Lockwood & Co. #JonathanStroud #Sheerbrilliance #ApprovedbyRiordan

Well, here we are: I'm finally doing it. I'm writing a book review. This is the first time I'm actually doing this outside of school, and I'm so nervous right now if you can tell. It's fine, take deep breaths EM *inhales* Okay. *exhales* I'm ready. Let's do this.

Okay, where to start? Mmm... right here. Lockwood & Co. is not your typical ghost hunting kind of book. Heck, it doesn't even feature the Ghostbusters or their wildly innovative (and sometimes chaotic) tech. What it does feature though, is exquisite writing technique and an excellent plot line. Jonathan Stroud has to be one of my favourite writers, and this is entirely due to this book series.

Why, I hear you ask. Why is this book series so deserving of praise? Well, let me tell you. Lockwood & Co. is essentially a fictional world in which ghosts have arisen and started to plague London for about 50 years now. No one knows why or how this has happened, but this is how life is now. Stroud does an excellent job of immersing the reader right from the get-go. He doesn't use things like "Oh, 50 years ago this happened..." or "Ghosts have been plaguing us for almost half a century" or any of that. He literally starts the first book off with this:

"Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood & Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victims, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in cocking them all up. There, I’ve admitted it! Not a single one of those early cases ended as neatly as we’d have wished. Yes, the Mortlake Horror was driven out, but only as far as Richmond Park, where even now it stalks by night amongst the silent trees. Yes, both the Grey Spectre of Aldgate and the entity known as the Clattering Bones were destroyed, but not before several further (and, I now think, unnecessary) deaths. And as for the creeping shadow that haunted young Mrs Andrews, to the imperilment of her sanity and her hemline, wherever she may continue to wander in this world, poor thing, there it follows too. So it was not exactly an unblemished record that we took with us, Lockwood and I, when we walked up the path to 62 Sheen Road on that misty autumn afternoon and briskly rang the bell." 

There. Right there, you can see that he treats all of this business of ghosts and paranormal activity as normal, without telling the reader what happens, he plunges them headfirst into a world they know nothing about. A world that is both familiar (looking at you, Britain) and brand-new to them. It's, how do I describe it, it's as if all of this is common knowledge and we, as the reader, should know all of this. It's a bit bewildering at first, but that's what makes this fun to read.

This, in my opinion, is an excellent technique as it hooks the reader onto the book, makes them curious and hungry for information. I'll admit, the first time I read this book I couldn't put it down. I was caught, hook, line and sinker. There's no exposition dump on you, rather it's explained along the way in tiny tidbits of information that the reader slowly puts together as he continues on.

What I especially love is the attention to detail in this book series. Even a tiny, miniscule detail holds the most importance. It confuses you, makes you think the big stuff is what's important when in reality, it's actually the small stuff. Stroud pulls the rug right out from under you and makes you hungry for more. Take the ghosts for example. Stroud compiled an entire list of ghosts in the glossary as well as the definitions of various common phrases used throughout, and it's no small one either. From Spectres, Lurkers and Tom O' Shadows, to Raw-bones, Wraiths and Shining Boys, Stroud includes their abilities, classification and danger level. Only the highly skilled writers and authors have the ability to do this (myself included, don't mind the self-praise), and Stroud is no different when it comes to this series.

It's written in a first-person perspective, but you don't really feel like it at all until Lucy (through whose eyes you see the world) is alone, or separated from the others, and that's when you blink twice and realise that you're actually viewing the world through her eyes. It's an entirely new concept too, since we usually believe that anyone can see a ghost, but here, there are specified rules. Take children for example. Their Talents (psychic abilities) are most powerful at a young age, say from 7 years old to about 17-ish, and they gradually weaken over time, with adults completely useless in fighting ghosts. Stroud has also incorporated traditional ghost-wards as well, with the use of salt, silver, iron and lavender proving highly effective in this ghostly world.

There is also a greater mystery at play, and as we continue down the line of books, it becomes clearer and clearer until finally, all is revealed. (I think. I haven't yet had the chance to read the last book in the series, I've just finished the fourth.) Even comedy is present at crucial times, when things look bleak or dreary, with timeless comedic moments to break up the tension.

Tying all of this together, it's an absolute blast to read and enjoy, especially if you like/love ghosts, comedy, mystery, adventure and thrills. Even Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson universe and frequently considered the storyteller of the gods, complimented Stroud's work, calling him a genius. It's only a shame that many people whom I talk to don't have a copy of this series because I'm sure they would enjoy it.

Well, I think that wraps up this review of the overall series. I'll review each individual book at a later date, and update this page accordingly with their links. (I originally planned to review the first book, but while writing I realised it was more related to the overall series, so here.)

P.S. The exact quote Riordan gave was "You'll want to leave the lights on... Stroud is a genius."

 

What did you guys think? If you have any constructive criticisms or praise, leave them down in the comments below, so that I can improve my skills and continue providing even more enjoyable content for all of you! 😀😄