Imagine if Charles Dickens wrote The Da Vinci Code and you have a good impression of the setting and fast-paced mystery in Lily the Thief, the graphic novel by Janne Kukkonen. Lily belongs to the Guildmaster of Thieves and spends her days executing petty thefts. Since she is a young girl, the older thieves do not believe she is ready for bigger jobs. Lily is quick-thinking and sassy; she wants to prove that she is ready, so when Lily is not assigned a harder job, she steals one instead. Through a series of fateful events, she must perform an even more dangerous job to save her life and the life of her only friend, Seamus. Lily must break into the prison run by the Brothers of Fire who are feared by all and find a key that will lead to the boundless wealth of the legendary Three Kings. Instead of finding boundless wealth, Lily awakes the mighty Fire Father. At the novel’s end, Lily returns home without any clue to what she has unleashed upon the world. This cliffhanger ending implies an obvious sequel and there is no doubt, readers will want to follow the feisty Lily on her next adventure as she attempts to save the world! The art is colored in the somber shades of the Middle Ages. The panels and text size vary to create lively action and movement on every page. This is a delightful thriller for grades 5 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School