Between Relic and Lockwood & Co. I've certainly gotten my suspense/horror kick for the year. Jonathan Stroud does a really good job in this young adult suspense, giving thrills, chills, and downright terror on occasion. I've been a fan of Stroud since The Bartimaeus Trilogy and I'm looking forward to another great run with Lockwood & Co. I am not normally a fan of horror or scary stories, and this book involves various kinds of haunts, but I found the book compelling and fascinating. There was twice while listening to it that I turned to find somebody beside/behind me which caused me to jump. Once was even while mowing my lawn under a very bright noonday sun. The story drew you in and let you feel the anxiety and apprehension of the characters. It is written very YA friendly with no gore, language, sensuality, or gratuitous violence and demonstrates how you don't need any of that in order to build a story that will make your heart beat faster. Here is a link to the Audible page for the book. It was narrated by Miranda Raison who did a great job of bringing out the character of Lucy. It was a wild ride.
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Plot: 50 years ago "The Problem" arose. And with it the dead of England. Specters, poltergeists, haunts, spirits, hazes, and spooks - all specters, all dangerous, all practically invisible to adults. Only the psychically sensitive minds of preteens and teens can detect, experience, and eradicate these visitors. Many simply exist, tied to a source of high emotion or trauma, unable to leave the local. Others are vindictive and angry towards the living and finds way to harm them. Over the years eradication agencies have formed to deal with these often terrifying manifestations and to consult the general public on ways to safely avoid them. Lockwood & Co. is one of the most aggressive and aspiring. It is also the smallest. Consisting of the charismatic and energetic Anthony Lockwood, the book worm researcher George Cubbins, and the newest addition and super sensitive Lucy Carlyle. All of them have their faults, but they do great work together. However, not all their cases have ended as well as they would have liked. There latest case results in a similar half-success, most failure when they burn down a sizable portion of their client's house. However, they have uncovered a 39 year old murder case and intend to see it through to the end. That is if an even bigger story doesn't land in their lap first. By the time their done they will have set foot in what may be the most haunted place in all of England - Combe Carey Hall. Most think that they won't set foot out of it.
My personal favorites: The characters were great. Believable in thoughts and emotions, acting like train professions, but retaining their teen limitations, instincts, and faults. Lockwood, George, and Lucy were all delightful in their own way and added to the tension of the story. The world was well developed and had both a modern and medieval feel to it. The science of ghost hunting was well described and Stroud did a great job of "show don't tell." The horror elements in the story were intense but not over the top or gratuitous. It reminded me of when I read Dracula by Bram Stoker - one of my favorite novels.
Considerations: This book is intense and does have some scenes that active imaginations might find disturbing or evocative. Ghosts are never friendly, even when someone may be trying to helping them. It is also important to keep in mind that this book is written by a Brit and takes place in Britain and so units, terms, and expressions are such as well. George "sitting in a chair in his pants" is a bigger deal in the UK than in the US. I do not have any problem recommending this book to anyone who likes scary stories and even many who may enjoy scary but likes suspense.
My wife was surprised at how well I handled and enjoyed this book. She knows from first hand experience how much I don't like "scary" stories. But I found the writing wonderful and look forward to the next installment and seeing where Stroud takes us with his characters. The total length (including glossary of terms) is just over ten hours.
Plot: 50 years ago "The Problem" arose. And with it the dead of England. Specters, poltergeists, haunts, spirits, hazes, and spooks - all specters, all dangerous, all practically invisible to adults. Only the psychically sensitive minds of preteens and teens can detect, experience, and eradicate these visitors. Many simply exist, tied to a source of high emotion or trauma, unable to leave the local. Others are vindictive and angry towards the living and finds way to harm them. Over the years eradication agencies have formed to deal with these often terrifying manifestations and to consult the general public on ways to safely avoid them. Lockwood & Co. is one of the most aggressive and aspiring. It is also the smallest. Consisting of the charismatic and energetic Anthony Lockwood, the book worm researcher George Cubbins, and the newest addition and super sensitive Lucy Carlyle. All of them have their faults, but they do great work together. However, not all their cases have ended as well as they would have liked. There latest case results in a similar half-success, most failure when they burn down a sizable portion of their client's house. However, they have uncovered a 39 year old murder case and intend to see it through to the end. That is if an even bigger story doesn't land in their lap first. By the time their done they will have set foot in what may be the most haunted place in all of England - Combe Carey Hall. Most think that they won't set foot out of it.My personal favorites: The characters were great. Believable in thoughts and emotions, acting like train professions, but retaining their teen limitations, instincts, and faults. Lockwood, George, and Lucy were all delightful in their own way and added to the tension of the story. The world was well developed and had both a modern and medieval feel to it. The science of ghost hunting was well described and Stroud did a great job of "show don't tell." The horror elements in the story were intense but not over the top or gratuitous. It reminded me of when I read Dracula by Bram Stoker - one of my favorite novels.
Considerations: This book is intense and does have some scenes that active imaginations might find disturbing or evocative. Ghosts are never friendly, even when someone may be trying to helping them. It is also important to keep in mind that this book is written by a Brit and takes place in Britain and so units, terms, and expressions are such as well. George "sitting in a chair in his pants" is a bigger deal in the UK than in the US. I do not have any problem recommending this book to anyone who likes scary stories and even many who may enjoy scary but likes suspense.
My wife was surprised at how well I handled and enjoyed this book. She knows from first hand experience how much I don't like "scary" stories. But I found the writing wonderful and look forward to the next installment and seeing where Stroud takes us with his characters. The total length (including glossary of terms) is just over ten hours.
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