IDW Publishing
Joe Hill, writer
Gabriel Rodriguez, artist
Finishing a really good book or series is always a bittersweet event. There's the joy of having experienced the story, the satisfaction of having completed the journey to its end. But if you really enjoyed the book, connected with the characters, then there's also a bit of sadness that their story is over and there will be no more.
That's how I felt after finishing the entire Locke & Key series at long last. I borrowed the first three volumes from my local library. You can read what I thought of those volumes here and here. But in short, I liked them enough that after the third volume, I decided to just buy the series, which I did after doing a little bargain hunting. But then, due to the craziness of life putting me quite behind on my reading, it has taken me a while to get back to the series.
Because of that delay, I decided to re-read the first three volumes. I still remembered the basic story of the Locke children — Tyler, Kinsey and Bode — and how they came to stay at their ancestral home, Keyhouse, in Lovecraft, Maine. But I wanted to refresh my mind on all of the details of the story before beginning the second half of their journey.
The highest recommendation I can give Locke & Key is that I did connect with the characters. I did enjoy the ride they took me on. And I can look forward to re-reading favorite parts again. After all, I just re-read the first three volumes of Locke & Key for this pass through, and I enjoyed them just as much the second time through as I did the first time. This is definitely a series I intend to read again at some point.
You may have figured out by this point that I am not going to share any story specifics. There are plenty of early story and set-up details in my earlier reviews of the first three volumes if you want to know more about the series before trying it. I don't want to spoil anything more for anyone who might be coming to the series fresh, like I did. But I will share one more personal reaction to Locke & Key.
As I started the sixth book, I realized I was uneasy. A number of characters die along the way; would anyone make it out of this story intact? This is a horror story, after all, and it might not end well for any of the characters. I haven't spoiled the ending by sharing that detail; I haven't told you if my fears were realized or not. But what that sentence does reveal is that this horror story scared me. It left me with a sense of dread for the characters and their fates. How often does that happen that a scary story really scares you in the reading of it?
If you've never read Locke & Key but you like a good scary story, then check this series out. You don't have to be only a horror fan to appreciate this story, though. Anyone who loves a good story, a gripping drama that unfolds slowly and pulls you in deeper with every page, will find something to enjoy with Locke & Key. Do yourself a favor and seek it out. I haven't heard from anyone who has read this book and didn't like it. That alone seems like high praise!
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