The Book of Hidden Wonders wasn't quite the whimsical read I was expecting. Instead, it's emotional, even heartwrenching at times. The story is layered, complicated, and dark, and after my initial surprise, I realized that it's a journey - a journey of the mind and heart, and there were times when I found myself wondering what was real. As I got further and further into the book, I got caught up in Romilly's life and I wanted to see how it would all play out. So, this one may not have been the bit of whimsy I thought I was going to read, but it is a thought-provoking story that is certainly worth reading.

I struggled with this book. Often disturbing, it tells the story of a girl who lives a fairly isolated existence with her father. Mental illness and abusive behavior from adults are featured strongly. I did finish this one, but there were times I wanted to give up. It's haunting in a way that will stick with me but that's not always what I am looking for in a read. Well written, for sure. Many times the lines between reality and fantasy were so blurred I did not know which was which, so I felt as confused as the characters. Three stars.

From the first page of this psychological mystery, I had to force myself to keep reading. The setting, a rambling and decrepit English country house complete with an algae-filled pond and grounds that were either deep in mud or dusty with neglect, set the tone for a story that just needed a good washing
The story was narrated by Romilly a young girl and told of her dysfunctional life with her painter-writer father Tobias who had created a series of picture books starring his daughter. Periodically her crazy mother popped up and for awhile her charismatic grandmother played a role. The only other character of consequence was a neighbor girl who was just as strange as the narrator and with whom she had a love-hate relationship.
I won’t waste your time with the plot. It was fraught with symbolism and unanswered questions and was so over the top, I very soon was only reading an occasional topic sentence to see if anything had happened.
Finally I jumped to the last few chapters to see if I had misjudged the story, but it only confirmed that it was weird up to the very end.
Rather than waste my time on this book, I wish I could have gotten my hands on the books created by Tobias. They sounded a lot more entertaining than this murky drama.

This book was a bit different than what I expected. The writing was good, but a bit dark. I really liked Romilly as she goes through her journey. I recommend. 
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

this was a great debut novel, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the way the author writes. I look forward to more from the author.

I enjoyed this book up until the last chapters, which confused me a lot and changed the entire tone of the novel for me. I was expecting a kind of magical, whimsical ending, and got something unexpectedly dark instead. I do believe this is a very good novel - just not the one I expected, and not a good fit for me. The writing was very well done and poetic.

This book was darker than I had expected. Roe did the best she could with the family she had - her parents had goals separate from her and did not see the value of education. She grew up as a free spirit, famous because of her father's fictional adventures about her and Monty the cat, but lonely without real friends. The Book of Hidden Wonders was an eerie and sad read. The writing was well done and I liked the protagonist and her journey. I found the ending a bit stretched out. 

Trigger warnings include child negligence, animal abuse, mental health.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Hidden Wonders is exactly that.  The story has many layers and things aren't always as they seem.
In a rundown old mansion in the English countryside, we find Romilly Kemp.   She lives there with her father who is a little odd, but has written a fabulous book about Romilly and her cat, Monty.  He created the book to make ends meet, but the book takes off and soon they can't escape their fame.  A rumor is started that there is treasure buried around the mansion so all kinds of people show up wanting a piece of it, or interviews, or a glimpse of Romilly.  Her father writes more books, but with each new one, he sinks further into himself until he's barely there at all.  She returns to the illustrations, looking for clues herself, but what she finds is a secret that helps her understand her family and help her father.  

I enjoyed this book very much.  Polly Crosby writes with a lot of warmth.  She's crafted a book about coming of age and facing your own mortality, as well as the importance of family and learning who you are.  I highly recommend this book and I appreciate the chance to read the ARC.

The Book of Hidden Wonders was written by Polly Crosby, and it is a delightful debut novel, ironically written about a girl featured in storybooks.

Romilly Kemp has grown used to being featured in her father's books. Written for children, he did a wonderful job of infusing her fictional world with adventure and fun. Too bad her real-life didn't have the same amount of warmth.

This is a novel that dives into childhood neglect, all while having one character discover herself, and appreciate the one and only friend she ever had in the world.

“The beginnings of a friendship are like the beginning of a book: you never know how they will turn out until the very end.”

Warnings: The description probably made this obvious, but The Book of Hidden Wonders showcases many instances of childhood neglect – and the lingering ramifications that come with it.

The Book of Hidden Wonders is a wonderfully written novel, one that was deeply magical while also being heavily rooted in the real-world. This is the story of a girl that lived two different lives. The life inside a book, and her real life, quiet and not as full of life as one might imagine.

What I found most fascinating about this novel is how nothing can be taken for granted. Likewise, nothing can be trusted. Was that scene literal? Or was it creative imagery? Impossible to know.
It's clever, and did a delightful job of blending the line between fiction and reality. An intentional point, I'm sure, given Romilly's story. Honestly, that's easily my favorite part about this entire story.

Watching her grow up was quite an experience, though that probably isn't surprising, given everything I've already described. It was intense and emotional, and unafraid to delve into human nature (and what that means).

The whole story has this creepy and gothic tone, which is well-suited to the concept of children's stories and the likes. Though I'll admit that it did put me on edge on more than one occasion. Especially whenever the cat was mentioned. I was so worried about that cat, and the little girl who bonded to it.

The Book of Hidden Wonders was an interesting read through and through, and if I'm being honest, I'm still not entirely sure what to make of the whole thing.

This book read like a dark fairytale without a happy ending. Parts of the story were  enchanting and magical, but the overall tone was depressing. Romilly was a likable character, a sweet girl with a big heart. But the girl had a tough life. A mother who abandons her, a father who is slowly losing his mind, living in an isolated rundown house. Romilly lives a lonely existence with only the company of her cat and her one true friend. The story was complex and tough to read at times. There is a family secret that is revealed but somewhat explains the parents behavior. But it was sad that they could not find it within themselves to be better for their daughter. I didn’t really care for the story, however it was beautifully written. I just would’ve appreciated a little more hope.

*** Big thank you to Harlequin for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

A YA coming of age story, The Book of Hidden Wonders follows Romilly Kemp and her eccentric-painter father Tobias Kemp as they navigate life together. The story begins when Romilly is around 8 years old & her father gets the idea to write and illustrate a children’s book starring Romilly and her cat Montgomery. 

As the real Romilly ages, her dad continues the adventures of book Romilly, but book Romilly never ages. Readers of the books also believe there are clues hidden with the books and these clues lead to a treasure. Of course, this makes life a bit more interesting but also difficult for the Kemps.

When I first began reading this one I had no clue what to expect and came close to DNFing. As you can see, I did finish this one but it took me a few days to get into. After I finished, I had to digest the book and really understand how I felt about it. Tobias & Romilly’s relationship is a very complicated one. The adult in me was appalled at times and the kid in me thought Tobias was a cool dad. I really appreciated their relationship in the end! 

Now I will say this story confused me a bit towards the last bit of the book, but I think it was because I felt I had figured everything out. My confusion was definitely a compliment to @polly_crosby and her ability to weave such an enchanting story. 

I’m often very critical of coming of age novels when reading them and haven’t found one that I really enjoyed. Well that is until this one! While this was a heavier read than I was anticipating, I was okay with having tears streaming for this one. This isn’t your typical coming of age story but definitely worth a read!

I originally received this book as part of a promotional blog tour. 

A charming, deeply imaginative debut novel about a young girl who is immortalized in her father’s illustrated books containing clues to their family secrets.

This book is kinda dark and a little bit bittersweet. This kinda took me aback because I expected a story that wasn't as heavy. However, the story is beautifully written and the author approaches the darker subjects with a lot of care.

