Undead Pets 7 – Gasp of the Ghoulish Guinea Pig

Sam Hay's Gasp of the Ghoulish Guinea Pig is a funny, slightly gruesome story for 6 year olds about a guinea pig ghost who can't rest until his friends are safe from a snake.

What happens

Joe spends Sunday afternoon at his friends' house racing their three guinea pigs round a homemade obstacle course. Flash, the biggest, wins every time.

A few hours later Flash is squeaking at Joe from under the coffee table. His coat is damp, his eyes are big and green, and soapy bubbles pop out of his nose whenever he talks. He smells strongly of fabric softener (don't ask).

Flash is an undead pet. Thanks to a magical Egyptian amulet from his great-uncle Charlie, Joe is the only person who can see him and the only one who can help. And Flash is sure there's a huge snake hiding behind his family's fridge, just waiting to gobble up his best friends.

This is book seven, so Joe knows the drill by now. What he doesn't expect is to end up searching for the snake alongside Spiker, the most annoying boy in his class.

That's the best bit. Spiker is prickly and bossy, but he washes his hands before he touches his brother's reptiles and he's terrified of his big brother finding out. Joe starts to see a different boy.

There's lots of silly stuff too. A ghost guinea pig head-butting bowling pins so Joe finally wins a game. A trip to the dentist that ends with every instrument on the floor. And Joe's poor mum sneezing her head off whenever Flash is near, without ever knowing why.

The bubbles and the squeaking keep it light, but the whole series starts from a pet that has died. Here it happens off the page, and the family's sadness is short and gentle. A child who's just lost a pet might still find that a bit raw.

If your reader loves animals and a good gross-out giggle, this one is very easy to like. It's full of short chapters that end on a cliffhanger, which makes it super hard to put down.

What to read next

If they'd like to see how Joe got the amulet in the first place, try Return of the Hungry Hamster, the first Undead Pets adventure, where it all starts with a present from Uncle Charlie.