Title: The Screaming Staircase
Author: Jonathan Stroud
First published August 29, 2013
440 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780857532015 (ISBN10: 0857532014)
Rating: 4.23
Overview
In a world where ghosts haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. is the agency to call. With a terrifying epidemic of apparitions spanning decades, Psychic Investigation Agencies rise to the challenge of keeping the country safe.
Lucy Carlyle, a gifted agent, sets out to make a name for herself in London but finds herself joining the ragtag Lockwood & Co. Led by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood, the team takes on a case that goes terribly wrong. In a last ditch effort to redeem themselves, Lockwood & Co. must spend a night in one of the most haunted houses in England, fighting for their lives.
The Screaming Staircase is a chilling novel set in a city where spectres lurk around every corner. Full of suspense, humor, and terrifying ghosts, this book will haunt your dreams and leave you longing for more.
About the Author
Jonathan Anthony Stroud is a talented author who writes captivating fantasy books that primarily target children and young adults.
Growing up in St Albans, Stroud was an avid reader, artist, and storyteller. He spent most of his time in the hospital and at home due to illness between the ages of seven and nine.
However, he kept himself entertained by diving into books and creating his own stories. After completing his English literature studies at the University of York, he worked as an editor for the Walker Books store in London, where he gained experience working with various types of books.
This experience led him to start writing his own books, which quickly became successful.
One of Stroud’s most notable works is the bestselling Bartimaeus Trilogy. Unlike other books in the same genre, these novels explore the stereotypes and ethics of the magician class and the enslaved demons.
This is done by examining the perspective of the sarcastic and slightly egomaniacal djinni Bartimaeus. The books in this series include The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, and Ptolemy’s Gate, which were also his first books to be published in the United States.
Currently, Stroud lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with his wife Gina, who is an illustrator of children’s books, and their two children Isabelle and Arthur.
Editoral Review
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud is a thrilling young adult novel published on August 29, 2013. Jonathan Stroud is an English writer, born on October 27, 1970, best known for his bestselling Bartimaeus series, for which he won the Nestle Children’s Book Prize.
The Screaming Staircase is the first installment in the Lockwood & Co. series, a supernatural adventure that captivates readers with its unique characters, dark setting, thrilling plot, and richly-crafted world. The Screaming Staircase is set in an alternate London, where ghosts and other supernatural beings plague the city, terrorizing its inhabitants.
Lucy Carlyle, the 15-year-old protagonist, is a talented agent with the psychic investigative agency Lockwood & Co. Together with her colleagues Anthony Lockwood and George Cubbins, they are hired to investigate a haunting at the Combe Carey Hall, a mansion with a deadly history. As they begin to unravel the mystery, they find themselves facing more than just a malevolent specter.
Jonathan Stroud has created a vivid and intricate world that expertly blends the supernatural with the mundane. Stroud’s storytelling is masterful, seamlessly weaving suspenseful action, dark humor, and poignant emotion throughout the narrative.
The characters are fully-realized and multi-dimensional, each with their own distinct voice, motivations, and flaws. Lucy, Anthony, and George make for a formidable trio, each bringing their own expertise and personality to the table.
The themes of the novel are timely and relevant, exploring the power of friendship, loyalty, and teamwork in the face of danger and adversity. The plot is expertly crafted, with twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
The pacing is quick, with just the right amount of exposition and action, never feeling rushed or slow. The Screaming Staircase’s only minor drawbacks are that the world-building can be overwhelming at times, and the climax may feel a bit rushed.
However, these flaws are overshadowed by the book’s many strengths. In conclusion, The Screaming Staircase is a thrilling and well-crafted novel that will appeal to readers of all ages.
Its unique setting, dynamic characters, and expert storytelling make it a standout in the supernatural thriller genre. I highly recommend it for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and other young adult series.
I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