First I want to say that I found the writing of this book lyrical and thought the story flowed very well. There were more than a few time jumps in this book, since we're following along with Romilly starting when she's 9 and going through her teenage years, and I thought that was great. I never felt confused and the time jumps felt natural and well placed. And I think the author did a good job of exploring certain themes in this one. For example, what happens when a parent makes their child the star of their books?  
The author may have actually done a too good a job with that last point because this was not my kind of book. It was incredibly distressing and heartbreaking. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a heart wrenching, hits-me-in-my-feels read every now and then, but his was not that. This was just... bleak. And also not what I expected.
I requested this book because the synopsis gave me the impression that this was going to be a whimsical , fairytale-esque coming of age story about a girl growing up and figuring out who she is outside of the girl her father wrote about in his books. This is not what that book was. This was a story about a girl who lives a very lonely life in a huge, rundown house with just her father, who neglects her at every turn even though he loves her fiercely. I felt like I was reading page after page a story about a girl who is neglected and abused and used. And I'm not just speaking of her parents... her father's book had quite the fanbase (due to people believing there was a treasure hunt hidden in the pages), so random people would follow/talk to her, trying to see if she knew anything about said treasure. And there were a couple of incredibly creepy and gross encounters.
Also, there were a couple of graphic scenes of animal violence and I just did not see why they were necessary.
I know this will be some people's kind of book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

This was a book with extremely well-developed characters and a very complicated plot.  The book starts with Romilly Kemp and her father Tobias moving into a house in the English countryside.  Romilly seems lonely and at times neglected as her father concentrates on writing and illustrating a book about her and her cat Monty.  She is homeschooled so her only socialization comes when a girl named Stacey shows up.  But Stacey doesn’t come daily; she comes whenever she wants.  In the days between, Romilly is left alone to talk to Monty and to try to engage her father.  Tobias means well but he is slowly leaving the world, first with his mind that is more and more unaware of reality. The fact that his published book garnered much attention and enough sales to support him and Romilly should have had Tobias celebrating.  Instead, as strangers begin to show up on their small estate looking for some kind of hidden treasure hinted at in the book, Tobias withdraws more and more into himself.  This is the part of the book that got very hard for me to read since I felt so bad for Romilly.  Her mother is not present, her father is disappearing slowly before her eyes, so she is left to care for herself.  Although there is kind of a magical quality about how resourceful and independent Romilly becomes, I found it very dark and sad.  The father and daughter had a deep and loving relationship that was slowly dissipating as I read the book.  Tobias doesn’t really stop loving Romilly; he just isn’t really aware any longer that she exists.  His mental illness is a main theme of the book as is her growing up and facing her father’s inevitable death.  I kept reading the book because I wanted to find out what happened to little Romilly, forced to take care of herself when she should have been enjoying a happy childhood.  The question remains about whether her childhood was actually happy as she seems to be fine with everything, if a little puzzled at times about what her next thing to do should be.  There is a hidden story, a treasure hidden within the main plot, and woven throughout that is the treasure that Romilly needs to survive, to encourage her to keep going.  I found the story to be dark with hidden gems but very sensitive topics that the author dealt with in an imaginative and different way. Since this is a debut novel, I expect to hear more from Polly Crosby in the future as she hones her craft of weaving a fairy tale within a tale with a truly adult theme.  
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I was not expecting this book to be as sad or handle as many different dark/difficult topics as it did. That being said it didn't mean I didn't enjoy the book, but it did surprise me. We follow Romilly when she's nine and as she grows, living with her father in a large but rundown house. I did think that the harder subjects were handled really well by the author and enjoyed the characters that were crafted. While it is a story on the sadder side, it was still an impactful tale about family, growing up and many difficulties that come with life itself.

I'm always a fan of stories about fathers and daughters, but this one at times was hard to read because of the strain between Romilly and her father, as well as her father's deteriorating health.  I would definitely say if this kinds of things are a trigger for you, be aware going in.  There are also some instances of animal abuse to be mindful of.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this early! This book at first caught me off guard with the imagery. I rolled my eyes at some of the comparisons in the beginning. Then I got to know Rommilly. She intrigued me quite a bit due to her tomboyishness. There were times where I was confused with the story but it kept me reading and I enjoyed the characters. I also feel like Rommilly should have gotten more justice with the sexual assault.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own. 

