I tried several times to read this book, but in the end I DNF. It was not at all what I expected from the introduction. It is very well written, but I found the subject matter with regard to children too dark and disturbing. 
It’s a difficult and unsettling read, and I found that I just did not want to go back to it. 
Not for me, this one.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

This is a magical book about childhood, confusion and fame.

The book follows Romilly through her childhood to her teens.  Living with her eccentric artist father in a ramshackle house, she finds herself the centre of attention when his children’s book, starring her and her beloved cat, become best sellers.

Romilly watches her father become more and more reclusive, cutting them both off from the world.  Becoming more and more isolated, it is left to Romilly to try and decipher the codes hidden within her father’s books, to try and find the hidden ‘treasure’ the world is searching for.

This is a very dark book which covers child abandonment, neglect, abuse, domestic violence, mental health and dementia.  I found myself feeling heartbroken for Romilly, wanting to scoop her up and save her from her life.  The loneliness of isolation, the pressure of being a young career to herself and her father, these provoked such a strong reaction from me, knowing that there are so many children in the UK that are in this very position.

With a hint of Grimm about it, this is an enchanting and haunting read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Illustrated Child is Polly Crosby’s debut novel and is a charming, deeply imaginative debut novel about a young girl and her eccentric father who hides within the pages of an illustrated book a treasure hunt that will lead her to uncover a priceless secret about her family’s past. It tells the story of Romilly Kemp and her artist father, who live in a ramshackle mansion in the English countryside. To help make ends meet, he creates a children’s book series with Romilly - a striking redhead with a mole on her cheek - and her cat Monty that becomes an instant success. The rumor is that hidden within its pages are clues to an elaborate treasure hunt, and their estate becomes crowded with tourists and adventure-seekers hoping to find the treasure.

As Romilly gets older, she finds her father disappearing within himself, and eventually learning he’s suffering from dementia. Wanting to connect with her failing father and know him better, she returns to his books and comes to realize through a series of clues he’s left just for her, that the treasure it leads to is worth more than gold or precious stones - it’s a shocking discovery of her family that explains her peculiar childhood and helps her better understand herself. This is captivating debut which tells the story of family, growing up, mortality, and self-discovery with a mystery that will keep you eagerly turning the pages. Full of heart and tender moments, but also saddening ones, this is an absorbing read from start to finish and an unforgettable story about discovering the hidden wonders that make us who we are. Many thanks to HQ for an ARC.

Going in to the book I wasn’t sure what to expect. The title, The Illustrated Child, has something magical and fairytale like about and I think the cover adds to this feeling too. However, this is not a happy fairytale story, but a dark and somewhat sobering fairytale that has some difficult moments to digest.

Romilly lives in a ramshackle house with her eccentric father and cat, Monty. She doesn’t know much about her past but she knows that she is loved. Her father creates children’s books, where she is the main character, and things finally seem on the up for her and her father. Unfortunately her father becomes ill and this become increasingly isolating for Romilly. So she turns to the books her father created to find some of life’s answers!

The descriptions of the storybooks were wonderful and you could almost imagine the books open in front of you, full of beautiful, intricate illustrations. These parts of the story were magical and so far removed from the other darker parts, which really tug at your soul.

This is a tough read, with lots of trigger warnings. It really wasn’t what I expected, and whilst very well written, I found it hard to digest and it took me a long time to get through. However, Polly Crosby has a great way with words, you could really imagine exactly what the characters and setting were like. Romilly is such a complex character, full of fantasy and hope, and you can’t help but feel for her throughout the book. A complex and deep book, it is definitely a little sadder than what you expect from the title, blurb and cover!

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Illustrated Child’ by Polly Crosby in exchange for an honest review.

This was a breathtaking novel that moved me deeply. I was a little surprised when its themes became darker though these were appropriate to the narrative. I don’t want to stray into spoiler territory, so will only touch on its plot details.

At the novel’s opening in the late 1980s, eight-year old Romilly is living in an ancient farmhouse with her eccentric artist father and Monty, a Siamese kitten. Her father has the idea of creating a series of illustrated children’s books featuring Romilly as the main character. 

