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.

Tobias hits on a brilliant thing when he makes his young daughter Romilly and her cat Monty the centerpiece of a series of books- all of which are believed to hold the code for a treasure hunt. Romilly's mother is not present and the two of them live a semi feral existence in a falling down house. Then one wonderful day, Romilly meets Stacey, who changes her life and becomes her friend, although Stacey tends to disappear from time to time. This has layer upon layers that I'm loathe to reveal. It morphs into something akin to horror near the end and yet its not a horror novel. You will feel for Romilly, a sympathetic young girl if ever there was one. She's forced to deal with the consequences of her father's decisions and does so in the only way she can. Crosby drops lots of clues along the way of this intricately constructed novel- and there are some twists I didn't see coming. Thanks to the publisher for the ArC. An excellent read.

The Book of Hidden Wonders is Polly Crosby’s debut novel. It was not what I expected from the title and blurb. The story is told from Romilly’s point-of-view. It starts off with Romilly at nine years old. She has no structure and little supervision. Her father, Tobias is busy painting and sketching. Romilly does not remember her mother and her father is elusive as to the woman’s whereabouts. We later meet Romilly’s mother who has a sensitive disposition and seems to care more about herself than Romilly. There is a girl named Stacey who appears at random to spend time with Romilly and take her on dangerous (sometimes criminal) adventures. We see a girl who leads a lonely existence. To earn money, Tobias (Romilly’s father) takes his paintings of Romilly and her cat and turns them into illustrated children’s books. There are words hidden in the text and paintings that have treasure hunters out in full force. The Book of Hidden Wonders is a sad, dark tale. I was hoping for a light, whimsical story instead of a dark, depressing one. There are sensitive topics in The Books of Hidden Wonders. Animal cruelty, neglected child, and illness are just a couple of them. I was surprised at a rather graphic description of a canine’s genitalia. I found the writing choppy and the book was odd. I could not get into this unusual tale and I was not a fan of the characters. The author does provide vivid descriptions that allow readers to visualize the paintings, characters, and scenes. It is a story of contradictions, mystery, and child adventures. You wonder if what Romilly is describing is real, imagined, or a dream. The pacing was so slow. It describes Romilly’s days as she plays with her cat, explores the house, the treasure hunters, her father’s behavior, etc. The story needed action. As you can tell, I was not the right type of reader for this book. I suggest you obtain a sample to see if The Book of Hidden Wonders suits you. The Book of Hidden Wonders is a strange, dark story that I found unsettling and depressing.

Thank you to @Harlequin for the galley copy of #TheBookofHiddenWonders by Polly Crosby. #NetGalley

I absolutely couldn’t read this one fast enough. A little mystery, a lot of heart, this book made me question if we ever truly know just exactly who we are…
This publishes TOMORROW, so get a copy at your local indie!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description
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.

Romilly Kemp and her eccentric painter father have happy but sheltered lives in a ramshackle mansion in the English countryside. When her father finds fame with a series of children’s books starring Romilly 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 will lead them to a precious prize.

But as time passes, Romilly’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of the outside world until, before her eyes, he begins to disappear within himself. She returns to his illustrations, looking for a way to connect with her ailing father, and finds a series of clues he’s left just for her. This treasure hunt doesn’t lead her to gold or jewels, but something worth far more—a shocking secret that is crucial to understanding her family.

Written with tremendous heart and charisma, The Book of Hidden Wonders is an unforgettable story about growing up, facing mortality and discovering the hidden wonders that make us who we are.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


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This is a somewhat magical tale about a girl’s unusual childhood. Living in a somewhat magical old house with an artist father allows R more freedom than most children but also forces her to be more responsible. Her father creates wonderful children’s books staring her. But they don’t just star her, they are for her filled with clues and a message for her to discover. I found this to be an original and engaging novel.

It’s been a while since a story that isn’t a thriller has captured my attention. I had a feeling this story would be special, just from the description, but I wasn’t prepared for how captivating, haunting and beautiful this story is.
This will be one that I buy for my bookshelf and pull out when some asks for a recommendation.
This is the debut novel for Polly Crosby, which means only one thing: you’ll be adding her to your list of auto-buys and will be actively seeking when her next novel comes out.

I’ve been trying to think about why this book is so special, why I couldn’t wait to keep reading it late at night when it was finally ‘my time’ to relax.
Yes, there’s a magical quality about this story – in the sense that there’s a childish wonder that breathes of familiarity. There’s also the father/daughter relationship that pulls at your heartstrings along with the questioning of the disturbance between the mother/daughter relationship.
Maybe it was the hidden story, the one threaded all throughout, the clues, the rifts, the questions that hovered, just out of reach that had me wanting to read this story each night.
Whatever the reason, I’m so glad that I read this story, that I’m now one of the ‘treasure hunters’ and that the gold I found at the end is priceless.

"Where do you draw the line between quirkiness and madness?"

This book is absolutely beautiful. The writing is lyrical and flowery making the prose pull you through the story. The author did a great job of making the book feel whimsical yet melancholy resulting in a book full of contrasts that tie together to make a stunning story. I definitely think this book is character driven, not plot driven, as I found the plot kind of predictable towards the end. However, I was so connected to the characters that the plot was not my focus while reading anyway.

The book begins when Romilly is nine, and ends when she is sixteen. Her childlike wonder clings to her as she ages, and it is really neat to see her perspective shift as she gets older. I loved seeing her relationships with the other characters in the book, but can't really comment on them further to avoid spoilers. Romilly lives in an old and rundown estate. I loved seeing her explore her surroundings, I think the setting really added to the mystery and whimsy of the book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. If you are a fan of Erin Morgenstern, or Sue Monk Kidd I think this book would be right up your alley. Also if you grew up reading Kate Dicamillo, or Sharon Creech, this book is a nice step into adult literature.

A heartbreaking and brilliant book where you don't know if you're reading if the reality or a dream. A child in a dilapidated mansion, parents who loves her but who don’t take care of her. A world where hints are hidden in the illustrations of books.
This is not a light and heartwarming story, it’s a dark fairy tale that deals with issue like child abuse and abuse.
Romilly is an unreliable narrator, you never know if her words reflect the reality or a mix of fantasy and reality. She’s a fleshed out and fascinating character and I couldn’t help feeling for her.
The adults in this story are far away, lost in their problems and I loved the empathy of the author toward her characters.
This gothic and heartbreaking story is well written and I think that the author is an excellent storyteller.
A brilliant story that kept me hooked and moved me, recommended.
Many thanks to Park Row and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I stopped reading when the girl's cat was found wired to the ground with a badly injured leg. I just can't stomach books that use violence against animals as plot devices. The writing style was engaging, but I don't want to keep reading.

Romily's world is a strange and beautiful place; a little girl so fascinating her father has made her the subject of his wildly successful children's book series, she is whimsical and interesting and weird. The kind of girl who feels her strangeness keenly and vastly underestimates how interesting she is, she is the kind of person people want to know but she doesn't realize it.

And that is all I am willing to reveal in this review, lest I rob anybody of the fun of exploring Romily's life and world and the secrets that begin to unfold and do so like a tea flower, sweet and flavorful and so satisfying to behold.

Do not miss this gorgeously textured novel from Polly Crosby.

3.5 stars

When Rommily is 9 years old, she and her dad move to a place in the country; Rom doesn’t remember much about her mom. Her dad, an artist, decides to write and illustrate a picture book, with Rom as the star. This turns into a series of books as Rom grows older. Not only that, but there seems to be a treasure hunt with clues in the books. Rom, herself, doesn’t know what the treasure is, and fans of the book are constantly showing up, looking for it.

It was good, but there were odd parts that I wasn’t sure about – magical realism? A fantasy in Rom’s head? Real? I couldn’t figure out a few of those things, and (no surprise to me) I did lose a bit of focus in those parts. I did not like Rom’s friend Stacey at all. It did get a bit more interesting/fascinating at the end (if also somewhat sad).

“Suspend Belief” all who have the courage to turn the pages of this book. What appears to be real on one page becomes beyond surreal twenty pages later. There is a macabre dance going on among the characters and as the children’s rhyme ring-around-the-rosie teaches, you just know they are all going to fall down.

