But Lockwood & Co. is an agent down - Lucy Carlyle is now a freelance operative.
ANd they have a lot on their plate: monstrous handprints on a window, sinister chopping sounds from a haunted kitchen...
Not to mention the Creeping Shadow - a hulking menace that stalks a village churchyard, raising spectres from their graves.
The team desperately need Lucy's help. If she can be persuaded to return...
This is the fourth book in the series of Lockwood & Co. series, four months after the last one that had Lucy leave Lockwood & Co, but obvious she joins back up. Making the whole reflective thing that last book had weird.
The Lucy joins back in due to a cannibal killer named Soloman Guppy that is of course a giant, because if you're named Soloman. Of course, this is clearly based on a myth that is also a DC villain, Solomon Grundy, the nursery rhyme says nothing about him being giant, I guess the giant thing comes from the Soloman Island, also that has cannibalism link too. I didn't mind the body in the walls, in the first book, that was fun for me, but this rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe because I'm kinda just done. It's not a main plot thing. It's just the usual single ghost set up.
I've never really liked any of the characters, but the more I read the more they feel the same. I mean they technically all have different roles in the plot/team but they all talk the same, despite being from different places/classes. Basically, they all dig at each other except for Holly who turns out is just there to be all the rep we're going to get (that's me having a dig at the next novel in the series. It's dumb so don't worry about it).
Turns out Lucy is still the catty idiot we all hate, and doesn't realise what a major dick she was to Holly for no reason. The conversations about her leaving due to Holly is done several times (I've got four counted, basically she has with every series character). I think Holly and Lucy are meant to be friends by the end of this, but honestly I think Holly should be the one to leave, go get a job that's not fighting ghosts in an unsafe environment. Basically, Holly only full likable character in Lockwood & Co. and I want better for her.
The big problem with this series and the reason that I would not recommend it for it's target audience, is there is a lot of toxic shit in this book. There is the girl hate, the fat shaming of George by all the characters (I mean his last name is also Cubbins) and at the same time Holly is shamed for being thin, liking "healthy" food. I know the hate of salad is probably to be #relatable but there are kids who like lettuce. I was one of them, still ended up over weight. I'm just not here for body shamming anyone especially at someone who is possibly going through puberty. The more the series goes on, I'm not sure what the intention is with Lucy being obsessed with Holly's appearance and never acknowledges even to herself what a tool she been. Some of this comes from all the characters including Lockwood so it meant to be acceptable thing. Maybe Stroud thinks that because Lucy isn't being as straight up hostile to Holly in this one, that's character growth when Lucy is constantly taking stabs at Holly. Even if it meant to be Lucy having issues with her self-image, it's not great. It's still Lucy not being happy unless she the prettiest girl there.
Overall, I give this 3/5 stars for Skull Sources. This book feels like tries to answer some of my issues I had with the last one, but does so terribly and in a way that in denial. The character pretty much trash, but weren't as big as trash as Lucy was in the last book. The world building is something but also feel kinda unstable. We finally actually getting in over-arcing plot of the series that's only been hinted at so far. I don't know, of course I'm going to read the last book, maybe because I hate myself. Also Lucy was less annoying but still her same self.
Quotes:
Four months later and we find out that Lucy has learnt nothing.
Page 42, "It had just been me; Anthony Lockwood, who ran and George Cubbins, who researched stuff. We'd lived in a house in Portland Row, Marylebone. Oh, there'd been another employee as well. Her name was Holly Munro, she was new, a kind of assistant to the rest of us. She sort of counted too, I guess, but it was George and Lockwood who had meant the most to me. Meant so much, in fact that in the end I'd been forced to turn my back on them and go a different way.
Four months earlier, you see, a ghost had shown glimpse of one possible future. It was a future in which my actions would lead directly to Lockwood's death. The ghost itself was malignant, and I had no reason to trust it, except for one thing: it echoed my own intuitions. Time and again Lockwood had risked his life to save mine, the line between success and disaster growing finer and less definite on each occasion. Coupled with that, even as my psychic Talents had grown strong, my ability to master those Talents had become frayed. Several times during cases I had lost control of my emotions — and this had dangerously strengthened the ghosts that we fighting. A series of near catastrophes had ended me unleashing the power of a Poltergeist; in the ensuring battle Lockwood (and others) had nearly died." So she really doesn't get it does she.
Page 43, "And here he was, finally, in perhaps my least favourite image of the sequence, receiving the Coveted Agency of the Month award at the Times offices in London, With the slim and elegant figure of Holly Munro standing picturesquely beside him." She fine with him by himself and with George.
Page 52, about the Furnaces where the sources are burnt: "They said that if you stood on the viewing platform after dark, you could spot a dozen ghosts at once, writhing briefly, blue and green, as the flames engulfed their objects and their ties to this earth were finally snuffled out. Right now it was getting light outside and the ghosts were not visible, but even from a distance I could feel the occasional psychic aftershock. Each was like the moment of silence after a scream." Okay, that's disturbing.
Page 75, "He flicked a glance up at me — it was sad and hopeful all at once, a glance that presumed nothing — then gently lowered his gaze and went back to contemplating his hands. He'd made his pitch; there wasn't much else he could say. I was looking at my own hands, frowning at the scrapes on the knuckles, the faint magnesium staining on the fingers, the dirty flecks of iron and salt crusted under the nails ... What was all that about? Flo Bones probably had a better manicure, and she made her living scraping holes in river-ooze. The skull was right: I wasn't in good shape. Sometime over the winter I'd stopped taking care of myself; I'd let myself go. But in the meantime I had been focusing on some- thing else, and that was my Talent. Could I control it better now? I thought so, yes — working with adult super- visors was an endless test of the emotions."
Page 76, "'There are other Listeners out there,' I said. 'Good ones too.'
'Like who?'
'Kate Goodwin's okay.'
'Oh, come on, she not half the listener you are.' [names others that are not worthy to Lockwood.]
This was true. And he was quite incidentally. The rest was rubbish compared to me. Only one other person who had ever spoken with ghosts the way I did, and she'd died a long time ago."
Page 82-83, "'I'm not "back" with them,' I said. 'I'm helping them out. It's one time only.'
'One time? Pull the other one! Give it five minutes, and you'll be back sleeping in your cramped little attic at Lockwood's, snuggling up with that Holly Munro. I bet she uses your room now.'
'Ugh! That's never going to happen.'"
Page 90, "Charming Holly, as pretty and perfect as ever. She hadn't altered much during these last months; she hadn't suddenly become saggy or bedraggled or noticeably flawed or anything. In fact, because of the importance of the meeting, she'd dolled herself up even more than usual. She wore the kind of dress you need to be poured into; the sort I would have ripped as soon as I tried wiggling it over my shoulders. It was the sort of dress that would have got stuck halfway down my midriff, with my arms trapped and my head is covered, and left me bouncing blindly off the walls for hours, half naked, trying to struggle free. That sort of dress. For completists, who want details, it was blue." I actually have no idea what style of dress you're describing Stroud, a dress too small for Lucy is all I got. Holly is described as being taller than Lucy so it possible they actually the same dress size.
Page 91, "'It's lovely to see again.'
'Yeah, you too. You look good.'
'So do you. Freelancing obviously suits you. I'd love to hear all about how you've been getting on. I've heard great things. I think you're doing so well.'
Once upon a time it would have annoyed me, the record number of fibs crammed into that single scrap of dialogue. I was sure Holly had about the same interest in my freelance work as she had in my choice of toothpaste (less, actually - given the way her perfect teeth gleamed so brightly every time she smiled). And everything else was a lie too, since I was clearly didn't look good at all." A conversation between Holly and Lucy, Lucy is also sweating a lot.
Page 107, "'Going to do a job with him. Only a one-off. I'm not rejoining.'
'No, well, of course you aren't.' Flo picked up a sharper tool, thick with blue-black river clay. "That Holly Munro's still there, isn't she?'
I paused. 'Actually, it wasn't because of Holly that I left.'
She scraped muck off her prong. 'Uh-huh.'
'I had other reasons.'
'Uh-huh.'
'You don't believe me?'
'Can you hold this muck prong a tick?'" We will have this conversation often. This feels like Stroud responding to criticism from the last book.
Page 110, "I sit back and considered her. It was her skin that always got me. It was darkly buttery, with not a pimple to be seen. And her features too - everything in it's proper place. There'd been a time when her easy perfection drove me mad, and I knew that in my dishevelled, wildly imperfect way, I'd done the same to her." I guess Lucy is clearly meant to be deluded about this one sided rivary. But I continue to be done with this.
"'You're so brave,' she said. 'To leave and strike out on your own. It's very risky.'
'Well, it has its compensations. I've learned a lot about my Talents and got better at managing other people, even the irritating ones.' She gave a laugh. Oh joy — it was the special tinkling one that set my teeth on edge."
Page 111, "'I know we had our issues, Lucy, but it's been odd being the only girl. Lockwood and George are lovely, of course, but they're both off in their own worlds. George with his experiments and Lockwood . , .' Her brow formed shapely furrows. 'He's so restless and remote. He never sits still long enough for me to reach him." Holly basically saying she misses Lucy.
Page 114, "More than one lady was obliged to leave the room." About the Soloman trial. Yeah, women love that shit. Sounds like sexist bull to me.
Page 115, "No one's that scary, not even a big fat cannibal." said by Lockwood.
Page 130, "I thought you'd basically just hoofed it when Holly Munro showed. Still, what do I know?" Kipps in response to Lucy reasons to being freelance.
Page 131, "To my surprise, Holly had taken a biscuit."
Page 143, "I'm very happy to be working alongside you all again.'
There was silence. 'Are you?' he said. 'That's a surprises me.' [setting up chains] 'And why wouldn't I be?" I asked.
He didn't answer for a time. [more chains] 'Well,' he said at last. 'There's Holly'.
'Not you as well!' I let out an angry oath. 'I keep telling everyone. I didn't leave because of her." Except you clearly did.
Page 144, "'That Poltergeist was you sorting things out," George said, and in a way he was quite right. 'You left because you got so mad at her.'
'No. I left because I lost control of my Talent,' I said. 'Because I roused the ghosts and endangered you all, and I couldn't face doing it again.'" Not at all that all what happen, Lucy roused the ghost by losing her cool and starting an argument with Holly at the centre of a massive haunting. It's absolutely nothing to do with her powers. Like Stroud this feels like you trying to backtrack more than Lucy being in denial, even that's the case. It's book four out of five, move on to actually character development.
Page 221, " I was staring at him. My warm feeling had partially retreated, 'I'll take the juice, So Holly stayed over last night?'
'Personally I've always thought straining it through your teeth is part of the fun,' Lockwood said. 'You can pretend you're a blue whale.' He caught my look. 'What?'
'Holly, She's staying over now?'
'Oh, not always. Depends how the night turns out."
Page 222,"How often does she stay over?' Lockwood flicked the toaster on. 'I don't know that it's really something for a freelance like you to worry about. She's not using your old room, if that's what bothering you.'
Page 231, "Holly had stopped pouring and was gazing at me with evident concern. In the old days I'd have bristled at her attention, suspecting it of being patronizing and insincere."
Page 251, Holly has made a cake and Lucy of course questions it. "Oh, Hol's still fixated on salads - but don't worry, I'm corrupting her slowly. We'll have her scoffing junk food by and by." said by George.
Page 252, "Tom Rotowell holding his homemade sword, and Marissa beside him holding her little lantern. The two objects become symbols of their agencies. It's funny to think of them actually used, the first time." But they both use animals for logos, a lion and an unicorn. How many symbols do they need?
"True to form, Holly had piled her plate up with salad, but I pleased to see a decent mound of spaghetti too. She twirled her fork with a delicate motion of her wrist." Lucy made the spaghetti.
Page 283, Lockwood said "I've missed you so much, Lucy" and with that Lucy dropped down dead.
Page 290, About Leopold Winkman "He was in his mid-teens, his face dumpling-soft and malleable, with toad-like strongly reminiscent of his father, the imprisoned Julius Winkman." This is funny because Julius Winkman was described as having very feminine lips.
Page 343, "One's a double. Here's the key for the double room — it's also got a camp bed at the end. The other's a twin. hope you have a lovely stay. I'll leave you to settle in, and see you in the bar later.' With that, he departed.
There was a heavy silence. I scanned the others, taking in at a glance Holly's neat traveling bag, doubtless crammed with body lotions and skin cleansers; George's ominously light rucksack, which lacked room for any conceivable change of clothes; Kipps's angular and palely ginger frame, the horrors of which were just hinted at beneath his roll- neck; and Lockwood. To share a room with any of them presented problems.
The others were making similar swift calculations.
'Lucy—?' Holly began.
'You beat me to it. Don't mind if I do.'
'In that case,' she said, plucking a key from Lockwood's hand, 'we'll take the twin room and leave you boys to it. Good luck deciding who gets the camp bed.' All the fanfiction about Lockwood and Kipps sharing a bed is about to be lost. Also I really can't remember the exact the age difference between these characters anymore, especially as there are all as immature as each other.
Page 344, 'You know something? Holly said. I'm glad it worked out this way. I'm pleased you're here.'
'Well, if I wasn't, you'd have to share rooms With one of the boys,' I said.
She gave a delicate little shudder and drew her coat, elegantly around her. 'True . . But I didn't just mean that. I've felt bad ever since you left. About you about the way it all ended back then. I felt responsible.'
'Oh, don't you start!' I said. 'Everyone thinks I because of you. And I really didn't. If it was just you, believe me, I would have stayed.' I gave her a stern glare.
Holly lifted her hands in a peaceable gesture. 'There you go with that look again! I just mean it was the arguements we had that brought it to a head — that made you lose control.' She was referring to the Poltergeist I'd conjured up during our blazing row at Aickmere's department store, and she was quite correct — but that didn't mean enjoyed hearing her say it. My frown deepened." I'm real confused as to when Lucy gained the power to summon ghosts, because everything we've been told that's not how it works. It was her negative emotions that brought the ghost out at full strength.
Page 344-45,"'Oh, you're getting angry at me again,' Holly went on, 'and I don't think I'm doing anything wrong.'"
I gave up writing the quotes I took photos of, what does it matter really.
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