Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse: 03/09/23

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell (2013) is the start of the Goth Girl series. I bought a copy at a bookstore in Cambridge, England, on our 2015 trip. And then stuff happened and the book got shelved, forgotten about until this year.

Ada Goth lives with her father, the lord of Gashly-Gorm manor. He is still grieving the death of his beloved wife and has therefore put constraints on Ada's life, particularly the order that she wear loud, stompy boots so she can be heard (and not seen).

The book opens with Ada meeting the ghost of a mouse recently dispatched by a mousetrap. Together she's introduced to the children of staff who live at the manor that she has so far not had the chance to interact with. With her new living friends she learns of untoward things happening in relation to the upcoming metaphorical bicycle race and indoor game hunt.

Much of the plot, guests and jokes are built around poking fun at Victorian literature, tropes, and traditions. You don't have to know them to enjoy the book but familiarity with them makes the book extra silly.

Like the Ottoline books, this one is intricately illustrated throughout. Some pages just need extra time to take in the artwork and all the added details.

The second book is Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death (2014), which sounds like a Midsomer Murders title.

Five stars

Comments (0)