read the letter! But, that’s me, sat in the comfort of my own home, reading a book and being intensely curious about the contents of that letter. For Emily the letter was a shock and also a reality check, it jolted her out of the place she was settling into and forced her out of her comfort zone – which was exactly Catriona’s aim in the first place. So, yes, I needed to give myself a bit of a reality check, give my head a wobble and realise that maybe I was being a bit too harsh! Tyler is the other character who joins Emily as she follows the clues left by Catriona. I’m not sure about Tyler, even now I’ve finished the book. He wasn’t a bad character but I didn’t quite feel like I’d fully come to terms with his and Emily’s past. I would have liked a bit more information, particularly given the ending – which I won’t spoil for others. But, I can see that his inclusion acted as a way of keeping Emily on track.

In terms of criticisms. Nothing too major to be honest. Yes, this was a little twee as I already mentioned. I wouldn’t say that the clues and mystery were very ‘mysterious’, if anything it felt a little light in some respects and there is definitely a feeling of everything being very easy. But, I think the author was trying to keep this light and entertaining rather than making it a sad read and in that respect she succeeded. Also, I must say I think this would make an excellent adaptation to screen.

Overall, this was a good read. It was entertaining and quick paced and as I stated above would make a good holiday read, the type of book that you don’t have to overthink even though there is a lovely message in the voyage of discovery and a hopefulness that is uplifting.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I would rate this as 3.5 out of 5 stars

Renowned children's author Catriona Robinson has dedicated all her books to the people that have meant something to her during her life.

Her granddaughter Emily, one of the dedicatees has never given it much thought until the death of her grandmother.

Catriona became Emily's life when a tragic accident robbed her of her beloved parents and for a while the ability to walk, talk and function as a human being.

Now seemingly alone in the world, a final task from her grandmother is to go and search out all those that have had books dedicated to them. Popularity of Catriona means that no one wants to believe there is no more stories to come and the trip suddenly becomes a quest for a lost manuscript, the final story, the one that has yet to be published.

The only person that can discover any of this is Emily. But since her accident, Emily exists in a very small world, near the cottage in Norfolk, not conversing with anyone and seeking solace in the illustrations she did for her Grandmothers work but also in the birds she starts to draw after her grandmother dies.

However, it seems this legacy has to be fulfilled and Emily has to break down barriers and step outside what she knows.

This is a quiet tale of grief and rediscovery of a life seemingly lost and one that has been lived through words and pictures which have come alive as Emily goes on this mystery tour - but where will it end?

The writing is carefully constructed, the use of birds is a unique way of creating chapters and sections all linked in with the beautiful drawings described. 

In my opinion a sleeper of a debut novel which is going to take people by surprise and will undoubtedly become a hit. It was a hit with me.

It’s a complex storyline weaving many storylines together beautifully.
This is an engaging and fast paced read

Not my cup of tea. Even if the book is well written I couldn't connect to the characters and the plot didn't keep my attention.
DNFed.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Do you read book dedications? I do, always, and quite often they make me wonder about that person, especially if it's just one name or an initial.
It seems to be something Katherine Slee has also pondered, given that her debut, For Emily, centres around a series of cryptic dedications in children’s books written by the title character’s beloved grandmother.
It’s quite a complex story, weaving several plot lines into one, but it is all brought together beautifully.
I really liked the way bruised but brave Emily was written, with just a hint of magic about her. I also enjoyed learning more about her grandmother and the whimsical stories she wrote, which Emily illustrated (I wouldn't have minded reading them too).
There were some points I would have liked to have seen developed and explored more such as her past relationship with her travel companion (no spoilers) but overall, it is clever, engaging and face-paced.

Sadly for me I was just unable to connect with the characters nor the story.
Wanted to enjoy it but sadly dnf

For Emily is an easy read of a book which I read over a couple of hours. I enjoyed the story and its's characters. There were some elements of the book that could have been done better such as character development and the ending was slightly disappointing. However if you are looking for a book that is easy to follow and very enjoyable then this is the right book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

Loved this book and have only just remembered to review. Emily is so gorgeous you want to hug and tell her it’s all going to be ok. And it is. But it takes some time for her to realise. Happily recommend this book. Thank you.

I am afraid this book was not exactly what I had expected from the description. The plot sounded interesting, but I found the musings and reflections of the main character Emily too lengthy. And it was the same with the diary extracts. Unfortunately, none of the characters got very close to me so I could not really relate to them. The story gains momentum in the second half and I liked the ending. There is definitely a talented author behind this first book and I will look out for her next works.

If you’re looking for an easy read, then this is for you. Nice story with a little moral hidden inside.