Both illuminated and illuminating this is a magnum opus from the singular talent of Chris Riddell and is certain to be the jewel in the crown of every book case it adorns. Droplets of Ink Sooo... Don't do what I did and go into this thinking its all about goth. It has a goth MC but it is not about the fact she is goth. The title was misleading... The cover and writting was juvenile which lead me to believe it was Middle grade.

Rather more down-to-earth is Oi Cat! by Kes Gray and Jim Field (Hodder), the third in the series that began with Oi Frog! The previous instalment’s diktat that cats must sit on gnats resulted in an irate feline with a bite-pimpled posterior. Now the well-meaning dog suggests that “kitty” or “moggy” might achieve a more comfortable seat … Boasting a final fold-out surprise, and the immortal line “My bottom is none of your business!”, this animal-rhyming silliness goes from strength to strength. Oscar is a geek, wanting friends and wanting to set his own path on making cosplay armor as a career. 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. Jess has put up walls for protection; guarding herself from the inevitable pain of disappointment. When she finds herself with her new foster parent, Barbra, her walls begin to falter. And with help from her new geeky, cosplaying, gamer friends - Oscar, Em and Gerrit- maybe Jess can finally have a home with love and friendship.

I recommend this book to anyone who feels left out or is interested in a story about mental illness. Ada Goth is the only child of Lord Goth. The two live together in the enormous Ghastly-Gorm Hall. Lord Goth believes that children should be heard and not seen, so Ada has to wear large clumpy boots so that he can always hear her coming. This makes it hard for her to make friends and, if she's honest, she's rather lonely. Then one day William and Emily Cabbage come to stay at the house, and together with a ghostly mouse called Ishmael they and Ada begin to unravel a dastardly plot that Maltravers, the mysterious indoor gamekeeper, is hatching. Ada and her friends must work together to foil Maltravers before it's too late!

Aargh! Mä niin odotin tätä ja ensilukemalla hienoinen pettymys. Olisin toivonut helppolukuista fantasiaa, sellaista kivaa ja kaunista sisäänheittokirjaa. Sitä tämä ei ollut. the most covetable book of the year. It is simply the most outstandingly beautiful piece of book design and production...This book is a triumph from an author and illustrator at the height of his powers... ReadingZoneI have no expectation for this book, except how beautiful and exciting the cover is. Turns out i really love this book, and here's reasons why you should read this once it's published:

Ada Goth lives at Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father, the famous cycling poet Lord Goth. There are a host of servants, plenty of eccentric house guests and at least half a dozen ghosts, but Ada is lonely. She doesn't have any friends her own age, and Lord Goth believes children should be 'heard and not seen', making her wear clumpy boots so he can always hear her coming. 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. Altogether I really enjoyed the book and I needed a little break after finishing it to stop crying happy tears. I really recommend it to everyone who likes geeky books!Goofy, geeky Oscar was absolutely adorable and stole my heart early on. His enthusiasm and passion were infectious and I wanted to watch him as he created the foam weapons of my dreams. I got this book because I thought the cover was really pretty and I don’t often read books with a main goth character though they have a really interesting style. Jess was claimed by the state when her bio mom’s mental illness made her unstable. While their relationship is far from traditional, blood ties are hard to break. There’s only one problem: Jess can’t reunite with her mom in New York City without a bunch of paperwork and she worries her social worker will never approve the trip. That’s when she remembers Oscar’s cosplay group, which is aiming for that big convention in New York . . .