Book Description:
It
has been over a year since Lucy Carlyle joined Lockwood & Co. and things
have started to look up since their success at Combe Carey Hall.
When
the intrepid trio is tangled up in another mystery, this time concerning a
stolen malignant mirror called the Bone Glass, matters begin to unravel.
The
Bone Glass seems to have a strange effect on George. Lockwood rashly enters
them in a competition with Kipps’ team to see who can get the mirror first.
Lucy now converses with the spirit of skull in the jar – but she doesn’t know
if she can trust it. The skull tells her that it can help them solve the case,
but also warns that her leader and friend Lockwood is deceitful.
Worse
yet, there are other, more sinister, forces after the Bone Glass. Racing
against time and with their reputation on the line, Lockwood & Co must find
the mirror and stop it from falling into the wrong hands.
Pros:
Humor
and imaginative worlds have always been hallmarks of Jonathan Stroud’s books,
and the Whispering Skull is no different. By equal turns funny and scary, it
was a pleasure to read.
The
amazing trio of the Screaming Staircase – Lucy, Lockwood, and George – are back
and as funny, mysterious, and intelligent, (respectively) as ever. Though they
are no longer facing crushing financial troubles, their friendship, loyalty,
and skill are test to their limits in the Whispering Skull.
The
focus here is their friendship and how well, or not well, they operate as a
team. Lockwood is a solid leader: brave and heroic, yet impulsive and far too
secretive. George is a brilliant researcher and a stalwart friend, but his
unrestrained curiosity endangers him and others around him. Lucy is the balance
between them, but still struggles to find her own voice and opinions. Their
complexity is wonderful and you can really see how their personalities
sometimes clash but still somehow work out in the end.
The
setting, though not as evocative as the first time around, is fully realized
and Stroud is well at ease in it, navigating the familiar and strange with
mastery and imagination.
The
premise is very good, and the mystery behind the Bone Glass scary without being
too gory or frightening.
The
dialogue, which is usually stand-out in Stroud’s work, was very funny, and
there were quite a few memorable jokes.
Cons:
Despite
being an overall good book, the Whispering Skull suffers from an unfocused and
meandering plot. The premise itself is excellent, but Stroud doesn’t do nearly
enough with it. Much of the beginning is spent in the normal humdrum of life at
Lockwood & Co, which isn’t uninteresting, but isn’t exactly riveting
either. Many reveals are too late to the party and though Stroud sows a few
intriguing seeds for future volumes, it isn’t enough to make up for the lack of
revelations here.
Character
is a bit on the weak side, too. Lucy, the protagonist, is frequently
ineffective and almost never influences the plot or other characters. I felt
that Stroud underused her greatly, which was a real shame since she has so much
potential. Even Lockwood and George were more pawns to unconvincing plot
contrivances than key players.
Verdict:
Though
not as flawless as its predecessor, the Whispering Skull is a funny and scary
read that capitalizes well enough on its superb cast of characters and
fascinating world.
Rating: (7.5/10)
Get the Whispering Skull on Book Depository.
For more excellent MG book recommendations, go to Shannon Messenger's
blog.
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