*got an arc*

CW: use of the term c*rnie, minstrels

The tone of this book is really fun and sassy (the puns around virtue are hilarious( but it really needed a sensitivity reader/editor. I was trying to note but ignore the uses of c*rnie & minstrels because not everyone knows the problematic history of those words, but fatwa? Really? I had to DNF here because it gave me such an aggressive ick (which is a shame because parts of it are terribly amusing)

I'm fine with characters who have been pulled into stories using terms from the world they came from but, given how prevalent Islamophobic rhetoric is, casually throwing around the term fatwa (in the context of kidnapping/killing characters that are called *White* Witches) is so racist and unnecessary. It isn't an integral part of the story and ruins what was shaping up to be a sassy feel-good adventure story.

This was a dnf cit me. I didn’t find the story interesting. I’m sure it’s a great book, it just wasn’t for me :)

"The Illustrated Girl" is a quirky, lighthearted fantasy that’s equal parts adventure and coming-of-age, with a good dash of humor thrown in.

The premise is as charming as it is original: a teenage girl, Holly, who finds herself literally sucked into her favorite fantasy book after wishing she could be a princess, a common set up for a middle grade book, but this is a teenager, someone aware of tall of the usual stories and their flaws, and someone at an age where they're ready to find their place and make their mark on the world, except this isn't her world! But things aren’t as she expected. In order to return to her world, she has fifteen days to save a dying hero, battle an evil sorcerer, and—oh yeah—kiss a real boy. Because, of course, the magic will only break if she gets a kiss, so how to get a kiss from the outside world when she's trapped in a fictional one? This simple setup opens the door to a lot of fun and unexpected moments.

One of the highlights of the book for me was the humor. Holly’s narration is witty and often direct, breaking the fourth wall to speak to the reader, I don't always love this, and I haven't loved a lot of sassy, modern-speak in otherwise medieval-style fantasy stories, it tends to distance me from the world, but for Holly, who is from the modern outside world herself, this really works and I loved her. Her sassy attitude towards the fantasy world and its over-the-top tropes was a refreshing change from the usual earnestness found in many YA adventures. She’s constantly questioning the genre she’s now a part of—sometimes to hilarious effect—and her irreverence gives the book a sense of freshness that’s both funny and thought-provoking. That said, while the humor and Holly's sharp observations made me smile, there were moments when I struggled to connect with the characters. Despite their quirky personalities, I didn't always feel invested in them, particularly as Holly’s adventure felt at times more like a series of comedic events than an emotional journey.

That said, the book’s quick pace and cozy atmosphere made it an easy, breezy read. I was able to get lost in the world of *The Illustrated Girl*, which is a real achievement for a fantasy that doesn’t rely heavily on the usual action or complex world-building. Instead, the charm lies in the characters, the humor, and the adventure’s surprisingly relatable undertones. Holly, despite being thrust into an unfamiliar world, grapples with questions about herself, her values, and her priorities—a nice touch that adds depth to what could have been a straightforward quest narrative. The book’s approach to fantasy also sets it apart. Holly meets all the stereotypical fantasy characters—brave knights, beautiful princesses, evil sorcerers—but she isn’t swayed by the genre’s usual expectations. There’s a critique of the “perfect” fairy-tale life that some might not immediately notice, and I appreciated how the book subtly pushed back against the idea of idealized romance and quests, whilst at the same time revelling in them.

P.S. I utterly loved the grumpy unicorn! *The Illustrated Girl* is a delightful, read. It’s perfect for those who enjoy lighter fantasy with a humorous twist. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and . While it may not be a book I’ll remember for years to come, it was definitely a fun escape for a few hours, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, cozy read with a little magic and a lot of laughs.

I hadn't realised before reading this that it was one of a series, each is described as a self-sustained (self-contained?) story, but with a through-thread, so I will have to read the rest now and see how much each enhances the others

Illustrated Girl holds an interesting premise, one you don’t see everyday, and is great for those who are looking for a light, whimsical read!!

funny, cozy, and joyful fairy tale filled with happiness at every level and always fun. a worth it little read. 5 starss

I really enjoy the concept of this, even if sometimes it’s a bit confusing to be ‘addressed’ as a reader, and someone talking about how they’re in a book but really they’re in a book in another book? confusing, right! i really enjoyed the plot twist of who the ‘real boy’ was at the end, and i was not expecting it which made it even better.

It took me a couple of goes to get into this story. I initially picked it up because of the cover and the title, but got a bit put off by the first couple of chapters, where the protagonist is introduced as a character who needs to be kissed by a person from outside the book. Something made me keep trying, and when I finally finished chapter 2, I was hooked. I had to keep reading until I finished, and by then, I was invested in the world and the characters. Bravo!