‘Romilly and the Kitten’ is an instant success and other books follow. While Romilly grows up, her fictional counterpart remains fixed in childhood. Yet along with fame and financial benefits comes unwelcome attention from the press. Then a rumour starts that the books contain a series of cryptic clues to a treasure. Strangers begin to turn up at their door seeking autographs, though some also come with metal detectors and spades! 

As time passes, Romilly’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of everything and everyone around him. He withdraws from the world leaving Romilly more and more isolated. She wonders if indeed there is a secret hidden in the books and seeks to investigate aided by her free-spirited friend, Stacey. 

Romilly proved an appealing narrator and I quickly became invested in her journey. As noted above this novel enters darker territory than initially expected. I felt that Polly Crosby was sensitive in dealing with the complex relationships portrayed as well as exploring themes of loneliness, mental health, loss and grief. 

Overall, an atmospheric, dreamlike coming-of-age story that is rich in description and addressed universal themes. I found Polly Crosby’s writing exquisite. She is a gifted storyteller and this was an impressive debut.

I just can’t express how utterly beautiful this book is. It’s just left me breathless, honestly. This isn’t my book of the year, it’s gone straight into “all time favourites”. For me, it brought up the same warm feelings the beginning of Dodie Smith’s “I capture the Castle” . 

Romilly’s life revolves around her dad, mum, grandma, and her best friend. She is so loving, and tries so hard, she just breaks your heart. A dysfunctional family, trying their best.

It’s such a beautiful book, utterly heartbreaking, a couple of times I found myself shocked when little things are revealed that shake what I thought I knew. I can’t explain!

Just utterly utterly wonderful. 

My thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby is the story of Romily as she grows up.  When she is little, her father writes a book which makes her famous.  It's a picture book about her adventures, with things hidden in the pictures, which people decide is a treasure hunt.

Romily grows up in the public eye, with her distinctive red hair, and we're told how she and her father deal with this.  There are mental health issues and illness for some characters, and the past is a mystery that is explained.

I enjoyed the book, and the look at how people deal with fame.  The mental health and illness is dealt with well, and Romily at different ages is believable. 

 The Illustrated Child  by Polly Crosby was published on 29th October 2020, and it's available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and your  local independent bookshop .

You can follow Polly Crosby on  Twitter  and her  website .

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  HQ .

Romilly lives her life through the eyes of her adoring father. The single father raising a daughter, a man who puts pen to paper and creates stories for everyone to enjoy. This exposure of her life comes with a lack of privacy and at times even danger and transgressions. The stories carry the suggestion of a hidden treasure, which tends to generate the interest of many - not enough interest to care how Romilly is dealing with being the main character in a series of books though.

The only thing keeping her halfway sane is her strange, domineering and unkempt friend, who comes and goes as they both go through the different stages of growing-up. They agree, they fight and ultimately the best friend can also be very manipulative at times.

Romilly also has to cope with a disinterested mother, and a parent who is so involved with himself he neglects her emotionally, psychologically and physically. There is still some semblance of love at times, but is it love or just a means to an end?

Although this falls under the YA category for me personally even though it is certainly a coming-of-age story for the majority of the story, it wanders far beyond those boundaries. It's a complex combination of mystery, discovery of self and sexuality, the almost incestuous leanings of a confused and distraught parent at times, the guilt and the neglect.

There are just so many aspects of this story I would love to go into each fascinating element in depth, but would absolutely give the plot away by doing so. (Arrgh) It's such a multi-layered piece of work. I loved the way Crosby went from literary to contemporary to mystery and speculative. All within a blink of an eye. The reader is never quite sure which thread to grasp onto at any given time.

It's a brilliant story with an ending which suits the beginning and a middle that pays homage to the past. A wonderful story. One that speaks of a culmination of imagination and coping techniques, after many years of solitude and mind games.

This book is so beautiful and sad, words cannot do it justice. Yes it's slow at times - especially in the middle - and I guessed at some of the tragedies that do not come to light until the end, but don't let that put you off. It's not yet another book full of twists and turns and a shocking reveal. This is a gentle read about Romilly's coming of age and one that will have you in tears at the end. All the characters are beautifully drawn - her dad Tobias whose life is changing in ways that she is too young to understand, her mum who cannot cope with reality - we don't find out why until later on (I can identify with this), her elderly grandmother Beatrice who she has only just met, her mysterious friend Stacey and Monty the cat. Then there is Lidiya in the Circus who plays a part in her childhood.

