England has a Problem. There are ghosts, and they are everywhere. When the ghosts first started appearing, people soon realized that psychic ability, including the ability to see ghosts, begins to diminish as one gets older. Someone had to fight the ghosts, and it had to be children. Ghost fighting agencies began to spring up, and the living learned that iron filings, salt, silver, and lavender were good tools for protection. They created ghost lamps to ease the public mind. Tools and light can only do so much, though, and ghost fighting is a dangerous job. After an unfortunate incident at her last agency, Lucy Carlyle finds employment at Lockwood & Co. There are only two other employees--the mysterious, confident, Lockwood, and his slovenly partner, George. When their first case together almost gets them killed, the press is so bad they fear they'll lose the company. Then they get an offer they can't refuse, but they'll have to risk their lives again to save the agency.
Wow, wow, wow. This is one of my favorite books of the year. First, we really need to talk about this cover. It brings to mind Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and worst of all Scooby Doo. But puuuhhlleeeezzz don't judge this book by its cover! It's just terrible. Makes it look like this is a book for third graders. Let me assure you... it is not. Students always ask me, "what's the scariest book you've read in this library?" From now on, I'll be walking them straight over to F STR. Toward the end, I was absolutely terrified, and I don't scare easy. This was my first Jonathan Stroud book, and I feel like I've been depriving myself all these years. I can't wait to dig into some of this other novels, and hope that there will be other Lockwood & Co. mysteries coming soon!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLoved this book! Jonathan Stroud is one of my all time favorite writers. The Bartimaeus series is fantastic and I hear he is working on a new one!
ReplyDelete