Book Description
for The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Psychic investigators Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle, and George Cubbins are back for more adventures. A widespread, ever-escalating outbreak of Visitors threatens London while a new assistant, Holly Munro, challenges the interpersonal dynamics of Lockwood & Company. Holly is pert, pretty, and efficient. She quickly has Lockwood & Company operations organized and running smoothly, cleaning up the house, dispensing remedies to clients for minor hauntings, and booking more high-profile cases. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard has called every psychic investigation agency except Lockwood & Company to fight the multiplying Visitors. A successful spirit removal for a high-powered client, a case booked by Holly, earns Lockwood & Company a spot on the team. The creative world-building and frightening, breath-taking action scenes are balanced with humor, emotional interpersonal relationships, and personal growth of the characters. Unkempt George and messy Lucy chafe under Holly’s cleaning regime. Overly private Lockwood opens up to George, Holly, and particularly Lucy about his family. Lucy, egged on by the sardonic talking skull, takes increasingly dangerous risks to test her spirit-listening talents causing major riffs with Lockwood, a life endangering fight with Holly, and a decision that creates a distressing cliff-hanger ending. (Ages 11–15)
CCBC Choices 2016. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2016. Used with permission.