I loved this book. It's so real and heartfelt, it will stay with me (and hopefully you) for many years to come. For lovers of When God Was a Rabbit and The Trouble with Goats and Sheep.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must also give a mention to Kit Williams, whose book Masquerade, written and illustrated in 1979 inspired a worldwide treasure hunt by concealing clues to the location of a jewelled golden hare. I know it also inspired The Illustrated Child. William’s amazing wishing fish clock built in 1985 by renowned clock maker Michael Harding still plays music and blows bubbles every 15 minutes in the Regent Arcade in my home town of Cheltenham.

I think I should begin by telling you that this was not the uplifting tale I was expecting it to be. If you are looking for a light and fluffy story, dear reader, this is not going to be it. 

Still here...? Ok, we shall begin.

This is the story of Romilly, the Illustrated Child herself, who lives in a dilapidated country house with her eccentric father, and becomes somewhat of celebrity after he writes a series of intricately decorated books with her as the central character.

On the surface, her childhood may seem free and rather romantic as she wanders the countryside in the company of her one enigma of a friend, Stacey, having adventures that would make the Famous Five proud, and living in a moated "castle" filled with echoes of its previous inhabitants. Her life is filled with nature, and the love and magical tales of her larger than life father. But appearances can be deceptive, as we find out all too well.

For Romilly's past is filled with goings on that she does not understand, and only has vague memories of. There are secrets in her past and her father does not seem keen to tell her what they are. Where is her mother, and why does she not live with them? Why is her father so distracted and reticent about why they are living the way they are? Why is he compelled to portray her as a Peter Pan character that never grows up? And all this is only complicated by the fame and intrusive attention that comes their way as a result of the books - because the public are convinced that they hold clues to the whereabouts of treasure and Romilly has become their own public property.

As Romilly grows up, she begins to realise that things are not quite right. What did happen when she was four years old that changed their lives so much? It is down to her to follow the clues laid down in her father's books and see if she can find out the truth, and the truth when it comes is terribly sad - and I did not see it coming, which I take my hat off to Polly Crosby for! Superb story writing! 

Polly Crosby's decision to tell this story through the eyes of Romilly is rather clever, as everything becomes coloured by her pervading sense of bewilderment versus dawning understanding that is appropriate to her age at each stage of the book - and we are with her every step of the heart breaking voyage through time, which makes it all the more emotional.

This book takes us to some dark and distressing places. It is the kind of story that does not simply tug on the heart strings - instead it grips your heart like a vice and rips it from your body, leaving you broken and bleeding on the ground.

There are some very heavy subjects explored in these pages: love, lies, secrets, abandonment, grief, loss, guilt, neglect, anger, sexuality, dementia and the fragility of mental health. It is fair to say that I found much of this very upsetting and difficult to read, but it is compelling reading - beware if you are of a sensitive nature! 

Polly Crosby's writing is outstanding and she handles the smorgasbord of difficult subjects beautifully, with both compassion and sensitivity. Interestingly, she makes no judgement on the adults in this tale, even though Romilly bears the brunt of their compulsion to work through their own problems at her expense, but I did struggle with this, as the effect of their behaviour on an innocent child is no less shocking for being able to understand the reasons why they have acted in this way. Is it enough to love your child, however fiercely, if you are complicit in hurting them through your own actions, errors and omissions? I leave you to make up your own minds on this one.

As a debut, this is mighty impressive work. Our author has managed to combine elements of a kitchen sink drama; a dark, haunting fairy tale; a supernatural ghost story; a mystery; and a coming of age story into one heart rending novel. It's one that does leave you with questions and the need to talk about the experience you have just gone through, and for this reason I think it would a perfect book club book. I promise you, there is plenty to talk about in these pages, if you are bold enough to make the journey.

Compelling tale of loneliness, loss and neglect. A dark magical fairytale of slow abandonment. 
Felt very connected to Romilly and her father and cared very much for them both. This is an astonishing debut.
I felt very sad for Romilly and worried about her present and future. 
Beautiful prose with vivid sensory descriptions make this sad tale a joy to read.
A book that will haunt your thoughts long after the last page.

