I really enjoyed this book, it wasn’t what i expected but the tale told in the time of victorian London during the great exhibition was engaging and evocative. I loved and hated certain characters, Albie was my favourite he was funny and sad, only having one tooth which he cherished and him saving for his precious ivories was wonderful, it showed even when your on the streets we all want to look good and feel good. Iris is the main character that we follow, through her time working with mrs salter in the shop where iris paints the dolls faces while her twin sews the clothes. Iris has ambitions to paint and when she meets Louis her luck changes for good and bad. Silas stuffs animals and is a leering, obsessive character who brings menace to the story but in a way you feel sadness for him also with the hand he’s been dealt and what lead to his way of thinking. This was a book that took me on many twists and turns and i can’t wait to read the next book by this author.