The In-Between Goth Girl Novel - Goth Girl and the Pirate Queen

I don't normally read series books out of order, but I did not discover this little gem until after I had read the four-book Goth Girl series by the super-talented Chris Riddell.  For those who are not in the know, Goth Girl is a series of fun mystery tales starring young Ada Goth, who father, Lord Goth, owns Ghastly-Gorm Hall.  Over the course of the four books, Ada has made friends with Kinglsey (the chimney caretaker), Emily Cabbage (her best friend) and her brother William (who has the uncanny ability to blend in with his background), and Arthur Halford (the hobby-horse groom).  These youngsters have formed the Attic Club, and they have been instrumental in helping Ada solve the mysteries that seem to abound in and around Ghastly-Gorm Hall.

Goth Girl and the Pirate Queen is a short story (at only 81 pages) that takes place between books 2 (The Fete Worse Than Death) and 3 (The Wuthering Fright).  It appears to have been written and published as a part of the 2015 World Book Day celebration.  Having never heard of this (yes, it's true - World Book Day was a mystery to me at this point!), I looked it up and discovered that World Book Day is a charity that operates in the United Kingdom and Ireland, created back in 1995 as a way to celebrate books and reading, and to encourage young people to read.  More information about this celebration can be found online at their website, World Book Day.

 

Thus, I opened this special edition of Goth Girl with much anticipation, as I had truly enjoyed the series and was missing the fun and completely outrageous Goth Girl.  In this particular story, Ada Got is a guest of Lady George, who received a coveted invitation to attend the Prince Regent's World Frock Day Ball (in which the ladies of the land show off the most unique and sometimes horrific creations in hopes of impressing the oversized Prince).  Lord Goth provides his daughter with the money to buy a splendid new dress, but through a series of mishaps and misdirections, the money is stolen and Ada is left without a dress - but a chance meeting with a real, live pirate queen leads her to a navy surplus store where she comes up with the perfect idea to not only find a new dress, but to help save the businesses of two fledgling store-owners!

One of my favorite things about this Goth Girl series are the various names that Riddell gives his characters.  You have the Goth family's cook, Mrs. Beat'em; you've got Tristram Shandy gentleman, "the most fashionable man in England (p. 13); there's also the beach beddler, Dowdy O'Dodds; Roald, the parrot (hmmm, perhaps in honor of author Roald Dahl?); then there's Willamina Wonkers, the confectioner (a la Willie Wonka, the candy man!); and we musn't forget the pirate queen's mother, Victoria Frankenfurt (yeah, you can figure that one out); oh, I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the D'Uberville builders, Tess ... and Beau Peep and his little lamb, Charles ... and Horatia Hornblow, the woman who runs the Navy Surplus Store ... it always manages to keep a smile on my face as I read the Goth Girl stories and catch the numerous puns Riddell plays with his characters' names.  This is only one of the many things that makes his stories so enjoyable to read.

And while there's not really much of a mystery to this one (it's more of an "Ada helps out Hornblow and Wonkers to become successful with their clothing and candy stores, respectively" kind of tale), it's always a treat to follow along with Ada as she stumbles into another adventure.  This one may be short and sweet (pun intended!), but it is definitely on part with the four full-length stories and definitely one that is not to be missed.

 

Oh, and I can't wrap up this post without mentioning the beautiful interior illustrations so masterfully rendered by Riddell himself.  They add character to the tale, and they are so unique in style that I long for more - wishing Riddell would do a full-length comic book story of Goth Girl and her ghastly cast of supporting characters - THAT would be an instant best-seller, no doubt!

RATING:  10 sticks of rock out of 10 for giving this reader an extra dose of the enjoyable treat that is Goth Girl!