Lily Grim and the City of Undone

Andy Ruffell

Lily Grim’s life is a mystery.
She has lived with her guardian Gabriel, in their rundown second-hand shop in the City of Undone, for as long as she can remember.

For years, the city-dwellers have lived in uneasy discord with The Others – a community of wanderers forced to shelter within the city walls, after they were driven from their nomadic camps in the wilderness. But Undone is a dark and dangerous place to live, especially if you’re an Other: feared for their special gifts, they are persecuted by the cruel Master of the City, and taken to the Ring – a prison from which few ever return.

When the Master captures Gabriel and throws him into the Ring, Lily is saved by a young Other boy called Dekka. He introduces her to a whole Otherworld that exists beneath the City of Undone. To her astonishment Lily discovers she is an Other, too – with powerful gifts – and is now in grave danger: because the Master wants her dead. But why?

Can Lily find answers about who she is, and where she’s from. And can the new friends rescue Gabriel, before it’s too late?

Student Reviews

Commended Reviews
Lily Grim and the City of Undone is a captivating journey into a world filled with magic, mystery and unyielding courage. Set against the backdrop of the sprawling city of Undone, the narrative follows Lily Grim, a young protagonist with a heart as brave as her determination is strong.
The narrative is woven with intricate details creating a vivid tapestry of the City of Undone and its inhabitants. From the bustling streets to the hidden alleys, readers are transported into a realm where magic thrives and secrets lurk around every corner.
What sets Lily Grim and the City of Undone apart is its rich character development. Lily emerges as a relatable yet resilient heroine, grappling with her own doubts and fears whilst navigating the challenges laid before her.
The plot unfolds with a perfect balance of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.
– Henry, All Saints

This novel follows Lily Grim on her absolutely incredible adventure. The book starts with a bit of background on lily: she lives in an old, second-hand shop with her guardian Gabriel in the city of Undone. Lily doesn’t know where she came from, or who her parents really are. All she knows is that in Undone there are the Undoners and the Others, and the Undoners are “protected” by the master and his great lion.
As we delve further into Lily’s ever-growing character during her adventure, she meets allies such as Dekka, Parmo and Tawni, but she also meets enemies, both those obvious to her and those hidden right under her nose. As the adventure unfolds we discover the true colours of the Master and his connection to Lily. Will she be able to escape the clutches of the Master? Will she save Gabriel and figure it all out before it’s too late? You’ll have to read it yourself to find out!
I really enjoyed this novel once it got going, but I felt it was quite slow to start. Despite this, I felt Ruffell tied the characters together quite well and the plot just kept me guessing at each turn! This book is very descriptive and tells each character’s story well, but I would definitely like to know more of the backstory of some of the less prominent characters, such as Jonah and Parmo.
Overall, I would give this book 3 stars and would recommend this book to people who love mystery and a fantasy, slightly gothic adventure to embark on!
– Lucy, St Peter’s School

Overall this book was really nice, peaceful and calm to read. I loved some of the cliff-hangers – they added a lot of action and suspense. I loved the part where they poured white paint on themselves so that they could disguise themselves to look like homeless people so they could run away from the Master. The book was full of action and adventure. I think others my age would love to read it as well. I recommend this book to others who like adventure linked books.
– Mira, The Joseph Rowntree School

Lily Grim and the City of Undone is a story all about a young girl named Lily who lives with her guardian Gabriel in Undone. She knows very little about life outside of the city she lives in but is soon thrown into a world unlike anything she’s known before. When Gabriel is captured, Lily and her new-found friends must work together to rescue him and the rest of Undone.
I really enjoyed this book and found myself deeply immersed in the plot. The characters were all really well-written and I felt that I could properly imagine the characters and setting. However, as much as I did enjoy it, I found that at points it was quite fast-paced and the plot seemed to jump around quite a bit. This may just be because of how fast I tend to read and could differ from person to person. The twists in this story were absolutely amazing and I totally did not expect any of them. The physical and emotional descriptions were also very well-written and I could properly picture every scene. My personal favourite part of the novel was when Lily and Dekka were escaping through the sewers as I felt very nervous and afraid for them!
I would definitely recommend this book.
– Isla H, St Peter’s School

I like this book very much because the author tells the story very well. The beginning is very mysterious, makes you ask a lot of questions and want to read more. It is very well-written with third person and describes the actions in detail to take you into the story.
This is a story about a journey of escaping, saving the people you love, and friendship in the city of Undone. The story starts when Lily is adopted by Gabriel. When Lily grows up she loses Gabriel in The Ring, where The Master executes “Others”, but she is saved by Dekka, and this is where her journey begins.
As Lily is saved and escapes with Dekka, they meet a group of “Others” who have this adventure with Lily. Out of all others, my favourite character is Dekka. He is a very good friend to Lily, and also very smart in every action he makes.
Compared to other books I read this year, this book is more descriptive, dramatic and concealed than any other. I really want to recommend you this book if you like fantasy books.
– Isaac, St Peter’s School

