Agata de Gotici e il fantasma del topo

Goth Girl #1

by Chris Riddell, Pico Floridi (Translator)

Agata De Gotici vive in un enorme e spettrale palazzo con suo papà e una schiera di personaggi bizzarri e misteriosi. Una sera, l'incontro con il topolino fantasma Ismaele scatena una serie di imprevedibili eventi. E fra indagini, inseguimenti e piani segreti, Agata, insieme ai nuovi amici del Club della Soffitta, dovrà sventare un pericoloso intrigo.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Gothic, Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

219 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2013

About the author

Chris Riddell was born in Cape Town, South Africa, where his father was an Anglican priest and a member of the ANC. The family moved to England in 1963, when Riddell was one year old, and he spent his childhood in a number of different locations, as his father moved between parishes. Both of Riddell's parents continued to be active in the anti-apartheid movement.

Chris Riddell is an internationally acclaimed writer and illustrator whose many awards include the Nestlé Gold Award and two Kate Greenaway Medals—the most prestigious prize for illustration in the UK. He is the creator of more than one hundred books for all ages, including the immensely popular series the Edge Chronicles and his latest chapter book series, starring the irrepressible Ottoline Brown, which School Library Journal called "exceptional." Chris lives in Brighton, England, with his wife and three children where he invents his amazing characters in a very tidy shed in his yard.

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ada Goth lives with her father in a castle. Her father mostly avoids her, because she reminds him too much of her late mother. What she likes to do is explore the castle at night. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have any friends to explore it with. But what the castle does have, is ghosts. One day, she meets the ghost of a mouse who tells her about a suspicious mouse trap in the broken and abandoned part of the castle. It’s a mystery worth solving for the young nightly explorer. And while exploring the castle, she meets some new friends.


Chris Riddell is of course the illustrator of the brilliant Edge Chronicles, so I already knew in advance that the illustrations here would be top-notch. His illustrations capture the essence of the gothic castle atmosphere and elevate the story at hand.


The exploratory plot works quite well here as the setting provides Ada with a lot of fascinating places to explore and interesting characters to meet. It can feel quite random and episodic at times as the plot doesn’t advance much most of the time. But all the individual story threads come together quite well at the end.


It’s a sweet and charming little cozy paranormal mystery in an atmospheric setting.

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

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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[Sassy Sedusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because I wanted to read a book with a goth character. I checked this book out from the library and I was stunned at how beautiful the book looked. The story was fun and wonderful as well.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

an inspired masterpiece

meet Goth Girl, daughter of Lord Goth, who happens to be a lonely widower, mourning for his long dead lovely wife and can't stand to face his daughter - yeah, it reminds of the Secret Garden! Throughout the book you will find plenty of references from well known books plus a story well said by its own!

Also, the edition is amazing (I read the one with the purple pages!!!)

I will absolutely read the next book as well!

[Stacey | prettybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Riddell is one of my favourite illustrators, and Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is the first book I've read that's both written and illustrated by him. It's gorgeous, with wonderful pictures, silver foil, shiny purple edges, and a tiny book hidden at the back. But the story inside is also stunning!

Ada Goth lives in the beautifully elaborate Ghastly-Gorm Hall. She shares her home with almost absent father and famous cycling poet, Lord Goth. Ada is content, although she would love to have friends her own age – she's a little bit lonely. That is, until she meets an incredibly talented duo: William and Emily Cabbage. William and Emily are the children of servants, and Ada is honoured to be invited to their secret Attic Club. Together, the children must work to solve the mystery goings-on at Ghastly-Gorm Hall. What is Maltravers – the sinister indoor gamekeeper – doing in his spare time? What is Ishmael's – the ghost mouse who haunts Ada – purpose? And why have so many mythical creatures been captured? Goth Girl introduces us to the comedic characters and beautiful surroundings that Ada and friends come across during their ambitious expedition.

Goth Girl is extravagant; full of quirky characters, lots of adventure, and ingenious footnotes (explanations and definitions written under an illustration of a tiny severed foot!). From Mary Shelley to Jane Ear, it has many wonderful references for people of all ages. Literary puns and jokes are clearly some of Chris Riddell's favourite things – Goth Girl is full of them! I only wish we had seen more of the very sweet ghost mouse. Ishmael was adorable. As with every time I pick up an illustrated children's book, it makes me wish all fiction had pictures for us to enjoy alongside the story.

