As an author, I have my role-models, my heroes, the 'better' authors than me whom I take as my mentors and guides. Today, I'll be gushing over one in particular: Jonathan Stroud, and his latest book series: Lockwood and Co.
First off, I should say this. I am not a fan of scary. I will not watch scary movies, and in general, I stay as far away as possible from horror books. This isn't just because I don't like getting spooked and because I value my sleep, though those are big factors. Generally, I've noticed that scary stories focus on only one aspect, which is the scare factor. Duh. Stroud's Lockwood and Co is undeniably terrifying. And yet I read it. LOVED it. Why? Because he didn't just focus on the ghosts! His characters are so real I swear they leapt off the page. The London setting is so vivid I felt the grime and the rain and the mud underfoot. I glanced up from the page expecting a beautiful Colorado day to have given way to slush. Yes, there are really, really scary things. But they're such an integral part of the world Stroud has created that they feel almost natural to the setting, like that's the way things should be. Let's take this point by point. Here's 5 points on which I grade a book:
1. Was the author interested in what he/she was writing? Believe it or not, yeah, I can tell when you aren't passionate about your story. I know what parts you got bored with, which characters you didn't like enough to develop, and where the whole thing became a drag for you. Why? Because it became a drag for me too. Stroud gets an A++ for passion. The reader gets sucked in from the first words, delighted to share in what is clearly a top-notch story for the author. There are moments when you can tell he got even more excited about what he was writing, but no spots where I noticed any lagging. Perfect.
2. Did the writing flow smoothly? Were there grammatical errors, or oddly built sentences that jarred you out of your reading comfort zone? In truth, no. I noted one typo in 3 books. Every line was constructed with care and respect, and was as smooth as an artist's masterpiece.
3. Was there character development? Did the characters change and evolve (for better or worse) as the story went? Importantly, did the change feel natural? HECK yes to this one. Man, even the ghost in the jar evolved! And it was done with enough subtlety that I didn't question any of it once. THAT'S genius. My only complaint was that I would have liked George to have as much development as Lockwood. While I understand that's not necessarily possible, and he did change, I'd love to have seen a bigger growth on his end. Hopefully in books to come!
4. Was the plot coherent/consistent? Was it predictable or surprising? Did the author make an effort to add twists that made sense/kept reader interested? Obviously, I was more than interested. I can't say there was much that truly took me by surprise, although Lockwood's back story and the reveal behind the mystery of the Bloody Footprints definitely took me off guard. I was expecting the ending of the second book, The Whispering Skull, for sure. Book 3 almost made me cry. There is only one book to date that's really made me cry, and that's The Book Thief. I loved that all 3 books followed semi-separate cases while still continuing on the same thread in other places. Incredibly consistent throughout.
5. Finally, and this is really important, will I look for more? Uh. YES. Plain and simple. If a book leaves me wanting more, that's usually enough for me to give it an A+ reading. I'm lazy. I want good nourishment from my fellow authors. If I like you enough to seek out your other works, you've got me for life.
Get your copy of The Screaming Staircase here!
First off, I should say this. I am not a fan of scary. I will not watch scary movies, and in general, I stay as far away as possible from horror books. This isn't just because I don't like getting spooked and because I value my sleep, though those are big factors. Generally, I've noticed that scary stories focus on only one aspect, which is the scare factor. Duh. Stroud's Lockwood and Co is undeniably terrifying. And yet I read it. LOVED it. Why? Because he didn't just focus on the ghosts! His characters are so real I swear they leapt off the page. The London setting is so vivid I felt the grime and the rain and the mud underfoot. I glanced up from the page expecting a beautiful Colorado day to have given way to slush. Yes, there are really, really scary things. But they're such an integral part of the world Stroud has created that they feel almost natural to the setting, like that's the way things should be. Let's take this point by point. Here's 5 points on which I grade a book:
1. Was the author interested in what he/she was writing? Believe it or not, yeah, I can tell when you aren't passionate about your story. I know what parts you got bored with, which characters you didn't like enough to develop, and where the whole thing became a drag for you. Why? Because it became a drag for me too. Stroud gets an A++ for passion. The reader gets sucked in from the first words, delighted to share in what is clearly a top-notch story for the author. There are moments when you can tell he got even more excited about what he was writing, but no spots where I noticed any lagging. Perfect.
2. Did the writing flow smoothly? Were there grammatical errors, or oddly built sentences that jarred you out of your reading comfort zone? In truth, no. I noted one typo in 3 books. Every line was constructed with care and respect, and was as smooth as an artist's masterpiece.
3. Was there character development? Did the characters change and evolve (for better or worse) as the story went? Importantly, did the change feel natural? HECK yes to this one. Man, even the ghost in the jar evolved! And it was done with enough subtlety that I didn't question any of it once. THAT'S genius. My only complaint was that I would have liked George to have as much development as Lockwood. While I understand that's not necessarily possible, and he did change, I'd love to have seen a bigger growth on his end. Hopefully in books to come!
4. Was the plot coherent/consistent? Was it predictable or surprising? Did the author make an effort to add twists that made sense/kept reader interested? Obviously, I was more than interested. I can't say there was much that truly took me by surprise, although Lockwood's back story and the reveal behind the mystery of the Bloody Footprints definitely took me off guard. I was expecting the ending of the second book, The Whispering Skull, for sure. Book 3 almost made me cry. There is only one book to date that's really made me cry, and that's The Book Thief. I loved that all 3 books followed semi-separate cases while still continuing on the same thread in other places. Incredibly consistent throughout.
5. Finally, and this is really important, will I look for more? Uh. YES. Plain and simple. If a book leaves me wanting more, that's usually enough for me to give it an A+ reading. I'm lazy. I want good nourishment from my fellow authors. If I like you enough to seek out your other works, you've got me for life.
Get your copy of The Screaming Staircase here!
http://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Staircase-Lockwood-Co/dp/1423186923/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442850288&sr=1-1&keywords=the+screaming+staircase