This book is one of my most anticipated books of 2020. I've been green with envy at others receiving the gorgeous proofs and am so glad I've finally had the chance to read it. 

From the title and cover I had imagined a lighthearted and uplifting read, but thankfully I'd read a few reviews and been warned that it is a darker book than you expect. That being said, it's one that's best read blind so I'm not going to reveal much about the plot. 

I absolutely adored this book. I was immediately captivated by the beautiful prose and lost in Romilly's strange world. The author has crafted an intricate, layered novel that has so much hidden beneath its surface. She holds the reader captive as she slowly unveils the truths waiting to be discovered, like the rumoured clues to the hidden treasure in Tobias' stories. 

I loved Romilly. She is a fantastic and fascinating heroine who is a paradox in the way many children are: independent but vulnerable, strong but weak, daring but afraid. She hasn't had the easiest life and I couldn't help but feel for her, especially as the story went on. From the start I felt an affinity with her as I also had a part-siamese cat with a kink in its tail when I was younger, though he didn't have a name nearly as important. 

This story consumed me. I didn't want to put it down, not even to go to sleep, I was so immersed in its pages. Emotionally resonant, there wasn't a feeling it didn't make me feel as I lived every moment with Romilly. I needed to know what her future held, where she ended up, if my predictions were right. 

Evocative, dark, haunting and mesmerising, this is one of my favourite books this year. A sensational debut from an extraordinary new talent that you don't want to miss. 

READ. THIS. BOOK.

https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2020...

Crosby’s debut novel is both haunting and innocent all at once.

The writing is done with the sort of care that deeply pulls you into the story and somehow keeps you on edge from the outsider’s perspective, you know that something is being hidden, and it is what ‘taints’ the innocence of Romilly.

There is a hunt hidden in the pages of the books Romilly's father writes. But it’s not for gold or jewels, and he’s done it all for Romilly. Whatever the hunt will reveal, it’s for her to find out, not the readers.

It was breathtaking and sorrowful watching Romilly grow up and have things revealed, not just the scavenger hunt which happens later on, but revelations about her father, and her mother who reappears at one point.

The truth can be a very hard pill to swallow and the truths Romilly must deal with also make her grow up before her time. Though she has the help of her friend, something is still not right as things keep being revealed.

Truly, heartbreaking and sad, this book was a very emotional read. Romilly is a perfect MC for a novel, and it is an impressive work for a debut book.

I give this 4/5 full cups of coffee and recommend this to any fans of contemporary lit or any looking for a dark coming of age tale with a hint of whimsy. Thank you to HQ for an eARC in exchange for my honest review as part of the blog tour.

Romilly is the child star of a series of much loved children's books by her father, who also illustrates them. Because the books contain a treasure hunt Romilly has fame thrust upon her. She has a highly unusual childhood as a result, not going to school and her mother and grandmother drift in and out of her life. The writing was very evocative, I could really picture Romilly and Braer, the tumbledown cottage where she lives but there were so many unreliable characters by the end I felt like Peeta in the Hunger Games constantly asking "Real or not real?".

An atmospheric story about a young girl being brought up by her father, who write intriguing books about her. His stories led his readers to believe there is treasure to be found.

Romilly and her father Tobias move in to a run-down house in the countryside when she is 9 years old. Her father is an eccentric artist, and she doesn’t know anything about her mother. Later, Monty the cat joins Romilly and her friend Stacey on adventures in the local countryside, in what seems to be an idyllic childhood. 

Tobias creates a series of beautifully illustrated books starring both Romilly and Monty, and their lives are changed. They find fame, as readers believe that the books are a kind of treasure hunt - which, incidentally, reminded me of the Kit Williams book, Masquerade, published in the late 1970’s. Strangers start to camp out in their garden, digging holes all over their land to find the treasure - meaning that Romilly is unable to leave the house. 

Life changes again when Tobias’ behaviour becomes more and more erratic, Romilly’s mother comes back in to her life, and she meets her grandmother. Things seem to be continuously changing, and nothing is consistent - there’s no stability in Romilly’s life. 

