The Girl Who Became a Tree: A Story Told in Poems

by Joseph Coelho, Kate Milner (Illustrator)

Daphne is unbearably sad and adrift. She feels the painful loss of her father acutely and seeks solace both in the security of her local library and the escape her phone screen provides by blocking out the world around her. As Daphne tries to make sense of what has happened she recalls memories of shared times and stories past, and in facing the darkness she finds a way back from the tangle of fear and confusion, to feel connected once more with her friends and family. The Girl Who Became a Tree sees Joseph Coelho deploy a wide variety of poetic forms with consummate skill in its narration of events. He seamlessly but searingly weaves together the ancient legend of Daphne, who was turned into a tree to avoid the attentions of the god Apollo, and a totally modern tale, mixing real-life and fantasy, in which a latter-day Daphne seeks her own freedom. This is a heart-stoppingly imaginative story told in poems, at times bleak and even tragic, which is layered, rich and ultimately a tour de force of poetic skill and energy.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Grief, Middle Grade, Relationships

176 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2021

About the author

Joseph Coelho is a British poet and children's book author who was elected Children's Laureate in 2022.

Reviews

[IsaJameela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in verse and I enjoyed it a lot. It was very similar to A Monster Calls, in that it's sort of all in her head, helping her cope with her grief. I especially liked her love of books and that she goes there as a sort of safe haven. And her phone, the reason why she likes it so much. It's so sad. But for me, it wasn't sad enough. I didn't cry and I think I should have. Then, in her whole head fantasy thing, she meets someone she likes? And I didn't really get that part. Overall, this book was good, would recommend it.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this was very clever and well written, weaving together mythology with a contemporary tale of guilt and grief. That said I personally didn't find it as engaging as I thought I would although I certainly felt there were some powerful poems here.

[Karen Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before the Carnegie shortlist comes out, I always try to read as many of the books up for consideration as possible. My ability to do so is dependent on getting ARCs via NetGalley and my library having the books in stock. I could not get my hands on a copy of The Girl Who Became a Tree...and I know it won’t be a popular view, but I don’t feel able to justify paying £12.99 for a book that I know so little about. However, with Shadowing underway I was finally able to dip into this.
The cover is not something I immediately felt enticed by. The colours seem dark and quite off-putting and it’s very hard to get a feel for the book when you first pick it up. I know the myth of Daphne, and I found myself wondering how this could be transferred to a modern setting. Having read the book I’m still unsure whether this was happening in her head or whether we were exploring a metaphorical transformation.
The illustrations offer some insight into the story, but I didn’t feel they developed it in the way I thought they might. Scattered throughout, they felt quite detached from the text.
I confess to still not knowing exactly what caused Daphne to feel so alone, or why the library setting was chosen. There were some poems that I found incredibly moving, and I liked the visual appeal of the way some of the poems were presented. Ultimately, though, I spent most of the book in a state of confusion and I think I have to resign myself to not being a fan.

[Les McFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. It is one of the best things this year. It is essentially the legend of Daphne, turned into a tree to avoid the Apollo's attentions, woven into a thoroughly modern tale. Written in different styles of poetry, this tells the tale of a daughter missing her father. She doesn't know how to be in the world and takes refuge in the library and her phone screen.
Dealing with loss, relationships, fear, confusion. Can she find her way back from the tangled mess of memories to life? Devastatingly tragic yet wildly uplifting.
Really stunning book. Slayed me in the same way Malorie Blackman's Cloudbusting

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is yet another of the Carnegie shortlist, given to me to read as part of our school group. This is ANOTHER verse book- it seems to me that this is some sort of trend that authors are jumping on and I'm not quite sure why. I really enjoyed 'Run, Rebel' and thought the verse actually helped progress and deal with the story, but unless done in a particular way that allows the story to flow through the poems, it's very hard to get right.

I read the blurb of this one and felt encouraged, it sounded fantasy style, set in a library - 2 of my favourite things, add onto that the fact that it's based on a Greek legend which i always like, so I expected to enjoy it. My overall feeling of the book however was mainly confusion - I found it very hard to keep up with what was going on and why. I got that she went to the library after school to wait for her mum, she liked the place and the way she could escape, either in a good book or through using her phone. The whole 'journey into the hole in the shelves' confused me though - I wasn't sure at first if it was an actual journey or a metaphorical one, I had no idea what the creature was meant to be or why it wanted her there. The poems, for me, just didn't flow, I did not connect to the characters and didn't really care what happened to her. I still want verse books to hook me in and make me care, but this one just didn't. It was just weird!

