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!

The Fouth Goth Girl Novel - Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony

Young Ada Goth returns for her fourth (and final?) adventure in Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony. Author Chris Riddell has given readers an amazing series, both in his writing and his beautiful art throughout each book, and it would truly be a sad thing to see this series come to an end.  But, if this is the end, at least Riddell wraps it up nicely and gives Ada an unexpected surprise that she truly deserves.

 

From the first book in this series, Ada has been struggling to fit in, trying to garner the attention of her always-distracted father, and working hard to grow up without a mother.   She has had to deal with a ghostly mouse, a crazed cook-off, and a ludicrous literary dog show - and now her father has opened the doors to Ghastly-Gorm Hall once again - this time, for a music festival! It's Gothstock, a festival of new music! Maltravers (who, Ada is sure, has his own agenda with this whole thing) is organizing the various musical talents to perform at the festival, and people from all over are on their way to camp out on the spacious Dear Deer Park (yes, that's what it is called, because it is where all the dear deer roam freely) to enjoy the festival. Ada isn't sure what to make of her father's latest project, but that becomes the least of her concerns when she gets two very unexpected surprises...

First, she finds a young fawn sleeping in her closet (he's used to sleeping in wardrobes - those who enjoy reading might figure out what reference Riddell is making here! And, of course, if that is not enough of a clue, how about the young lion cub named Alsatian and the old wardrobe left abandoned in a lonely part of the great Ghostly-Gorm mansion)...

Second, her grandmother, Lord Goth's mother, the one and only Lady Carole, has come for a visit, and she's brought with her three eligible young ladies who are vying for Lord Goth's attention - there's Mademoiselle Badoit; Miss Highland Spring; and Miss Malvern...

Ada and her friends (the Attic Club, including Emily, William, Ruby, Arthur, and Kingsley) aren't really sure what to make of the three potential partners for Ada's father. Quite frankly, Ada isn't too fond of any of them - so she and Emily come up with their own schemes to make them as unattractive as possible to her father.  Thankfully, Lady Carole has brought her own seamstress - the ever-so-talented Tailor Extremely-Swift (yes, yes, the pun is very blunt with this one) - who quickly becomes friends with Ada.

The mystery pretty much plays second-fiddle (no pun intended there) to the outlandish characters - from the various musicians to the silly attendees; Riddell pulls out all of the stops to ensure that the reader giggles, smile, groans, rolls his/her eyes, and outright laughs at the names, descriptions, and antics of these characters. Riddell even pokes a bit of fun at our POTUS, with the orange-faced guest by the name of Donald Ear-Trumpet, whose hair looks like a raccoon-skin hat and who has the tiniest of hands! No one and nothing is off-limits to Riddell's humorous takes on literary, musical, and otherwise famous (and infamous!) people, so if you love to read at all, you will find the Goth Girl series to definitely be to your liking.

The novel ends in the most wondrous way, and fans of Ada Goth will be more than pleased with her change in circumstances. (The ending also pretty much confirms the conclusion of the series, sadly, but I would much prefer for Riddell to wrap up the series than to try and force out more stories when he doesn't really have any more to tell...).  It's been a fun run, and to Riddell, I give the highest praise for a series well-done!

RATING:  10 dinner served by The Frying Scotsman out of 10 for good, clean, fun reading that brings a true smile to your face!

The Third Goth Girl Novel - Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright

Goth Girl is one of those guilty pleasures that you can't help but enjoy, regardless of the fact it is a children's series intended for young readers.  While it may be over 200 pages in length, with full page illustrations pretty nearly every other page, a few two-page spread illustrations, and other illustrations spattered throughout, the actual story itself is likely only 100 pages or less. Regardless, they are fun tales with a perky little protagonist (Ada Goth) who stumbles onto mysteries within her unusual and weird homestead that she must solve with the help of her friends (the "Attic Club"). But, there is something else that brings a smile to my face with each book that I read:

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne (the Vicarage sisters)
Sir Walter Splott
Plain Austen
William Timepiece Thackeray
Georgie Eliot
Homily Dickinson
Hands Christmas Andersen
Countess Pippi Shortstocking

I'm sure, just by reading those names, you are either (a) grinning, (b) groaning, (c) rolling your eyes, and/or (d) all of the above! For me, though, it is the author's twist on the literary giants that give these books part of their charm. Author Chris Riddell (who also provides all of the illustrations throughout the book) has taken the timeless concept of a young girl with only one parent who loves to solve mysteries and given it a unique spin.  The stories are humorous, poke fun at stereotypes, and manage to weave some pretty intricate little mysteries into such a short amount of story. I'd say that makes for one very talented writer!

