Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Another exciting, scary installment for ghost-story fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As usual, the three-person ghost-elimination agency of Lockwood & Co. isn't getting any respect or good cases. And in a city suddenly exploding with paranormal activity, every available agent in all the large firms is occupied in the cordoned-off Chelsea neighborhood of London, where the work is endless and agents are ghost-touched almost nightly. Lockwood, Lucy, and George feel left out -- but not for long. With the help of a new assistant, Holly Munro, they get a case at a rich, well-connected woman's townhouse. It's a nasty haunting with bloody footprints appearing on the stairs nightly. Subduing the ghost and barely escaping with their lives wins the team favor enough to put them back in the fray. And not a moment too soon. The outbreak is getting worse, and only George's powers of research and deduction, Lucy's ability to listen to ghosts, and Lockwood's combo of charm and grit can oust some truly dangerous spirits.
Is It Any Good?
This third installment maintains the high quality of the Lockwood & Co. series with a high scare factor and great characters. It's odd and refreshing in a series to not know which book you like the best. Fans of the popular series would probably follow Lockwood, Lucy, and George into any adventure at this point. Even setting up the circle of iron chains and falling asleep with them on the floor while they wait for ghosts to appear is entertaining.
But author Jonathan Stroud (also known for his wonderful Bartimaeus trilogy) ups the ante with a finale in a haunted department store. Those mannequins are creepy all by themselves. Add a ghost crawling around on the floor whispering "Lucy, Lucy" is freaky! Readers will feel as if they've been ghost-touched even before the situation gets really dire. Add to that a "Wait! What? Don't do it!" cliffhanger at the end and you'll be ready to be ghost-touched all over again with Book 4.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the title of the book. How many meanings does The Hollow Boy have?
How do the members of your family handle scary stuff? Do you all love it? Or turn on lights at night after reading something scary? What do you do when you think something is too scary?
What do you think of Lucy's decision? What do you think it means for Book 4? What other mysteries do you think the author will tackle later in the series?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : September 15, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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