Lockwood & Co: The Empty Grave: Book 5 (Lockwood & Co.)

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For some reason i can't totally fathom right now, i've always thought of this series as YA and not middle grade. Boy was i proved wrong with this one. While i'm glad to have finally come to the end of this series, i really think this was one of the weakest books in the series.

To prove the truth behind the Skull's claim, the team decides to see for themselves, but the tomb contains more nasty surprises than what they were prepared to face. And with this my review eventually ends! I really wish there would have been more books! I still have so many questions and there were so many things I would have loved to read about. XD I guess Stroud decided that if it can’t get any better, he should stop and no matter how heartbroken I am, I can still understand this sentiment. This is a solid last entry to a series that has entertained during the last five years. Lucy can be annoying at times, but the rest is fantastic, even Kipps. And Flo! And George! He is my favorite character from the series, who deserve all praises for his persistence and quirkiness. And of course the Skull. What an entertaining fellow. We’ve worked wonders to get here, and we won’t panic now. If we’re right, there won’t be anything to worry about. If we’re wrong, we deal with it, as we always do. […] But we won’t be wrong. We’re on the verge of something big here. It’s going to be good!”

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The Empty Grave is a dark but heartfelt finale that closes the curtain on a phenomenal series. Recommended for all ages 10+. came to stand beside me. The sunlight was still on him. Right then, he was close to the idea i'd always had of him; the picture i saw in my mind's eye when drawing near to sleep The only way to get over this series is to full fledge throw yourself into fanfiction and fan art and headcanons bc that’s what I did (you can ask sana, she had to deal with my spamming)

The world is so well-built, the situation with the ghosts and how the Problem has twisted the world. And then the concept of the agencies and the kid agents who have the job of fighting these ghosts it's just freaking cool and amazing! It beats out Harry Potter for me. It even beats books from my own childhood like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Jonathan Stroud has taken a scary, creepy setting of a major ghost problem and made it just scary enough that kids will get a bit of a shiver (I certainly did at times) but still able to sleep at night. Everything about this series is just wonderful! I cannot wait for my niece to be 9-10 years old so I can get her this series! She just turned 8 and is a great reader but is currently into unicorns, fairies and such. So I don't want to jade her just yet into more gothic things. But I absolutely plan to do so in the coming years! (lol) In the climactic battle at the end of the novel, Stroud explores this theme and juxtaposes two different characters’ responses to death. I totally agree with you in that I immediately thought the skull is bartimaeus in a jar. Both allegedly evil, with the same wonderfully abrasive personality, and the same beautiful loyalty and insight on the concept of trust. I thought Lucy was more like Kitty rather than Nathaniel, however; also, the bit about the Other Place prematurely aging visitors is very much like the Spirit Realm in the Bartimaeus books.If you've read the Bartimaeus books, you've probably noticed that the skull's character is pretty much what would happen if you took Bartimaeus' spirit and shoved it into a jar. It's sarcastic, witty, rude, and, frankly, all-around lovable. (Well, I think so, anyway.) From sardonic ghosts in jars to old-enemies-turned-friends, this entire series has been one massive journey that I'm overjoyed to have been a part of.