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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
DNF no longer interested in it halfway through.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death
Twists and turns and the body count rises … bits of the mystery solved but another cliffhanger
4.5 stars
What a fun ride! This was every bit as entertaining and enthralling as the first book. If you’re looking for the addiction of Pretty Little Liars with none of the trashiness, pick up this series!
There are mysteries with a mystery in this story, and in The Vanishing Stair we solve a few only to unravel a few more. And it makes for HELLA compelling reading! It’s like lopping off the head of a Hydra, only for two more to spring up in its place! Maureen Johnson knows how to keep the reader satisfied and enthralled, doling out *just* enough closure that you can’t wait for your next fix.
While the first book kept to the confines of Ellingham Academy, this instalment sees some of the politics of the outside world leaking in. And these external players add a fun and stressful layer of complexity to Stevie’s race to solve the mysteries of past and present.
As was the case with the first novel, there’s some nice casual diversity here. Stevie is coded as asexual and has anxiety; Janelle is queer and dates a non-binary partner; plus we get some new physical disability rep with the introduction of a minor character who uses a cane.
I had no major issues with this story, though my attention waned in the middle. And I noticed that while the writing style is accessible and enjoyable, nobody *says* anything with any emotion. It’s always he said/she said/they said, and it’s lazy writing for such a seasoned author. Have your characters cry, protest, whisper, whine, and shout their dialogue! Don’t stick to vanilla when you could have every flavour in the gelato shop.
But overall, this was a hella fun and satisfying read! Maureen Johnson does a great job at providing closure on certain threads while unravelling new ones, and you can’t help but keep reading. I can’t wait for the next one and the long wait ahead is killing me!
What a fun ride! This was every bit as entertaining and enthralling as the first book. If you’re looking for the addiction of Pretty Little Liars with none of the trashiness, pick up this series!
There are mysteries with a mystery in this story, and in The Vanishing Stair we solve a few only to unravel a few more. And it makes for HELLA compelling reading! It’s like lopping off the head of a Hydra, only for two more to spring up in its place! Maureen Johnson knows how to keep the reader satisfied and enthralled, doling out *just* enough closure that you can’t wait for your next fix.
While the first book kept to the confines of Ellingham Academy, this instalment sees some of the politics of the outside world leaking in. And these external players add a fun and stressful layer of complexity to Stevie’s race to solve the mysteries of past and present.
As was the case with the first novel, there’s some nice casual diversity here. Stevie is coded as asexual and has anxiety; Janelle is queer and dates a non-binary partner; plus we get some new physical disability rep with the introduction of a minor character who uses a cane.
I had no major issues with this story, though my attention waned in the middle. And I noticed that while the writing style is accessible and enjoyable, nobody *says* anything with any emotion. It’s always he said/she said/they said, and it’s lazy writing for such a seasoned author. Have your characters cry, protest, whisper, whine, and shout their dialogue! Don’t stick to vanilla when you could have every flavour in the gelato shop.
But overall, this was a hella fun and satisfying read! Maureen Johnson does a great job at providing closure on certain threads while unravelling new ones, and you can’t help but keep reading. I can’t wait for the next one and the long wait ahead is killing me!
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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