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The Hollow Boy
464 pages
A delightfully spooky, banter-filled romp through a haunted London where the interpersonal drama is just as sharp as the rapiers.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a fog-drenched London alleyway with a cup of tea in one hand and a silver rapier in the other. The experience is a masterful balancing act between genuine, spine-tingling chills and laugh-out-loud British snark. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, driven not just by the escalating supernatural threats, but by the deliciously tense, prickly interpersonal dynamics of a found family undergoing growing pains. The prose is sharp and sensory, making the cold spots and phantom footsteps feel uncomfortably real, while the wry, sardonic voice of the narrator keeps the dread from becoming overwhelming. It is a perfect read for anyone who delights in cozy-yet-dangerous atmospheres, witty banter, and the messy, fiercely loyal bonds of teenagers facing down the dark.
- Mood
- creepy
- fog-drenched
- tense
- cozy-yet-dangerous
- Tone
- wry
- sardonic
- suspenseful
- affectionate
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- found family dynamics · professional jealousy · the weight of secrets · trusting your instincts
- The writing
- Sharp, witty, and highly atmospheric, balancing chilling sensory details with dry British humor.
- The arc
- The protagonist's journey shifts from comfortable camaraderie into prickly insecurity and jealousy, culminating in a desperate, bond-forging fight for survival.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love spooky mysteries, snarky narrators, and tightly knit found families navigating supernatural dangers.
Content notes
- frightening supernatural situations
- mild violence
- peril
- themes of death
About the book
As a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines. There is a new spirit of openness in the team now that Lockwood has shared some of his childhood secrets, and Lucy is feeling more and more as if her true home is at Portland Row. It comes as a great shock, then, when Lockwood and George introduce her to an annoyingly perky and hyper-efficient new assistant, Holly Munro.
Meanwhile, there are reports of many new hauntings, including a house where bloody footprints are appearing, and a department store full of strange sounds and shadowy figures. But ghosts seem to be the least of Lockwood & Co.'s concerns when assassins attack during a carnival in the center of the city. Can the team get past their personal issues to save the day on all fronts, or will bad feelings attract yet more trouble?
Danger abounds, tensions escalate, and new loyalties form in this third delightfully terrifying adventure in the critically acclaimed Lockwood & Co. series.
Description from Open Library.
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