Beautifully written immersive psychological fiction, with a with a hidden darkness lingering in the background

A gut-wrenching journey through both the darkness of growing up and the tangled webs of grief's that will touch you and make you think about it long after you close the book 

A adventurous nine year old Romilly and her father Tobias take up residence in a dilapidated estate in England. It is a somewhat magical place for a little girl, like most children there perception is miscued. Tobias allows untethered freedom and she content with relaxed parenting as most imaginative children are. Romilly absent mother is somewhat breezed over. 
Tobias is ever sketching and painting painting Her along with her gifted beloved cat Monty. Eventually they become featured characters in a series of illustrated stories written by her father, Tobias Kemp. The book series features Romilly and her cat and curiously hidden items that hidden within the book pages. This attracts all kinds people who after reading the books become treasure seekers, and believe that the items are actually real, and hidden all over the grounds of Romilly estate home. 
There is also fame and wealth like the father and daughter have never experienced before, which allows luxuries. The book takes a dark, because with fame comes the ever present paranoia that becomes all consuming. Tobias slowly began retreating into himself. 
When the discovery of a series of clues in her father’s artworks that have been left just for her. Romilly task herself to try and piece t them together. As these clues bring her closer to the answers, they also reveal more about the reason she was isolated away from truth and the world.

A thought provoking coming-of-age story that is breathtaking as it is resonate. 
A stunning debut that lingers with a delightful unsettling way.

I'd like to start off by saying that I am very emotionally influenced by what I read, listen to, or watch. That being said, I tend to shy away from horror or super dark books as I can find myself getting too emotionally influenced in a negative manner. 

This book is dark. Super dark, and very depressing. I was anticipating some darker moments or aspects blended into a whimsical story based on the blurb, but I was not emotionally prepared for what I read. There were aspects of child neglect, mental illness, animal violence, and so much more woven into an engaging, yet sad story. 

In all honesty, I am not even sure how to go about rating this novel because I can see many enjoying it and all of the hidden meanings that are included in the story. The imagery used to portray the fathers paintings to the readers was beautiful and the overall themes were well conveyed and understood. But this is just not a book I would ever read again or would have picked up had I known it would be so dark going into it. 


Disclosure: I received a complimentary eARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this opportunity!

This book is so much darker than I anticipated . It has a magical quality but the kind where I can’t be sure what happening is real. Romilly is a little girl and we watch her grow as the book goes on. Her father as a means to provide for himself and his daughter writes a children’s book starring Romilly . He reaches his goal of stardom and fame thanks to his writing. It however becomes the undoing for Romilly and her wellbeing. This book was a lot of sadness and heartbreak I wasn’t ready for. I thought there would be a more whimsical feel to it but it’s dark and depressing. I wish I had known that going into it

A gut-wrenching journey through both the darkness of growing up and the tangled webs of grief's pull on the mind.

This book. As I sit here having just finished, I have a deep pit in my stomach that isn't easing up. My feelings are mixed, as the book was gorgeously written and utterly detailed - transporting you directly into this dilapidated but magical estate where a young girl becomes an adult; however, the second half of the book fully engulfs you in darkness and madness. 

Nine year-old Romilly Kemp lives with her eccentric father in a storybook-like, mildewed estate in England. Her memories from before their move when she was four years-old are murky at best - but we see the shadow of a removed mother flit in and out of her life at times. Everything changes when Romilly's father writes a successful series of books both starring her and simultaneously trapping her as a forever nine year-old. The books introduce a craze of fans who believe the pages hold clues to a real life treasure hunt, but we come to see that the real hunt is a much deeper and darker path set by her father for Romilly to uncover later in life.

The first half of this book is wondrous, magical and so child-like; however, there are unsettling tinges of grime and grotesque that are hinting towards what's to come: a molding house, blatant talk of death and violence and unsettling images and voices in heads. The book is completely told through Romilly's perspective, which is done brilliantly by the author so that you truly see and feel the progression of growing up from one chapter to the next. 

The second half of the book is what caused me some unease. We see mental instability in Romilly's father and mother - both interestingly dealt with in opposite ways - and eventually everything begins to crumble around Romilly, including her own mind. The book becomes very dark and eerie, the whispers of childhood magic turning sour. There is a twist/revelation that seems to come so far from the end that I found myself wondering why the book was still carrying on. While a quiet but solid resolution does come about at the end, I had a hard time pulling myself out of the deep melancholy that had led up to it. 

That being said, I appreciate when a book makes me feel SO deeply. The author's attention to detail and environment was spectacular, and she so expertly captured the mind of a young girl from nine years-old to seventeen that you easily forgot you were reading a book and not listening in to Romilly's thoughts. For these mixed feelings I had, I would give it 3.5 stars.