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grimviolins'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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Gaslighting
armontheroad's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
There is obviously a reason why this book is so popular across all bookish platforms! The writing is beautiful and pulls you in from the first sentence. The setting is incredibly spooky and atmospheric! This reminded me of a creepier, Young Adult version of Every Heart A Doorway. Johnson knows how to write three dimensional characters. I do wish that we got more about the school’s mystery, seeing as how that was the entire reason Stevie was accepted into the school. I also despise the only Latine character (that I can remember) was murdered . My final critic, there was no reason for the Harry Potter reference. Overall, I still recommend this.
TWs/CWs: Harry Potter reference, death, kidnapping, anxiety disorder, grief, etc.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Grief
jenmaysiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 out of 5 stars
This was really great!
‘Truly Devious’ follows Stevie Bell, a true crime buff and aspiring FBI agent as she is accepted to the prestigious Ellingham Academy—a school founded by a wealthy 1920s tycoon where gifted and talented children can attend for free and where learning is treated as a game. Entranced by a series of murders and abductions signed “Truly Devious” that occurred at the school deuces ago, shocking the cohort of the school and the community, Stevie is determined to solve the mystery.
Set in the remote woodlands of Vermont is the illustrious Ellingham Academy, the atmosphere of which is an incredibly unnerving, quietly dark academia experience that unravels against the backdrop of the mountaintops. The pacing of the book is slower than what some might anticipate, but I deeply appreciated the careful construction of characterisation and the humanity that was afforded to each of the characters. The dual timeline was woven expertly throughout the book, allowing readers to tidbits of information that hints at discoveries to be unveiled later down the line. I’m really impressed by the mystery being developed here.
Stevie is our protagonist and she’s a little weirdo.
The main component of her character and the thing that interests her most is true crime; she is utterly fascinated by all things murder and mystery. Yet she never veers into the territory of creepy or fanatical, which is something I’m thankful to see. The thing I ended up loving the most about Stevie Bell is the fact that she’s just a teenage girl. She’s just… a normal girl. Sure, she’s incredibly intelligent, stubborn, and knows her shit but she’s still a girl with an anxiety disorder, insecurities, ambition, and a whole lot of confusing hormones. She feels real and relatable in ways that majority fall flat. Stevie is very flawed. She tends to be single-minded and stubborn, with an internal ongoing struggle with her contempt and love for her parents which felt realistic and personally very relatable. And I loved her for it. Stevie is one of the best YA teenage protagonists I’ve encountered, possibly ever.
And yeah, she’s utterly weird but she manages to fit right in amongst the other strange characters who make up the cohort of Ellingham Academy. All of the characters here were interesting, if not somewhat obnoxious at times. It’s clear that Maureen Johnson didn’t write these kids to be likable; she wrote them to simply be young people. They all feel like the exact type of people who would get accepted into such an absurd and unconventional school.
This was a surprisingly enjoyable read and I’m really, really excited to continue with the series. I’m already downloading the second book as I type. This was so much fun.
This was really great!
‘Truly Devious’ follows Stevie Bell, a true crime buff and aspiring FBI agent as she is accepted to the prestigious Ellingham Academy—a school founded by a wealthy 1920s tycoon where gifted and talented children can attend for free and where learning is treated as a game. Entranced by a series of murders and abductions signed “Truly Devious” that occurred at the school deuces ago, shocking the cohort of the school and the community, Stevie is determined to solve the mystery.
Set in the remote woodlands of Vermont is the illustrious Ellingham Academy, the atmosphere of which is an incredibly unnerving, quietly dark academia experience that unravels against the backdrop of the mountaintops. The pacing of the book is slower than what some might anticipate, but I deeply appreciated the careful construction of characterisation and the humanity that was afforded to each of the characters. The dual timeline was woven expertly throughout the book, allowing readers to tidbits of information that hints at discoveries to be unveiled later down the line. I’m really impressed by the mystery being developed here.
Stevie is our protagonist and she’s a little weirdo.
