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Title: Ghost Ship

Author: Dietlof Reiche

Translator: John Brownjohn

Illustrator:

Publisher: Chicken House

Date Published: 2007

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fantasy

Book Category: Fiction

Age Range: 9-11

Original Title: First published in German by Carl Hanser Verlag Munich, Germany, 2002

Country of Origin: Germany

Ghost Ship

by Dietlof Reiche
Age Range: 9-11

Vicki is not looking forward to another boring summer working in her dad’s seaside restaurant. Then the bay runs dry and a mysterious eighteenth-century ship called the Storm Goddess turns up. Vicki and her new friend Peter are determined to find out why the ship has appeared, especially when Vicki discovers that the story of the ship might be tied to her family! They want to climb aboard somehow but after strange noises are linked to the Storm Goddess, everyone is fascinated by the ship. With lots of gawking tourists, a greedy Harbour Master, a treasure hunter and an inquisitive reporter on the prowl, Vicki and Peter know they’ll have to be very resourceful to get aboard the ship, and very brave to uncover the shocking story and address the wrongs of the past.

Dietlof Reiche has written a really exciting story. It has spine-tingling moments, lots of humour and a very intriguing plot. Despite having some spooky parts, it’s carefully written and never overly scary and is balanced out with lots of laughs. He is good at building the reader’s curiosity with the mystery plot, but essentially the story is very cheerful and John Brownjohn’s translation reads well. This is a book that is appropriate for nine to eleven-year-olds, as it’s not a heavy read but will challenge them without seeming too hard, and the story moves at a suitable speed.

The mystery of what happened to the Storm Goddess runs central to the plot and is woven into the story of all the main characters in some way, so you become more involved and intrigued the more you read. The characters are all very likeable and well written too. A particularly good character is Phil. He’s very comic, and should be a favourite of the reader as he seems an underdog but becomes a hero. Vicki is a great heroine; she’s clever and funny and as she isn’t overly ‘girly’, she’ll appeal to readers of both sexes. Dietlof Reiche gives us a couple of pantomime villains, too. The Harbour Master and treasure hunter Belper will raise a few laughs as they bungle around.

Overall, boys and girls alike will enjoy this book; it is action-packed and great fun, with pirates and an intriguing mystery, in a really attractive seaside setting. Best of all, there’s even some treasure; you’ll spend hours guessing where it is!

Abby Phillips (2010)

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