Synopsis:
Romilly lives in a ramshackle house with her eccentric artist father and her cat, Monty. She knows little about her past – but she knows that she is loved.
When her father finds fame with a series of children’s books starring her as the main character, everything changes: exotic foods appear on the table, her father appears on TV, and strangers appear at their door, convinced the books contain a treasure hunt leading to a glittering prize.
But as time passes, Romilly’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of everything around him, until, before her eyes, he begins to disappear altogether.
In her increasingly isolated world, Romilly turns to the secrets her father has hidden in his illustrated books, realising that there is something far darker and more devastating locked within the pages…
The truth.
The Illustrated Child is the unforgettable, beguiling debut from Polly Crosby.
MY THOUGHTS:
This was one of the most intriguing books I have read this year. Although I had read the blurb nothing prepared me for what lay inside. On first glance it seemed like a whimsical novel about childhood dreams and coming of age, to an extent it is this but oh so much more. There is a real dark and sinister side of this novel which at times can be frightening and saddening.
I loved Romilly and felt so connected to her. Although very much loved by her father she was the abandoned child, one that I wanted to reach out, hug and look after. At times throughout the novel I held my breath in anticipation as to what would happen next whilst during other times I felt that Romilly's fate was changing for the better, that there was hope. As the story progresses it seems to get darker and lonelier for Romilly and I found it difficult to contain my anger of her situation and for the people around her. I was definitely emotionally invested in the novel which goes to shows you how powerful the writing style is, much praise to Crosby.
The warmth I felt towards the series of picture books that Romilly's father was writing and illustrating was profound. I really wanted the books to be real so I could reach out, physically touch the books and see the illustrations and the hidden words for myself. The treasure hunt that was evoked from these books was touching but as the attention and fame increased Romilly's quality of life decreased making her become more and more isolated and a prisoner in her own home. I really enjoyed it when Romilly pieced together the clues of the treasure hunt and ultimately found the real treasure.
This touching but haunting debut novel will stay with me for a long time, it was fascinating, disturbing and very thought-provoking. Many thanks to Crosby and HQ Stories for gifting me a copy of The Illustrated Child.