Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

41 reviews

zoeelora's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

An absolute and utter treasure of a book. #SaveLockwoodandCo 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Recommended by a friend, I enjoyed The Screaming Staircase quite a lot. The setting of this alternate London is similar to our own, but coloured by the supernatural in a way familiar to fans of the Bartimaeus trilogy - which I read ages ago but remember fondly. Not only do the trio of Lockwood & Co. have to deal with the unquiet (and often grotesque and violent) dead, but also the political machinations of the British gentry and the attempts of rivals to close down their agency. The story progresses like a horror-filled Sherlock-esque mystery, and the ending is incredibly satisfying.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Bullying, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Blood, Mental illness, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Misogyny, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, and Torture

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cursing, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

aleshag's review against another edition

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? No

4.0

I loved reading this! The books emphasizes a lot on the importance of preparation, patience, and planning ahead of time. If you like mystery/supernatural stories, this is a great book to check out! I was hooked from the beginning, I love the detail in the ghost encounters. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Suicide and Child abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent

atalea's review against another edition

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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

rae42's review against another edition

adventurous dark

• 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

3.0

Really liked the book however the writer is clearly fatphobic, Seriously dude you don't need to continually call a character pudgy or pugley 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Child death, and Murder

Moderate: Fatphobia

dmturner's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

4.0

A  melange of ghost hunting, mystery, dark dystopia, humor, and kids-save-the-day satisfaction. A good read and not badly writtena at all.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Fatphobia, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

evueimeimei's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Murder

saurahsaurus's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Blood, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Classism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Violence

abigailhaagen's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious

5.0

I watched the tv show before reading the book, and they are both incredibly good. I love the characters (Lockwood's my favorite) and the worldbuilding and the mystery... it's all so good.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Gore and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

_paperserpent's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-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? No

4.5

I don't know why I never read this book in my crazy fantasy days, but this is exactly the kind of book I loved back then. Classic trio, teenagers-saving-the-world, case/mission-driven plot??!?!? Save to say that I still really enjoy this kind of book HAHAHAHA

I like that we start this book with an action scene and then continue with the backstory, making it much easier to get into the book. Especially since it's the first book of the series.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent