Review of Goldfish from Beyond the Grave – Book 4 of the Undead Pets series by Sam Hay

Poor Oscar wasn’t very well when he came to stay during the Easter break, so a lot of the more physical activities I had lined up suddenly were no longer suitable. When we visited the library, he rather grumpily looked at the books – until this one caught his eye and he grinned as he read the title.

What happens when a beloved pet refuses to go through to the other side? The protector of undead pets may be a fish out of water this time.

Just when Joe thought things couldn’t get any stranger, he is visited by Fizz, a zombie goldfish. Fizz was flushed down the toilet by a mysterious murderer he doesn’t see as he is netted and demands that Joe discover who killed him and punish the perpetrator. But Joe is reluctant to take the job on, after all – how do you get a goldfish to rest in peace?

This new twist on the zombie theme thoroughly appealed to both of us as we read this one. I particularly liked the idea that it negotiates the tricky subject of dead pets in a humorous, irreverent way. It is aimed at the newly independent reader and is both funny and anarchic as Fizz haunts Joe until he agrees to help. There are some hilarious scenes in the supermarket and a barbeque as the zombie goldfish suddenly appears in drinks, jars of pickled onions and demands justice from Joe.

We settled down to read a couple of chapters, but both Oscar and I wanted more and so we ended up in reading this one in two sessions as we giggled our way through it. Joe hasn’t confided his powers to anyone – not even his best friend, so he is desperately trying to cover up the chaos caused by Fizz, the zombie goldfish.

I also very much enjoyed the fact that a lot of the humour and action is rooted in the family dynamic – this isn’t one of those children’s adventures where the young protagonist might as well be an orphan – Joe is having to fend off Fizz and his demands while shopping with his parents and little brother. The final denouement occurs at his best friend’s big family barbeque, which I really enjoyed.

I thoroughly approve of a book for this age-group which tackles the business of death in an amusing manner. It isn’t a subject that often comes up in children’s books and certainly not as fodder for comedy, but it was refreshing to be able to read this amusing and readable adventure which lead to an interesting discussion. I’ll be on the lookout for more of this series and recommend it for children between the ages of 7-10, depending on maturity.
9/10