Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Truly, Devious

5.5/10 for Characters because there were certain moments where it felt like the narrator's voice was more like the main character Stevie's voice instead. Stevie as a MC is okay, and I could identify and distinguish well the secondary characters closest to her. Some secondary characters I had to look back to the beginning to see who they were, but I guess it is understandable since there are a lot of names and characters. I did not care much about what happened to many of these secondary characters, though.
For example, Hayes' death did not matter to me.
8/10 for Atmosphere because the book was pretty immersive! I could picture in my head most scenes and settings. I did not give it 9 or 10 because that is reserved for books I feel like I could NOT put down. Also, some characters I could not really put a face to. An 8 is a pretty good rating tho :)
7.75/10 for Writing: the book was well-written, very readable, and very easy to follow. I liked the balance between descriptions and dialogue, and the letters and "documents" inserted in between here and there made the reading experience pleasant. I reserve 8-10 for books that are readable while also having beautiful prose.
7/10 for Plot: the plot felt entertaining and I did want to know what had happened and what will happen, and the pacing was good. Some things were not as realistic (or maybe felt a bit more "ridiculous"?
like the Truly Devious letter that is projected onto Stevie's bedroom
) but this was rare. A few things felt like they needed more explanation or background:
for some time i was a bit confused about Flora, Iris Ellingham's friend, and who she was, I pictured Alice as older than 2 years old, i was a bit confused when Ellie and David popped up and suddenly seemed important, i wanted more background on Janelle and Nate, i felt like i needed to know more about Albert Ellingham's fortune because of the fact that the school was completely free for students and also the mention of anarchists who hated him...
7/10 for Intrigue because, as mentioned, I did feel like I wanted to continue reading and find out what happened. The book was consistent in holding my attention but it did not deliver in some cases because the main mystery will probably be resolved in the second book.
6.5/10 for Logic: most things made sense, but I found some things that did not add up 100%.
why did police not question this famous girl that Hayes was photographed being affectionate with? I mean, I vaguely remember her being mentioned before, and I do not even remember her name and how she was firstly brought up, but what she said to Stevie was crucial in her finding out Hayes was not the one who accessed the workshop with Janelle's ID card to get the dry ice... I guess police not questioning her would not be the first time they are incompetent in researching murder cases, but still...
7.5/10 for Enjoyment: the vibes were good! I enjoyed reading it and the story was entertaining. It's not a higher rating because I wasn't stuck to the book.

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headinthepages's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

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chilivanilli28's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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luminareads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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booklover26's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

I liked this book overall, but the first half was slow. The present was boring, while the past was interesting.

But after Hayes died, things started to ramp up and get interesting.

I read the majority of the second half in one day.

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violet_viper's review against another edition

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It was okay, and the characters were likeable.
What was happening in the past with Albert Ellingham was moving at a good pace, but Stevie investigating and what was happening in the present was moving so slowly.
I got to page 170 and still nothing much had happened to progress the plot or solve the mystery. It just felt like at least half of what I was reading was pointless to the plot.

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ruthypoo2's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is a solid YA mystery with dual timelines, one revolving around a current-day murder and the other recounting a kidnapping and related murders that took place in the 30s.

The characters very much come across as the older teenagers they are. The main character, Stephanie (Stevie) Bell, is an eccentric young lady, obsessed with true crime. Stevie finds herself enrolled in the Ellingham Academy, a private school that will allow her to not only pursue elite studies, but focus some of those studies on solving a decades-old crime that involved the school’s wealthy founder but remains unsolved.

I found the old crime from the 1930s very interesting, but the modern day experiences of the teens a little tedious. Overall, Stevie is a unique character with true crime interests similar to mine, but as bright and pragmatic as she’s portrayed, she does a lot of stupid things that seem to happen only to create friction between her and her new school friends. It’s a good mystery for young adult readers and the relationships described will probably be something teens can relate to because they’re not overly complicated… yet still get messy.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Kate Rudd, did a very good job giving voice to Stevie. The other characters were also distinctive, but the portrayal of Stevie seemed especially on point.

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sandwiiche's review against another edition

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i could not get into this book at all. it was so boring. i know it's a mystery and it'll probably pick up in the second half, but i just couldn't do it. maybe one day ill revisit this book and give it another shot, but for now this book will be dnfed

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