When a sinister merchant tries to purchase them to work on his ship, five unadoptable orphans in Amsterdam set out in search of freedom and family. With superb villains, plenty of mystery and a lot of heart, The Unadoptables is a story everyone will love. Here are three reasons I adored it:

1. The stakes in this story kept getting higher and higher. Every time the orphans looked like they were safe, something else would happen to threaten their happiness. This story kept me up - I couldn't go to sleep until I reached the end.

2. The mystery element kept me on the edge of my seat. When I wasn't reading The Unadoptables, I was thinking about it and trying to work out what the orphans would do next. I came up with so many theories about Milou's family that I could have started by own Book of Theories! The mystery surrounding Milou added to the dark, uneasy atmosphere in The Unadoptables, giving it a brilliant Gothic flare.

3. Milou, Sem, Lotta, Egg and Fenna were so special. They were all well developed and had their own unique stories and personalities. I cared about all of them and desperately wanted them to be happy. Each had their own dreams which wove into the central plot and all five grew over the course of the story.

This creepy MG has a little bit of everything; from found-families, to puppets shows and fortune tellers. It's one of the best books I have read this year.

So I have to get this off my chest first and foremost ... I freaking loved this book!! Without a doubt is the best book I've read this year so far. I will definitely by buying a hard copy as I had a kindle version.


This is the story of Lotta, Egg, Milou, Fenna and Sem, The Unadoptables. So called as they weren't left for adoption in the 'normal' way. They landed at the Little Tulip Orphanage under the watchful eye of the matron, Elinor Gasbeek. She is quite a tyrant and particularly loathes these 5. Desperate times call for desperate measures and she agrees to sell the children to a Scrooge-like character in order to cook the books and make it look like she is able to re-home all her little adoptees.


I say Scrooge like but he more reminded me of Fagin I think. I just pictured Fagin's picture each time he appeared in the book. Adventures start when the children realise all is not as it seems and make their bid to escape.


Each child has their own backstory and each is just as heartwarming as the other. I felt an instant affinity with the children, almost understanding their turmoils and began willing them to make the right choices. I loved the fact that they all had a different talent which enabled them as a group to be self sufficient.


The main part of the book follows Milou and her quest to find her parents. She keeps a notebook in which she writes all her theories and clues she uncovers along the way as she desperately tries to not only find her family but also establish why she was left at the orphanage in the first place. She feels there must be a reason which would explain in a positive way as she can't believe that her parents would do such a thing unless something terrible had happened.


There are laughs and adventures along the way. Set in Amsterdam, homage is played to the frozen canals and ice skating, tulips, windmills and bicycles. All those things synonymous with Holland.


The writing is lovely and flows at a quick pace. The adventures are well written and I found myself quickly turning pages, longing to find out what happens next.


I thought this was an adorable book and one that would be suitable in an upper key stage 2 classroom, so maybe for children from about 9 onwards. I would have liked to have read it to my class (year 3) but I wasn't sure they would understand some of the underlying themes.


This book is about life, love, the past, the future and the journey between.


I will easily rate this book 5 stars.

Set in 1890s Amsterdam, this adventure begins in the Little Tulip orphanage where Milou and her four friends have lived, unadoptable, for twelve years. All were left there in unconventional ways and have unique talents and interests that set them apart from the other orphans.
For Milou, the hope that her family is waiting somewhere on the outside spurs her on, and when something happens to threaten her hopes of waiting for them, she must take matters into her own hands, and those of her quirky but wonderful friends.
I loved this charming adventure which seeks to answer the question, 'what is the true nature of family?' The reader is invited to piece together clues about the past alongside Milou and will be kept guessing right to the very end. The villains are suitably sinister, the supporting cast of characters strong and the narrative believable. Most importantly, it passes my 'escapism' test: did I become totally absorbed in the story? The answer to that was a resounding yes.

I can honestly say that this is one of the best children's novels I have read in a long time. This was gripping and incredibly intriguing. I loved the five orphans so, so much - Fenna was an absolutely wonderful character and Sem with his sewing made me so happy. Mozart! Please have more owl related tangents because I loved him and I'm sure my class would too!

All in all, a wonderful story and I will certainly be reading more by this author!

The setup and subsequent adventure in this book is well written with a balance of character and action and you really root for the characters and it's very page turning.

As an adopter and someone who sits on the panel, the title leaves a bad taste in my mouth, about relinquished children and the word Unadoptable could be quite triggering for one of the kids in care I deal with. The actual book deals with the whole concept better, but the title itself doesn't work for me.

An absolutely delightful historical adventure story for middle grade readers which, with its combination of PG-rated peril and sinister characters, reminded me very much of Lemony Snicket. Following five orphans, all abandoned at the Little Tulip Orphanage in Amsterdam, as they attempt to secure their freedom from the evil orphanage matron, Mevrouw Gasbeek, and their menacing would-be adoptive parent Meneer Rotman. As someone for whom the Netherlands is a very much loved second home, I especially adored the Dutch setting. From the sprinkling of Dutch throughout the text, to the evocative descriptions of mist lying across the polder and tall, thin gabled houses leaning over the canals, it will give children a wonderfully atmospheric introduction to one of our nearest neighbours. With a wonderful central message about the value of found family, The Unadoptables is sure to delight young readers and will, I hope, be the huge success it deserves.

I was hooked immediately from the lovely cover, to the opening of The Unadoptables where we are tantalising introduced to these unique and special children as they are found on the orphanage steps. Unfortunately, their adverse start in life is not reversed, instead they are subjected to a life of austerity and suffering under the helm of a sadistic matron.

“But there was no disguising what they really were scruffy, hungry, desperate orphans”

Egbert, Lotta, Sem, Fenna, and Milou are labelled The Unadoptables as Matron likes to ensure that orphans do not remain at Little Tulip orphanage for long and are adopted as soon as possible. However, this group of friends are the oldest due to their quirks, differences and attitude making them less appealing and therefore adoptable to prospective parents.

“Why would a man who so obviously disliked children want to adopt one?”

Matron dislike of opposition and children who advocate for themselves, leads to the decision to seek servitude rather than a home for our brave band of friends.

What follows is a journey of almost epic proportions as this group are tested in their efforts to find safety, a home, and family. They flee from sinister and deadly foes, seek independence in the face of suspicion and opposition, all whilst being proactive and inventive in their search for answers to their origins and future.

“Spies are stealthy and brave. They do the jobs no one else dares do, to protect others.”

I laughed, shed a tear or two and at turns was astounded by their efforts and determination to remain free. I loved the writing, in particular the visual descriptions of characters which was skilfully complemented by the illustrations at the beginning of chapters.

“...a parody of a smile, Milou realized much like the matron’s: all teeth and no soul.”

This is a magical tale about dreamers who keep hold of that spark of joy in the face of desperate times, nurture it and encourage others. It emphases the importance of how imagination, the power of belief and the support of others can sustain you. Of how friendship is nourished not because of proximity but due to mutual affection and admiration. Above all we see the importance of loving others, just as they are including their strength and weaknesses. Culminating in the conclusion, that family is the definition you make.

A wonderful whimsical tale that I adored. A delight to read. I hope to read more about this group of resilient and resourceful children.


4 Stars - I Loved It
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Children’s for a digital advance review copy in return for a candid review.

Wow! As a teacher this was a thrilling book to read on so many levels. Firstly, as an adult who enjoys quality children’s literature this was a real treat. But my enthusiasm for the book reached a whole new level when I thought of its potential in the classroom and in the hands on my higher level upper primary aged readers.
The quality, rich variety and complexity of the language used in this novel is right on point to extend and challenge this age group, coupled with the complexity yet relatability of the characters will aid children with the skills of inference, deduction and the showing of empathy.
Finally and most importantly, if I walked into my class as I often do with the book I have just read and put it in the reading corner, I know it will fly into the hands of a child before it’s touched the shelf because it is such a cracking story!

What an amazing debut novel. This wonderful book tells the story of five children in an orphanage in Amsterdam in the 1800’s. The author creates real characters who matter to the reader. The story has twists, and turns, magic, adventure and just enough perfectly pitched horror to not scare but to keep readers on the edge of their seat, wanting to turn the pages. The author has created a story of friendship, family and love which readers young and old will be able to relate to. The children are all so different and all slightly misfits in their own way but this story shows that we can find a sense of belonging and family in the most unusual of places. I hope we discover more about these children in future novels, there is so much more we could find out about them and they are a pleasure to spend time with. I thoroughly recommend this book.

This book was excellent. It’s all about 5 orphans who are just a little different to everyone else, and how they find their place in the world. It mostly centres on Milou trying to find her parents, but there’s so much more to this story! It’s a fun adventure, it’s just a little bit creepy, and the ending is so satisfying. I love the relationships between the five children. I adore the illustrations, which are so perfect for the story, and a delight to look at. I really hope that there will be sequels to this book, detailing how the other children came to be at the orphanage. I would be particularly interested in reading Egg’s story.

If you love tales of found family, exciting adventure, and finding your own place in the world, with just a little gothic creepiness, this is the book for you.

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This was a thrilling read and an interesting story. 5 unusual orphans in 19th century Holland are looking for family - they manage to escape the clutches of the evil orphanage mistress and a strange man who wants them to slave on his ship, and end up living together in an old mill, trying to find out more about the main character's family. There are lots of gorgeous details, and I really enjoyed the setting - there are a number of these types of books set in London of this era, but this had some really nice Dutch touches. It is fairly spooky and deals with some heavy themes, of loss and bereavement, so I would only recommend it to mature 10 year olds and up. I was rooting for the orphans and really enjoyed the story!

What a fantastic first novel by this author. The setting is unusual, but we get a real sense of 19th century Holland. The five central characters are beautifully constructed and have us cheering them on. The villains are very dark and you hope they get their just desserts. There is plenty of mystery and adventure and each of the children has to use their individual talents to help save them all. A brilliant read.