Brilliantly illustrated throughout by Emily Gravett, ‘Locked Out Lily’ is an eerie tale.
Lily wants things to go back to how they were before. Before she became sick…before her mum became pregnant. So when she has to stay with her grandmother- Granny Squeak- whilst her parents go the hospital, Lily is determined to return home. To her horror, she finds that her house is not empty as she had expected, but is inhabited by people who look like her parents, but are not. Unexpectedly, she finds help from some very unlikely companions- a snake, a mouse, a mole and a crow- who help her to face her fears and drive out ‘The Replacements’ before it’s too late.
Similar in some ways to Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, Locked Out Lily is an eerie tale about a little girl confronting her demons. However, the animal crew she meets add plenty of lighter moments to the story. Spirited Mouse is adorable, full of bravdo, Crow offers ‘helpful’ words of wisdom, Mole struggles to see above ground and Snake watches and waits, but each helps Lily find the courage, strength and resilience she needs on her journey to defeat the strange creatures who have replaced her family.
The book is brilliantly illustrated throughout by Emily Gravett whose, at times sinister, pictures are the perfect accompaniment to the story. Silhouettes and shadows add to the tense atmosphere with the final illustrations becoming lighter as Lily comes to accept her illness, her new sister and finds hope in the future.
This book helps you to dive into a world of talking crows and ancient keys.
Locked Out Lilly is about a young girl who feels abandoned by her parents but when she tries to return to their home she finds ‘The replacements’ there instead! With the help of a mole, a snake, a crow and a mouse will Lilly have the strength to defeats the strangers in her home before the night is over. This book was quite a slow starter but once I got into it then I couldn’t stop reading it. I think that this novel had a perfect ending which makes a book really memorable. This book helps you to dive into a world of talking crows and ancient keys.