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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
read this while on a trip to Yellowstone and finished it super fast. Great, easy to understand world building and amazing characters :)
What better way to finally ring in Spooky Season than with a nice spooky tale of the paranormal! As far as I could tell, “The Screaming Staircase” is free from major trigger warnings, so it should be safe!
This book has a rich cast of characters and an INCREDIBLE premise. I give it a 5/5.
“The Screaming Staircase” is set in London, but the time period is uncertain. We do know that it takes place AFTER Workd War II, due to references of ghosts left lingering since the Blitz, but aside from that it could have existed anywhere from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s. But in my opinion, that only made the book SO MUCH cooler, because it gave the reader the opportunity to imagine their own time period for it.
The main character, Lucy Carlyle, is a member of a team who try to fight back the rising ghost problem in London and surrounding it, using their expertise to take down spirits that threaten the living. It was really cool to see a supernatural or paranormal book that manages to forgo the usual “Wait, ghosts are real???” moment so typical of the genre. This is a world where ghosts have been common knowledge for decades, which we also don’t see often.
I definitely recommend this book, and I cannot wait to finish the series.
This book has a rich cast of characters and an INCREDIBLE premise. I give it a 5/5.
“The Screaming Staircase” is set in London, but the time period is uncertain. We do know that it takes place AFTER Workd War II, due to references of ghosts left lingering since the Blitz, but aside from that it could have existed anywhere from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s. But in my opinion, that only made the book SO MUCH cooler, because it gave the reader the opportunity to imagine their own time period for it.
The main character, Lucy Carlyle, is a member of a team who try to fight back the rising ghost problem in London and surrounding it, using their expertise to take down spirits that threaten the living. It was really cool to see a supernatural or paranormal book that manages to forgo the usual “Wait, ghosts are real???” moment so typical of the genre. This is a world where ghosts have been common knowledge for decades, which we also don’t see often.
I definitely recommend this book, and I cannot wait to finish the series.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love how this book is written. I just couldn’t stop reading it and was sad when I wasn’t able to continue the book for a day. I definitely recommend reading the book!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So yes, I watched the show first. But it made such a good adaptation with the source material and I now feel even more connected and in love with these characters and cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
In the world of The Screaming Staircase, ghosts are so prevalent that ghosthunting agencies have cropped up everywhere, mostly staffed by children and teenagers who are fearless, agile, and sensitive to detecting these "Visitors." Lockwood and Co. is a rogue outfit, staffed by three misfits with unconventional methods and a lot to prove, particularly after some particularly ugly cases and a sticky new job that will make them or break them (if it doesn't actually kill them).
I have yet to read a Stroud book I haven't loved. He creates a perfect eerie, ominous atmosphere here with creeping miasma and ghosts that are far beyond seance parlor tricks--menacing and bitter spirits with axes to grind with the nearest flesh-and-blood person they come across. There are lots of gadgets and action, and the interplay with the trio is good fun with some nice groundwork laid for sequel(s?). Can't wait to read some more.
Though the supernatural element is there, the structure and feel of the mystery sort of have a Sherlock Holmes-y kind of feel, so old school mystery fans should be just as happy as the ghoulie-and-ghostie crew.
I have yet to read a Stroud book I haven't loved. He creates a perfect eerie, ominous atmosphere here with creeping miasma and ghosts that are far beyond seance parlor tricks--menacing and bitter spirits with axes to grind with the nearest flesh-and-blood person they come across. There are lots of gadgets and action, and the interplay with the trio is good fun with some nice groundwork laid for sequel(s?). Can't wait to read some more.
Though the supernatural element is there, the structure and feel of the mystery sort of have a Sherlock Holmes-y kind of feel, so old school mystery fans should be just as happy as the ghoulie-and-ghostie crew.
