starsnstitchin's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What i enjoyed: the mystery is tied into the plot quite nicely and the transitions flow very smoothly, making it easy to want to keep reading and play along with the characters. Twists and surprises aren't jarring and can be figured out, but its still subtle enough to be enjoyed.
What I didn't enjoy: the characters didn't always seem like real people and it's a bit obvious that Lockwood is supposed to be like Sherlock Holmes. Despite the set up for the setting and age of characters it wasn't quite played right to feel like it was actually an alternative world where children were the heroes. Some events that should have had consequences didn't and vice versa. One major thing that granted on me the more it kept happening was how one main character has different strengths and weaknesses than the other 2, but is always described as incompetent and fat and it's outright stated as well as implied that him being fat is part of why he's incompetent and inferior to his peers. The other characters get plenty of descriptors and traits, but all he gets is various ways of saying he's fat and inferior.
Overall though, it was an enjoyable read!
What I didn't enjoy: the characters didn't always seem like real people and it's a bit obvious that Lockwood is supposed to be like Sherlock Holmes. Despite the set up for the setting and age of characters it wasn't quite played right to feel like it was actually an alternative world where children were the heroes. Some events that should have had consequences didn't and vice versa. One major thing that granted on me the more it kept happening was how one main character has different strengths and weaknesses than the other 2, but is always described as incompetent and fat and it's outright stated as well as implied that him being fat is part of why he's incompetent and inferior to his peers. The other characters get plenty of descriptors and traits, but all he gets is various ways of saying he's fat and inferior.
Overall though, it was an enjoyable read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Murder, Body shaming, Classism, Fatphobia, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, and Sexism
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Animal death, Medical trauma, Body horror, Bullying, Colonisation, Grief, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, and Physical abuse
starlitpage's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, Suicide, and Child death
the_ash37's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
slavicjedi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
locklyle my beloveds 🫶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gore, and Death
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I picked up this one because I enjoyed the Netflix TV series. It's fairly faithful to the book, except where Netflix has increased the diversity of characters by making those with inexplicit ethnicity into PoC.. bravo, Netflix! It seems that the character of George has also been updated for the screen but I'm not sour about it.
In a dark future, the UK has a Problem. Curfews are in force to keep the populace safe from terrifying ghosts, some of which (whom?) have the ability to maim or kill. To make matters worse, those who are the first line of defense against these apparitions and horrors, are those who are psychically sensitive, and like lactose tolerance, that is mostly children and they grow out of it as they age. (This trope is similar to things like "Locke and Key" and even the "Narnia" books, where children age-out of magic.) Protective iron, silver and salt are booming in popularity along with warding herbs like lavender. Our main characters are trained Operatives. These ghost busters with rapiers are tasked with risking their lives to find and contain or dispel nasty hauntings. Tea and gingerale abound.
My favourable review is possibly because I'm already familiar with the story. Had I read the book first I might not have been so enamoured. As a murder mystery there are hints willy-nilly but that goes with the whole youth fiction vibe. There are a couple of twists, but nothing difficult to follow. As this was almost like a re-read for me I appreciate how the author had a light touch for misdirection. It was fairly artfully done. There is definite tease for what we might want to learn about the characters in later adventures.
A note on the audiobook narration; OH, good job! I was almost taken aback by the narrator's capability with pronouncing words that I typically hear butchered by other readers. Things like "dully" and "frisson" come to mind immediately, but there were many more (was "awry" in there? I can't remember). I don't know if that makes me a word-nerd or a snob.. possibly both. I'm a bit rueful about that.
I think the characters are interesting. The pretty, foppish lad with a mysterious past, who has inherited his family home, along with a collection of supernatural artefacts, dazzles people with his haughty airs and winning grin. I would find him insufferable, but he almost wins me over with his caring vulnerable moments. I remember having a companion like this when I was about 19. The sidekick (who really isn't) is a quirky, bookish lad with a critical eye, and poor manners.. but a heart of gold? I dunno, his honesty and earnest interest in the world always win me over, and he's a dab hand in the kitchen. The main character is (again, like Narnia) called Lucy. She's a neglected runaway with rare psychical gifts and is humble, plain, and has no clue about girly things. This is basically an Autistic geek girl fantasy piece. Yes, I'm biased.
The horrible things are bloody and sometimes gross. There are spiders. I could see this being a fun book for tweens and teens who like dark stuff and don't care about murder, blood, ghosts, spiders, and clandestine cults doing human sacrifices.
In a dark future, the UK has a Problem. Curfews are in force to keep the populace safe from terrifying ghosts, some of which (whom?) have the ability to maim or kill. To make matters worse, those who are the first line of defense against these apparitions and horrors, are those who are psychically sensitive, and like lactose tolerance, that is mostly children and they grow out of it as they age. (This trope is similar to things like "Locke and Key" and even the "Narnia" books, where children age-out of magic.) Protective iron, silver and salt are booming in popularity along with warding herbs like lavender. Our main characters are trained Operatives. These ghost busters with rapiers are tasked with risking their lives to find and contain or dispel nasty hauntings. Tea and gingerale abound.
