Oh dear, I really do not know how to review this, for some it’s 5🌟for others 2🌟, I’m going to give it 3🌟 

Crosby has put her heart and soul into this book. She is an excellent and creative author, imaginative and the way in which she writes is beautiful. 

Description:

Romilly lives in a ramshackle house with her eccentric artist father and her cat, Monty. Her father finds fame with a series of children’s books starring her as the main character and everything changes. In her increasingly isolated world, Romilly turns to the secrets hidden in the books, realising there’s something far darker and more devastating locked within each page.

What is true and what isn’t true? What’s real and what isn’t real? Is there any treasure or isn’t there? Treasure isn’t always what people expect.

Romilly has some great adventures, like Alice, in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She spends most of her time alone as her father locks himself away to write and illustrate his books.  As she is left to her own devices she runs wild and roams around free.  

Occasionally she meets up with an undisciplined child called Stacey, who I’m not sure is a friend of foe? Real or not? Did Romilly escape her everyday life by tumbling into a fanciful world of madness and mockery in order to survive.

In parts this is harrowing, not easy or pleasant reading.  It’s an imaginative story that is underpinned by love, loss, grief, suffering, deprivation, child neglect, abuse, dementia, mental illness, depression, animal cruelty and delusion. It is a really multi layered and complex story. A sad story. I couldn’t extract any joy from this, other than imagining how delightful it would be to have a cat like Monty!

Even though it’s a touching story, the end left me confused, with very mixed feelings. The question is did I enjoy it, no I didn’t it just wasn’t for me. However, others have given it 5🌟 so it’s up to you as to whether you want to read this very strong and quirky debut novel.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and HQ for this ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

This was another book that I sadly misjudged. The blurb and title seemed to promise a tale of an eccentric childhood in a 'ramshackle' house with a literary mystery alongside. Romilly's father is an illustrator and he makes her his main protagonist. As his series becomes a best-seller, it inspires a cult following with readers convinced that the books hold clues to a mysterious treasure hunt. Over time, Romilly becomes increasingly isolated from the world and her father ever more suspicious of those around them. Seeing rave reviews elsewhere, I was hoping for something akin to I Capture the Castle. Instead this seems to be one of that increasingly high stack of books which depict child abuse with a sprinkling of magical realism and expect the reader to find it beautiful. Alas, this reader did not.

The inspiration is apparently Kit Williams' 1979 book Masquerade which really did contain clues to a treasure hunt. Indeed, my main impression as I read the book was that I felt that I had seen it all before. The trope of the 'traumatised child of the children's author' has been done, done and then done again. AS Byatt's The Children's Book was inspired by the life of Edith Nesbit and her offspring, Claire Morrall's The Roundabout Man seemed a response to the life of Christopher Robin et al then there are other less focus examples such as  Charles Elton's Mr Toppitt. The point is that the list goes on.

So does the plot featuring the 'mystery locked in an author's story'. See The Thirteenth Tale, Possession and so very many more. Even the grand twist was borrowed from Behind the Scenes at the Museum with a side platter from the bumpy bit out of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. But the over-arching feel of nastiness dressed up as beauty was more akin to My Absolute Darling or The Doll Funeral. This book was incredibly derivative, borrowing from many pots and with nothing unique of its own.

Having recently read and loved Fierce Bad Rabbits, a non-fiction ode to the wonder of the picture book, I had hoped that The Illustrated Child would have some form of response to what it means to have one's childhood illustrated. To have moments that you perhaps barely remember set in aspic for all the world to see. To be recognised by strangers, to have people think that they know you, to have personal moments put out there to be pawed over by all the world. But instead Romilly retreats further and further away from the world, having the inverse experience. Rather than the nature of story-telling, instead we get survivalism.

There are so many books that send their protagonist (almost universally female) on these kind of torture quests. Again, there's The Marsh King's Daughter, Our Endless Numbered Days and so on. They play around with reality and sometimes add in supernatural forces but all comes back to the same thing. We watch a fictional female suffer and this is somehow justified as art. I'm just ... done with it. I never get on well with books populated by a cast of people who only ever seem to be nasty to each other. No matter what was going on with Romilly's father, he was down right unpleasant and emotionally abusive and neglectful. And her mother was worse. While the 'big reveal' might have been intended to offer an explanation or absolution, I felt only disdain. I wish poor Romilly peace and only feel sorry that her creator put her through this.

But more than anything, this book made me finally see the point of trigger warnings. I was looking for a 'cosy' type of read, about a little girl growing up with an artist father in an eccentric type of place. The book's alternative title was The Book of Hidden Wonder but rather than magic or awe, all Crosby provided was this bleak and joyless purgatory. Had the blurb and accompanying information been more forthcoming, I would not have read this book. I hope that this review will serve so that others can avoid my mistake.

A hauntingly beautifully written story with twists.  I could not out this book down and at points was reduced to tears.  I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting and unique idea behind the story with plenty to get your teeth into. The writing was good and extremely compelling, making the reader unable to stop reading. The writing was over simplistic at times, contrasting sharply with the darker events in the story. The plot develops quickly, showing the rapid deterioration of the relationship.
Overall a good read.

I was unsure of this book from start to finish. I think the style of writing just didn’t suit me as a reader. I loved the premise of the book and I hope to pick it up again to read again but when o have more time. 

I think the book is multi-layered and complex. At times it’s quite emotional and I found it hard to read not that it was bad but just that I felt the emotions coming through the pages. 

Definitely a thought provoking read.

Amazing debut from Polly Crosby, this book is a masterpiece in writing. I'm desperate for more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Romilly lives with her father in a ramshackle house out in the countryside. Tobias Kemp, her father decides to illustrate & write a book about Romilly & her kitten. He is an artist & his pictures are a masterpiece of detail & hidden clues. The book is a runaway success & people come looking for clues to buries treasure. Romilly lives a very isolated life. She doesn't go to school & her only contact with other people is another wild child called Stacey. She has very few memories of her life before they came here & wants answers. As she grows older her father becomes more eccentric & admits he is suffering from Dementia. Romilly's life grows darker. 

This was a hard book to review. It was beautifully written. The descriptions of the pictures in the books sound wonderful. However I found the way poor Romilly grew up to be heart-breaking. Whilst maybe not actually abused she was certainly neglected. I was kept reading this even though at times I was very confused! At times I wanted to give this book five stars & at others one so it evened out at three! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I'm not sure that the book I read was the book I was expecting as it was far darker than I imagined. That being said I found it a compelling read even after I guessed the twist in the plot. It was a very visual book (at times too much so perhaps) and I felt that Romilly's confusion was well written.
A book to generate a lot of discussion I feel but not one I would rush to recommend

Everyone knows Romilly Kemp – she’s the girl in the books written by her father, the ones with the beautiful illustrations of the 8 year old girl wearing the denim dress, red tights & having adventures with her kitten. However, is there more to the pictures/stories than at first glance? Is there a treasure hunt hidden within the book? 
(For anyone who remembers “Masquerade”, the treasure hunt within a book that captivated the UK in 1979-1982, the concept will be familiar!)
As the “Romilly” books become ever more popular, fans seeking the “treasure” descend on the remote crumbling house where Romilly & her father live, changing their lives in unexpected ways. As Romilly grows older & her father starts to suffer from dementia, things change significantly and the secrets held within the book start to be revealed - it is not physical treasure, but a family secret for Romilly to unlock. 
Romilly is an interesting character, her father is an eccentric artist and Monty the cat is adorable, but I didn’t like the character of Stacey, the friend, at all.  The situation with the mother didn’t work for me – I understand why it was there but it lacked some authenticity. The descriptions were very vivid and detailed - I can only wish we’d had an illustration or two to really bring the book to life!
Overall, this was an odd book, and certainly not what I expected. It takes some time to get started and there are some slow sections in the middle. There are many aspects that are quite distressing & disturbing. It’s not an easy or pleasant read, but it is quite compelling.

Everyone knows Romilly Kemp – she’s the girl in the picture books, with the kitten and the hidden treasure. But which Romilly Kemp is the real one? The one her dad has pinned to the pages? The naughty wild child her mother seems to fear? The meek follower who obeys her friend and idol? Or the secret inner Romilly, who notices every little thing and likes oddities and strangeness, collecting sensations – good and bad – like seashells.

