The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. Book 1) by Jonathan Stroud

This is definitely going to become one of the hottest young adult series in the next few years. Remember when Stroud wrote the Bartimaeus trilogy (which later became a series when he generously wrote us the prequel)? Well, if you--like me--mourned the end of such a great, snark-filled series, guess what?

Ta da! Here's a new (as of 2013) Stroudian, true-to-form, snark-filled series that will continue to have you on the edge of your seat. Those kids on the cover? Yeah, they're just your average tween ghost hunters from a all-child psychic detective agency. And those pointy things they're holding? NOT WANDS, PEOPLE! Rapiers! That's right, the hot new Halloween costume this year is going to be tween ghost hunters who wear rapiers and utility belts filled with iron shavings and explosive devices.

And I don't blame anyone who hops on board this bandwagon.

Although the plot was somewhat predictable--I actually guessed who the bad guy was the first time anyone could possibly guess who the bad guy is (he's losing points for that)--the book is really enjoyable, and Stroud is clearly laying the groundwork for what will become an exciting, action-packed series. I'm hoping predictability today will pave the way for unpredictability tomorrow! Stroud never says exactly how young the protagonists are, so I'm hoping they're young enough that they've got several years of ghost-hunting left in them. I'm ready for Book 2! (I'll have to buy the British version though, because reading about Londoners eating "cookies" is just weird.)

If you liked Bartimaeus or if you are a fan of Artemis Fowl, you'll like this book. You should go out and buy it. Now.

~8/10~