4 stars
Jonathan Stroud has done it again. I was first introduced to Stroud, like most, through his Bartimaeus books. I loved Stroud’s accessible and witty flair to writing then, and I still love it now. Stroud creates an additional alternative modern London with the Lockwood & Co series. “The Problem”, as the paranormal activity is referred to in Stroud’s universe, has caused gifted children to come forward to hunt ghosts, defeat them, and seal away their spirits. Lucy Carlyle is one of those such children and is our narrator.
The interactions between Lucy and her co-workers (Anthony Lockwood and George Cubbins) are comical and entertaining the whole way through, while maintaining the bit of edge and dark bite that keeps the story from being too sugary sweet.
A very light, fun read with a cool storyverse. I’ll definitely be tuning in for the rest of the series.
As a sidenote: should audiobooks be more your speed, Miranda Raison really does a good job with her narration and her reading definitely adds to the story.
Bumpy Oak Books 
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