Lily has just moved to the town of Edge with her mum, a quiet place by the sea which Lily hates as soon as she arrives. Reluctant to make friends, Lily spends her lunch-times eating in the classroom with her English teacher, Miss Hanan. However, when the teacher sets her homework to pick somebody in school and talk to them, Lily is sent into a panic. On her way home, she stumbles across a museum that seems to have been abandoned. It's a rather unusual place in that it appears to be full of everyday objects belonging to somebody named Emily who disappeared years ago.
When she finally plucks up the courage to complete her homework, Lily makes a new friend in Sam and, together with another friend, Jay, they delve into the mystery of discovering who Emily is and what happened to her. But can they solve the mystery and why is there a strange man also looking for Emily?
I loved everything about this book: the setting, the characters, the adventure, the thought of eating chips covered in salt and vinegar whilst at the beach...!
Set in a sleepy seaside town, the descriptions evoke images of winding streets and whitewashed houses that lead to the pebble and shell-covered beach, and to the sea. With the squally weather and salt and vinegar chips to lure me, I was sorely tempted to step inside the pages - the setting certainly helps to create and build the atmosphere.
At the beginning of the book, Lily is clearly having trouble adjusting to her new life and has chosen to close herself off, hiding in the classroom instead of making friends. However, Miss Hanan's subtle (or perhaps not so subtle) efforts mark a change for Lily. Meeting Sam, who happens to live close to Lily, means she is also introduced to Jay and the trio make quite the team. I like the fact that there are fallings out and things said that they don't mean: it makes the characters very real and their differences make them a strength to be reckoned with.
Told in duel perspective from both Lily's and Emily's point of view, Looking For Emily lures you further and further into the story as you become desperate to know what is happening to each of the characters. The pace is fast and the short chapters keep you hooked (just one more chapter...!). There is humour mixed in with the adventure at just the right level to make things suspenseful but not too dark. There are nail-biting moments that will have you shouting at the book and willing the characters to hear you, and the twists will keep you guessing. Overall, this is a book that you will want to dive into and devour, but will be sad when you reach the final page.
Looking For Emily is the perfect blend of friendship, adventure and danger that will have readers looking for hidden museums so they can follow in Lily's footsteps.
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