A review by librarymouse
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

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.

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.
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