My favourable review is possibly because I'm already familiar with the story. Had I read the book first I might not have been so enamoured. As a murder mystery there are hints willy-nilly but that goes with the whole youth fiction vibe. There are a couple of twists, but nothing difficult to follow. As this was almost like a re-read for me I appreciate how the author had a light touch for misdirection. It was fairly artfully done. There is definite tease for what we might want to learn about the characters in later adventures.
A note on the audiobook narration; OH, good job! I was almost taken aback by the narrator's capability with pronouncing words that I typically hear butchered by other readers. Things like "dully" and "frisson" come to mind immediately, but there were many more (was "awry" in there? I can't remember). I don't know if that makes me a word-nerd or a snob.. possibly both. I'm a bit rueful about that.
I think the characters are interesting. The pretty, foppish lad with a mysterious past, who has inherited his family home, along with a collection of supernatural artefacts, dazzles people with his haughty airs and winning grin. I would find him insufferable, but he almost wins me over with his caring vulnerable moments. I remember having a companion like this when I was about 19. The sidekick (who really isn't) is a quirky, bookish lad with a critical eye, and poor manners.. but a heart of gold? I dunno, his honesty and earnest interest in the world always win me over, and he's a dab hand in the kitchen. The main character is (again, like Narnia) called Lucy. She's a neglected runaway with rare psychical gifts and is humble, plain, and has no clue about girly things. This is basically an Autistic geek girl fantasy piece. Yes, I'm biased.
The horrible things are bloody and sometimes gross. There are spiders. I could see this being a fun book for tweens and teens who like dark stuff and don't care about murder, blood, ghosts, spiders, and clandestine cults doing human sacrifices.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Ableism, Blood, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Gaslighting
chris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Gore, Misogyny, Child death, Suicide, and Bullying
librarymouse's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The Screaming Staircase is a really good read. It's an interesting concept to have these children be vital tools to defend the world. Their interactions with adults are really interesting because while they are still children, they're a lot more hardened than actual children would be. They're serious, prepared, and skilled, but instead of closing out a day's work with a drink after being almost murdered, they have a party with fancy doughnuts and soda. It gave the story an almost wholesome tone despite the gore throughout the rest of the book. Lucy constantly poking fun at George's weight and George constantly making boarder line misogynist comments about Lucy's psychic sensitivity get to be a little bit repetitive, but when they start working together and settling into their respective roles, they happen less often and become more like banter. There's there's a good deal of misogyny and the way the older generation treats Lucy. The adults they are working with and against deem her to be less of a threat than her male companions, but that often does work out in their favor. If this is meant to be set in a haunted version of our world, the social issues that are embedded in the banter and the inter-character relationships make sense.
Spoiler
I really thought it was going to be revealed that Annie was still alive when she was put into the wall. Her repeatedly saying how cold she was as a ghost and the scratching sound Lucy hears when she's around makes me think that she really may have been alive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Child death
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Confinement
alicecrumbs's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Fatphobia, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
loop_laurens's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Well constructed and enjoyable worldbuilding, and a decent balance of action and backstory, even if the main plot is a little slow off the ground. The characters were a little two-dimensional; not ill-written but not particularly memorable. The concept, if not especially unique, is well executed so as to not feel stale, and overall made for an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Gore and Murder
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
50 years ago, the Problem started: the dead no longer stay dead, but come back as “visitors” whose touch results in injury and even death. Only children have the ability to perceive these ghosts, so many choose to train as operatives for psychic detection and removal agencies. Lucy Carlyle comes to London looking for a job after a traumatic experience in the field, and is hired by the charming and charismatic Anthony Lockwood of Lockwood & Co. After a few crucial mistakes during a job, the Lockwood agency is in danger of being shut down. In a last ditch effort to come up with the money they need, Lockwood agrees to take a case in the most haunted house in England: Combe Carey Hall.
This book felt like what you might get if you took Enola Holmes and added paranormal activity (and also made it even better). I loved the characters: smart, intuitive Lucy, selfless, charismatic Lockwood, and stubborn, curmudgeonly George. The mystery was fun and engaging, and I’ve always liked stories that placed importance on youth in connection with the fantastical (in this case, only young people can see or sense visitors).
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):
This book felt like what you might get if you took Enola Holmes and added paranormal activity (and also made it even better). I loved the characters: smart, intuitive Lucy, selfless, charismatic Lockwood, and stubborn, curmudgeonly George. The mystery was fun and engaging, and I’ve always liked stories that placed importance on youth in connection with the fantastical (in this case, only young people can see or sense visitors).
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):
Spoiler
Happy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
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