I got an advanced copy of this book for review from the publisher. It was a wonderful book, beautiful and poignant, I enjoyed it a lot. The advanced reading copy itself is one of the nicest I have ever received with beautiful embossing, raw page egdes, and wonderful pictures.

Liesl is locked in the attic by her evil stepmother after her father dies. Her only friends are her drawings; that is until a ghost named Po appears and helps her to escape. Little does Lisle know that her escape entwines her fate with the fate of a boy named Will. Will is an alcemist's apprentice and has accidentally mixed up the box containing Liesl's father's ashes and a box containing the greatest magic ever made. Liesl is on a quest to bury her father's ashes at their old country home, but unknowingly is carrying around a great magic. Will, Po, and Liesl will end up on a great adventure, dodging danger, and learning how to live and how to say good-bye to those who we have lost.

This was an excellent book. It takes place in Victorian times and has that dark tone to it; it's been many years since anyone has seen the sun. The pictures reflect this and are absolutely beautiful; they add a lot to this story.

Lauren Oliver has a forward in this book talking about how she wrote this after a good friend's death, that definitely reflects in the story. Liesl is struggling with her father's death and much of this story touches on how we can let go of someone we loved so much and how to say good-bye. It also asks questions about what happens after death.

Liesl is an excellent character; she is so accepting of her situation as horrible as it is. When an opportunity presents itself to escape though, she goes for it and embarks on a wonderful adventure. Po and his pet, Bundle, are mysterious and interesting characters...they are both neither female or male they just are.

I love how Liesl's and Will's stories weave in and out of each other and eventually entwine, the plot is cleverly done and makes the book hard to put down. I read this book in one night; I just couldn't stop.

There is a lot of a fairy tale feel to this book too; Liesl has an evil stepmother, there are mix-ups of boxes, and magic is unleashed upon the world. I love how Liesl accepting her father's death also relates to the box of the most powerful magic in the world.

The book ties up beautifully. It was a very good read. The only thing I wanted a bit more of was description so that I could really imagine the surroundings in my mind; but that's a small thing...overall I really enjoyed the story.

Overall a beautiful and poignant story that is full of adventure and magic, but also touches on serious topics of death and what happens after death. The setting is bleak put there are points of hope and sunniness throughout. The characters will capture your heart and the plot is so engaging it makes the book impossible to put down. I can't wait to read some of Oliver's other books. She writes such a wide breadth of different types of books. I think anyone who enjoys historical fantasties age middle grade or older will enjoy this book. If you enjoy this book I would also recommend The Clockwork Three by Mathew Kirby, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and The Tales of the Sinister City series by F.E. Higgins.

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After Liesl's father got so sick he had to go to the hospital, her hateful stepmother, Augusta, put Liesl in the attic. She has been in the attic for almost a year, never allowed out of the room. She is brought a dismal meal twice a day and spends her time drawing. When her father finally passes away, Liesl is not only grieving, but upset she wasn't allowed to see him and tell him goodbye.


On the third day after her father's death, a ghost appears in Liesl's room. His name is Po and he has a cat, well he's called Bundle. Po doesn't know why he is in Liesl's room, he just popped in from the other side. Liesl promises to make Po a drawing if he will go to the otherside and find her father.

Will, an orphan who lives with an alchemist, stops at the corner everynight to see the young pretty face in the attic window. But for the third night, she hasn't been there. He lives a very lonely existance, and seeing her brings him comfort and companionship, even though she isn't aware of him. When he is given the task to deliver the biggest magic ever created to the Lady Premiere and then to gather ingredients from the mortuary, he hastens to do so, but he is cold and exhausted.

A common mistake occurs, and the box with the magic is taken to Liesl's house, assumed full of her father's ashes, and the ashes, assumed full of magic, are taken to the Lady Premiere's home. When she opens the box and sees the ashes, she goes ballistic and Will runs away.

When Po finds Liesl's father in otherside and learns he wants to go home and only Liesl can take him, he lets Liesl know. She knows exactly where she is to take her father's ashes, but she needs help to escape from the attic. With Po and Bundle's help, she embarks on a journey. A journey of the heart, of friends and magic.

Liesl and Po is a magical adventure with twists and turns that will capture your heart. Endearing characters, heart-stopping escapes, deft twists and turns and impeccable writing bring Liesl and Po to life in this magical novel. Kids of all ages will find something to capture their interest in this remarkable novel. I loved it!

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