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is a brilliantly hilarious and imaginative story for children and adults alike. I'm very much looking forward to reading Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death and Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fight . I hope we get to go on more adventures with William and Emily Cabbage and the rest of the Attic Club!

I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.

[Roya · Rating 4 out of 5]

In case I haven't said it enough times, The Edge Chronicles is my favourite series ever. I love it way more than Harry Potter (yes I went there). I first read it about six years ago and again last year. I won't be surprised if I do it again one day. Chris Riddell's illustrations make the story even richer for me, so to read a book that he didn't just illustrate but also wrote is plain awesome.



Illustrations from Clash of the Sky Galleons.

I got this as a birthday present last year from a Goodreads friend and I finally got around to reading it! (But honestly most of the books I want to read on my bookshelf have been lying there for years because I'm never in the mood or whatever.) I'm a huge fan of children's books and this one is lovely. Aside from currently being the prettiest book I own (kudos to my Kindle for stopping pretty books, or really books in general, from being on my shelf), the story is pretty good too.



Also, Ghastly-Gorm Hall is too cool for words. When I die, please bury me on its grounds. Not kidding about that.

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. This is a series I want to own. The Illustrations are wonderful with a gothic flair, everything is wild and frenetic. The characters are all quirky which is where I live. This could easily be a Tim Burton movie a la Beetlejuice or Nightmare before Christmas. How often is there a hobby horse race in a book. Ada wears some excellent cloths too, I wouldn't mind raiding her closet. This story is whimsical and a little creepy and I totally root for Ada. Plus, the house is pretty awesome too. Chris also uses many authors name from history to twist into the name of a character such as Mary Shellfish who is also a writer and wrote the monster. I love little details like this.

This is my bailiwick. I am a Goth Girl fan now and can't wait to read more. People who like whimsical, quirky characters with unusual settings and characters, who like ghosts and ghouls should enjoy this little quick read.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

a quick and wonderful story, amazing drawing.
perfect for bedtimes.
and the extra story so cute.

[Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sterne für die Illustraionen. Die Story war okay, die Einfälle kreativ.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most BEAUTIFUL books I've ever come across, with dazzling metallic and rich purple edged pages, with a lovely designed hardback cover!

The full title for this book is `Goth Girl And The Ghost Of A Mouse', but to be honest, I don't really know why the mouse part has been included as it's very misleading; it would in my opinion have been much better to have been simply called `Goth Girl' as this is really who the story is about - the mouse hardly features at all, and for a good portion of the book is not even mentioned... It's a shame, as the mouse (apart from the girl) is the very first character to appear in the story which leads one to believe that he's quite important to the story - but the plot has little if anything at all to do with this poor little creature, which is a real shame... There is a `mini' book tucked inside the back cover about this pretty pointless character which is rather a sweet and novel idea - but this is a bit of an odd thing to do, and if anything really should be read before the main book to give the reader some background on the mouse character, but as said earlier, to no real purpose since he has such a little place in the main story.

This is a crazy - zany kind of a book that is really fun to read, and as it progresses, it becomes crazier and zanier still, until the last few chapters and the end of the story when it almost becomes nonsensical as it reaches its crescendo!

As some have already said; much of the writing, jokes and play on words would be lost on most children as they would be simply too young to `get it' or understand them, and so this is rather an odd book all round... Not quite sure what age group it is really aimed at - still a great and fun read though, but am undecided myself yet as to whether I shall be purchasing the follow up.

NOTE: Drawings and illustrations are quite fabulous!

[Arie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything about this book is gorgeous. The metallic purple page edges; the perfectly gaudy, glittery shiny silver skull patterned end-papers; the "footnotes" written by a famous foot; the little mouse memoirs in a mini book tucked into the back; and of course Riddell's perfect illustrations throughout.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if this had a plot. It doesn't even matter. It's more of an exquisite line-up of progressively odder and more wonderful characters, with a few threads tying it all together. If I have one criticism, it is that too much necessary time is spent describing the physical attributes of each character, when the drawings more than suffice - a minor complaint.

