Medrith Loe

Thornhill by Pam Smy

In case you have never heard of the author:

Smy went to Cambridge School of Art, where she learned to become an illustrator. She has drawn for several well-known artists, and now has published for herself.

In case you have never heard of the book:

This book is a black and white combination of images and writing that occur on separate time lines, but meet up near the end. It involves three little girls, a house, and an orphanage.

In case you wondered what I thought:

Sort of a ghost story, sort of a thriller-based lesson in empathy, this book was a wonderful example of what can happen when something (or someone) is neglected. The differing story-lines were difficult at first, but then, once I caught the different voices in the images compared to the diary entries-I was able to differentiate. The illustrations are gorgeous and full of details, while the diary entries are intriguing.

Overall, while this book is super easy to read-it took me a while, because I was so drawn into the images. It is dark, and can be scary for smaller readers, but appropriate for pre-teens and up (IMO). This book could be “unpacked” and really review its under-lying meanings to determine more hidden themes and ideas.

I enjoyed it and would recommend.