Complicated? Convoluted? This book takes these ideas to new highs and lows. Is this book simply about mental illness in many and various forms? What this book is definitely about is child neglect and it is ugly. No one is unscathed, damaged goods all. Everyone and everything are unsettled. If there is a balance it is fragile, it will not endure.

This book had so much to offer but then it didn’t. An illustrator hiding magical things within the pages of his book. A child left alone. A treasure hunt that entices the reader to go digging for the clues that will answer all. A child left alone. So dark, so disturbing, not even the strong writing could bring this back from the edge for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for a copy.

I'm really struggling with how to rate this book. Maybe 2.5, rounded down.
It is overall so dark and depressing, I thought it would be hopeful from reading the synopsis but overall it is just not. There weren't any real surprises, everything that the author might have considered a twist I figured out long before it was revealed.

I felt overly sorry for Romilly throughout the entire book, her dad was eccentric at first, then is diagnosed with dementia. Her mom is absent and seems to care nothing for Romilly. Her grandmother, the only one who really cared, dies midway through without making sure that anyone is taking care of Romilly. Even after her mom returns and finds Romilly in terrible condition, she manages to still only think of herself and abandons Romilly yet again.

There is a lot of imagery and overarching themes (the panther, the disappearing friend) and I just didn't get their meanings, I'm not that great at interpreting allegory and themes. I would have liked to see the paintings her father did, I could imagine them through the vivid descriptions and the idea of the treasure hunt was what kept me reading.

Maybe others will find meaning in the story where I could not, I just found myself dragged down and sad through most of it and I don't like feeling depressed. I was hoping for a book like The Keeper of Lost Things and this didn't even come close.

I am honestly at a loss for words. After finishing the book yesterday, I am still trying to digest how I feel about “The Book of Hidden Wonders.” My initial thought after finishing the first two parts of the book was that this is a beautiful melancholy story about love and loss and family ties. It feels part gothic tale, with a dash of childhood wonder where you think something magical will happen at the next turn. It’s haunting and sad, and lovely, and a story that will seep into your heart.

Then there is part three, which has me stuck. I’m just not sure what to think of this part as a whole. While it does feel like part of the story, it also feels slightly disjointed. One of the reason it felt that way because of some of the actions Romilly took that felt slightly against character. I’m not sure if that was the only reason it felt off, but it left me feeling that the book went down an uncompleted road.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the book. Quite honestly, it is being advertised as a YA, but I think it will almost appeal more to adults. It reminds me of “The Magicians”, where the story feels geared towards kids, it deals with feelings and thoughts that adults can relate to. Three and a half stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

This book started off so fantastic! I fell in love with Romilly and her father early on. The magic of the house was just wonderful and the gothic feel and dark family secrets just fell right into place for this one!! I loved the pacing and how looney Romilly's dad was. I will say that I think that how this book portrayed mental illness and dementia wasn't done with as much sensitivity as it could have been done. But overall the story was very good.


Go Into This One Knowing: child abuse, child neglect, animal abuse, mental illness, dementia

This book begins very very very slowly, with vivid description putting us clearly in the countryside with Romilly and her artistic father. The hints about her playmate are scattered, and I began to suspect what unhinged her mother and prompted the whispers she hears. Romilly's life, apparently idyllic, is actually far from it. The clues in the books were delightful, and the treasure not what I expected.
It was enjoyable, but felt a bit confused; the main storyline with Romilly and her father is relatively straightforward and could stand alone; the last 30 pages with Stacey almost feel like an attempt to make it more of a Stephen King horror.

Romilly Kemp and her father Tobias have moved to a ramshackle house in the English countryside. They have little to no money. Tobias paints and tells stories to Romilly, eventually turning them into a book series. Full of Tobias's beautiful illustrations, the books were a wild success, however, it also led to a series of mysteries of hidden words.

This book is sad, in that it's a young girl and her father. It's the story of a lonely girl and a sick father. These topics (mental health) are often touchy and difficult to read about but Polly Crosby has done so with kid-gloves making it understandable to younger readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.