This was such an interesting mix of fantasy, horror and mystery. So good. 
The main characters reminded me other famous trios from other authors (Lindgren, Riordan, Rowling) and their relationships with each other made me laugh a lot. I adored George and loved Lucy, but Lockwood was too much of a daredevil for my taste and his annoying habit to keep things from his partners made me angry.
The story was too creepy to be a middle grade book. Hello, the mansion was a horrifying experience and all these other ghosts (and the skull in the jar) ... eerie and amazing at the same time. Of course I couldn't help myself and bought the second book right away.

Lottie interacts in a variety of ways with all her friends and their friends. There’s a lot of introspection as Lottie questions just about everything. There’s a bit of action, including murder and ghosts. The characters are all pretty vacuous, deliberately probably. The artwork is clear, colourful and fun. Ending on a cliffhanger - another volume to come. Not really an appropriate series for an old comic lover like me.

So, our road trip has taken us from Knoxville area, Tennessee to Nashville, Memphis, a tiny dot on the map called Clarksville, Arkansas, Elk City, Oklahoma and now Albuquerque, NM, which is where I am posting from this morning.

Since we left Knoxville, we've managed to listen to books 7 & 8 in the Alex Rider series, which have entertained all three of us enormously. Anthony Horowitz's boy spy, Alex Rider, has had a rough year, for sure!

We have about a six hour drive into the Phoenix area, where we will spend tomorrow with my parents, and then head north to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon on Saturday. From there it's Vegas and then Reno and then home!

Next book up is the first in the Lockwood and Co. series by Jonathan Stroud!

I will be claiming Genre, Suspense and my Free Square with the two Alex Riders, and supernatural with Lockwood & Co, when I get some time to update. Right now, I'm having breakfast, and then we will hit the road.

This is my recommendations book from Jonathan Stroud.