A creative, atmospheric and thought-provoking book.
Set in the gothic city of Undone, a Victorian-esque and slightly grim world, the book is engaging and exciting. It has a slightly creepy atmosphere, with a dark, crime-filled setting, a horrific prison presided over by the cruel Master, and mobs of hate filled rioters attacking the heroes.
Despite this foreboding atmosphere, the characters are enjoyable and likeable, with the reader truly caring about what happens to them.
All in all, a good book to read at any time.
– Toby, All Saints

Our heroine, Lily, is a foundling, living with a trader-man after she was mysteriously deposited in his shop. She is a natural leader, who, over the course of the book, discovers a sense of belonging.
Ruffell weaves an enthralling narrative, causing the enigmatic city of Undone to appear as a character itself.
This book is very fast-paced, and was an easy read, with fantastic characters and unexpected twists, keeping me hooked.
– Olivia, All Saints

This was an incredible book with an unpredictable plot, which I love with books. The only reason it lost a star is because I prefer some others I gave 5 stars to. Gabriel’s character development is insane, and there were plot twists around every corner. I would give (almost) anything to read it for the first time again. The way the Master is shown and portrayed gives an eerie and intriguing atmosphere to the whole book, which I find fits perfectly. I’m not sure what else to write, but I loved Lily Grim!
– Eliza, All Saints

Lily Grim and the City of Undone is a fabulous book. The characters are amazing: they are all good at something. Also, both Lily and Dekka face their fears and overcome them. Even Toby, who doesn’t speak much, knows the sewers and tunnels inside-out. The story is about a girl called Lily, who lives with her guardian, Gabriel, in the City of Undone. One day, Gabriel is taken to prison, and then Lily meets a boy called Dekka, who takes her to where he lives. They venture into the prison to rescue Gabriel, but plenty of dangerous obstacles are in their way! Also, Lily’s identity comes to the surface! This book is special because it made me feel all the emotions: scared, shocked, happy, sad, etc. It was fun to read, but also quite short. This is the reason I did not give this book 5 stars. Despite this, I absolutely loved this book. I would recommend this book for readers 8+ because there are some violent-ish events. Overall, this is a great book, definitely worthy of the York Book Awards.
– Emily, All Saints

Lily Grim and the City of Undone was such a fun, twisting tale. I loved the fantasy-dystopian world that Ruffell was able to build up, with the Others and the magic. My favourite part was probably the training, when Lily was able to learn about her new family and grow closer to them. But despite all this, the cover kind of ruined it. It’s childish and a bit of an eyesore, and I think something with a calmer, more magical feel would work better for the story. (Minus half a star ☹).
– Jillian, All Saints

I think this book is dark but has a good climax with loads of twists. The main character is Lily and she is introduced as an “orphan.” She is very curious, always searching for something, like her mother. Later on in the story, she finds her family and is introduced to new friends and an enemy. Let me say two enemies. One that she thought she could trust, and the other, well it was her father. I felt excited when reading this book. There were twists and turns that you wouldn’t expect. It’s one of those books about mystery and you can’t stop reading it. The overall story was amazing and it had great descriptive writing where you can picture all the scenes within your head. It flowed really well, with a nice starting point to a high climax flows back down to a calm ending. One of the things I liked about the book was that it was easy to understand. There were no things in the story which seemed unrelated or very boring. It was a very quick paced book and something you can enjoy over your holidays. Definitely a must read!
– Shanellie, All Saints

This book was fabulous. The story was awesome and each chapter led smoothly onto the next. It was very easy to understand. Some characters were left mysterious and that added appeal because you want to read on and find out more about them. It was easy to relate to the characters and you could see how they were feeling at the time. There was a plot twist at the end which left me gawping! Nothing really happened in the order that you expected and it had a very satisfying happy ending, but it was all lifted up so there is the possibility of a sequel. I really enjoyed this book and I thought that it was great!
– Alice, Millthorpe School

It’s about a girl who goes through loads of adventures: rescuing friends and family as well as finding out more about who she is and this is the (very summarised) plot: the main character (Lily) gets rescued and repeatedly almost dies, you meet new characters, trainers, then all but 2 of her friends get captured, they go to find them, they rescue them and a few others as well as diffusing a plot, betrayal, good ending.
If you are wondering “How much time passed in the story?” I don’t truly know how much time passed as I do not think it says in the book but probably 1-2 months seeing as she trained for what seems a while. It was really unusual for comparing to real life but that’s what makes books like these so good! The opening is really mysterious and makes you want more. The opening makes red herrings (in my opinion) and it’s a perfect book for fantasy, drama and mystery lovers.
The main character is a girl called Lily Grim who (although she doesn’t know it) is different to everyone else in her neighbourhood. She is a curious and quite brave person and is eager to help those close to her. At the start, the book tells you barely anything about her and you get to know more about her as you go along. I don’t have a favourite character because they are all so well thought through and you learn to love most of them and hate the rest as the story goes on. There were lots of loving relationships which grew the reader’s bond to the different characters. Two characters changed a lot through the story, mostly through the main character gaining their trust but one (SPOILER!) betrays the group and I won’t say their name so that you can still be surprised by the book.
The story is written in third person, which is rare but it’s pulled off well. I think it helped with the writer’s changing of which characters we are with. It does not really put lots of effort into describing any places that I remember but you can still picture what the settings look like. The characters and moods however are described deeply, or at least deep enough to understand them and their goals. There are many good moments and details and I can’t choose one to be my favourite. The start is brilliantly crafted and the plot is detailed all through the story. It deserves the top five slot it gets for the characters and style. There is visible care taken not to reveal too much at one time and I think that is a brilliant detail.
The story gave me an urge to read it and find out what happens next. It made me keep going “one more page!” It is in some ways similar and some ways different to books I really liked and is (as I have said before) a really well thought out book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good book.
– Manor CE Academy

I REALLY REALLY LOVED this book. It was easy to follow and I absolutely loved all of the plot twists and really liked the other characteristics. I was very excited reading this book once I picked it up, I did not want to put it down. I really really hope there is another book and that there is another called Minnie. It was an amazing book and I am a very picky reader.
Lily – Lily got given to Gabriel when she was a baby and absolutely loved adventures. When Gabriel took her out, she made a best friend called Dekka. She is half Undoner and half Other.
Dekka – Dekka is a full Other and has been imprisoned in the ring before. He is brave and lost all of his family to the ring. His best friend is Lily and he lives with Tawnie and a few others.
Tawnie – Tawnie is like the mother of the group, she is also a full Other and she senses things. Not much is known about her life before.
The Master – The Master runs the ring. He is a nasty man and would do anything to catch the Others. He is an Undoner and has a pet lion.
Gabriel – Gabriel is kind and caring. He was an important person to the Others and he is a big part. There is a lot of spoilers about him.
– Minnie, All Saints

I enjoyed this read very much, though my first impressions of it discouraged me: The front cover. Its design made it look like a younger child’s book the way the cartoons are drawn particularly. Anyway, I decided not to judge the book by its cover and I’m glad I didn’t.
This book contained many pieces of interesting content linked to recent and everyday life. For example, the people known as ‘the Others’ could represent many different groups. The fact that they are named Others suggests that they are different in a bad way, though they are frankly just people. Andy Ruffell is possibly representing ethnic minority groups, refugees, and possibly it is less deep than this and he is simply representing what are called in the modern day as ‘geeks’ and ‘nerds’ and ‘weirdos. However, I imagine that this is unlikely, as during the book, the ‘others’ are blamed for fires, bombs, disappearances and more. 
In the modern day, many terrorists claim to be parts of ethnic minority groups or certain religions to try to pass off their misdeeds and sometimes nobody knows who did it, so they act on prejudice     ensuring it was refugees, homeless people or ethnic minority groups that caused it. As the city is called ‘undone’ Andy is suggesting that this is not a good city as justice is not done. Andy may, however, be using specific historical events to inspire the others, the master and his followers. In the book, a fire occurs and some Undoners are found at the scene of the crime. Ruffell could be suggesting using the Reichstag fire as his inspiration, where in 1933, it is suspected that a Nazi set fire to the Reichstag, the German parliament building, when someone else (Marius Van Der Lubbe) was found there. 
This theory suggests that the master represents Hitler – a dictator with absolute power like the master. I also enjoyed the themes of teamwork and the interesting plotline threaded and intertwined cleverly throughout about Lily, her Mum, Gabriel and the Masters’ past.
The read was gripping due to the constant tension and mystery which underlined the entire story. The world was surprisingly easy to imagine as the description was clear and detailed. The characters’ voices and tone were detailed. Andy Ruffell has built an entire world, which is hard to accomplish. I’m hoping to see a sequel to this book as it was thoroughly interesting exploring the background and a fun, quick read. The only things that brought it down was the cover, and the genre, as dystopian isn’t my favourite. 
Oops, I’ve got more stuff to say! The betrayal of Jonah: I was expecting someone to betray Lily, but not Jonah as Lily had a bad impression og him from the start. Usually:
A – The character has a bad feeling about them start and the characters become good friends.
B – The character has a bad feeling about them from the start and the characters become instant enemies. 
I love how Jonah doesn’t fit into either stereotype – Ruffell lulls you into a false sense of security and surprises you at the end. This and the background and the plot twists was why I gave this book a solid 4 stars.
– Toby C., All Saints

Awesome!
Very engaging book and completely original.
When I started reading it, this book hooked me in right away, maintaining its excitement throughout the first part. The descriptions of the sewers and the ring made me feel as if I was really there, and mostly glad that I wasn’t really!
What’s interesting is that while I was slightly confused at how Scammel had survived, I understood what was going on all through the story, and sometimes that’s what I find difficult to do. The depth of the characters’ personality left me baffled. An example of this is Johan’s change of heart after Lily puts together all the locks, and then when he revealed his true identity.
Overall, I am astounded by the originality of this book. I sometimes seem to be reading the same idea/concept over and over again, but I have never read anything like this. It’s one of my new favourite books.
– Millthorpe School