This book was not at all what I expected. It started out as something of an idyllic childhood, but as time went on, Romilly’s life is irrevocably changed. I felt so much sadness for her, and there were times when I was almost in tears (you might need a hanky!). This deals with some pretty serious themes: dementia, mental illness, death and child abuse. All the way through I was rooting for Romilly and hoping that she would get the help that she needed and deserved. This is such a beautifully written book, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it. 

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC.

Great if you liked Lanny, or Hamnet, but those weren’t for me and nor was this sadly.
I guessed where it was going and as such I needed it to just hurry up and get there, that also meant the clues were a confusing addition when it’s kind of clear from the start.
The writing was good in that Lanny type way, but I like something a little more descriptive, though that’s not for everyone so depends on who this falls on I guess, though I do think it didn’t engage me because of such. .

This is a hard to categorize novel, as it crosses various genres. It's first a fairy tale. And by that I mean a dark, cautionary tale, just as fairy tales used to be, not the "happy ever after" shit Disney promotes. Secondly it's a magical yet full of heartbreak coming of age. Thirdly is a story of immeasurable love and bottomless loss. A story of grief.

I couldn't not be touched by Romilly's story. Her world is magic. A very imaginative child, allowed to have a rich inner world fed by her papa, but also left to her own devices, roaming free and being wild. In my view this comes firstly from a place of deep love, a desire to keep her from suffering; but it also comes from deep grief and it's where it crosses the line into what modern readers would see as neglect. But at the crossroad between inner magical world and harsh reality it's bound to be a lot of heartbreak. And when your entire world comes crashing down, would there be a silver lining?

Despite the complexity of the story and the intensity of emotions it raised, there where quite a few things that annoyed me and took away from my enjoyment of the novel. First and foremost the pace: soooooooooooooo slow....as slow as those snails racing, I bet. I was bored many a time, and the novel seemed endless...I've been beyond happy when I've managed to finish it. Secondly the treasure hunt inside the book felt as an appropriation of Kit William's Masquerade and the craziness that ensued. Also Williams was a recluse himself, so Tobias seems somewhat built on him too. Thirdly I am rather cross to see home education being once again associated with what the media would call "unseen children". Please, can we move on from this stereotypes? And last but not least, there are clues all throughout the book about what happened to Romilly and her family. That's not necessary a problem, but in my case I have managed to anticipate some of the mystery and was a bit of a waiting game...and paired with the slow pace ...it felt unsatisfactory when everything was finally revealed.

But... those who have the patience will be rewarded. Put up with it and you'll get a very touching story.

As for the rating, I have mixed feelings: I would give at least four if not five stars for the complex layers of the story, but I would give it just 2 stars if I would let my annoyance talk. So I've settled on 3 stars, because at the end of the day this is a strong debut novel.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Well this book certainly wasn't what I expected it to be, I was hoping for a magical treasure hunt, but instead got something dark and weird and with horrible scenes that I struggled to read. So I should probably read the synopsis a bit better.
Maybe I should have put it down, but trusted friends have read and enjoyed it so I kept going and I can see from the writing style that the author is good, but this definitely wasn't for me.
The depiction of dementia was written well and the character of Romilly was cleverly done, the whole thing left me on edge, but that didn't pull it back and nothing was keeping me wanting to read it.
Please do not let me put you off this book, other people have loved it, but unfortunately I wasn't one of them.

I found this a very strange book and never really felt  like I was following the true story.It was the story of a wild child, an eccentric father and many supernatural and bizarre events that never seemed to meld together. I ended up wanting full answers to so many questions. 
It is a story of a fathers love for his daughter but this was expressed in the form of child abuse as he did not look after her, in fact to the contrary she looked after him.Her mother comes and goes  throughout but no real understanding of why she goes away, where she goes  and why Tobias thoought she would be there for Romilly in the end.Was Stacey real or imaginary? Lidya was portrayed as someone important to Tobias but her story is just abandoned. I thought that the Panther mentioned throughout the book did not bring anything to the story and it just added confusion.
I found the whole book meandering , not gripping and could only feel sorry for Roimlly as everyone seems to have let her down.
A strange book which did not suit my taste but it obviously is good reading for others. I fear this is a love or not book with no happy medium.