I actually feel that this was a story that would benefit from more information, proper prose and description to fully immerse you in Daphne's world. This did nothing to entice me, and the only plus was that it is so short, I had finished it within half an hour. It's only 172 pages, and a number of those have 'illustrations' - strange pictures that also made no sense to me. And most of the poems are quite short so you will be done in no time.

I would not pick this up again or recommend it to anyone, very disappointing and confusing. Maybe I've just missed something - but who knows?

[Nick Swarbrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not so much a review as a reflection on language and image, myth and landscape here https://nicktomjoestory.news.blog/202... but even so it was tricky to avoid spoilers.

[ReadingInRedLondon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up on a whim in a charity shop a few days ago. Apart from poems I had to read for my GCSE exams, I'd never actually read any poetry before. The 8 lines on the back cover are what initially drew me and eventually led to me picking up the book, despite having never heard of it (though the author Joseph Coelho did ring a few bells). The quote in question was very reminiscent of the video game Child of Light (one of my favourite games ever!), where the characters speak entirely in rhymes, and it just spoke to me so I had to give it a go!

And I'm very glad I did as The Girl Who Became a Tree is a lovely, heart-aching read. Despite being only 200 pages long, I was immediately drawn into Daphne's world and emotionally invested. With an element of magical realism, a case full of metaphors, and a spooky atmospheric undertone, Coelho creates such beautiful eerie imagery through his poems. His handle on grief and guilt, and the different ways in which they manifest and grow was captured so well through the characters of Daphne and Hoc.

What I love about poetry (despite not having read much at all) is its ambiguity, how you can interpret every line whichever which way you want. Recounting Daphne's story through poems as such only enhances it, and was the perfect format to show her journey of healing.

I will certainly be looking out for more of Coelho's works!

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story told through the art of verse and poetry. I also loved the illustrations and thought they were stunning and an amazing way to tie in with the book. I loved the figuarative language in this book: thought provoking metaphors and similes ext..! The story was extremly evocative. I especially loved that an old legend has been innovated into a modern recreation. Although, I definitely think it would help to have some background information on the myth of Daphne and Apollo to avoid any confusion. The girl who became a tree portrays how often our emotions can overwhelm us and how, often, things aren't as they seem. Sometimes we let our guard down and things can be deceiving and take advantage of your vulnerability. In Daphne's case, the monster took advantage of the recent loss of her father.

However, I did find the book quite hard to follow and a bit confusing in some parts. I found that I did not connect with the character and that by the end of the story I still didn't know much about her. I also found I couldn't properly appreciate the illustrations because of how fast I read each page. Yet, this doesn't take away from the clear time spent into creating the beautiful masterpieces.


I feel like I would have appreciated the poetry a lot more if they were stand alone pieces. I found it hard to follow the story with the poems. Although each poem was loosely linked in order to continue the story, I was quite confused at some points.

Overall the girl who became a tree had stunning poems and beautiful vocabulary, I just wasn't a big fan on the storyline. Although this book isn't a typical book I would read, it still was amazing regarding the poems and how they made me feel empowered and ready to take on the world. I would still recommend.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an adult so can't reflect on how this would be experienced by a young person.

I enjoyed this for the most part, and found the narrative really strong. Some of the poetry was absolutely beautiful and I enjoyed the fact that technology isnt black and white cast into the 'big bad' and the story doesn't fall into the trap of being moralistic. It's a sweet and at times nuanced examination of grief, loss and identity.

I think sometimes it was let down by the occasional simplistic/less refined poem that seemed to only be there to thread the narrative.

[Tabrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love for novels in verse continues with another book that is both heartbreaking and inspirational that really touches the human soul. Partnered with breathtaking illustrations that are both haunting and enchanting, this CILIP Carnegie Longlisted book (and I'm not surprised why it was nominated) brings out the really hard truths of the grieving process and the feelings a person may have during it is so realistic that the reader will have a hard time not feeling what the main character is going through. I also love the tie in with mythology, that was a very nice touch and actually added a deeper meaning to legend. Such a beautiful and profound book did with innovation and cleverness but keeping true to a compelling story.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rattled through this in my morning commute. I just lost my father and reading this girl going through a lot of the same feelings that I've had for a while now really struck me and I did cry a fair bit. Beautiful sentiment of healing following trauma and glad to have picked it up entirely on a whim.

[Andrea Barlien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this exceptionally moving

[Emily Hume · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever way to describe grief

[Millyyyy 🌷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an intricately crafted story that manages to find its way into every nook and cranny of your heart. It’s so heart-wrenchingly relatable but that’s something you only realise after you read it again. I NEVER reread books, but this is the one that broke that habit.
There are 2 main reasons I reread it:
1. In a way it’s quite… odd (?) so requires some brain power to decipher.
2. It’s so freaking good

[Ellie-Mai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not going to lie, I would never have picked this up if it wasn't on the carnegie shortlist. It's not the type of book I would normally pick up off the shelf(I know I judge books by their covers, I hate it too), but what I didn't expect is that I WOULD NOT be able to put it down. I just wanted more and more, the way it's written can be taken in many different ways, from whoever you are and however you can relate to it. It's reallu good and I thoroughly enjoyed. I now give my thanks to my school for doing carnegie because I would have never read it otherwise

[Rachel Huskisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carnegie shortlist 2021. I liked the use of individual poems to tell a story, lots of themes on loss and grief as well as myths and gotta love a story set in a library 😊
Introduced to year 8's today, they didn't love the look. I really like the artwork of the cover but maybe it doesn't appeal to young people....

[Isadora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It's a really creative story and I think this form (story told through poems) was ideal for it. Some poems are great on their own, i think, but not every single one. The drawings are especially beautiful and I find it is the perfect book to read in one sitting on a rainy and cold day.

[Liz Derouet · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not enough stars to rate this book. Exceptional writing, heartfelt and sad yet hopeful. One of the best books I’ve read. A good companion read to A Monster Calls.

[yoana ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was very interesting...found it a bit strange but i loved how the author got an ancient greek legend in it! it was very cool.

[whatbooknext · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl hunkers down in a school library.

It’s a quiet space most of the time. The more time she spends there, the more she sees the forest around her. The shelves, the tables, the floor, are all made of wood. Different types of wood with different tones and hardness’ to withstand the words scratched into them. On the shelves each page in each book has come from a tree.

There was another forest – long before. Another girl named Daphne is also hiding from others, fleeing from one in particular. He is persistent, urgent, never ending – under a curse of love. He will never give up, but neither will she. She has one chance to escape. A chance to become something other. Something strong and able to withstand much – a tree.

The ‘library Daphne’ clutches her phone and ducks her head away from anyone else trying to engage. Focusing on the words in her ear buds, not the librarian or other students. Again, and again and again. Screens are another escape. Gaming gives her a way to block out the world.

Her mind spins of home, and loss and a mother also trying to cope. Anger, frustration, loss, and guilt fill ‘library Daphne.’ Will it ever end. Can she ever feel whole again without the man who loved trees. He helped them, cut them when he had to, and shared this love with his daughter. But now… he is gone.



This title intrigued me and after appearing on the CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist, I knew it had to be something special. This looks like a verse novel in the normal sense, but is not. Just like it says on the cover, The Girl Who Became a Tree is a story told in poems. The poetry is not to be rushed, even though I wanted to know why this girl was hiding from the world.

The poetry is ripe for further time to be taken, and class study. (See a study or further reflection link below). It is to be savoured and understood. I’m not a poetry fan per se, but constantly found myself saying ‘Wow’ out loud.

Another story weaves between the lines – an ancient story of a girl fleeing the attention of another. Daphne, Cupid and Apollo star in this Greek Gods story, and I found the connection between that story and the present, fascinating. Check out that story to get even more from this beautiful book.

