Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Solid YA mystery. Good characters, great setting. Warning, though, this is a series, and Johnson is clearly saving some resolution for the next book. This one was enjoyable.
OBSESSED!! I stayed up till 2 reading this book. The characters were dynamic and engaging, the mystery had me hooked from the start, and I had a very fun time reading through it. The pacing was a litttttle weird sometimes so I debated going with four stars, but you know what, I was 100% engaged while reading it and life is short. So. Five stars. It does end on a bit of a plot hanger, which was not fun to realize at the aforementioned time of 2 A.M. I’ve already got the next two on hand, so let that be a warning to you all out there- make sure you have the choice to start the next one right away!! If I hadn’t had the second already (or worse- I’d read it when it first came out and then had to wait for it to be published) I would have been very upset
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I thought I was going to like this series. With that being said I went and bought the whole series and reading this book was such a disappointment.
Update:
Hi, this is my second time reading it. It is a year later. And I like it a little bit more than I did the first time. More so just because I was able to finally like to sit down and reread it and just kind of take in every single thing. But at the same time I still had a lot of moments where I was just like. Yeah I'm reading the words but I'm not taking it in. It's just one of those stories where it's like when you're reading it. You're interested, but at the same time you're interested. You're zoning out at certain parts and there's nothing wrong with it. It's just clearly not my style of writing that catches my attention and it keeps my attention. I think that rereading it for the second time did actually kind of help me want to read the next few books. So I think I'm going to talk about just a second book and read the second book now. But it's still one of those books where it's like. I really really desperately want to enjoy it but I keep zoning out in certain parts but I was able. I will say I was much able to kind of fall along with the story a little bit more than I did the first time. I kind of know what's going on. I kind of have like if someone tells me oh like I'm reading this book. I can actually pinpoint like a certain memory in that book or a certain part in a book, whereas the first time I don't like ever be dead honest with you. I marked this as a red book and it's clearly on my bookshelf sitting like it was a book that I read but I do not remember reading it the first time. That's how bad it is so I don't know. I think that's just the first book in the series. I wanted to desperately love it so much to the point that it was just a letdown for me and with that being said I think I'm going to keep it as a one out of five rating. All the rereading it for the second time. I do still find myself being interested and wanting to read the next book in the series probably so that's where we are at.
Update:
Hi, this is my second time reading it. It is a year later. And I like it a little bit more than I did the first time. More so just because I was able to finally like to sit down and reread it and just kind of take in every single thing. But at the same time I still had a lot of moments where I was just like. Yeah I'm reading the words but I'm not taking it in. It's just one of those stories where it's like when you're reading it. You're interested, but at the same time you're interested. You're zoning out at certain parts and there's nothing wrong with it. It's just clearly not my style of writing that catches my attention and it keeps my attention. I think that rereading it for the second time did actually kind of help me want to read the next few books. So I think I'm going to talk about just a second book and read the second book now. But it's still one of those books where it's like. I really really desperately want to enjoy it but I keep zoning out in certain parts but I was able. I will say I was much able to kind of fall along with the story a little bit more than I did the first time. I kind of know what's going on. I kind of have like if someone tells me oh like I'm reading this book. I can actually pinpoint like a certain memory in that book or a certain part in a book, whereas the first time I don't like ever be dead honest with you. I marked this as a red book and it's clearly on my bookshelf sitting like it was a book that I read but I do not remember reading it the first time. That's how bad it is so I don't know. I think that's just the first book in the series. I wanted to desperately love it so much to the point that it was just a letdown for me and with that being said I think I'm going to keep it as a one out of five rating. All the rereading it for the second time. I do still find myself being interested and wanting to read the next book in the series probably so that's where we are at.
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm a little conflicted about this book. I enjoyed the writing, but I found it incredibly unfulfilling as a novel. It's the equivalent of reading the first six chapters of a larger book; you learn about the world and the characters, introduce a plot....and then it ends.
Let me be clear, I don't mind serial storytelling that carries over from book to book - but usually there's at least ONE arc wrapped up by the end (either personal or plot-related). Truly Devious has two mysteries and gives no concrete answers to either, and the characters undergo no meaningful changes. So it's hard for me to even review this without reading the rest of the (I assume) series.
It's a shame because like I said, I think it's well-written and has an engaging lead heroine. I just wish there was more meat on the bones to make me want to pick up the inevitable second one.
Let me be clear, I don't mind serial storytelling that carries over from book to book - but usually there's at least ONE arc wrapped up by the end (either personal or plot-related). Truly Devious has two mysteries and gives no concrete answers to either, and the characters undergo no meaningful changes. So it's hard for me to even review this without reading the rest of the (I assume) series.
It's a shame because like I said, I think it's well-written and has an engaging lead heroine. I just wish there was more meat on the bones to make me want to pick up the inevitable second one.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
oh damn this is intriguing. not as much like AGGGTM as i was hoping, but still excellent
thoughts while reading
p7: i suspect that dottie…actually i don’t know what expect. my theory is changing every moment
p8: omg, truly devious
p89: which fyi is a process that joins metal parts using a low-melting-point metal alloy called solder
p242: that makes so much sense
p285: is it leonard nair holmes or leonard holmes nair? make up your mind people
p287: and one of them is probably truly devious
p384: oh please don’t let it really be one of them. of the two, david seems more likely, so it’s probably ellie
p385: actually the evidence points to ellie but *chilling thought alert* i think it’s pix
p403: ellingham offed himself . i don’t have proof, and i can’t find his last riddle, but i’m 80% convinced
p416: that was a random ending
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Minor: Sexual content