[Jenny / Wondrous Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is one of the best children's books I've read this year. Possibly *the* best. Aside from its truly beautiful presentation, it's a fantastic gothic story with unusual characters, clever writing and amazing illustrations. The whole package really is a work of art.

Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her strange father, Lord Goth, numerous ghosts and an array of servants. One night the ghost of a mouse called Ishmael shows up, explaining that he'd been killed in a mouse trap and was no destined to roam Ghastly-Gorm Hall forever. What he doesn't know is that there's trouble afoot, and he and Ada are the only ones who can solve the mystery.

I absolutely loved Ishmael, especially his own little book included as an extra at the back of Goth Girl. It's the story of his travels, titled Memoirs of a Mouse, and tells the story of how he found his way to Ghastly-Gorm Hall. I wish he'd been featured in the main book more; he's definitely my favourite! Ada is great too, inquisitive and brave and not at all afraid of the many ghosties haunting her house. Also, she has terrible luck with governesses!

This book is so well illustrated that nothing and no-one is left to the imagination. I particularly enjoyed being able to see Ishmael, Ada and the other creatures in the story, and it certainly helps when trying to visualise the gothic, dark surroundings. I'm a big fan of illustrated books, mainly because that extra element adds a certain magic not found in normal, text-only novels. It's also a treat to see an author's own illustrations, which in this case are as much a part of the story as the words.

I don't know whether Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is the start of a series or a standalone novel, but I hope it's the former. I would love to return to Ghastly-Gorm Hall and see what Ada's up to and whether her new governess, Lucy Borgia, is still there and struggling with an aversion to garlic. This book is perfect for anyone who has read and enjoyed Marcus Sedgwick's The Raven Mysteries, or anyone who just likes a brilliant story. Well done, Chris Riddell!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely amazing! I love Chris Riddell and the book as a whole is another masterpiece of his! Stunningly beautiful, super cute and an amazing children's story, I highly recommend and you give this a read.

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. The references are epic and the illustrations are stunning.

[Gem (The Creepy Geek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a weird, fantastical, adorable read and I loved it!

[Ksenia (vaenn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книжечка формату "Обожеякапрєлєсть!". На голову чергової старосвітської історії про маленьку сирітку у великому маєтку (байдужий батько, суворі слуги, легіон гувернанток, випадково зустрінуті дорогоцінні друзі) Кріс Ріддел щедро виливає все. Тобто практично всі ключові культурні штампи ХІХ-початку ХХ століття. Скажімо, це й само по собі було б абсолютно прекрасно. Привид мишеняти, яке каже: "Зви мене Ізмаїлом", гувернанткова феєрія, лорд Ґот - винищувач садових гномів, типове Something Nasty в... ні, не в дровітні, у льодовні, але в нього на те вагомі причини, а альбатрос, який там альбатрос! - і десятки інших пам'ятних англоманському серцю дрібничок. Але тут ще й поклали нормальний виховний сюжет, банальнуватий, так, але інакше не можна було. І головне - Ріддел це все ще й проілюстрував. То от яке воно на вигляд - маленьке книгоманське щастячко.

[Nima Kohandani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations: 5
The story: maybe 3.

a linear plot without any particularly exciting stuff.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is the first book in a new fantasy series for me, written by Chris Riddell. I saw a frJiend's review of the 4th book in the series and it intrigued me enough to order the first book. Since Fantasy is my September Focus (yes, I'm a few days early... lol), this fit in perfectly. What an enjoyable, fascinating book. It brings to mind other imaginative fantasy works like Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's and Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series, and others.

Basically Goth Girl is Ada Goth a young girl living with her father in Ghastly Gorm-Hall. Her mother was an acrobat and died while high wire walking. Because Ada reminds Lord Goth so much of his wife, he hides Ada away. A child must be heard and not seen. He wants her to walk about Gorm-Hall in loud boots so he can hide when he hears her. He only has one meal a week with her. Ada has gone through a number of nannies but they never last. Not because Ada isn't nice, but because of them. She will get a new one during this particular story. I'll let you meet her.

