This is the first book in the Elston-Fright series. It's a very imaginative fantasy about a young ghost called Corpse, and the adventures she has as she tries to discover who she was when she was alive, and where she came from.
Along with her friends, Girl, who is also a ghost, and Simon the spider, they defeat the evil witches, befriend a weresquid, a a fleshy ( human boy) called Flip.
Very enjoyable easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for letting me read a copy of this book in return for my honest review

This children's book is one of a kind. While reading I sometimes thought 'Maybe it will be a bit to scary for children' but then again, I shouldn't underestimate children and their ability to distinguish between a fictional world and the possibilities of these things actually happening. Also, I think it's good when books go back to the level of the original Heidi children's book, because children are smarter than we think. I also think it's a great book to read together with your child, because it won't get too boring for the parent to read or sit through. All in all it is a great read for the spooky season and for children who have a rather peculiar taste when it comes to books.

A spooky mystery perfectly pitched for UKS2. I was intrigued by the title of the book and was not disappointed by the story that unfollowed around Corpse and her mission to find the missing answers for her questions.

Browsing the shelves of Net Galley, despite my physical pile of reads waiting to be picked up, I spotted this title which – for reasons I was unsure of – triggered some sort of vague feeling that it was a book I wanted to read. Shortly after downloading it onto my Kindle, I discovered it was in fact a republication of The Girl, The Ghost and the Lost Name – a read that has been sitting on my shelf since it was published a little over two years ago – given a new title and one that I’ve been meaning to read for ages.

Feeling that I was obviously fated to read this now to coincide with Spooky Season, I bumped it to the top of the pile and read it in a day, wishing I’d done so earlier. No matter though, as this now puts me in an excellent position to read its sequel, The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright, which has only just been published. Full of mystery and magic, this is a wonderful story of identity, friendship and belonging and one perfect for its target audience of 9+ readers.

Unlike most ghosts, Corpse has managed to give herself a physical body to inhabit – one cobbled together from various items she has collected from the seashore on the rock where she lives, the rock-that-doesn’t-exist. Here, she lives in the shack inhabited by its three resident witches, above their living space with her friend, spider Simon. Unable to remember her life, or even her real name, she has christened herself Corpse and dreams of visiting the town-that-nobody-visits to find the living family from whom she was snatched by the malign trio.

Visited by another ghost, Corpse learns that the witches have been leaving the small island in search of a valuable treasure – one that they used to possess but traded with an individual known as the Merchant. When her visitor tells her that if she can take the treasure for herself, she will regain her memories, Corpse vows to do just that but must first find a way to leave the rock, to which she feels tied.

When she eventually manages to reach the town-that-nobody-visits, the witches are not far behind her and her search for the treasure becomes all the more urgent. As she tries to find it, she will encounter zombie-skeletons and monsters along the way. But with the witches determined not to let anyone or anything stand in their way, can Corpse not just find what she seeks but also prevent her enemies snatching it from her. And if she can, will she find the family and the answers she is so desperately looking for?

Where ghosts feature as characters in stories, they have very often had some sort of tragic, possibly nonaccidental, death and are stuck in the physical world as a result. Here, Corpse has no idea who she was or how she died, only that she was taken by the evil witches who live on the rock alongside her but are unaware of her presence. Having learned a little of their magic, she has managed to create a physical body for herself, giving herself some advantages over other spirits, but her biggest wish is to use it to allow her to meet the family she feels certain lives in the town-that-nobody-visits. As we join her on her journey, and learn more about who she is and her capabilities, we can only wait and watch to see how things pan out for her, sharing her hopes that her story will end happily.

In Simon, she has a wonderful friend – one who, being a spider, won’t appeal to every reader, but one who listens to everything she says and who frequently acts as a sounding board as she formulates and carries out the plans she hopes will bring about her desired outcomes. I really took to him and am sure that many other readers will too.

Beautifully illustrated by Eleonora Asparuhova, this would make a great autumnal read for those who enjoy their stories a little dark and creepy but isn’t a title that is limited to being enjoyed at that time of the year. Although in addition to ghost Corpse it features zombie-skeletons, evil witches and monsters, it’s also not one that I would say is especially scary, making it ideal for confident readers in Year 4 upwards. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to our heroine’s next adventure.

My enormous thanks go to Usborne Publishing and to Net Galley for my gifted virtual read of the book. A Girl Called Corpse is on sale now.

With thanks to netgalley and the author Reece Carter

Sadly A girl called Corpse was a DNF book for me, I couldn't get into it at all and didn't care for any of the charaters.

sorry...

This is what I said when reviewing the book upon first release, and there's no reason to change my mind:-

Strong and compelling, this is a good start to a dark fantasy series for the under-twelves. Corpse, as she calls herself, is a ghost, possessing a wax body she’s made for herself, and haunting three male witches on an island spooked away from all human recognition, just offshore from a town the witches have been draining of all joy for far too long. She knows one thing – she cannot leave the island, unless it is to go to her Death Proper – the stage after being a ghost. She also knows that the mainland is where she would find the secrets she craves – her original identity, parents and even her name, all of which flushes from your mind when you become a ghost. When, by hook or by crook, she finds the evil witches are on the hunt for something they really should not be able to get their hands on, she realises she must enter the chase for it too – bringing her right into the peril of their company, if not worse…

To an adult reader, perhaps too much of this is too obvious, and guessable – we can practically tell what the doodad is, and this beat and that are too clearly foretold. But the rest is still sparklingly fresh and different, and the target readers will not get too many clues about the great surprises to come in these pages. They will love the conviction and thought that has gone into the expression of the lore here – you never doubt the magic (although having to narrate a quatrain every time you want to use a spell is a bit time-consuming, I’d’ve thought) nor the ghostly side of things. And neither do you ever lose track of the humanity within Corpse – yes, we are rooting for a dead person, a Golem-like formed body, with bits of stone for teeth and an as-yes-unresolved quest for the perfect ears to stick to her head.

It does suffer here and there from not being original enough, and the usual thing of the baddy having the worst goons, for no logical purpose. I’m also left wondering why the heck it is that this is the third if not fourth book I’ve read for this audience to feature a lighthouse this year alone. But rest assured this certainly has a lot of its own flavour, and is a fine calling card as a debut novel. A strong four stars.

This is a very well-written book about a girl ghost seeking some answers about her identity. It is fast paced and heartwarming amid its rather eerie premise. There are bits that might be a tad disturbing to younger children, so might be better for UKS2 students.