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A review by lawbooks600
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Representation: N/A
Score: Seven out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while but I put it off for a while. Months back, I added it to my TBR. Months later, it was finally time to read The Screaming Staircase. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem intriguing, even though I don't read that many horror books. When I closed the final page, it was enjoyable.
It starts with the first person I see, Lucy, living her life until she has to work for a company known as Lockwood and Co. Its purpose is to try and stop the problem that plagues the United Kingdom for 50 years now: an infestation of ghosts. Other organisations already exist to combat the issue, but Lucy landed in one of the smallest ones. There's even a governing body who oversees everyone who tries to stop the ghost epidemic, which the narrative mentions. The first ghost operation didn't go as planned, so the small group have only one chance to prove themselves with their next mission, which is to reside in a haunted house for a lengthy time to show their capabilities.
The Screaming Staircase is the first in a five instalment series, but no one has the other four. It's not clear what happens next, which is a problem, as some questions remain unanswered. Those questions concern the worldbuilding, and the most important one of them all is where did the ghosts come from? When was the first ghost-busting group established? I need answers. The glossary helps a little, but not a lot. The characters are likable, but not the most relatable. The pacing is okay as it's a slow burn, spanning 400 pages. At least there was an exciting beginning and ending, finishing The Screaming Staircase on a cliffhanger. Perhaps I might be wrong and the other four parts are out there. In that case, I'd be glad to read them as this creation from the author impressed me, and I want to read more from him.
Score: Seven out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while but I put it off for a while. Months back, I added it to my TBR. Months later, it was finally time to read The Screaming Staircase. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem intriguing, even though I don't read that many horror books. When I closed the final page, it was enjoyable.
The Screaming Staircase is the first in a five instalment series, but no one has the other four. It's not clear what happens next, which is a problem, as some questions remain unanswered. Those questions concern the worldbuilding, and the most important one of them all is where did the ghosts come from? When was the first ghost-busting group established? I need answers. The glossary helps a little, but not a lot. The characters are likable, but not the most relatable. The pacing is okay as it's a slow burn, spanning 400 pages. At least there was an exciting beginning and ending, finishing The Screaming Staircase on a cliffhanger. Perhaps I might be wrong and the other four parts are out there. In that case, I'd be glad to read them as this creation from the author impressed me, and I want to read more from him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Full trigger warnings: Death of people in the past and suicide mentioned, dead bodies, fire, explosions, blood depiction, physical injury