I wanted to this book more than I did. But Neil Gaiman already told this story, in part with Coraline, but also with The Ocean at the End of the Lane. This is a “cleaner” read, in the sense that there is a bit less lore than in either of the Gaiman titles - but the vibe is fearing change, complicated parental relationships, and “old” magic is very much in the same vein. It’s a quick read, and it’s just creepy enough for upper elementary/early middle school. 4 s Chris1,963 76

An atmospheric tale of the night. Of darkness. Most importantly, of dealing with darkness. Darkness of the emotional kind, vividly realized in the form of horrific replacement parents that have stolen Lily's house in the night and a band of talking animals who help her find her courage.

Lily is the kind of sick that requires regular visits to the hospital and might result in an early death. As the story starts, she is returning from a treatment with her Granny, her parents having gone to a different hospital for the birth of a new baby. She feels she is being replaced by a new, non-defective version, and just wants everything to go back to the way it used to be. She sneaks home to find where her parents have gone--to possibly reject the baby in person--and finds her house unnaturally dark, occupied by creepy beings pretending to be her parents who say she no longer has a place with them. With that confrontation, she begins a long supernatural and emotional struggle to reclaim her family and herself, illness and all.

It must be said this is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls, and Kenneth Oppel's The Nest. Both the writing and the illustrations are equal to the task, and it stands well alongside them.
The animals fell silent and watched the house. It was empty, but it was quick--in the old sense of the word, and it was the old senses the animals cared about most. Quivering with life.

A shadow moved past a window, though there was no light to explain it.

The animals shivered--even the snake, who was cold blooded, and the mole, who couldn't see.

They waited.dark horror illustrated ...more2 s Karen1,273 8

When her parents head to the hospital to have their new baby, Lily feels abandoned. Lily is struggling to come to terms with her illness. With the help of a crow, a mole, a mouse, and a snake, she finds herself again and defeats the evil doppelganger "replacement" parents.2022 animals fantasy ...more1 Susan2,062 82

A magical story about a young girl....dborrowed childrens kindle-audio ...more1 Traci550 8

Though it reminds me of Coraline, Lily and the Night Creatures deals with emotional darkness in addition to the threat of dark beings who inhabit her home.

Lily has a disease that keeps her at the hospital much of the time. Her friends have dropped out of her life and she feels her parents are trying to replace her with a new baby because she is "broken." She yearns for the time before her diagnosis and before her mother and father told her they were expecting a new baby. She is very angry all the time sees the world through a filter of anger.

When her parents go to the hospital for the birth of the baby, Lily stays with her grandmother but sneaks out to go back home. When she gets there, she is surprised to find her parents are home. Except they aren't her parents. She doesn't know what they are but she knows they aren't human and they don't want her in "their" home. After she is thrown out, she meets four animals who inform her that she is the only one who can defeat the beings in her house, who pose a threat to her whole family. The animals are there to help her but ultimately she will have to defeat them with something within herself. Not even the animals know what that something is and so the journey to save her family begins.

I loved the animals. They were funny and wise and loyal. Lily's character arc was satisfying and will resonate with anyone who has dealt with a chronic illness or is close to someone who has. I think readers who have no context will gain insight and hopefully empathy for others who have a chronic &/or life-threatening illness. While Lily does find the way to defeat the evil beings, this isn't a fairytale. The book doesn't end with Lily magically becoming healthy again. She will still spend a lot of time at the hospital getting treatments and will eventually need a transplant, but Lily herself changes in ways that allow her to appreciate her parents and find joy in the world again. She even opens her heart to her new sister and realizes she loves her more than she can ever imagine.

*I recommend the audiobook. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review2022 adventure animals ...more Mishal SyedAuthor 3 books3

This is a sweet, melancholic version of Coraline. I don't think it's nearly as creepy or unsettling as Coraline is, particularly because the fake parents in Lily's house are clearly evil from the start. They taunt Lily about her chronic illness and tell her that her parents must hate her, and un Coraline, she doesn't fall under their spell. I actually think the book might be improved if the author committed to the bit and made Lily fall for the fake parents before discovering how evil they are, but I didn't really mind this slight oversight, because this is a really good middle-grade story.

