Publishers Weekly - Audio
01/27/2014
Stroud’s first entry in his new Lockwood & Co. series begins with all manner of spirits and ghosts haunting London. To address what becomes known as “the Problem,” young Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, and George Cubbins must rid England of its otherworldly visitors using their ability to perceive spirits. Stroud’s novel comes to life thanks to the narration of Raison. Her performance is reserved, but this proves a wise choice for such an outrageous story, with the narrator employing slight shifts in tone and style to create realistic and believable character voices. This straightforward approach makes the audio edition all the more immediate and thrilling. Ages 8–12. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"This story will keep you reading late into the night, but you'll want to leave the lights on. Stroud is a genius at inventing an utterly believable world which is very much like ours, but so creepily different. Put The Screaming Staircase on your 'need to read' list!"
— Rick Riordan
"A pleasure from tip to tail, this is the book you hand the advanced readers that claim they'd rather read Paradise Lost than Harry Potter. Smart as a whip, funny, witty, and honestly frightening at times, Stroud lets loose and gives readers exactly what they want. Ghosts, kids on their own without adult supervision, and loads of delicious cookies."
— Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal
"Stroud shows his customary flair for blending deadpan humor with thrilling action, and the fiery interplay among the three agents of Lockwood & Co. invigorates the story (along with no shortage of creepy moments)." — Publishers Weekly
"Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud's new post-Bartimaeus series. The work is fraught with peril, not only because a ghost's merest touch is generally fatal, but also, as it turns out, none of the three is particularly good at careful planning and preparation. A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls."— Kirkus Reviews
"...Stroud writes for a younger audience in book one of the Lockwood & Co. series and delivers some chilling scenes along the way."— Booklist
School Library Journal - Audio
01/01/2014
Gr 5–10—In a turn-of-the-century steampunk-flavored London, teenager Lucy Carlyle is one of a special few who have the psychic abilities to see-and the nerve to eliminate-the British community's Problem, a dangerous ghost epidemic. Children are the first line of defense against the influx of these Visitors whose Ghost Touch can kill, since they are invisible and almost undetectable to adults. When Lucy joins charismatic Anthony Lockwood and his obnoxious partner, George, they are assigned a case which, if solved, may allow them to prove themselves in a business regulated by adults. But first they must survive the night in one of the most haunted houses in all of England. Stroud does not disappoint with this thrilling adventure (Disney-Hyperion, 2013) which, while predictable in places, is well paced and filled with such humor balanced with chilling details that it somehow manages to simultaneously reassure and terrify the reader. In her first audiobook recording, Miranda Raison's characterizations and lovely British accent add even more dimension to the story, creating an audiobook that is preferable to the traditional print version. Recommended for those who loved Stroud's "Bartimaeus" series, who are looking for a somewhat tamer version of the "Monstrumologist" series, or anyone who just loves a good ghost story.—Chani Craig. Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School, Montague, MA
FEBRUARY 2014 - AudioFile
Miranda Raison’s narration of this ghost-cum-mystery-cum-horror story is a genre mash-up that provides plenty of drama. Raison adds even more with her renditions of the dynamic characters of Lockwood & Co., a team of psychic young adults who struggle to rid London of the malicious ghosts that have plagued it for 50 years. Raison’s portrayal of the witty, sometimes combative narrator, Lucy Carlyle, is compelling. Her co-worker, George, drips sarcasm, and the layered picture of Lucy’s boss, Lockwood, is both caring and opaque. Dialogue sizzles throughout their plans and adventures. The pacing is fast, and Raison amps it up, utilizing pauses and rushes to intensify a book that sets a high standard for the series to come. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