In The Illustrated Child, Polly Kemp begins by splashing through the little mysteries and fairytale wonder of a somewhat neglected childhood, then wades into deeper, darker waters. There is something of a sinister feeling lurking behind the bright surface from the very start: the wild house, her father’s private study and shadow woman; the mysterious absence of Romilly’s mother; stuffed parrots and kitten paws. Everything combines to create a vague but constant ominous pressure, on characters and reader alike.

Still, I was thoroughly enjoying the story, right up until the point where Romilly’s father changes and everything begins to go very wrong, with any semblance of fairytales and rainbows abandoned. The book spirals into a surreal and disturbing dive into dementia, depression, delusions and overt abuse. It really is quite bleak reading at times. Personally, I am fond of dark and light stories alike, but felt that this one buried the lede a bit. I was led to believe I was reading a story about family secrets, children’s books and hidden treasures, which turned out to be more focused on child neglect and abuse and mental illness.

There are some big identity questions explored here, through the eyes of a troubled child. Who are we? What, or who, defines us: love? Our relationships with others? Our inner worlds? Romilly doesn’t really have any answers for the reader here, other than the insight that not all that is hidden turns out to be treasure.

Those seeking a whimsical, fairytale story about a girl growing up a legend may find this gets a little too darkly real, but anyone looking for a beautifully written story about the darker side of growing up known but neglected will enjoy this debut.



'You probably know me: I’m the Kemp Treasure Girl. Maybe you had the books as a child. Perhaps your dad read them to you in those wilting hours of sleep where books become dreams and dreams become books. Did you look for the treasure, digging in your garden, unsure of what you were searching for?

Mine was an unusual infamy for one so young. Not an all-encompassing, celebrity fame, but one that flattened me into two dimensions and picked out the colour of my eyes and my dress. One that stopped people in the street and made their necks crane back round to gaze at me.'

– Polly Crosby, The Illustrated Child


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I didn’t enjoy this book. It took me all my time to read it. I know that this book has received a lot of praise about it being wonderful, magical and compelling. But I can’t relate at all to these views. To be honest some parts of this book are very dark and disturbing.

Romilly and her father Tobias have moved to a small village in Suffolk. Where they reside in a very run down cottage that is surrounded on three sides by a slim clogged moat.

They have moved there as her father has lost his job working at the university, where he taught art. When they moved to the cottage her father gave her a Siamese cat. She thought that the cat looked very smart so he had to have a smart name. So she called him Captain Montgomery 2nd Regiment. Which she shortened to Monty.

Romilly spent most of her time on her own as her father spent most of his time locked up in his office for hours if not days at a time. It turns out that he has been spending his time painting Romilly and Monty and has produced a story book.

The book becomes so popular that Romilly and her father travel all over for book signings. Her father also goes on TV making them even more famous that Romilly is no longer able to go to school. During the summer holidays fans on the book start turning up at their cottage. Which isolates Romilly from the real world even more.

When her father releases his 2nd book things become even worse, with people constantly turning up. For some reason the public have come to the conclusion that the books are clues to a treasure hunt.

While all of this is going on her father starts to act more and more strangely, but Romilly is too young to understand what is happening to him. Romilly’s estranged mother turns up in their life for a little while, but ends up disappearing on them again. As she can’t cope with what happened in the past. It turns out that Romilly had a twin sister that died, but Romilly can’t really remember anything about her.

Not long after her mother leaves her father also leaves Romilly to fend for herself as he checks in to a care home. It turns out that he has dementia. For months Romilly try’s to do the best she can on her own until the money runs out and she can’t afford to feed herself or Monty. Eventually she does ask for help.

This story really is quite distressing and harrowing, so if you expect a nice pleasant read this isn’t it.

The story of Romilly Kemp whose artist father achieves success with a series of illustrated children's books where Romilly and her pet kitten play the central characters. The stories hold secret clues to Romilly's family history, which are quickly spotted by readers and soon treasure hunters appear trying to uncover the secrets within. The mystery of the books and the excitement around them propels Romilly further into the public eye.

The unreliable nature of Romilly's narrative leaves the reader torn between whether Romilly's childhood with her creative father is one of magic and joy or neglect. We see Romilly grow from child to young adult as she slowly uncovers the clues to the family history that have always been around her.

Atmospheric, evocative, whimsical, uplifting but this was only the first half, the second half was the other side of the coin. I real mix of light and shadow, without giving too much away. Romilly lives with her dad, an eccentric artist, in an isolated house in a small town. Her upbringing has always been unconventional but gets turned upside down when her father paints her as the main character of his picture books - books that appear to hide secrets and has half the world on a treasure hunt. Despite this fame, she is lonely and haunted, with only her cat and a half -absent friend for company. But real life isn't a fairy tale and only time will tell if she can survive the challenges it brings.  
The pictures were so vivid I could almost see the paintings . The characters felt so real and the reader gets swept along with Romilly, willing her to solve the mysteries that are at the edge of her vision. The scenes are beautifully described and the story unpredictable. This is a story that takes you on an emotional journey where fact and fiction aren't always easy to separate. I'm left with images I wont easily forget.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It took a little while for me to fully engage with this book but by the time I hit the halfway mark I was intrigued. The reveal is expertly done and the prose feels almost archaic, like an Enid Blyton novel set in the 21st century. There are also echoes of Daisy Johnson's Sisters in the plot, and the nuanced portrayal of mental health is particularly well handled. Magically mysterious.

I found this book compelling to read because I wanted to know very much how it was going to end.  I was not comfortable with a lot of the content.  It is a disturbing book and I cannot say therefore that I enjoyed it.   It is a beautifully written book, it is, as other reviewers have said not at all what I expected.  It is a very dark book and makes one reflect and think, always a good thing.  If you are looking for a book which is enjoyable to read this is not for you.  On balance I decided it is not for me either as when I had finished it I was not at all pleased to have read it.

I read this for a blog tour. 

Every story I've read about children whose parents write them into books seems to end with a rather sad child trapped in the pages of the books their parents write - so it is for Romilly.

Her father's beautifully illustrated stories sell - especially as people think there's a treasure hunt hidden within, but this brings fans, treasure hunters, and a life lived trapped inside the disintegrating house Romilly and her father, slowly succumbing to early onset dementia, live in.

There is a treasure hunt, of sorts, but it is for Romilly alone. As she grows up, her mother and grandmother drift in and out of her life, along with her sole friend Stacey, she starts to solve her father's clues and unravel her own past.

A sad, sweet book, I really wanted to rescue Romilly and Monty the cat, their lives are so small and lonely. I don't think turning your child into a fictional version of themselves is very healthy - as Romilly points out, the version of her people believe they know never ages while she does - the little denim dress and red tights stop fitting her and Monty loses a paw, but in the four books she remains forever eight years old and innocent.

I enjoyed reading this book, which opens in magical vein with Romilly and her father living in a ramshackle old house with a moat, out in the country. It reminded me of I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith in the early part, but The Illustrated Child deals with far darker and more sobering themes, which increase in intensity as the novel progresses. It turned out to be not what I expected from the early chapters, but the difficult themes were sensitively handled.

Romilly Kemp lives with her father in a rundown house in the country.  She can just remember snatches of her life in London and some memories of her mother.  Her father gives her a cat, Monty, and he becomes her closest companion alongside the mercurial Stacey.  Mr Kemp produces a series of beautifully illustrated books about Romilly and Monty and suddenly life changes, they have money, they have fame and her Mum appears again.  
I actually loved certain aspects of this book, the idea of the illustrations and the perception of the Romilly in the book with the public perception were developed well.  Less successful for me was the whole trajectory with the mother and the friend, it just didn't ring true.  This meant that I struggled with huge sections of the book event though I think the bare bones were strong it just wasn't for me.

I struggled with this book. It has received a lot of praise from a lot of places, but personally I found it a difficult read, and in the end, couldn't finish it.

Well, this was a MUCH darker read than I expected, featuring themes including grief, loss, mental ill health and neglect. It's a tale of family, friendship and love. The plotlines concerning Romilly's father's book (and the ensuing treasure hunt) help to propel the story along but overall the book is about so much more. An ambitious debut from Polly Crosby who conceals complex themes within the narrative. Having said that, it's a bit of a Marmite book and I didn't love it (though I can see why other readers do). I felt the midsection dragged for too long and my attention wandered. Overall an interesting genre bender of a novel and a very difficult one to rate or review without spoilers.