The Hollow Boy: I finally got it!!!!

The Hollow Boy 

by 

Johnathan Stroud

Look what I (finally) got! Excuse me while I do a victory lap around the neighborhood.

For those of you who are unfortunate enough to not have read these pure awesome books here is a tiny summery. The world is haunted by ghosts. Real actual ghsots who are studied, categorized and disposed of safely and effectively. This is done by finding the Source, some important object/thing/etc. and destroying it.

               The problem? Kids are the only ones who can actually see the possibly (usually) fatal undead.

               I love these books! The ghosts are so freaky, there’s a legitimate reason for the characters to be young children who make it through all the scary stuff that happens through sass and sheer force of will.

Characters

Lucy: Main character and the only girl on the team. Which means she’s the only one with feelings that amount to more than ‘death to ghosts’ and food. 

While the primary ways of stopping ghosts is silver rapiers, nets, and various other spices Lucy is also able to hear and occasionally communicate with the ghosts. 

If they’re feeling ‘chatty’ as opposed to ‘eat your soul-y’.

               I loved Lucy so much. She’s a fabulous main character.

Lockwood: You secretive little brat . . . I like you. I’ve read a couple of stories that try to write Sherlock Holmes as a teenager. They usually don’t go well. I nominate Lockwood as a template. 

Sure he doesn’t have the same deductive skills. But he’s extremely clever and emotionally constipated so in the end not that big of a difference.

               This kid is wise beyond his years, overly dramatic and completely adorable. So yeah I’m sold.

George: George’s job in the trio is to remind everyone that ghost hunting isn’t just waving a rapier about and chatting up rotting corpses. Snack breaks and research save lives remember.

Skull-In-Jar: I’m gonna call him Skulduggery. His job on the other hand is to make sarcastic commentary while Lockwood and co. are having a near death experience. So of course I liked him. True he’s completely untrustworthy but as a comic relief plus unreliable hint giver he was the best.

Holly: What the heck Stroud? You literally set up a ‘part of the team’ character for me to hate? Why would you do that? I object highly.

Likes

The world: It’s London! But creepy London! With children seeing ghosts and adults afraid to so much as poke their head out at night. And yet everybody seems to act pretty much normal (at least until the lights go out). Buildings where ghosts have been sighted are famous. People who sell ghost ‘charms’ and protection are now quite respectable. There’s even a ghost rights activist group. Isn’t that so like human beings? Something comes out of the depths of hell to eat you but ‘hey! It’s got rights to don’t banish it back to the pit!’. 

Classic humans.

 Basically I need to see these people more in these books. The idea is hilarious.

  

The ghosts: Speaking of creatures from the depths of hell, these things are all kinds of terrifying. These ghosts can literally kill you with a touch (it’s called ghost-touched). Also they’ll probably scare you into madness at some point or another. Yeah excuse me I’m going to go hide under the covers

 with all the lights on.

All the sass: between Lucy, Lockwood, and the Skull I would be really hard pressed to pick a favorite. Though I think for the sake of this review I’ll go with the Skull. Why? Because he’s a dead, disembodied skull floating in a jar! His only purpose in life is to sass everyone! He’s obviously had a couple years to practice too.  

One thing I continually go back and forth about: Well I say go back and forth about . . . I’m just not as exceedingly insulted by it as a bunch of other reviewers are by it. It is Lucy’s utter contempt and jealousy for Holly her new teammate.

               Well I certainly didn’t like Holly that’s for sure. But everybody got super offended by Lucy taking such an immediate and irrational dislike to her. Y’all? When was the last time you were in high school? People take umbrage with everybody for literally no reason all the time.

               Honestly though I’d say they were being a bit unfair to Lucy. From what I remember from the first two books it took Lucy forever to get so much as a compliment from Lockwood and acceptance into the team. Then miraculously, (actually it was quite out of character for the boys) Holly shows up and is immediately accepted. Frankly seeing as how I get jealous when my cat sits on somebody else lap 

I can’t really fault her for her bouts of jealousy.

               Do I agree with her? Heck no! Do I think it was kind of a stupid decision on Stroud’s part? Yes.

Dislikes

That ending oh my gosh I’m pissed: Not cool Stroud! Not cool. And that freakin’ glossary gets me ever time! Don’t worry! There’s still twenty five pages or so! It’s just the chapter that’s ending on this abomination of a cliffhanger. NOPE! It’s the glossary Sucker!