A review by stwriter92
The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This installment in Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood & Co. series was a delight like all the previous ones! In this book, we are introduced to a new addition to the dynamic group: Holly Munro. This, paired with a startling increase in hauntings and an assassination attempt thrusts Lockwood & Co out of their cozy home in Portland Row into the politics that surround The Problem.

This installation added to the tension that has been rising and the mystery was spectacular. The only qualm I had (and this probably contributed to the amount of time I took to finish this book) was the tension between Holly and Lucy. Holly seemed like the usual “girly girl” caricature that we see in many middle grade and young adult books that seems to only exist to show how “not like other girls” the main protagonist is. It did show us how insecure Lucy is and how this insecurity drove her to make some questionable decisions throughout the book, leading up to the depressing ending to the book (which, I am assuming, is fixed in book 4).