Book Review: The Creeping Shadow (Lockwood & Co. #4) by Jonathan Stroud

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy / horror / mystery
Length: 445 pages
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: September 13th, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After leaving Lockwood & Co. at the end of The Hollow Boy, Lucy is a freelance operative, hiring herself out to agencies that value her ever-improving skills. One day she is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Lockwood, who tells her he needs a good Listener for a tough assignment. Penelope Fittes, the leader of the giant Fittes Agency wants them–and only them–to locate and remove the Source for the legendary Brixton Cannibal. They succeed in their very dangerous task, but tensions remain high between Lucy and the other agents. Even the skull in the jar talks to her like a jilted lover. What will it take to reunite the team? Black marketeers, an informant ghost, a Spirit Cape that transports the wearer, and mysteries involving Steve Rotwell and Penelope Fittes just may do the trick. But, in a shocking cliffhanger ending, the team learns that someone has been manipulating them all along.

I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU.

Droppin’ the FRIENDS theme song for you today because it’s my favorite and highly applicable to my thoughts on The Creeping Shadow.

I loooove this friend group. Lockwood, Lucy, George and Holly. I like their banter, the way they care about each other, the relentless support, all of it. This is my go-to friend group in books I’ve read recently. They’re what make this book. Honestly though, I’m really hear for Lockwood and Lucy. I love them (they better love each other) and I’m secretly hoping for some kind of extra connection come the finale – a girl can dream!

This is my kind of horror. Substantially creepy, but still within bounds that I can handle. This definitely stepped it up a notch. The amount of ghosts, descriptions of murders and more really amped up the scene. I love that I even got to see a bit of the other side. I’m curious how that will affect them going on.

Talk about some bombs being dropped. Those last few scenes really dropped my jaw. I know I must get this last book to get answers. I’m excited for how everything set up and love that each case throughout the series have led them here. Things weren’t all for willy-nilly and that’s what keeps me going back for more.

Overall audience notes: