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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Read this book about 2 years ago. This was my first real mystery series when I got back into reading and it was amazing. I loved all of the books and I really enjoyed the format of going through both time periods while solving parallel cases. Would recommend
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-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
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a super fun, well-plotted introduction to a great new teen sleuth!! Stevie Bell isn’t just smart, she’s also awkward & relentless, and I love these things about her immensely. I also thought Johnson painted a rich, nuanced portrait of living with an anxiety disorder, which I loved. Other things I loved: the setting was FABULOUS. I am always a sucker for a good academia / boarding school story and this delivered an outstanding boarding school setting with a clever history & twisty traps. I also loved the side characters, and the way the two mysteries paralleled each other kept me turning the page feverishly to the end. A great start to a mystery series!
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75*
“Albert Ellingham said knowledge was his religion and libraries were his church, so he built a church.”
Murder mysteries are one of my favourite types of stories. Imagine finding a new title not only dealing with one but with a main character totally obsessed by them. As soon as I read that Stevie was into Sherlock and Poirot, well, that was it :O)
Truly Devious’s narration is divided between the past, relating the events of the famously unresolved Ellingham kidnapping/murder, and the present, with Stevie’s arrival at Ellingham Academy. Yes, it was a little slow but then I didn’t mind since I was engrossed in both sides of the story, putting piece by piece what happened and its repercussions in the present. Let’s face it - I totally would love to have been selected to go to that school. I mean! Just for the library... Oh well. Dreams.
Back to the story. This is very much the first part of one big story, and unfortunately it ends on a cliffhanger of sorts. Not to worry - [b:The Vanishing Stair|39893545|The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious, #2)|Maureen Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529970325l/39893545._SY75_.jpg|49916464] is already out :O)
“Albert Ellingham said knowledge was his religion and libraries were his church, so he built a church.”
Murder mysteries are one of my favourite types of stories. Imagine finding a new title not only dealing with one but with a main character totally obsessed by them. As soon as I read that Stevie was into Sherlock and Poirot, well, that was it :O)
Truly Devious’s narration is divided between the past, relating the events of the famously unresolved Ellingham kidnapping/murder, and the present, with Stevie’s arrival at Ellingham Academy. Yes, it was a little slow but then I didn’t mind since I was engrossed in both sides of the story, putting piece by piece what happened and its repercussions in the present. Let’s face it - I totally would love to have been selected to go to that school. I mean! Just for the library... Oh well. Dreams.
Back to the story. This is very much the first part of one big story, and unfortunately it ends on a cliffhanger of sorts. Not to worry - [b:The Vanishing Stair|39893545|The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious, #2)|Maureen Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529970325l/39893545._SY75_.jpg|49916464] is already out :O)
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes