Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew very little about this book before I started listening, only that it was about a girl who had been written as a character into her father's books, and that it had come highly recommended.

It is a treasure trove of a novel, in part adventure, fairy tale, coming of age story. But it is also a highly complex tale, with some dark uncomfortable moments, with some light comforting moments, and everything in between. I loved that about it, but it also feels a little overwhelming, as though just a little 'too much' has been packed into these pages. This is in no way the 'light' story I had expected it to be, it is a much darker and heavier read than that.

The audiobook was beautifully narrated, and I completely believed that this was the voice of Romilly telling us her tale. I found this one very easy to listen to, although I do think it would have benefited from being a few chapters (or hours) shorter. All in all a mixed experience.

3 complicated stars.

It just amazes me that this is a debut - you’d think Crosby had been writing forever reading this beautiful story!
Romilly is a young girl living in an old dilapidated country house with her father and beloved cat, Monty. She doesn’t know much about her past, or why her mum doesn’t live with them, but she knows her father loves her. When he begins a series of illustrated books with Romilly at their centre, fame soon beckons and they have strangers turning up looking for the treasure they believe the books lead to. It’s only as Romilly’s father starts to lose his mind that she is able to piece together the clues he’s provided to unravel the secret to her past...
I have to be careful not to give too much away, as the beauty of this book is in the twists, turns and never knowing what’s real and what isn’t. This is such a whimsical story that fires up the imagination and leaves you questioning everything you believe to be true, and you only really know everything at the very end which makes this a real page turner!
Romilly is a wonderful, adventurous and courageous character who still manages to keep a youthful innocence despite the tragedies that engulf her, and I found myself wanting to cry for this girl who never had the benefit of responsible parents caring for her.
This story will make you feel so much - joy, sadness, hope and just enough magic to make you feel like a child again. One of the most original stories I’ve read this year!

Firstly, this is a simply narrated audiobook. A single female narrator whose voice suits reading a child’s part well. I found her voice suitable enough to allow me to immerse myself in the story, rather than forever being reminded of the teller of the tale..
As for the story itself, it is one of the most moving, in fact, heartbreaking stories I have listened to or read in a very long time. I sobbed.
Told through the child’s words, we watch Romilly love her strange and lonely life through ages 8 to 16. Through her father’s books, of which she is the protagonist, she learns the story of her life before her mother left and the reasons behind the breakup of her family. Strangely magical fact and fiction are entwined to the extent that you are left unsure of what is and isn’t reality.
I want everyone to read this beautiful book and share the pain it made me feel.

Never knowing what will happen next always makes for a good story, and this is what you will find in The Illustrated Child. Just as you think you might have worked out what will happen, there is another twist in the story to unsettle you! This is the enthralling tale of Romilly Kemp who, aged four, moves from London to the tumbledown Braer House, in the countryside with her father Tobias, an artist. Although they are under financial strain, they have a seemingly happy life in their new, bucolic setting until Tobias begins to paint Romilly with her pet cat, Monty. His paintings are published in a book and are hugely popular. They become wealthy but lose their privacy. People are led to believe there are secret clues in the paintings which will lead them to treasure, even though Tobias totally refutes this. In a bid to keep Romilly safe, Tobias stops her from going to school and doesn't like her to leave the house. As she grow up, Romilly realises there is much she doesn't know about her family and strives to uncover these secrets. This is a beautifully written and well narrated but sad story. Thank you to Polly Crosby, Rosie Jones, net Galley and HQ Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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 narrator was great though, her performance allowed me to get as far as I did through the book.

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.

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 book was a strange read in my opinion. The further into it I got, the more complicated and confusing it became and I couldn't really tell who the target audience was.
In parts, the book was predictable and had an almost childlike theme to it, making me think that it was more middle grade or younger, but then it would flip and deal with certain things in at times pretty intense detail that were definitely suited more towards an older audience.
I think one of the biggest issues I had was that there was just a little too much going on.
There were so many different loose story strands running alongside each other, that didn't really seem to connect. The treasure hunt, the panther, the entire storyline with Stacy. Things happening with both her parents, the books, the circus.
There was just so much, that the book to me wound up feeling disjointed and the pacing felt off.

I do think there were some interesting parts. I was originally drawn to this book because of the storyline of Romilly and her father, him writing the books about her and what that led to. I think that alone, with the added elements of her mother and their family storyline, would have made an interesting read.
But for me, the inclusion of so many other elements, just didn't work.

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I launched myself into this book knowing absolutely nothing about it nor whether it would be at all my thing, but JUST WOW. As Crosby herself warned me; do not let the pretty drawing on the cover fool you. This is a dark, gothic-y-esque tale and and despite the fact I finished it almost a week ago, I still can’t stop thinking about it. I was utterly bewitched by Crosby’s sorcery!
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The Illustrated Child is an absolute gem of a book; a true wonder. It reads like an adult fairly tale with adventures and mystery aplenty, perhaps in the vein of Enid Blyton; replete with ghosts and fairies and spirits.
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I was totally mesmerised by the romantic feel of Crosby’s depictions; she had me firmly ensconced in her words right from the opening lines. This book has an almost ethereal quality to it and the beguiling prose was almost other worldly in the way that it drew me in. Haunting yet enticing, The Illustrated Child conjured up such vivid imagery, it was truly magical.
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Dealing with difficult themes including the cruel clasp of dementia on a loved one and the perhaps questionable upbringing of a child; Crosby brings this enchanting story alive with both the frivolity of childhood and the fear of the unknown.
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Dark, hypnotic and quite simply wonderful; The Illustrated Child has rocketed straight into my “Top Books of 2020 so far” pile; this book about a treasure hunt is a treasure all by itself.
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Romilly's father begins a series of picture books with herself as the main character. Everyone seems to think there's a treasure hunt with clues hidden in the books but one day Romilly's Dad admits to her that there is something hidden but it is specially for her. Over the years he starts to fade but she grows and starts to figure out the secret.
This is quite a long book for the amount of story that actually happens, partly due to the very descriptive language. It really feels like the Dad's storytelling is so magical and immersive, even changing what Romilly remembers. This theme is carried on through the book, and it's sometimes a bit hard to tell what is real.
I liked the narrator's voice but it was far too slow and the book dragged on a bit.

If ever there was a book suited to my countryside walks it’s this beautifully written story by Polly Crosby. Her prose style is simply exquisite and wonderfully complemented by the narrator, Rosie Jones. Her perfectly spoken voice dances the words into your imagination and transports you into Romilly’s whimsical world.

Nine year old Romilly, whose story we follow from her perspective, lives with her loving and eccentric father, Tobias, in a ramshackle house in the English countryside. With not much money to live on, her father begins to write books about Romilly and her beloved cat, Monty. Being a talented artist, these books with their stunning and elaborate illustrations, quickly become extremely popular and in turn, brings fame and fortune to the small family and their home.

The illustrations in the book intrigue readers and hint at a treasure hunt. After several editions to include circus trips, picnics and Christmas themes, it’s not long before the success is all too much, no longer desired and becomes quite the burden. Fans become obsessed and even turn up on their doorstep looking for a glimpse of Romilly and clues for the elusive treasure! Romilly who once relished her wild and free life in the countryside soon finds herself locked away and isolated.

Romilly and her father have a complicated relationship and although he loves her dearly and tries to be a diligent parent, he ultimately neglects her. Romilly’s mother appears in the story infrequently, having left her at the tender age of four. Her presence is far from a positive impact on the impressionable young Romilly, however, you understand why as the tragedies and dark secrets unfold. The relevance of the “treasure hunt” to Romilly becomes clear and how her father is trying to protect her from the truth the only way he knows how; by painting the clues to her secret past that he hasn’t the heart to express to her in person.

A very original storyline and almost fairytale like if the inner core wasn’t so dark and turbulent; quite like no other I have read before. Romilly herself likens her home to a witch’s cottage in a fairytale.

The illustrated books written by Romilly’s father are vividly described and sound quite delightful; a stark contrast to the actual book itself. I wished I could delve into them along with all the other treasure hunters!

I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in Romilly’s magical world in this compelling modern classic. A challenging read with its multi-layers and gothic undertones. I have so many questions finishing this book now: the meaning behind the black panther, her feral friend Stacey, ever daring her dangerous tendencies...”dreams and reality interwoven”. What was real?? An ideal buddy or book club read which I highly recommend if you are looking for something thought-provoking and exceptionally well written.

This could well be my favourite book of 2020.
Oh wow, it's quite some time since I listened to a book where I didn't want to miss a single word. This was beautifully written and held me transfixed throughout. I was listening rather than reading and the narrator, Rosie Jones, perfectly matched the feel of the narrative. I was racing towards the end, but now I wish I'd taken it a bit slower.

Romilly lives with her eccentric father, in a rambling house in the countryside. She finds unexpected fame as the character in her father's novels and he removes her from school when fans start to stalk her. As a single child and homeschooled, she lives a wild isolated life with just her cat for company. The books suggest that there may be some hidden treasure to be found from clues buried within them and they become as popular as Harry Potter.
As the novel progresses it becomes darker, gradually, imperceptibly, until nothing is quite as it seems. This is so well done, it's hard to believe that this is the author's first book. It felt like a cross between Erin Mortgenstern and Diane Setterfield, two of my favourite authors. I cannot wait to read whatever Polly Crosby brings out next.

I had the weird feeling like I'd listened to this book before, or one very similar. I wanted to enjoy this book very much but for whatever reason I never fully engaged with it. I found it weird and disjointed, as if the story didn't flow well. I struggled to stay focused and kept having to rewind and relisten as my mind had wandered to banal, every day things. The reason I'm addicted to audio books is for the distraction from every day life and this story didn't hold my attention. Romilly just came across as a bit pathetic and she irritated me rather than feeling worry for her and none of the other characters really endeared themselves to me, except maybe Grandma Bea but her appearance was all too brief. Lots of sub plots that never went anywhere and I wasn't sure why they were all included. There was plenty of beautiful, descriptive language; but for me, personally, not enough to hang over 10 and a half hours of listening on. Sorry.

I listened to the story via audiobook the narrator was good. This was not the book I thought it was when I started it. I got where the crawdads sings vibes from this book. The main character is not abandoned but she doesn’t have parental oversight. I enjoyed the plot twists and I was pleasantly surprised by the main conclusion. Thank you to netgalley for giving me access to this book.