The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name by Reece Carter

Book Summary

If my hair looks like bright green seaweed, it's because that's exactly what it is. My eyes, a pair of abalone shells, polished blue by sand. Teeth, two rows of pebbles. And my skin is made of wax.

Corpse never asked to be a kid ghost. She doesn't remember anything from her life - all she knows is her home on the rock-that-doesn't-exist, her friend Simon the spider, and the vile Witches whose magic she steals.

So, when she discovers that there's a powerful treasure which could give her all the answers to what she's lost - her memories, her family, her name - Corpse sets off to find it. On her journey across the stormy sea, she must battle magic, sea monsters and a cruel figure from her past. But the Witches want the treasure too. And they'll do anything to get it first.

Corpse is a ghost, but she is very different from all the other ghosts that have come and go from the rock-that-doesn't-exist. Somehow she is strong enough that she has made herself a body from wax, shells and seaweed... and from magic that she learnt from the evil witches who probably killed her, along with countless other children. 

When an old man ghost appears on the rock, telling her that she has to leave and find the treasure that the witches have been looking for, she resolves to forget all about it. She really doesn't realise quite how special she is! Eventually though, despite all her fear and doubt, she embarks on a journey to leave the rock-that-doesn't-exist and rescue the treasure in a bid to thwart the witches' plans.

The book ends with a few questions left unanswered but it feels like it could be set up for a sequel. I would definitely be interested to find out what happens next.

Author Bio

Reece Carter is a high-profile Australian nutritionist who has written two non-fiction books for adults, appeared on many of Australian's major television networks, and written for magazines like GQ. He grew up in rural Western Australia and now lives in Sydney. He has always wanted to write for children and The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name is his first novel, perfect for fans of Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman. Find him on Twitter and Instagram.

Of course for this book you have to make a Corpse Reviver cocktail. These cocktails were actually created to wake the dead, particularly those who had been drinking way too much the day before! There are quite a few versions around but this one seems to be the most commonly made. I found this recipe on Liquor.com. 

Rinse the inside of your cocktail glass with a little absinthe and discard the excess. In a shaker with ice, mix 20ml each of gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Strain into the absinthe-washed glass.