I trust Briellerose and Ellieanarose have kept up the Hobbit Library traditions and that you have enjoyed the books they've covered. I'm back and just in time. The Harvestmath Festival starts in a few days, and spookiness has descended upon the Shire.
With that in mind, I headed to the library to see what I could find to fit the month. I went into an electronic bookstore again to look for one that appealed to me. I soon found one with a cover, blurb and reviews that looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. For once, I can say that I have finished the book before I start speaking... writing about it!
"The Girl, The Ghost and the Lost Name" by Reece Carter centres around a child ghost who calls herself Corpse. She lives on a "rock-that-doesn't-exist", as she says numerous times throughout the book, with her pet Huntsman spider, Simon. Now, the one thing that Corpse points out is that she is covered in wax, and her hair is made from seaweed. She's created a body so that she can escape from Death Proper.
You may be wondering how she has managed to create a body for herself... but what I haven't told you is that Corpse's 'home' is also home to 3 witches as well. What I liked about these witches was that they were male witches. I thought that was an interesting twist, as most stories normally have female witches. I should also add that the Merchant was a female character as well. It made the story different and more interesting.
The book is told from Corpse's viewpoint. I think that was a great choice as I was able to see into the main character's mind and understand her story. This viewpoint helped during the journey that she goes on, giving her more significance. She has to go on a search for, quite literally, her heart. This heart holds the key to her memories, including her name.
What I love was that she learns more about herself and, towards the end, she discovers what happened to her and how she ended up at Elston-Fright, the town closest to the rock-that-doesn't-exist. Corpse learns, through an old man, that the witches seek a treasure but that she needs to go after the treasure herself because it holds the key to what she wants. I think that it's important to understand that she has no memories of when she was a 'fleshie', as she calls them.
I loved that Corpse isn't a typical heroine. She had to learn things, change her ways, and rescue a long-lost friend. Girl isn't referencing Corpse; it's about a girl who was also snatched by the witches and died. The witches banished her from the rock-that-doesn't-exist, but after the two are reunited, Girl's banishment from the rock is broken.
This book was aimed at middle-school kids, but I will be honest, I didn't want to stop reading. There's four chapters in the twenties where the action ramps up, and there is so much at stake that it was hard to pause the reading in order to help get the hobbit-hole ready for Harvestmath. I loved that Corpse was far from perfect, and she underwent some development as the book progressed. I'd really recommend it to anyone, as I really enjoyed it. I won't reveal the ending... but let's just say that all is well that ends well.
Briellerose will no doubt fill you in on Harvestmath next month. Now, I must get back to the preparations. Come back to the Hobbit Library next month!
Lots of love,
Cissarose xx