alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Nov 14, 2021
"You'll want to leave the lights on...Stroud is a genius". (Rick Riordan). When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in...For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions. Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive. Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again...
- ISBN10 0857532014
- ISBN13 9780857532015
- Publish Date 29 August 2013
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 31 July 2015
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
- Imprint Doubleday Children's Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 464
- Language English
Reviews
Mad Soul Child
Written on Aug 3, 2020
wyvernfriend
Written on Jan 24, 2015
It just didn't engage me. I put it down and forgot about it at one stage, but finished it last night and was still underwhelmed but it took off after about 100 pages.
pamela
Written on Sep 1, 2014
The plot moves fast and the characterisation is developed from the previous making it fine as a stand alone book, but also helps us to know the characters better and better. Anthony Lockwood, George Cubbins and Lucy Carlyle, the trio that make up the small agency of Lockwood and Co. really come in to their own in this novel, and I felt like I was getting to know them and even that I was part of, and invested in, their little unit.
The alternate reality that Stroud has built is in equal measures simple and detailed. It is clear that there will be an overarching narrative as the series progresses, and each book so far has given us tantalising glimpses in to 'The Problem' as the people in this reality refer to the fact that the dead walk freely at night. The society in which the characters live has a sense of familiarity, which makes the freedom of the dead just that little bit more poignant and spooky, but it still holds fantastical elements which makes the novel seem magical and otherworldly.
I've devoured all Jonathan Stroud's books so far. He is an intelligent writer who doesn't 'write down' to his younger audience. I've found that so many writers try a little too hard to write appealingly for a younger audience, using juvenile humour and easily dated pop culture references. Stroud avoids all these tropes to great effect. His language is simple, but his themes are deep. His humour is sarcastic without being immature. His characters each have their own sense of humour which attests to Stroud's talent as a writer, and I can't recommend the Lockwood and Co. books enough. Readers of all ages can enjoy them, and indeed will enjoy them, and given the cliff-hanger 'The Whispering Skull' ended on I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!
Beth C.
Written on Jan 27, 2014
In the version of London in this book, spirits are everywhere. Literally. It's not safe to walk around at night, lavender is a *huge* business due to its deterrence factor, and agencies have sprung up all over to try and deal with the problem. Those agencies tend to be run by adults, but are largely staffed by children and they are the only ones who can see the spirits to deal with them. Lucy is one of those children, but she happens to be employed by the only agency in London run without adult supervision. When they burn down a house fighting a spirit, the line gets drawn in the sand. Will they be able to save the agency? And if so, will they survive the attempt?
I really enjoyed the book - the character of Lucy is a great one, particularly as she is a strong, independent, yet vulnerable girl. Her past has made her a little wary of trusting, and she can be a bit on the impulsive side, so she actually fits in well with the owner of the agency she works for. Anthony Lockwood, said owner, is mysterious in several ways. He is around Lucy's age, but owns the house and the company. His parents are, apparently, no longer with the living, but little of explanation is given. I'm assuming that as the series grows, more about each character will be forthcoming. The story is interesting in and of itself, and I believe that most kids will like the idea that it's the children in the book that have a fair amount of the power, and the adults that try to control it.
I'm looking forward to reading more about Lockwood & Co., and my son is as well. A definite keeper at our house!
Rinn
Written on Jan 6, 2014
If you are a fan of Supernatural or BBC’s Sherlock, then chances are you’ll love this.
It feels like a mix of the two shows, a sort of supernatural sleuth story, and perhaps if the characters of the shows were in their teens. It is set either in an alternate present, or not too far into our own future, where it has emerged that ghosts are in fact real – and some are pretty dangerous to human beings. Since a yet unknown and explained event in the past, ghosts have been visible and active around the country, and as a result ‘agencies’ have sprung up; agencies that are almost like supernatural police. Armed with various implements made of iron, silver and salt (Dean and Sam would be proud), the agencies take on cases to rid houses or areas of supernatural beings. Lockwood & Co is one of these agencies, albeit a small one, and made up of just three agents: (Anthony) Lockwood himself, Lucy and George.
The characterisation in the novel was fantastic. Lockwood is like a teenage Sherlock: inquisitive, extremely intelligent and passionate, whilst also being perhaps a little socially inept and reckless. He is quite a mysterious character, even Lucy doesn’t know all that much about his background. Both Lucy and George are the Watsons to Lockwood’s Sherlock. George is the researcher of the group, studying and writing, whereas Lucy is the down-to-earth one. She is also the narrator of the tale, and to me her voice even seemed reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle’s tone of writing.
As for the plot and events – some of the ghosts the trio encounter were incredibly creepy! It’s impressive that a book that had many humorous moments also managed to really freak me out at some points. And it wasn’t done through the sights, but Stroud’s descriptions of the feelings and sounds that come with a haunting, which really captured an ethereal feeling. The classification system of the ghosts was clever and meant the reader could instantly assess just how much danger the characters were in.
A brilliant take on the paranormal genre, with a pretty unique concept, especially for Young Adult fiction where the concentration seems to be on vampires and werewolves. I’ve always been aware of Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy, but never read it, and after reading this fantastic book I may now have to reconsider that decision.
It has the Official Castiel Seal of Approval, so it’s got to be good, right?
limabean74
Written on Nov 7, 2013
Lucy is a runaway and is looking for a job as a Ghost Hunter. London is over run with ghosts or visitors and you are not allowed out after curfew. They salt the streets, hang lavender and have ghost lights to keep the streets safe at night but it is advised not to go out at night. They have agencies that employ young kids since they are the only ones that can see or hear ghosts. These ghosts aren't normal ghosts, they can kill you and are very dangerous. Lucy applies for a job at the Lockwood & Co agency that is run by two young men; Anthony Lockwood and George. Lockwood and George think she is a perfect fit but things go wrong at a job and now they are all in trouble and need to find a way to solve a cold case and gain back the respect that they lost.
I liked Lucy, she is a young girl who has the ability to Listen and Touch things to hear the past in them. She is a very strong character and has a tendency to make the wrong decisions and I think that is what I like best about her. She is an act now think about it later kind of girl
Lockwood is rather quiet about his past but has a strong passion for catching and finding ghosts. I wanted to know more about his background but maybe we will learn it in the second book. George was more of a secondary character but I loved his attitude and he was rather funny and always hungry.
The flow was so action pack, when it does hit a slow spot its really slow, but it helps build the story, it just feels like you want them to get to the point and back to the action. You are almost spoiled after the beginning. The end is great and I loved how creepy it got even in the last couple of paragraphs. Lockwood, George and Lucy are just such fantastic characters
Murder Mystery and Ghost Story with Sherlock Holmes and Watson energy. I gave The Screaming Staircase 4 out of 5 stars. Humor, Mystery and just the right amount of creepy. It's a series I really looking forward to continuing. A good read for middle graders and adults who are looking for something to keep them up late at night.
For more reviews visit Because reading is better than real life