I didn't get a version of the story with illustrations--I kind of want to see them now--but I could easily picture the animal friends that Lily made. The banter between Lily and the animals was quite funny, with a few idiomatic and grammatical jokes that I found entertaining as an adult, and Lily's reliance on the little animals was very believable, because Lily was so acutely lonely and sad. In the story, she has a chronic and potentially terminal illness (the specific illness is unspecified) and she feels utterly abandoned by her parents when they go to the hospital to have a new baby and the way it's written, it's completely believable. I really sympathized with Lily. Her behaviors, feelings, and responses were very true to what any child of her age would feel under similar circumstances.

The author plays around with metatextuality in here, with the animals commenting on how they may or may not be manifestations of Lily's subconscious. We never really find out if they are, and a few aspects of the story's resolution are rather confusing (the hospital snake scene at the end, for instance, and the well/horseshoe thing), but it's all very cute and well written. The parents are such an obvious play on both the predatory luring of emotionally vulnerable children and the depth of Lily's despair and her sense that people don't actually love or care about her.

I didn't really find this creepy, or commensurate with the very dark overtones of the original Coraline, but this is sweeter and more emotional than Coraline, and Lily's vulnerability is much more concrete. A D R I A N A 2

This book is an imaginative journey into a world filled with a myriad of very high stakes problems and mystery. Nick Lake weaves a tale that erases reality, and readers of all ages will inhabit a realm of magic and courage, the moment Lily's challenge is spelled out by Crow, Mouse, Mole and Snake.

The story revolves around Lily, a young girl that was dealt a bad hand, who embarks on an extraordinary adventure one night when she encounters a group of peculiar creatures living in the woods near her home. These creatures, ranging from talking animals to mystical beings, are beautifully brought to life through Lake's vivid storytelling.

One of the book's most remarkable qualities is the way it seamlessly blends elements of fantasy and reality. Lily has to work so hard, and changes so much in the course of this profound tale of self-love and radical acceptance, that it's almost impossible to not change with her.

Additionally, Emily Gravett's illustrations, add to the magic and moodiness of the story, creating a truly immersive experience for readers. The book's pacing is impeccable, it keeps you engaged from start to finish, making it difficult to put down.

It is an deliciously crafted, engaging and beautifully written story but has also succeeded in creating a world that will ignite the imagination of children and adults a.

"Lily and the Night Creatures" will inspire you to embrace whatever is troubling you and confront it head on. It has the power to rekindle your imagination and the make you think about how many a thing can change in the course of one single night.1 McKenzie RichardsonAuthor 66 books61

For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle

Dealing with her own chronic illness and feelings of inadequacy, Lily is not looking forward to the addition of a new baby in the house. But when she returns home to find a mom who is not quite her mother and a dad who is not quite her father, Lily encounters truths she didn't know she was strong enough to face. Follow Lily as she joins forces with a band of talking animals to defeat the replacements and save her family... both the old and the new.

An eerie tale that combines Coraline-esque villains, wise animal companions with secrets of their own, and an ancient magic that dwells deep. This story has a lot of fascinating elements. Loved the way magic was incorporated and the power of ancient things.

Gravett's artwork is a perfect companion to the text. The magical details and full-page artwork really brought the characters to life, especially the animal heroes.

An interesting tale of facing your fears, finding your strength, and doing what it takes to protect the ones you love.european-authors male-authors Ashley Dang1,441

A young girl goes on an advenrture with animal friends in order to stop the evil spirits that are inhabiting her home and impersonating her parents. Lily is used to hospitals, especially since her recent health issues. When her mother goes into labor and her parents drop her off at her grandmother’s house she forget to bring her important stuffed animal whale, Willo. Lily decides to sneak off to get her stuffed animal, and expecting to find an empty house is surprised to see her parents are home... except they aren’t her parents and they refuse to let her inside. With the help of some new friends, Lily is determined to stop these shadow replacements of her parents... but the question is, is she strong and brave enough to defeat them. This is the perfect book for fans of Coraline! It definitely reminded me of Coraline and the artwork was really cute. I had a fun time reading it and I think it would make a great read for young readers!

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review* Victoria Whipple966 15

Lily knows she’s getting too old for it, but she wants her stuffed whale that was left at her house when she had to go stay with Gran for the night while her parents were at the hospital for the birth of her new sibling. When she sneaks out to go to her house, things get…strange. Never mind the talking animals, there are the eerie doppelgängers of her parents with coal dark eyes that seem to suck up all the light and sound. They tell her of their plan to take over Lily’s family home, as well as to take her family’s lives. Can one chronically sick girl, a mouse, a mole, a crow, and a snake defeat this evil? Lily learns more about her own strength and the love of her family as she fights to save them all. Comparisons to Coraline are inevitable, but there is originality to the story—plot, characters, themes, not to mention the moody illustrations by Gravel—that makes it unique. Suspenseful and creepy, this should appeal to fans of horror, fantasy, family stories, and stories about overcoming challenges. Gr. 4-7.animals family fantasy ...more Roben 2,409 13

Do you have a reader that loves Coraline? Or perhaps YOU love Coraline? This is the perfect book to hand to them! Or grab for yourself.
Lily is sick. Sick as in if she doesn't get a kidney transplant there is a good chance she will die; sick as in frequent visits to hospital for dialysis. And she is sick of being sick. To make things worse - there's a new baby on the way. Lily has absolutely no interest in welcoming a new baby that is - obviously - just there to replace her. She goes to stay with her Granny when it is time for the new baby but her favorite stuffy (she knows she's too old for her stuffed whale but...) is left at her house. So she sneaks out to go fetch it. But something is very wrong at home - and Lily is the only one that can fix it. With the help of Crow, Mole, Mouse, and Snake, of course. Old creatures to help deal with some very old - and evil - magic. And, of course, what Lily has inside of her all along. It's a quick, spooky read and Emily Gravett's illustrations are, as always, lovely. adventure family illness ...more Liberty {SaltyBookSlinger}413 53 Read

A young girl who wishes away her parents and new baby sibling...
and they actually disappear, to her horror!
Fantastical talking animals who appear to help her navigate the treacherous task of getting them back...
And when the task is complete and the girl has learned her lesson and gotten her family back, her new animal friends are no longer needed...
"If you need us...."
"Yes, if you should need us again..."

This story is so reminiscent of the beloved movie Labyrinth, I almost can't see past that objectively.
Our main character Lily has a chronic illness that she is learning to accept, along with accepting her new baby sibling, and we go on this spoopy quest with her. It's a journey of self-acceptance that would be great for any young person learning to cope with why they are different and special. If you read it, do yourself a favor and watch Labyrinth when you're finished. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewaudiobooks middlegrade-childrens Maria261 1 follower

It was impossible for me not to think of Neil Gaiman while reading this children's nov about an English girl whose parents have been replaced by looka demons and who has to defeat them with the help of charming talking animal friends. Lily also deals with a serious illness and her negative feelings about the birth of a new sibling. Finding her courage to defeat the intruders in her home is symbolic of her coming to terms with her real-life challenges.

I adored the illustrations, the hilarious and heartwarming animals, the references to old magic (though I could have used a bit more on that) and Lilly's character development. The author is not afraid to take on tough subjects and doesn't talk down to his target audience of children or dance around hard truths or emotions. Kids younger than upper elementary age or junior high might be upset by this, though. Matt Glaviano1,036 13

A better book's shadow.

I was convinced to read it by the blurbs comparing it to Coraline. And the art, which looked awesome. One of those two things was true.

Well, I guess both were true in the sense that Coraline comparisons are inevitable because of the soulless coal parent eyes. And while Lake attempts to be lyrical in a Gaiman-esque way, they do not succeed. I wanted Coraline and Thief of Always, but as I'm sure the protagonist of this book could tell you, you don't always get what you want.

The art, however, was awesome.

One more issue. The plot for the first half of the book was far too plodding. It was just multiple attempts to get into the house and it took. too. long.

2023 juvenile-fiction Jennifer1,080 30

Lily's mother is just about to have a baby and Lily is really not happy about it. She herself is sick and she thinks her parents are trying to replace her. So she says something unkind on her way out the door and when Lily next returns to her house she finds coal-eyed replicas of her parents, a little reminiscent of Coraline by Neil Gaiman. With the help of a mouse, a mole, a crow, and a snake Lily has to find a way to defeat the replicas and to find love in her heart for the new baby. Lake keeps the story moving and Gravett provides lovely spot illustrations. Review from e-galley. Myra1,321 7

Engaging children's book about a young girl with a chronic (potentially deadly) illness who has to save her home/family while her parents are at the hospital having a baby. Definite shades of Coraline in here, but still quite good.

My one reservation with the book - the parents having a baby in order to (maybe) be able to save the life of their existing child. Yes, this happens. But I'm not sure how appropriate it is as one of the topics in a children's fantasy novel. You'll probably want to read this one with (along side) you child so you can address this after. Malissa450 14

I didn't this one. I listened to the audio which may have affected my general enjoyment, but I'd have been at a 3.5 just story-telling wise. Decent creepy but not too scary story for those who love things Coraline. However, I personally couldn't get past fact that the baby sister was tested as an organ donor for Lily *at birth.* And it was stated that the doctors would put a piece of her that she didn't really need in Lily to save her. So I guess there's no choice or bodily autonomy for kid 2, then? It felt very icky to me at best. Stacey433

Lily is staying with her grandma for a bit while her mom and dad are at the hospital having a baby. When grandma forgets to grab Lily’s favorite stuff animal, Lily takes matters into her own hands and runs away to her house. Read pages 20 “Lily stopped”- page 21. Something strange has been happening. Lily has been sick and going to the hospital for a while and even though she doesn’t want a new baby, she certainly doesn’t want her mom and dad to disappear. These something has taken over her house and it’s up to Lily and the animals to save the house before Lily’s family will be no more. Erin1,318 9

I really enjoyed this. It has light "gaiman-y" vibes and is an engaging and somewhat spooky fantasy-adventure story. It is very British and there may be some gaps in understanding for young American readers because of this. Nothing that would ruin the story, but it is noticeable enough that it's worth noting here. childrens childrens-2022 childrens-juvenile-fiction ...more Aprilj3281,018 1 follower

3.5 Fast paced-Lily is a chronically ill girl whose parents are expecting a new baby and she is not happy. While mum and dad are at the hospital, Lily sneaks home from Gams only to discover "replacements" have moved into her home. With the help from some animals and ancient lore (iron) can she defeat them and accept her situation and even come to love her new sibling?middle-grade Kristine320 6

Absolutely has a Coraline vibe. Not as well done, but the redeeming quality about this is that it tells the story of a child with a chronic illness in an honest way. Lots of kids will enjoy this for the brave adventure it is; some children will be delighted to sincerely see themselves. Brooke 80 3

Talk about facing your fears! j read-in-2022 Jenna D.1,054 146

Dark! …And touching. Quite touching. If you Coraline, you will ly enjoy Lily and the Night Creatures. Dannie Moore98 3

Great Coraline reada! Ms. Yingling2,250 476

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus or Netgalley coffee370 1 follower

3.5 Tanya PellAuthor 3 books16

A poignant look at what it means to grieve what once was and accept what is.
TaraBelle Lee18 2 Read

Listened with the kids to and from Jersey. reading-read-with-my-ears Amanda Hatton428 10

This was a fun middle grade book but I felt they were trying to cover SO many topics. I get that's how kids lives actually are but it just led to a disjointed book Mary341

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