Published Aug. 29, 2013
440 Pages
For the past 50 years the country has been dealing with a problem. That problem is ghost/spirits are haunting almost every home and everybody. Various paranormal facilities have been built to try to take care of these problems. Issue with that is only children can see these ghost and only children and take care of them.
Enter Lucy Carlyle, coming to London after a horrible experience, trying to build her career with a well know company. However, Lucy finds Lockwood & Co. ran by children without adult supervision. When a basic job goes wrong, the Lockwood team desperately takes a job that is extremely dangerous and will test their wits and their skills.
This book was a wonderful read. It was quick to get into which is always a good things. Stroud was able to draw the readers in without loud bangs. The layout of the book is in five parts and you start at the present move to the past and then go back to the present. I appreciated that as a reader because I didn’t have to question why Lucy was in London or how she ended up at Lockwood & Co. I also appreciated the fact there is no romance. I love the fact that there is no romance.
When I first started the book I thought it was a rip off of Sherlock Holmes even if there are three members to this company (Lucy, Lockwood, George). I still felt that way through the book but it wasn’t as strong. I thought the way the characters were written was great; especially Lucy. She wasn’t an insecure, damage, shy, self-centered, brat; she was down to earth, strong and knew her job.
However, what I didn’t like about the book was the fact that the main job (The Screaming Staircase) didn’t even begin until the middle of the book. I understand why the author did it and I also understand why there was an overlapping of jobs, but it made it a difficult read towards the middle of the book. It stalled and because of that I began to lose interest and I had to take a moment to regroup.
Other that I really enjoyed this book and give it a 9 out of 10. Can’t wait for the second one!
Love, Tanya
Motif by Tanya 