Age – 12+

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A verse novel by current Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho, with illustrations by Kate Milner, takes readers on a poignant and surreal journey through grief and healing. Fourteen-year-old Daphne, grappling with the loss of her father, seeks solace in the library, where she immerses herself in books to avoid confronting her pain. However, when she loses her phone, which holds the last voicemail from her father, she embarks on a Wonderlandesque quest to retrieve it. Guided by a message to "follow the nuts," Daphne enters a bewildering forest of past memories, reminiscent of the Greek myth of Daphne who transformed into a tree to escape Apollo's pursuit.

Coelho's poetic adaptation seamlessly weaves the ancient legend with Daphne's modern-day tale, creating a narrative that is both accessible and powerful. Through verses dedicated to loss, grief, and the sanctuary of books, Coelho explores the depths of Daphne's emotions with tenderness and raw honesty. The language employed is both imaginative and relatable, effectively conveying challenging themes while maintaining an emotional maturity that resonates with readers of all ages.

Milner's dreamlike & scarred illustrations add an evocative layer to the story, capturing moments like the sudden din of removing earphones or the presence of the monstrous creature Hoc, who tries to keep Daphne lost in the forest. The illustrations embellish the mood and tension, complementing Coelho's poetic narrative.

Coelho's exploration of grief and transformation is masterfully executed, utilizing various poetic forms, perspectives, and literary conventions to engage readers and invite introspection. The book's varied tone, form, and viewpoint add depth and nuance to the narrative, making it suitable for emotionally mature readers across a wide range of ages. Coelho and Milner have crafted a work that is not only a homage to ancient myths but also a mirror reflecting the complexities of the human experience. Through the eyes of Daphne, readers are reminded of the importance of embracing emotions, confronting grief, and finding the strength to heal and grow.

[Rylan Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I knew it wasn't right.
I knew that something was wrong.
But I agreed to this trick of a devil.
I swayed to the tune of his song."

The Girl Who Became A Tree by Joseph Coelho.

Firstly - What is with this cover?! It's terrifying. I mean it does depict what the story is about, but, might want to of made it more light-hearted?

Secondly - This is a very strange book. As in bad strange, not good strange. But i'll tell you all about it now.

1) The Plot

Let me just be clear - this is what I THINK the plot is... It's written in poem, so I find it quite hard to understand (never a good sign, when you're not sure what the plot is, even when you've read the story).

Daphne's only real comfort is the library. Oh, and her phone. As in, she is ADDICTED. But then one day, she finds a trail of nuts in the library, leading to a mysterious, magical forest. All of a sudden, she is confronted with all of her sadness and if she can't admit it and change her ways, she may not be able to leave....

As I said - I THINK that's the plot. It actually sounds a really good one, don't you think? And it would of been. If it wasn't written in verse. I just don't think stories should be written in poem. I'm all for poetry, honestly I am, just not in 175 page books. It's like putting jam with pineapple. It doesn't go. In fact, it gives diarrhea.

2) The Characters

1. Daphne. She's a good character, she really is. A greiving daughter, that only finds comfort in her phone. She is conveyed in a really good way, suprisingly good. But, I think we needed to know a bit more about her. For instance, why she finds comfort in the library etc.

2. Hoc. One word - STRANGE. A good villain, although not sue if he is a figment of her imagination? I don't know. To be fair, I'm not sure if the actual forest is real... Anyway, he is a really good evil character.

3) The Ratings

How many stars? 2. I know i usually give crazy numbers - but i don't think it deserves that. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book, and a good idea, just the poems really put me off it.

Would I reccomend it? Yes/No. I don't know. Yes, if people can understand poem, and like that. No if they don't.

P.S. Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical mistakes :)

[Sophie Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a verse book exploring Daphne's grief. Daphne is sad as she has lost her father and the only thing she has left is a message from him on her phone. The book takes place in a library and as it goes on Daphne explores her grief in a magical forest which she escapes to.

When I first started this book, I thought it was brilliant. The poems were clever and I loved how they always made reference to books (because she was in a library) or tress (because her father was a tree surgeon). The poems were rife with emotion and spoke volumes. I really enjoyed the craft Coelho had added to each one.

However, as the book went on, the awe faded and soon each poem blurred into one or they lost their bite. The plot also went very surreal to the point where I could not understand what was happening anymore. The other world she escapes to is written very oddly and at times it was perhaps, a bit too 'artsy' for my taste.