So in this first story, Ada meets the Ghost of a Mouse of the title, one called... wait for it.... Ishmael.. Get it.. call me Ismael!!! She also meets two other children who are living at Gorm Hall. Lord Goth has a habit of inviting people and forgetting he did so. Emily is an excellent artist and William is a chameleon (he can blend with his background). The two introduce Ada to the Attic Club, a group of young servants who meet in the attic to chat and such. They will become close friends and helpers to Ada in a time of need. As well there are various creatures and ghosts which haunt Gorm Hall that make it an even more interesting place.

Ada and friends get involved in a mystery, why is the man-servant hiding mystical creatures all through Gorm Hall and what will they have to do with the annual Metaphorical Bicycle Race and the Indoor Hunt? Does all of this intrigue you? Well it should. And if that is not enough, the story has wonderful characters and great drawings throughout. Ada Goth is a lovely girl and the whole place is just such a great imaginative creation. And for a bonus there is a small supplement story in a pocket of the hard cover, the story of Ishmael Mouse. Intrigued? Try it. (4.5 stars)

[Abdollah zarei · Rating 3 out of 5]

تصویرگری خاص، داستانی متوسط و به سبک گیمن

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 wowzas / 5

Delightful and quirky, this is a book that I NEED up on my favourites shelf! Apart from being extremely aesthetically pleasing with mink purple page borders, a built-in bookmark, glossy reflective cover, and a mini-book at the back that's absolutely adorable, just absolutely everything within the pages themselves is entirely GORGEOUS! There are drawings on almost every page of this tale, each of them in that quirky Gothic style that I enjoyed staring at almost as much as I enjoyed the story itself. And boy oh boy does it deliver above and beyond!

On the surface, this may seem like a children's book, and both the aesthetic and surplus of illustrations support this. However, I say that this is not so, as there are a VAST number of clever literary references put in for comedic and atmospheric effect that, quite honestly, I think only an older teenager and adults should be expected to know. Would a child have read Jane Eyre or Moby Dick or Dracula or Frankenstein or Gulliver's Travels or know who Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and so on are? I. Think. NOT. Therefore, say what you will, but I think that Chris Riddell intended this for a universal audience--not just for children alone.

Or, if someone insists that it's still a children's book at heart, let me put it this way: it's a book for intelligent children, meant to both educate and introduce them to advanced literary works as well as entertain them. Everyone happy?

I most certainly am. Delightful, fantastic, and with a spot of instant prestige on my shelves! As, if only all authors put this much effort into making their books equally as aesthetic, maybe we'd all be staring at our shelves and picking up books all day--and not just us bibliophiles in our corners. As it is though, we must simply appreciate such gems when they come along, and leave it at that.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5 stars

Whilst this is not the best children's book I have ever read, it was entertaining and a quick and easy read. There was also a lot of fun to be had in spotting the numerous references to other works of literature and popular culture which are dotted throughout the text. It's also a really aesthetically pleasing book complete with foil end papers, shiny purple-edged pages, some great illustrations and a separate memoir at the end written by the titular ghost mouse.

[verbava · Rating 4 out of 5]

навіть якби це була просто іще одна історія про дівчинку-яка-всіх-врятувала, вона була б дуже мила. але тут – іронічне осмислення готичного роману, напхане тьмою алюзій до вікторіанської культури, від лорда гота, який mad, bad and dangerous to gnomes, до трьохсотлітньої гувернантки міс борджа, яку колись пристрасно покусав вусатий скрипаль влад (а парасолька, яка в неї парасолька! окей, не тільки до вікторіанської). і всі ці образи аж попискують від радості опинитись у невеличкому тексті рідделла.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight. With children's books, you never know exactly what you might get - sometimes, they're stories that children love, but adults don't really feel. At other times, they're stories of adventure which sound very dangerous and irresponsible to adults. But "Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse" is charming. The plot is simple, but it works, and the details are the ones that give it charm.

It's an illustrated book, and I have to say, Chris Riddell's art is an absolute delight. His characters are vivid and seem to come alive on the page, and his style is just perfect for a goth-themed book.

And also, wow - the cast of quirky characters Ada Goth encounters is charming on its own, but it becomes even better as an adult, because you can recognize the literary references all over the place, going from Frankestein, to Moby Dick, to Dracula, and more.

And as for Ada herself, she's delightful, brave and sensible. She's everything she should be and more.

