Jonathan Stroud continues his Lockwood & Co series with the third installment, The Hollow Boy. Again, Mr. Stroud does not disappoint. The book has the humor, banter, and intense supernatural life and death scenes that were found in the first two installments. A new character is added, and she mixes the pot a bit, giving this book energy and keeping the relationships from becoming stale and predictable. The skull in the jar is back and at this point, one might legitimately say he is a character. (He certainly has a lot of choice lines!) This novel is a page-turner and with the high caliber of writing we have come to expect of Mr. Stroud. The Hollow Boy will appeal to male and female readers, young and old–just so long as the reader has a strong stomach for all things paranormal.
The author gives readers another surprise twist at the end of this book so it is clear that a fourth book will be coming. Early author interviews indicated that the author didn’t have a set number of books in mind for this series so it may even extend beyond a fourth book. Readers will just have to read on and see!
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 8 religious exclamations; 12 mild obscenities.
Violence/Gore: Verbal threats; multi-chapter intense paranormal scene involving murdered ghosts attempting to kill characters; report in newspaper summing up a series of murders; references/discussion of other paranormal cases; multi-page ghost encounter involving human peril and the attempt to harm a human; written confession of a murder; many references to prior ghost encounters that almost got characters killed; report of haunting and a dead child found at bottom of staircase and another child driven insane; detailed, brief account of historical murder (stabbing, fall) and related death by carriage; characters observe ghosts repeating murder in multi-page account, bloody footprints involved; reports of deaths by ghosts; character attacked by bloody ghost (2 pages), injuries sustained; ghost jokes about slitting throat with a razor; character hit with cane; character tripped and non-detailed altercation breaks out; multi-page ghost and people attack involving chase, paranormal attacks, injuries, death by sword, explosives and destruction of property; several pages giving a general recounting of atrocities and deaths at a certain location; report of death; report of scuffle/fight; multi-chapter paranormal encounter/battle involving injuries, destruction of property; indications of occult/paranormal activity found; character interacts with a somewhat gruesome apparition with gaping bloody chest wound.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Death, murder, cult/occult activity, paranormal activity.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