This verse book is great if you look at some of the poems, as they really are an ode to the craft. However, unlike other verse books I have read, the rhythm and storytelling were off or too confusing. I also did not like the illustrations which went with the story. They were not nice to look at. It's not one I would read again or recommend.

[Ms Conway]

Daphne is unbearably sad and adrift. She feels the painful loss of her father acutely and seeks solace both in the security of her local library and the escape her phone screen provides by blocking out the world around her. As Daphne tries to make sense of what has happened she recalls memories of shared times and stories past, and in facing the darkness she finds a way back from the tangle of fear and confusion, to feel connected once more with her friends and family. The Girl Who Became a Tree sees Joseph Coelho deploy a wide variety of poetic forms with consummate skill in its narration of events. He seamlessly but searingly weaves together the ancient legend of Daphne, who was turned into a tree to avoid the attentions of the god Apollo, and a totally modern tale, mixing real-life and fantasy, in which a latter-day Daphne seeks her own freedom. This is a heart-stoppingly imaginative story told in poems, at times bleak and even tragic, which is layered, rich and ultimately a tour de force of poetic skill and energy. (less)

[MISS RACHEL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure I'm supposed to be wowed by this - it's had great reviews and made lots of must-read lists but it's just not my cup of tea.
I like verse novels and I enjoyed some of the word play and the way there were messages embedded in some of the text if you just read the words in bold, for example. However, this felt too complicated - especially for a children's book. I'm perfectly willing to accept that the fault may well lie with me, but I didn't 'get' a fair bit of this. I'm not great with fantasy so a girl going down a secret passage from the Library to the woods and becoming a tree is never going to sit well with me - but there must be an audience for this kind of writing.
I did read it in a rush because I knew it was short enough to read in one sitting and I wanted to finish it while my school library was quiet!
I think the sadness and grief of a child who has been bereaved is an important topic for children's fiction to address (as is the addiction to our mobile phones!) but this one didn't do it for me.

[Xinxia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that 'The Girl Who Became A Tree' was a really interesting story. I think it is interesting because I like the fact that it is so easy to imagine what is happening in the story even though the story is told in poems and most poems are hard to understand. I also like how calm this poem was and how it was based on nature. It is a mixture of a lot of story types like adventure, fantasy, and more. I really enjoyed this book and had to read some pages over and over again as the author added some details that made us feel like we were actually inside the book itself. It was a great experience reading this book and I really enjoyed it! 10/10 recommended for other people who are going to read this too!

[Kirsten Barrett]

I'm really not sure how to rate this...it hit with a punch - but not something I will read again.
Not because it isn't good...but because of the emotional punch it delivered.

I didn't know what to expect...a story told in poetry... but that poetry is what elevates this to something you can ponder, something to think about and analyse. I can't help but think it would be great as a poetry/novel study for older students.

It really is an exploration of grief...a tricky subject and with that it needs to be shared with care. I didn't realise before reading and it hit me hard. The loss. The reflection of my own loss....such a hard read. Powerful.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is clearly an excellent "story told in poems", beautifully written and many of the individual poems brought me close to tears. However, I didn't feel the thread holding the poems together was strong enough. I lost my way several times and had to consciously refocus myself. Admittedly, I also read this alongside the rest of the 2021 Carnegie shortlist and compared it to the other novels in verse, which I loved and couldn't put down. On a side note, I know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover but the cover for this book will make it difficult to promote at school.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled a bit to get into this book but was ultimately satisfied with how it played out. The poems are gorgeous in places, and I found myself rereading a few of them multiple times. So much of what happens early on is confusing, which is frustrating as the reader, but as I read on, I felt like I was sharing the main character's confusion and that helped make her emotions, specifically her grief, feel real. I think this book is one worth rereading, gleaning something new each time, which is probably part of what makes it an award winner.

[Siân · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as part of the Carnegie book award shadowing scheme 2021.

Contains sensitive themes: grief, death

Suitable for: 8+

I normally enjoy verse novels but this one I felt would have been better in prose. The occasional rhyming felt heavy handed and the imagery felt forced. The premise was interesting but the climax and resolution happened very quickly in the last ten pages. I am also not a fan of the illustration style which I don't think would appeal to children either.