[Mia 🌱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just such a beautiful read! The illustrations, as all Ridell's drawings are, are magnificent. The book itself was so beautifully put together; the shiny purple pages, the decorative skull printed pages, and especially the pocket of a mini-sized book in the end!

The story was so engaging and adorable. I loved the characters, and the general atmosphere. What struck me most was perhaps the prose, which I really liked, because to me, it was vaguely reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's style of writing.

I found the many literary references so cute, and a few of them were funny. I think the book shouldn't be limited as being a 'children's book' because it's one of those few amazing ones that don't feel as if they can just be pigeon-holed into one specific category or target audience.

Amazing book for a light read.

[Rissie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book won an award?!! I don't get it. The story was frantic and jumpy, the characters were underdeveloped, and the mouse (from the *title*) has no meaningful role in the plot. It seems that the author was trying so hard to make the book fun and quirky that he forgot about substance.

BUT, the illustrations were fun, so I'll give it two stars.

Also, I still plan to pass this book on to my 11 year old niece. If she likes it, I will consider changing my opinion.

[Αταλάντη Ευριπίδου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant and one of the most beautiful and well-done editions I've read in a long while. I seldom read children's literature but, when I do, I like to read the sort that do not consider young readers stupid. "Goth Girl" is definitely among those and I adored every wonderful, funny page of it and every candy-goth illustration.

[Reem · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable, heartwarming quick read! I loved all the references to all the classic literary works and characters. And Chris Riddell's gorgeous illustrations were just the cherry on top.

[Hulda Kristín Hauksdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

spectacular… showstopping.. elska hana svo mikið var alltaf að hlægja upphátt af öllum silly refrencunum og stíllinn hans chris riddel er svo mikið uppáhaldið mitt í heiminum… for fans of ottólína og gula kisan mæli heilshugar með þessari

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein wunderschön gestaltetes Buch, mit einem hinreißendem Buchschnitt und zauberhaften Illustrationen macht es schon haptisch große Freude, das Buch zur Hand zu nehmen.  Schon im zweiten Kapitel wanderte der zweite Band auf die Wunschliste.

Fortlaufend musste ich ob der literarischen Anspielungen grinsen. Gegen Ende der Lektüre gab es noch eine großartige Überraschung.

Ich freue mich bereits jetzt auf ein Wiedersehen mit Ada und ihren herrlichen düsteren Abenteuern.

[Anu-vinkkari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aargh! Mä niin odotin tätä ja ensilukemalla hienoinen pettymys. Olisin toivonut helppolukuista fantasiaa, sellaista kivaa ja kaunista sisäänheittokirjaa. Sitä tämä ei ollut.
No, kirjassa oli kyllä ihan poikkeuksellisen kauniit kannet ja runsas ja yksityiskohtainen kuvitus. Tarina taas ei ollut ollenkaan helpoimmasta päästä. Yksinäinen lapsi, suuri kartano, paljon outoja olentoja, omituisia ihmisiä ja loputtomasti outoja sanoja ja vaikeita nimiä. Kotiopettaja nimeltä Jane Korva, joka ei halua olla kotiopettajatar ja joka on kiinnostunut ainoastaan synkkämielisestä lordi Gootista ja joka lopulta koettaa polttaa kartanon länsisiiven. Kotiopettajatar nimeltä Hebe Poppanen, joka kävelee kuin pingviini, purskahtaa laulamaan vähän väliä ja karkaa lopulta nuohoojan kanssa. Kammottava sisäriistanvartija Nurjamaa, joka vangitsee viattomia myyttisiä olentoja sisäriistanmetsästystä varten ja Melankolinen runoilija-isä, joka haluaa tyttärensä käyttävän isoja painavia saappaita, sillä hänen mielestään lasten pitää kuulua, ei näkyä.
Mahtaako kaikki huumori ihan aueta lukijakunnalle?

Puolitoista vuotta myöhemmin:
Testasin tätä ääneenluettuna ja toimi! "Hyvin luetettu" 11v tykkäsi sekä kuvituksesta, että huumorista. Asiayhteyksiä tosin piti avata useammassakin kohtaa, mutta mitäs siitä. Ainakin kahden kesken lueskellessa voi mainiosti keskustella myös lukemisen lomassa.