This time around, Ada's father, the Lord Goth, has agreed to play host at his estate to the Ghastly-Gorm Hall literary dog show. World-famous authors (whose names have been tampered with to protect the originals!) gather together at Ghastly-Gorm Hall to show off their precious canines in a show to top all dog shows. At the same time, Ada's best friend, Emily Cabbage, and her chameleon brother, William (and yes, he really does have the ability to blend in with his surroundings) come for a visit during their school break, bringing with them some friends of theirs. Before you can say, "Good dog," there's a mystery that Ada and her friends must solve.

Strange howls in the night are scaring Ruby Kipling (the maid), and mysterious prints in the snow that start out human and end in paw prints have Ada and her friends stumped. Plus, the three seemingly trained monkeys that are helping Emily and William's father with his creation of his "Cogwheel Brain" seem to be going in and out of the library quite a bit.  Throw in a cheating butler, a free-spirited bully, and the looming threat of having her friends and their father kicked out of the house, and you've got a fun-filled supernatural tale of ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and things that go bump in the night! What could be more Gothic than that?

Riddell keeps a good pacing with the story, he continues to develop the characters by building on prior books and the experiences therein, but at the same time, any of these books are easily readable o their own.  This is a series I would highly recommend to anyone who wants a break away from the serious and dark mysteries that mirror the state of today's world - and find some escape in a gloomy castle filled with all kinds of stories, creatures, and settings that will make you smile and sometimes even laugh out loud!

RATING:  10 stealthily stolen Christmas baubles out of 10 for keeping it fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable!

The Second Goth Girl Novel - Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death

"Fete" is an old English word, meaning party or celebration, usually describing outdoor festivals.  It is pronounced the same as "fate," and thus, as soon as you read the title for this second book in the Goth Girl series, you know you are in for a real treat.  I mean, let's face it:

Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death

With a title like that, what's not to love?  And, as with the first book, author and illustrator, Chris Riddell, fills this mystery with plenty of puns, unusual names, and countless literary references (such as the cabinet-making faun, Mr. Tumnus, and his apprentice, Lucy).  And for those completely unfamiliar with our protagonist, Ada Goth is the daughter of Lord Goth, and they reside in the somewhat-stately, overly-unusual, and always-outlandish Ghastly-Gorm Hall.  Ada's mother died some years ago, and until the end of the first book, Lord Goth could barely even acknowledge his daughter, as she reminded him so much of Lady Goth.  But after Ada helped the Ghost of a Mouse prevent a tragedy in the first mystery, Lord Goth has begun to see his daughter as the bright, young, talented girl that she is.

And so we come to this second mystery, in which Riddell introduces the reader to the annual Full-Moon Fete, which, by chance, Lord Goth finds to be very boring and rarely, if ever, enjoys.  But, as the villagers love the festival, Lord Goth opens his home each year for the unique event.  Only, this year, there is to be some added events - such as the Great Ghastly-Gorm Bake Off, the artistry of the Twee Raffelites, and the Transalvanian Carnival of the Glum-Stokers (that would be Vlad, his wife Glad, and his two children, Mlad and Blad).

But something is off about this year's festival.  Ada begins to wonder what Maltravers, the indoor gamekeeper, is up to.  He seems to be keeping a lot of secrets (which is nothing new), but when he harbors the night-grocers in a hidden room in the basement and seems to be welcoming a number of uninvited guests to this year's fete, she has to do something.  But her father is out of town, and all of her friends (the members of the Attic Club - what happens in the attic, stays in the attic!) are all busy helping get the Hall ready for the upcoming events.  Even her new governess, Lucy Borgia, has suddenly found eyes only for the elegant Lord Sydney Whimsey, who has come to Ghastly-Gorm to oversee the set-up of this year's Full-Moon Fete.  So how is she going to get to the bottom of the mysterious goings-on before it's too late?

And did I mention that Ada finally comes face to face with Marylebone, her lady's maid - who turns out to be a shy bear?  No, literally, I mean it.  She's a real bear!  Who happens to have received a letter from a long-lost love who has made his way in the world and is finally able to give Marylebone the life she deserves.  But how can this lady's maid go off into the world and marry the man (bear?) she loves, when she is so shy that she can't even leave the large closet in Ada's room?

