Illustrated Girl (Chronicles of Lucitopia, #1)

by Josephine Angelini

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Illustrated Girl is a YA romantasy series opener by Josephine Angelini. Originally published in 2022, this reformat and re-release, out 2nd July 2024 is 264 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. 

Full of the sort of sarcastic humor and snarky characterizations which make the YA romantasy subgenre so popular, this is a story about a girl who wishes to sink into the pages of a book (who hasn't?) and succeeds, only to find life in Lucitopia is anything but sunshine and roses. Evil wizards to fight, wrongs to right, indoor plumbing, and modern conveniences to install; she's got a full schedule, if she can survive long enough to figure it all out.

The writing is *very* young. The dialogue is *very* sarcastic and often the author sacrifices readability for one-liners and repartee. It's a relatively short, very much action driven plot. One for fans of the subgenre.

There have been comparisons to Travis Baldree's books, and it's a disservice to both. There should also be a note of wary caution for readers at the younger end of YA, because there is some not kid friendly content here. Despite being the third release of the book, it would have benefited with some judicious objective editing. It often feels as though the author's editing process made it difficult to remove many (any) of her own scenes and subsequently, the book spent a fair bit of time tripping over its own feet. 

That being said, it's readable, and light, and enjoyable. There are three books extant in the series at the current time, so readers who enjoy this one have a nice potential binge/buddy read.

Three stars. Worth a look for fans of YA romantasy.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purpose