Do you remember the Kit Williams book “Masquerade”?  Published in 1979 it was a picture book which sparked a national treasure hunt when it became known that the author had created and buried a gold bejewelled hare and the clues to its whereabouts were hidden in the book.  It became a worldwide bestseller, caused a boom in the sale of metal detectors and led to sudden mounds appearing in the countryside as treasure hunters began digging up public and private property in the belief they had located the hare. The whole thing ended in confusion and a hint of scandal which was documented by ex-University Challenge host Bamber Gascoine (“The Quest For The Golden Hare”).  Both Kit Williams and his most famous work is the undoubted inspiration for Polly Crosby’s debut novel.

Romilly and her father live in a large ramshackle country house with a moat which will bring comparisons to Dodie Smith’s outstanding “I Capture The Castle” (1949).  I wasn’t too disappointed by this as I love that novel and Smith’s main character Cassandra is one of my favourites in fiction so I settled in for a comforting read.  Romilly’s father, an illustrator and craftsman begins a series of best-selling picture books with a promise of treasure featuring Romilly and her kitten, Monty, both of whom become fictional celebrities which attracts groups of treasure seekers to their property.  I felt at this point I knew what type of read this would be but this is a novel of distinctly shifting tones becoming increasingly bleak and at times horrific.  Although I love unpredictability in my fiction it did feel as if the author was a little unclear as to what sort of book she was writing and I wonder if this would alienate readers.  There were times when I really liked it and times when I didn’t.  If you like the father/daughter relationship aspects and the treasure hunt you will find the turn into darker territory disturbing.  If the more bleak supernatural elements appeal you might find the first half overly twee.  There’s definite mixed feelings from me on this occasion.

The Illustrated Child is published in hardback on 29th October 2020 by HQ.  Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy

The Illustrated Child is a story of the relationship between a father and his daughter. It isn't always an easy one as Tobias Kemp and his nine year old daughter Romilly move into the ramshackle Braer House in a small Norfolk village. To Romilly it feels like there are ghosts there but even that does not phase her. It is an unconventional household with Tobias being a rather eccentric painter and Romilly's mother living in an institution after a breakdown. She lives a rather wild existence befriending a village child called Stacey who is "homeschooled" but essentially just does as she likes. 

Their life is turned upside down when Tobias publishes an illustrated children's book featuring Romilly and her cat Monty. It becomes a huge success and soon they are besieged by treasure hunters who are convinced that Tobias has hidden messages in the book which will lead to big rewards. 

The book follows their lives from Romilly aged 9 through to age 16. It is an unconventional childhood and some people may be disturbed by the conditions that they are living in as well as some descriptions of animal torture. It also deals with issues such as mental health and dementia so it isn't a fluffy relaxing read. 

It has been a week since I finished The Illustrated Child and I've had to have a little time to mull it over. It is quite a hefty tome at 400 pages and I do have to confess that there was a point when I was considering not finishing it. It is a book that meanders through a timeline and for a little while in the middle of the book that meandering doesn't feel like it is going anywhere. The end of the book is worth persevering for though and is a surprising outcome. 

Supplied by Net Galley and HQ in exchange for an honest review.

TW: child neglect, child abuse, death of a child, dementia

Firstly i'd like to say thank you to HQ Stories and NetGalley for gifting me an eARC of this book. All views and opinions discussed here are my own and are entirely my own.

Wow. I don't even know where I start with this book; there are so many moments where I just sat there in shock about what I was reading and couldn't fathom how there were many positive reviews of this book because I just couldn't see what was enjoyable about it. I thought this book was going to be a whimsical and magical tale instead what I got was a rather horrific story about child abuse and neglect and countless amounts of adults who just let Romily down and let her alone... I honestly cannot find one thing I loved about this book because I couldn't get past how much abuse and neglect she went through with no-one to help her. 

I honestly considered DNF'ing but because I had been sent it by the publisher I wanted to commit to it and finish it. The reveal at the end was intriguing but because of the rest of the book it just had no impact for me; I just felt so sorry for Romily throughout and i'm so glad she ended up reaching out for help and support from the Social Worker. 

Sadly this was just not one for me or one that I enjoyed. But it's one that you'll need to make your own mind up on!

wow this was a very deep book, quite scary in parts, i was gripped form start to finish, quite a haunting read...

A beautifully written book that deals with mental health, dementia, and the struggles of a young girl who finds herself dealing with these issues.
Romily Kemp and her artist father move to an old ramshackle house in the country. He begins to write and illustrate a series of books starring his daughter and her kitten. 
While at times it was a little slow, there were also times where I couldn’t put it down. Why is Romily’s mum not around, why is her father acting stranger and stranger and what is the treasure hidden inside his books?
We follow Romily as she grows up and learns about life and death, dealing with issues that are hard for anyone let alone a young girl. We see how her father tries to protect and yet lead her to the truth gently.
The story is complex and at times deals with tough issues but is so well written would recommend 
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read

Very beautiful, caring and well-written story. I really enjoyed it. It makes you care for the characters, go through the journey with them. 

Definietly recommended. Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

What a fantastic debut by Polly Crosby. Being old enough to remember the excitement over Kit Williams's "Masquerade" and wondering at the amazing artwork I could see the inspiration behind the books within this book from the outset. It is a wonderful story, at first delightful then ever darker and quite distrubing towards the end. The treasure is real and sometihng I expected quite early on. It was a fast paced read with very well described characters who I am sure will stay with me for quite a while.  With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book was a strange one.
I felt that at the start it went quite slow and I found it hard to get through. 

Also the dad was almost creepy at parts, I didn't like him a character!

Overall, a decent book! Perhaps not my ideal genre, but that was my mistake!

Romilly lives with her dad and Monty the cat in a ramshackled house in the country. Her dad is an artist and writes several books featuring Romilly and her adventures. Suddenly there is money to be spent but with it becomes unwelcome fame.
Her father becomes increasingly strange and Romilly becomes aware the books hold answers to her past. The past which she has forgotton.

I loved the sound of The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby as soon as I heard about it so I was thrilled when I was kindly gifted an eARC by HQ via Netgalley. I was not disappointed. Intriguing, atmospheric and original, it hard to believe that this is a debut.

Romilly Kemp lives in a large dilapidated house with her artist father and her cat, Monty. When her dad starts to release a series of picture books with Romilly as the star, rumours of a treasure hunt hidden within its pages prompt a influx of tourists to their home and surrounding area, hoping that they’ll be the ones to solve the puzzle. Romilly is similarly intrigued, her attempts to discover the secrets hidden with the books aided by gifts given to her by her father on consecutive birthdays. As her father’s health declines she gets closer and closer to the devastating truth, as revelation after shocking revelation rock Romilly’s world.

This book was so much darker than I expected it to be; I was reminded of some of Susan Hill’s works, the whole novel having a similar kind of unsettling feel. The plot is complex and multi-layered, with a well-developed character in Romilly. It is clear from the beginning that her upbringing is far from easy, and as we progress through her teenage years she has more and more hurdles to negotiate. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of her relationship with her dad but it was obviously pretty complicated and there were times when my heart ached for her.

In parts it is quite a tough read as we see how mental health, dementia, loneliness and grief affect the Kemps over the years. I found that I made fairly slow progress through the first half of the book but felt that the pace picked up towards the middle and I absolutely raced through the last 100 pages!

I did manage to guess one of the big reveals quite early on so I feel as though the story didn’t have as strong an impact on me as it perhaps might otherwise have done. Nevertheless I did think it was a very cleverly written and unique book, one which I would recommend to fans of eerie, atmospheric literary fiction.

Poetic, dream like, dark at times.

The Illustrated Child is like no other novel that I have read before.

Slow in its pace, we follow Romilly and her father on their journey through a new chapter in their lives.

The dad, after losing his job turns to making books. The subject of them, his daughter. 

A mystery begins as the first book (in what turns into a series) is released.

Readers believe that there is a hidden treasure hunt within, in  a way they are right, but it isn't the sort of treasure that you can touch.

As the story progresses the mysteries deepen, clues for everyone - including us as the reader - are woven throughout the pages and the words.

Clever, charming and careful is how I'd describe this tale.

My interest was held throughout and I felt drawn in, needing to know what would happen and to who.

There are interesting twists and turns, one of which I guessed fairly early on, if you pay attention to the dialogue I'm sure you will too, but it didn't take away from the story at all..

The Illustrated Child is almost gothic in its nature but gentle in its telling

A story within a story, weaved together magically. Emotional and meaningful, it is one that I would happily re-read and perhaps even read as a class book at school.

This was a fun read and fast paced but with some lightness to it, I would recommend this if you want something light but that keeps you reading.

I had to DNF this book unfortunately. The plot was lacking and meandering and I couldn't care about any of the characters. I don't think the description and cover of this book accurately reflect the content. Also, after reading other reviews, I'm glad I've decided not to continue past 15% as multiple people have mentioned there being child abuse and cruelty to animals, which is something I can't accept in books.

The Illustrated Child is quite unlike anything I've read before. Gothic, macabre, surreal at times, it is also a mystery within a mystery.

Romilly Kemp lives a seemingly idyllic life with her father on a remote farmhouse, free to roam and have adventures without limits. Her father tells her wonderful stories and spends his days painting. He starts a series of books that are for, and about her. Captivating the public's imagination, people start to talk of the books containing secret clues leading to treasure. As Romilly gets older she starts to examine the books in minute detail, sure that the clues are for her.

But as Romilly's father descends into dementia, she is lost and alone, hungry and haunted by the past. Is her friend Stacey real, or conjured up by her mind ? Will Romilly solve the clues her father left for her? Can you ever find a place of warmth and safety again?

Beautifully poetic, dreamlike and heartbreakingly sad at times, this is a wonderful piece of literature that has depth and originality and heart.

This was a difficult review to write without giving too much away. I really enjoyed the book and it was far more complex than it appeared to be. Suffice it to say I really enjoyed it, and cared about the characters and what would happen to them, and had to read right to the end. However I did work out one of the main hidden premises in the book very early on, although this didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Romily Kemp lives with her father, who adores her. He moves them out to Braër House, a remote country house when she is 9. She lives a very solitary life, especially when she ends up leaving school to be home schooled, and becomes friends with Stacey who lives with her single mum, but occasionally goes to stay with her Grandmother so Romily doesn't see her then.

Romily's father Tobias is an artist, and paints pictures - mainly of Romily and her kitten Monty. Then Tobias decides to write a series of books about Romily and Monty, and illustrate them himself.  It becomes obvious that the books are a treasure hunt, which fires the imagination of the readers and the books become best sellers, and Romily and Tobias' life is never the same. Treasure Hunters fnnd out where Braër House is located and come to dig to find the 'treasure'.

Tobias explains to Romily that not all treasure is money or gold, and that the treasure hunt is mainly for Romily. Will Romily be able to solve the treasure hunt with the help of some clues given to her each birthday? Will it be too late?

A very interesting, very clever story with a few twists in the tail, and one worth reading.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3559069972

Not really sure what to think about this one. I was expecting it to be a sort of whimsical mystery but actually it's very dark and just sad. I wasn't really a fan of all the symbolism and I feel like I just didn't really understand a lot of things (eg the panther, I don't have any clue what that was about). That being said, the story was still interesting and well written. I think the problem really is that it's not marketed as such a dark book and the themes of abuse could really upset someone who was not expecting this.

When she is 9 years old Romilly Kemp and her eccentric father move to a dilapidated farmhouse where her father writes a bestselling series of Children's books with Romilly as the star.
Fans from around the world are convinced that treasure can be found by following the clues within the books' pages, but as Romilly's father keeps saying - the treasure is not meant for them.
As Romilly's father begins to disappear from her, she sets out on a treasure hunt of her own, one that she hopes will finally give her the truth of her past.
The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby is so compellingly written that I felt like I was riding a wave in a storm. It is at times, poetic and beautiful and at others surreal and unsettling. Trying to unpick the threads of the Kemps' past and figure out what is real and what is imagined is addictive and provides much of the momentum and emotional turmoil of a book which stunningly captures the pain of growing up and discovering who you are.

This is a complex book that has kept me thinking about it long after finishing. It would make an excellent book group read as there are many layers to the story and much to discuss. Romilly lives a lonely life with her father in a big ramshackle house that feeds her vivid imagination. Her father writes and illustrates a book based on Romilly and her adventures with her cat Monty and it becomes a huge success with people stalking them to find out clues to what they believe is treasure hidden in the pages. But behind this fairy tale facade, things are really really hard for Romilly and her life is desperately sad and lonely. The book does lead Romilly to discover hidden secrets and there are times of joy and magic but it is dark and unrelenting and troubled . Not what I thought it would be, but probably more. Still thinking about it.

The Illustrated Child by Polly Crosby

Romilly lives in a ramshackle house in the country with her father, Tobias and her cat, Monty. She spends her time running wild with her friend Stacey whilst Tobias is busy writing and illustrating a series of books with his daughter as the main character. 

What begins as a whimsical, playful story evoking childhood memories quickly becomes much darker. Tobias’ books generate lots of interest in his family and home as people believe there are clues to hidden treasure within the pages; bringing mystery and danger to the plot. Romilly is definitely loved but also neglected, unschooled and lonely. 

There are great twists in the story that I didn’t always see coming and Romilly as the narrator only becomes more and more unreliable, bringing a strange,  hallucinatory feel to the novel. 

I loved Romilly as a character; she is brave and wild and has a great imagination. There were moments when I wanted to run in and be with her. It’s a deeply emotional novel that deals with serious themes of mental health, dementia, neglect, child death and trauma. 

It’s a dark fairy tale-esque story that is as disturbing as it is enchanting. It’s a fabulous debut and I look forward to more from Polly Crosby. 

I did a super immersive read with this one; listening and reading, sometimes at the same time! The narration of the audiobook is good and well paced. The narrator has a very sweet voice which added to the whimsical, child like nature of the book. 

Thanks to @netgalley, Harper Collins audio and HQ stories for my review copy.

This runs a fine balance between evocative and disturbing depending on your perspective. It tells of a somewhat wild child and her relationship with her artist father who immortalises her in a series of picture books. This could be a beautiful story of a free range childhood however I found it bleak and felt incredibly sorry for Romilly who was forever epitomised at nine years old on paper yet lost her childhood and gradually her father from that point. For me the contrast between the illustrated child and the real life neglected one made for uncomfortable reading.