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jettebln's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kanncarlson's review against another edition
4.0
**Listened to the audio of this one again Dec. '22. I really enjoyed, especially the beginning of this book, more than I remember. I think the beginning is a 5 star and, somehow, toward the end I seem to become a little disconnected. I plan to the listen to the first three in the series again before the new one comes out and I'll be curious to see how my experience changes listening to them in quick succession. I am hoping to stay more connected throughout the series.
Mystery is not usually my favorite genre but I found this book incredibly readable and engaging and not just around the mystery. I love the characters, both past and present, and I love that the setting is almost as fully developed of a character as the people. Johnson introduces the reader to our lovely protagonist, Stevie Bell, who is a true crime geek. She is specifically intrigued with the mystery of the deaths at Ellingham Academy--a prestigious, mysterious pet-project of a school created by billionaire Albert Ellingham on the side of a mountain in Vermont. Ellingham selects its students based on their specific, varied and unique interests and Stevie manages to get in based on her love for solving true crime. Her dreams come true as her course work now centers around her largest passion, solving the mystery of the deaths that occurred at the school she is now able to attend. Of course, this becomes complicated when another death occurs at Ellingham and Stevie is side-tracked by attempting to solve that mystery as well. Kate Rudd narrates the audiobook and I thought it greatly enhanced the experience. I think she does such a great job at giving Stevie's internal dialogue a super amount of substance. I immediately went on to read book two after reading this book and I can't wait to finish out the series.
Mystery is not usually my favorite genre but I found this book incredibly readable and engaging and not just around the mystery. I love the characters, both past and present, and I love that the setting is almost as fully developed of a character as the people. Johnson introduces the reader to our lovely protagonist, Stevie Bell, who is a true crime geek. She is specifically intrigued with the mystery of the deaths at Ellingham Academy--a prestigious, mysterious pet-project of a school created by billionaire Albert Ellingham on the side of a mountain in Vermont. Ellingham selects its students based on their specific, varied and unique interests and Stevie manages to get in based on her love for solving true crime. Her dreams come true as her course work now centers around her largest passion, solving the mystery of the deaths that occurred at the school she is now able to attend. Of course, this becomes complicated when another death occurs at Ellingham and Stevie is side-tracked by attempting to solve that mystery as well. Kate Rudd narrates the audiobook and I thought it greatly enhanced the experience. I think she does such a great job at giving Stevie's internal dialogue a super amount of substance. I immediately went on to read book two after reading this book and I can't wait to finish out the series.
beckychat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
mackenziekral's review against another edition
5.0
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets meets Nancy Drew
cathisherenow's review against another edition
1.0
Dnf at 200 pages. Cannot care less. All the tropes I hate - very mediocre lame people having “the chosen one” feeling. Not for me.
jen_na's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amychk13's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
I enjoyed this book and will continue this series. I rated it a 3.5 stars. I would have rated it higher but the beginning was so slow and took me a minute to get into. I loved Stevie and enjoyed all the characters.
hamsammy's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
alli_maj's review against another edition
5.0
“truly devious,” by maureen johnson is a young adult light hearted murder mystery done right. it is funny, awkward, and entertaining. i was hooked to the last word, and didn’t see the ending coming by a long shot. just when you think you have it figured out, you palm checking your forehead wondering how could you be so foolish lol.
similar vibes: apparently this is a trilogy so please check out: the vanishing stair and the hand on the wall.
i give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five out of five stars because it had me wanting more.
—
cw: death, murder.
similar vibes: apparently this is a trilogy so please check out: the vanishing stair and the hand on the wall.
i give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five out of five stars because it had me wanting more.
—
cw: death, murder.