"Sky-high adventure tock-ful of heart"
Lily, the girl with the clockwork heart is one of the most vivacious, engaging characters in modern children’s books and it’s great to have her back with her friends Robert and Malkin the mechanimal fox in this new story where, once again, her unique nature sees her plunged into adventure. The action takes place in a travelling skycircus, with a great cast of characters and there’s a surprise return for the villainous Verdigris. Kidnapped and imprisoned, Lily meets other hybrids – children who like her have mechanical parts. All of them are treated cruelly and tormented as freaks, but Lily is able to change things thanks to what makes her tick: courage, generosity and an ability to accept people as they are. The plot sweeps along with the speed of a trapeze artist on a downward swing and it’s a terrific read that leaves readers with something to think about too. Lily’s next adventure can’t come soon enough.