Reading Josephine Angelini's Illustrated Girl was a lot of fun! I became engrossed in Holly's story the moment she was drawn into her beloved book, The Chronicles of Lucitopia. Holly has to save the colourful adventure from impending tragedy by navigating a chaotic fantasy realm in the nick of time. I enjoyed reading this cosy fantasy from beginning to end because of Angelini's heartfelt and humorous writing. I adored how Holly's trip had a wonderful balance of romance and adventure, and was both mystical and realistic. This book is highly recommended if you enjoy whimsical, light-hearted getaways!

This book had me gripped from the very start. It was funny, it was well written and it had a really good plot. I honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I loved the way it was breaking down fairytale archetypes.

I guessed some things about the ending but not others. I felt the main plot twist was kind of obvious. Sometimes I like a bit of predictability though, so I didn’t find it detracted from the story at all. I did feel like there wasn’t enough about the characters after though. Maybe there’ll be more in the next book? Although it looked like a standalone story. It would be nice if they interweave a bit though.

The only thing I was a bit hesitant about was that the bad guy seemed to be the only person of colour in this book. Maybe there were others that I missed, or maybe it was meant to be a comment on fairytales and racial ambiguous villains but if so, I felt it didn’t land.

Overall though, I really really enjoyed this book. It was really easy to read and I would like to continue with the series.

I really enjoyed this read, I feel like with Josephine Angelini books I get caught up in the world she builds and swept away in the story.
I really liked the way this novel was written and I felt the pacing was really good, it flowed well and kept me interested. I really liked the characters, they were fleshed out and created with a flare that was in line with the story. I really enjoyed reading Illustrated Girl.

What would you do if you got stuck as a character in a book, and the only way out is to convince someone from the real world to kiss you? Holly’s time is running out, so after months of waiting in her tower, hoping a reader would be moved to kiss her image in the book, she decides to take matters into her own hands and become the kind of interesting character that somebody (seriously, anybody! She’s not picky!) will be motivated to kiss.

I very much enjoyed this, it had strong self-rescuing-princess vibes and was a ton of fun. The twist at the end was so perfect!

Illustrated Girl is a cozy fantasy book that follows a teen that gets sucked into a fantasy book. She has to find someone to kiss her in order to get back to her normal life.

This was a fun read! I loved the cozy vibes throughout. The characters were all likeable and interesting. I also liked how the main character talked to us readers and the story went along. I thought that was a nice touch.

I also liked that this was a quick and easy read. I don't read a lot of fantasy but I do tend to find it difficult to read a lot. However, this one was an easy read.

I had a lot of fun with this one!

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I think this is my favorite book of the year. Part folklore, part adventure, and a lot of humor and quirkiness. You will want to read this in one sitting to keep the momentum going and from the beginning, you will ask yourself what-if. It is the itchy part in the back of your brain that has you trying to connect magical dots and not being able to turn the pages fast enough.

Holly makes a deal that plunges her inside of her favorite book. Little did she know that she would be fighting for her life in a disease-ridden place, with bad food, and seriously scary creatures. Now, as Princess Pleasant, Holly has fifteen days to save Torvold the Bold’s life, help him save the Virtues, outmaneuver the evil sorcerer Asphodel in a great battle, and save the good people of Lucitopia. This is a lot to ask of a girl from Fresno. Oh, and she must kiss a real boy for this spell to be broken or she will be stuck in this realm forever.

I did not want to finish this book. I did not want this story to come to an end. This is the first book in the series, but the way it ended, I am now wondering if the rest will be companion books instead of a continuing series.

The Illustrated Girl is for readers who enjoy lighthearted fantasy from a writer who understands how to keep a story clean, with butterfly moments, and can add the right pop of humor and possibly a well-placed tear.

So originally Josephine released some of Lucitopia (I can’t remember all of it) as a serial on an app. I remember reading some of it and loving it.

I’m not gonna lie though, I hardcore procrastinated reading Illustrated Girl. I’m not sure what it was that was stopping me from reading it but something was. Of course, as soon as I started I couldn’t stop and I was determined to annotate as I went along.

Which meant that I couldn’t eat it up like I do with all the rest of her books. I was determined that Illustrated Girl was different. That went down the wayside. I annotated the beginning and then got sucked into the story just like Holly did.

Holly’s whole personality was absolutely hilarious and wonderfully relatable. She never held back from saying her thoughts out loud and sometimes her thoughts were also mine. LOL. And Torvold was the cutest baby boy ever.

He was just the sweetest and quite frankly the literal manual for modern day chivalry. The favorite character, though, was definitely Rancor, the unicorn. I absolutely adored him and want to make a stuffed animal of him. Holly’s character development was full and center. She went from being a character in a story to being the story’s character. I just really adored the way that Angelini tackled this one. There were a couple of jabs of how some authors write women and there were a lot of introspective moments with Holly. Illustrated Girl had now joined the Starcrossed series as one of my favorites.

The illustrated Girl - Josephine Anhelini

This was such a fun and interesting read! Have you ever imagined being transported into a fantasy book? This is exactly what happens to Holly.

The story was slightly predictable and did get a little slow to start with but it was still really enjoyable. I loved learning about the world and I thought Holly was such a fantastic character, she was so determined to take things into her own hands!

It was definitely a YA book but I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sungrazer Publishing for the ARC of Illustrated Girl!

This is such a cute story of Holly, a girl who is browsing a a book stall and ends up inside the book she was holding. But becoming a fairytale princess is not all it is cracked up to be. Holly must take control of her destiny and become the heroine instead of the maiden in the tower.

The premise of the story is really interesting because who hasn't wanted to be a part of the story only to think further on the idea and realize how much you would miss indoor plumbing and maybe getting into a corset by yourself isn't worth the hassle when you could just lay on your couch with some cookies and read in a temperature controlled room. The writing felt a bit immature - more of what I expect for middle grade but some of the themes were more YA. As other reviewers have mentioned the tone is "chatty" and while I don't mind an informal tone in cozy fantasy, I didn't appreciate this level of informality.

Overall it was a fun read but I don't think I will continue the series.

This book was good! I really enjoyed my time in this world. If you are into cozy YA then you will enjoy this one so much. It had me giggling throughout the book and I love books that make me feel my feelings and/or get me to physically react. This story truly kept me guessing from start to finish. Highly recommend

The most beautiful cosy fantasy read with the most magical writing from an author that is superb at everything she does.

“It’s like, get your own quest sweetie, and stop waiting around for Mr Muscles to validate you.”

Illustrated Girl is an incredibly original YA book. A teenage girl sees a princess in a fantasy book and makes the wish she could be her. Her wish is granted and… nothing happens as she thought it would.
To break this curse, she has to be kissed by a real boy… which means a reader has to finish the book.

This novel’s idea is absolutely great. I adored it, as much as I found the tone very light and funny. It’s told first person, and the MFC doesn’t hesitate to sometimes talk directly to the reader. On her quest, she meets a lot of stereotypical characters, which makes her question Fantasy as a genre, but also a very attractive knight, very (very) passionate about his missions. That leads to a forbidden romance, and, again, the idea is very interesting. She also meets a very grumpy unicorn and honestly that character was a pure treat.
The quest format makes of Illustrated Girl a nice coming of age story, in which the MFC rethinks her prejudices about what is “a perfect life”, her values and her priority. It also questions us (IMO) about pretty books, and how we (sometimes) just look at them, without actually reading them. What would have happened if she had read the story?
However, I have to admit that something was missing here for me to make this book a great book. I struggled a bit reading it –though it’s pretty short– and I can’t tell why,but I had a bit of struggle making connections with the characters, despite the settings and the very funny tone.


Thank you NetGalley, Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Illustrated Girl is a YA romantasy series opener by Josephine Angelini. Originally published in 2022, this reformat and re-release, out 2nd July 2024 is 264 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

Full of the sort of sarcastic humor and snarky characterizations which make the YA romantasy subgenre so popular, this is a story about a girl who wishes to sink into the pages of a book (who hasn't?) and succeeds, only to find life in Lucitopia is anything but sunshine and roses. Evil wizards to fight, wrongs to right, indoor plumbing, and modern conveniences to install; she's got a full schedule, if she can survive long enough to figure it all out.

The writing is *very* young. The dialogue is *very* sarcastic and often the author sacrifices readability for one-liners and repartee. It's a relatively short, very much action driven plot. One for fans of the subgenre.

There have been comparisons to Travis Baldree's books, and it's a disservice to both. There should also be a note of wary caution for readers at the younger end of YA, because there is some not kid friendly content here. Despite being the third release of the book, it would have benefited with some judicious objective editing. It often feels as though the author's editing process made it difficult to remove many (any) of her own scenes and subsequently, the book spent a fair bit of time tripping over its own feet.

That being said, it's readable, and light, and enjoyable. There are three books extant in the series at the current time, so readers who enjoy this one have a nice potential binge/buddy read.

Three stars. Worth a look for fans of YA romantasy.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.