Oh, and lest I forget, Ada's birthday happens to be the date after the Full Moon Fete - the big question is: will anyone remember it (particularly since no one has remembered it since her mother died)?

I would definitely rate this series on part with the Oz, Narnia, and other classic series of the same sort, with its over-the-top, unusually-serious, fun-natured storytelling and beautifully rendered internal illustrations.  I recommend this to anyone who loves not only mysteries or Gothic tales, but just plain ol' good stories to read!

RATING:  10 overly ornamental fountains out of 10 for good, old-fashion whimsical silliness that is presented totally serious and straightforward, making it so worth the read!

The First Goth Girl Novel - Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse

Take the Oz books - mix it up with a bit of Gothic tales - throw in a bit of Nancy Drew for good measure - and what you'll end up with is the first Goth Girl mystery!  Honestly, I can't recall how I came across this series (that seems to happen a lot lately - although I think this was another series I stumbled across on Amazon), but I am definitely glad I did.  This first book, The Ghost of a Mouse, was a fun read with likable characters, a well-plotted mystery, and some truly gorgeous illustrations.

I'm not really familiar with the author, Chris Riddell, but I have to give him props.  He not only knows how to tell a great story, but he knows how to make his characters spring to live and, like L. Frank Baum did in his Oz books, Riddell draws you into the most outrageous situations with some very unbelievable characters who you have no problem accepting without question.

The "Goth Girl" in the title refers to the protagonist, Ada Goth, who lives in the stately (and somewhat off-beat) Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father, Lord Goth.  Her mother, Parthenope (gotta love these names!), died in a tragic accident when she fell from the roof of the estate while practicing her tight-rope walking skills (you have to read it to understand it).  Poor Ada has gone through a number of governesses, all of whom have left or disappeared for one reason or another, and she is forced to deal with her father's rather eclectic staff - Maltravers, the indoor gameskeeper, and Mrs. Beat'em, the cook.  There were a whole crew of maids and lady servants, but none of them were allowed to speak to Ada.

The mystery begins when Ada is visited by the ghost of a mouse named Ishmael who was killed in a mouse trap set by Maltravers.  When Ada discovers where the trap was set, it sets in motion a mystery surrounding the "broken wing" of the house that is in complete disrepair; the heretobefore never heard of "even more secret garden" that is hidden away within the secret garden behind the house; the mysterious pheasants to be used in the upcoming hunt held every year by Lord Goth; the stranger-than-normal actions of Maltravers; and the secret that is hidden in the Bathroom of Zeus (just trust me on this - it really is a room in the house).  And while Ada thinks she is in this alone, she soon discovers that there are other children in the house - there are William and Emily Cabbage, the children of the inventor, Charles Cabbage, who came to Ghastly-Gorm Hall to build a calculating machine for Lord Goth (and who Lord Goth promptly forgot was there); there is Arthur Halford, who is the hobby-horse groom; and there is Kingsley, the chimney caretaker who was promoted when the prior chimney sweep left with a former governess of Ada's (hmmmm, a governess who falls for a chimney sweep?  yes, there are tons of literary references and nods to other great works scattered throughout the book - yet one more reason to enjoy it!).

The "Attic Club" as the kids are known, since they regularly meet in the attic to avoid being seen by or disturbing the inhabitants of the great house, allow Ada to join them, and together they set out to solve the mystery.  They soon learn, however, that time is running out - for there are lives at stake, and they must find a solution before the great hunt takes place!

According to the copyright page, Chris Riddell is not only the author, but also the illustrator of this enjoyable work of art.  There are numerous illustrations throughout the book, and they truly enhance the reading of and love for the story.  Visuals for all the characters, humans and non-humans alike, are given in full detail, and there is even a map of the entire Ghastly-Gorm Hall so you can keep track of all the unusual places Ada and her friends traverse (like the Alpine Gnome Rockery, the Dear-Deer Park, the Overly Ornamental Fountain, and so on).

If you love letting your imagination run wild while you are reading, and you love a well-written mystery with humor and Gothic undertones, then you will absolutely love this first Goth Girl book!

RATING:  10 psychic governess agencies out of 10 for a superb beginning to an unusual new mystery series that will definitely pique the interest of any aged reader!