The main component of her character and the thing that interests her most is true crime; she is utterly fascinated by all things murder and mystery. Yet she never veers into the territory of creepy or fanatical, which is something I’m thankful to see. The thing I ended up loving the most about Stevie Bell is the fact that she’s just a teenage girl. She’s just… a normal girl. Sure, she’s incredibly intelligent, stubborn, and knows her shit but she’s still a girl with an anxiety disorder, insecurities, ambition, and a whole lot of confusing hormones. She feels real and relatable in ways that majority fall flat. Stevie is very flawed. She tends to be single-minded and stubborn, with an internal ongoing struggle with her contempt and love for her parents which felt realistic and personally very relatable. And I loved her for it. Stevie is one of the best YA teenage protagonists I’ve encountered, possibly ever.
And yeah, she’s utterly weird but she manages to fit right in amongst the other strange characters who make up the cohort of Ellingham Academy. All of the characters here were interesting, if not somewhat obnoxious at times. It’s clear that Maureen Johnson didn’t write these kids to be likable; she wrote them to simply be young people. They all feel like the exact type of people who would get accepted into such an absurd and unconventional school.
This was a surprisingly enjoyable read and I’m really, really excited to continue with the series. I’m already downloading the second book as I type. This was so much fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Murder
lokiwii's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol
lanies's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is basically going to be a review of the whole trilogy. I enjoyed this series; it was fun, engaging, and a decent balance of trope-y and self aware.
The characters were a bit one-dimensional and sometimes frustrating but overall likeable. I never felt that the plot was lagging. The series is essentially one long book broken down into three parts, and I’m glad I waited until all three books were out so that I could read one straight after another.
I don’t love when authors throw a bunch of current pop culture references in, because they just strike me as cringey sometimes (yes, this is about the reference to “sexy” BBC Sherlock), but this series didn’t have too many of them.
As a person with an anxiety disorder, the discussion of Stevie’s anxiety didn’t really bother me, but if you are triggered in any way by in-depth discussion of anxiety/panic attacks, I would exercise caution.
The one real gripe I have with this series is only an issue in the first book. Early in the book, Janelle informs Stevie that Vi uses they/them pronouns, but everywhere else in the book, the author uses she/her pronouns for Vi. I’m guessing that Vi being non-binary was probably a detail added after most of the book was written and no one remembered to go back in and change the pronouns (as opposed to deliberate misgendering), but either way it was disappointing to see it throughout the book. In the 2nd and 3rd books, they/them pronouns are used consistently for Vi.
The characters were a bit one-dimensional and sometimes frustrating but overall likeable. I never felt that the plot was lagging. The series is essentially one long book broken down into three parts, and I’m glad I waited until all three books were out so that I could read one straight after another.
I don’t love when authors throw a bunch of current pop culture references in, because they just strike me as cringey sometimes (yes, this is about the reference to “sexy” BBC Sherlock), but this series didn’t have too many of them.
As a person with an anxiety disorder, the discussion of Stevie’s anxiety didn’t really bother me, but if you are triggered in any way by in-depth discussion of anxiety/panic attacks, I would exercise caution.
The one real gripe I have with this series is only an issue in the first book. Early in the book, Janelle informs Stevie that Vi uses they/them pronouns, but everywhere else in the book, the author uses she/her pronouns for Vi. I’m guessing that Vi being non-binary was probably a detail added after most of the book was written and no one remembered to go back in and change the pronouns (as opposed to deliberate misgendering), but either way it was disappointing to see it throughout the book. In the 2nd and 3rd books, they/them pronouns are used consistently for Vi.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
azylia9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping and Murder
coolbeancat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, and Murder
thewoodlandbookshelf'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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So as far as mysteries go, there were a couple of directions that I saw this book going. A few red herrings got in the way I really thought David killed Hayes but nope but it didn’t make the story any less thought provoking. Sometimes, authors & editors have a hard time making sure the flashbacks aren’t awkwardly placed in the story. Thankfully, Johnson found a way to have the transition between past and present have some sort of order. I didn’t care enough about what the supposed romance between Stevie and David was supposed to be- I tuned that out. Minus that, it was a decent read and I’m curious about the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
holy shit maureen johnson knows how to write a good mystery, and leave it ending on a fucking CLIFFHANGER.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Mental illness and Murder