Wednesday, January 22, 2014

THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE (Lockwood & Co. Book 1), by Jonathan Stroud

The story: There's a Problem in Britain: ghosts are overrunning everything, but only kids of a certain age can actually see them--so companies featuring kid ghost-hunters have cropped up all over London. Lucy Carlyle, a talented ghost hunter, joins up with company owner Lockwood and research whiz-kid George to form an unorthodox but very kick-booty ghostbusting team--but the Screaming Staircase has been scaring even adults literally to death since long before the Problem started--how could mere kids be a match for ghostly monks with razor-sharp claws?

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Substance Abuse PG; Violence PG-13; GLBT content G; Magic & the occult PG-13; Adult Themes (violence being wrought upon humans by ghosts) PG-13; Overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: I admit to being a fan of Jonathan Stroud's from "Bartimaeus" and "Hero of the Valley" days, but I always have my doubts about ghost stories...mostly, just not a fan (because mostly, they're all about the creep-out factor and less about a good story). But Stroud doesn't fail to deliver here--this was a fast-paced book with well-developed characters, and the cherry on top for MS readers would be the creepy ghost-fighting action throughout. Two thumbs up!
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