Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

4 reviews

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.

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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

alicecrumbs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Fatphobia, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, and Grief

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

claudiamacpherson's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

50 years ago, the Problem started: the dead no longer stay dead, but come back as “visitors” whose touch results in injury and even death. Only children have the ability to perceive these ghosts, so many choose to train as operatives for psychic detection and removal agencies. Lucy Carlyle comes to London looking for a job after a traumatic experience in the field, and is hired by the charming and charismatic Anthony Lockwood of Lockwood & Co. After a few crucial mistakes during a job, the Lockwood agency is in danger of being shut down. In a last ditch effort to come up with the money they need, Lockwood agrees to take a case in the most haunted house in England: Combe Carey Hall. 

This book felt like what you might get if you took Enola Holmes and added paranormal activity (and also made it even better). I loved the characters: smart, intuitive Lucy, selfless, charismatic Lockwood, and stubborn, curmudgeonly George. The mystery was fun and engaging, and I’ve always liked stories that placed importance on youth in connection with the fantastical (in this case, only young people can see or sense visitors).

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):

Happy!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

creepypiespice's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Torture

Minor: Sexism