The Hollow Boy

A fast-paced, action-packed read. Each supernatural visitor that the ghost-hunting team faces is scarier than the last, leading to a thrilling climax that imperils not just Lockwood & Co., but all of London. Jonathan Stroud's engaging writing is full of eerie, vivid descriptions that provide a strong sense of place and make readers feel like they're on the scene with Lockwood & Co. For example, Lucy, who narrates, says, "I caught the outline of the window in the corner of my eyes-and within it, darkness superimposed on darkness, a long-haired shape, hunch-shouldered, bent arms raised above the head as if caught in the midst of some frenzied dance or rite. The fingers were grotesquely long; they seemed to spear toward me across the room. . . . The fingers broke, became separate beams of black light, scattered as if by a prism. Screaming filled my ears." Holly, hired by Lockwood as an assistant, is a welcome addition to the cast, and her effect on the group's dynamic is fascinating. Lockwood thinks Holly is a godsend, George clearly has a crush on her, and Lucy believes Holly to be a rival. It's satisfying to see the characters develop as they meet new challenges and confront their own limitations, biases, and pasts. The book often strikes a somber or creepy note, but there is also plenty of humor. Describing a psychic informant, Lucy notes: "she wore garbage bags, slept in a box under London Bridge, and could be smelled two clear blocks away. . . . Which would have been acceptable if she'd been sweet and gentle-natured. Sadly, talking to her was like striding naked through a thornbush: not impossible, but there was a definite element of risk."

The fortunes of ragtag ghost-hunting agency Lockwood & Co. are looking up after they solve several big cases. But in the course of their investigations, teen operative Lucy may have gone too far in delving into love-interest Lockwood's past. A shocking ending will keep readers on the edge of their seats until book four. Consistently suspenseful, scary, fast paced, and snarkily funny. Glos.

Lucy Carlyle, psychic investigator at the independent teenage agency Lockwood & Co. ("I make my living destroying the risen spirits of the restless dead"), is back in her third adventure. As in previous series entries set in a ghost-infested alternate London (The Screaming Staircase, rev. 9/13; The Whispering Skull), Stroud masterfully balances thrilling action scenes of perilous encounters with more introspective character development, as Lucy (in her tart yet vulnerable first-person voice) establishes herself as an operative and feels out her relationship with the enigmatic but attractive Anthony Lockwood. Although this book meanders at the start, it quickly gathers steam and focus, and tension builds as the agency finds itself at the center of an investigation into a major outbreak in Chelsea. Meanwhile, Lucy is disgruntled and off-balance after Lockwood hires a new member of the team: the infuriatingly perfect, efficient, and feminine Holly Munro. Fortunately, Stroud moves beyond the potentially trite jealousy theme to dig deeper into mysteries of Lockwood's past and future, and the book ends on a completely unexpected yet true-to-Lucy cliffhanger. Readers are once again treated to inventive world-building, memorable characters, and edge-of-your-seat pacing -- with dashes of sardonic humor (cue the skull in the jar) and signature snacks (cue the cheap sausage rolls, bacon-flavored chips, and chocolate fudge cake). martha v. parravano