Review: #610
Title: The Hollow Boy
Series: Lockwood & Co - 3rd book
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Read Before: no
Comments: After the slightly underwhelming The Whispering Skull, the third book in the Lockwood & Co series is almost as amazing as The Screaming Staircase. Taking place in an alternate London where ghosts appear and are dangerous, we follow Lockwood, George and Lucy as they continue to expand their business and exterminate ghosts. Due to their rapidly expanding reputation, they take on a new team member, Holly, who presents much of the conflict of the plot with Lucy, both of them cannot stand each other but you know that it will either resolve in one of two ways, either Holly turns out to be the villain or they make up. While the conflicts end up being quite predictable and clichéd, it is incorporated well into the plot. The Hollow Boy focuses on two main ghost cases and this is the novel’s strongest point. The author has managed to weave together a fantastic tale, mixing the perfect blend of excitement, fear, thrills and anticipation. Throughout some of the key ghost scenes, where it takes place during the deepest part of night, the descriptions of the events that happen will definitely send a chill down your spine. You can’t help but look up and stare around, expecting to see the ghost manifest right in front of you. This tinge of horror never gets overwhelming; it manages to balance the tension and the atmosphere really well. During some of the scenes, the sense of urgency and threat presented in them feels so realistic. The climax wasn’t as climactic or epic as you would have hoped, since it never built it up in quite the same way as the first story arc. Nevertheless, it presents a host of new opportunities and future direction. The Hollow Boy finishes off with a cliffhanger, which doesn’t feel annoying; rather you are excited for the fourth book. Overall, The Hollow Boy is an amazing novel with a strong plot, deep lore and plenty of thrills and excitement.
Rating: 8.0/10
