maireador20's review
3.0
3.5/5 (extra .5 for the bonus microbook on the back cover - a fun, rhyming companion to the main story detailling the ghost mouse's life before his untimely demise)
This quirky story is suitable for confident readers aged 8+ who enjoy atmospheric, fantastical tales. With beautiful illustrations, detailled descriptions and literary references throughout I can see this becoming a firm favourite with children who are fans of ghost stories, mysteries and adventure books. I look forward to reading more from the series.
This quirky story is suitable for confident readers aged 8+ who enjoy atmospheric, fantastical tales. With beautiful illustrations, detailled descriptions and literary references throughout I can see this becoming a firm favourite with children who are fans of ghost stories, mysteries and adventure books. I look forward to reading more from the series.
avsfan08's review
5.0
The physical book is absolutely gorgeous. I loved all the literary and historical references many of which made me giggle. An enjoyable read, although would have liked to have seen a little more of Ishmael, but his memoirs are an added bonus.
paper_mache's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
spookshow's review
5.0
4.5 stars.
Wow, I wish that these sorts of books were around when I was a little girl.
This story is the first in a small series which follows Goth girl, or Ada, and her adventures. We meet Ada, the sole daughter of Lord Goth, who lives at Ghastly-Gorm hall. Her mother was a tightrope walker who died during a storm, and her father cannot stand to see her. She must wear these big clomping shoes so that her father hears her but doesn't see her. Ada is thrown into a mystery of sorts when she is visited one night by the ghost of a mouse, Ishmael. He is sad because he is a ghost, but he can't seem to move on. This meeting unravels a mystery to do with the gamekeeper and the upcoming annual even that Lord Goth holds, which consists of a hobby-horse race, followed by an indoor hunt where at the end, the pheasants are released unharmed. Ada meets many other children and creatures in her exploration of this giant mansion as she searches for the truth.
This was such a fun children's book. The characters were well written and the illustrations throughout the book were a wonderful addition. I love that this is a mystery for children, but can still sweep away an adults imagination at the same time. I will more than likely continue buying this series, and hopefully my nephews are interested in them when they get a bit older. I would love to be able to share this with them.
Wow, I wish that these sorts of books were around when I was a little girl.
This story is the first in a small series which follows Goth girl, or Ada, and her adventures. We meet Ada, the sole daughter of Lord Goth, who lives at Ghastly-Gorm hall. Her mother was a tightrope walker who died during a storm, and her father cannot stand to see her. She must wear these big clomping shoes so that her father hears her but doesn't see her. Ada is thrown into a mystery of sorts when she is visited one night by the ghost of a mouse, Ishmael. He is sad because he is a ghost, but he can't seem to move on. This meeting unravels a mystery to do with the gamekeeper and the upcoming annual even that Lord Goth holds, which consists of a hobby-horse race, followed by an indoor hunt where at the end, the pheasants are released unharmed. Ada meets many other children and creatures in her exploration of this giant mansion as she searches for the truth.
This was such a fun children's book. The characters were well written and the illustrations throughout the book were a wonderful addition. I love that this is a mystery for children, but can still sweep away an adults imagination at the same time. I will more than likely continue buying this series, and hopefully my nephews are interested in them when they get a bit older. I would love to be able to share this with them.
pussreboots's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
flamewings307's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mekeisha's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
woolfardis's review
4.0
Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father whom she barely sees or talks to, Lord Goth, along with lots of servants and several ghosts. Each day she trudges around Ghastly-Gorm Hall in ginormous boots because her father believes that children should be "heard and not seen". One night, Ada wakes up to the sound of a ghost mouse squeaking and they both set out to explore the mysterious goings on...
Not gonna lie, this was a cover-buy and I'm so glad of it. I first heard of Chris Riddell through Waterstones on Twitter when he became the Children's Laureate and I instantly fell in love with his drawing style. It was a few months later that I found out he had some books out, too.
Illustrated and written by Riddell, Goth Girl tells of Ada Goth (based on Ada Lovelace in a sense) and her home, Ghastly-Gorm Hall. It has English literature puns and references galore, though some take a bit of working out as Riddell has taken some liberty with them. The story itself is fairly simply, though I am delighted to say that it is not written in that awful style you sometimes get with children's books where the author is talking down to their intended audience because, as everyone knows, children are stupid. It is neither patronising nor simple, it is simply a delight.
The illustrations are what make it, and of course they should be. I spent a lot of the time when reading this by playing with the reflective light around the edges of the gilt pages. There's little characterisation that isn't on the surface and the world-building is simply the house and it's gardens, but I honestly believe that if you pick this up expecting anything more you deserve to be disappointed. It is beautiful in every sense of the word and the story is a great way to introduce children (and, indeed, adults) to a lot of the Victorian-era popular figures of literature and other areas.
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Not gonna lie, this was a cover-buy and I'm so glad of it. I first heard of Chris Riddell through Waterstones on Twitter when he became the Children's Laureate and I instantly fell in love with his drawing style. It was a few months later that I found out he had some books out, too.
Illustrated and written by Riddell, Goth Girl tells of Ada Goth (based on Ada Lovelace in a sense) and her home, Ghastly-Gorm Hall. It has English literature puns and references galore, though some take a bit of working out as Riddell has taken some liberty with them. The story itself is fairly simply, though I am delighted to say that it is not written in that awful style you sometimes get with children's books where the author is talking down to their intended audience because, as everyone knows, children are stupid. It is neither patronising nor simple, it is simply a delight.
The illustrations are what make it, and of course they should be. I spent a lot of the time when reading this by playing with the reflective light around the edges of the gilt pages. There's little characterisation that isn't on the surface and the world-building is simply the house and it's gardens, but I honestly believe that if you pick this up expecting anything more you deserve to be disappointed. It is beautiful in every sense of the word and the story is a great way to introduce children (and, indeed, adults) to a lot of the Victorian-era popular figures of literature and other areas.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy