Allora, Stroud: ti pare il modo questo di scrivere il terzo libro di una saga così coinvolgente e spassosa? Io mi spertico di lodi per te e tu mi ripaghi con l’introduzione di un nuovo personaggio che entra in conflitto con Lucy in maniera tanto banale da farmi venire il latte alle ginocchia? Non si fa: mi dichiaro una lettrice offesa.

A onor del vero, mi è sembrato che l’intento di Stroud fosse quello di usare lo stereotipo della ragazza gelosa e invidiosa della nuova arrivata per raccontare il vero nucleo originario di ogni tensione, cioè l’atteggiamento di Lockwood e il rapporto tra lui e Lucy, ma secondo me non gli è proprio riuscito.

L’unico risultato raggiunto da questa scelta narrativa è stato snaturare il personaggio di Lucy, che in alcuni momenti sembra un’altra persona, mentre la sua complicità con George e Lockwood viene compromessa in un modo che mi è sembrato poco credibile. Se Holly voleva essere la scintilla che faceva deflagrare i non detti all’interno del terzetto, ha finito per essere la bomba che ha spazzato via la buona caratterizzazione dei due libri precedenti.

Confido che la saga si riprenda con il quarto volume; anzi, direi che ci conto proprio. Nonostante il casino fatto, Stroud ha comunque messo le basi per sistemare le cose e di continuare a leggere la saga, visto che la caccia ai fantasmi è più intrigante che mai, adesso che si iniziano a intravedere sviluppi interessanti… ( )

The three agents of Lockwood & Co., Anthony, George and Lucy, are finally working in sync while dealing with London's ghost problem. However, as the team has gained traction, they have had a much bigger workload and Anthony decides to bring on a fourth team member. Holly Munro has been brought on mostly to take care of administrative tasks, but is not without talent herself. Lucy is immediately put off by Holly's apparent perfection as well as Anthony and George's admiration for her. While working a prominent case, Lucy's listening talent got her in trouble and Holly saved her. This case finally gives Lockwood & Co. an invite to help fight the very large Chelsea outbreak. George quickly figures out the actual center of the outbreak and Lockwood and Co. along with some help from Quill Kipps' team take on the dangerous case of the Chelsea outbreak.

The Hollow Boy is the third book in the Lockwood & Co. series and I highly recommend reading these in order. With Lockwood and & Co. finally running efficiently, a new member is thrown into the works. Holly's presence seems to be a positive force for both Anthony and George, but Holly and Lucy are uneasy with one another. While I wish there was a better feeling of women supporting women, I understood Lucy's feelings of being replaced and how Holly's strengths seemed to enhance Lucy's weaknesses. Lockwood seems to understand that Holly and Lucy are complementary to one another, but doesn't bother telling either of them this information. Even with Holly's presence, Lucy's talent for listening to ghosts is gaining strength. Lucy is realizing that fighting all ghosts off with weapons and harmful materials might not be the best way, lending a listening ear and trying to help with their need might be a way to keep everyone safe. With the introduction of a different and powerful type of ghost, a Fetch, Lucy learns yet another facet of the ghost's abilities. I was glad to see the talking skull as a larger presence as well as a sarcastic yet insightful source. With Lucy making a life changing decision at the end, I can't wait to jump into the next book. ( )

This was the story I was wanting to read! If you've watched the Netflix series, this book takes up directly after that ends which is what I was looking for. In this story, Lucy has been with the Lockwood & Co. agency for quite a bit of time and they have worked into a routine. The Problem is steadily getting worse so despite the "adult agencies" getting all the glory and word of mouth, Lockwood & Co. continues to be extremely busy, albeit with the lesser hauntings. They are so busy that many of the mundane day to day tasks (such as cleaning) have fallen by the wayside. This leads Lockwood to take on a new staff member, much to Lucy's chagrin.

I continue to enjoy the interpersonal relationships between the characters. Lucy's talent continues to grow, although her control seems to not be growing along with it. This leads to some discord and the ultimate ending of this book (no spoilers). This volume also has some great action scenes and spooky scenes. I really liked this volume and hopped right into the next which I am enjoying as well. ( )

I hated the whole "girl characters cannot get along and must compete with each other, there can be only one" thing going on for the majority of this one, but it was still a very exciting (and funny) adventure. Some of the overarching mysteries are becoming obvious and I do hope our heroes catch on soon, before it becomes boring. ( )

I love love love this series. The third, like the others, is deliciously creepy balanced with a lot of witty banter. Perfect! ( )