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stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The focus is definitely more plot heavy in this one though—it makes for a quick read, but there wasn't really a ton of development for our characters. I wanted David to be present for more of the story. I love the friendships that Stevie has with Nate and Janelle and those got more focus than her relationship with David, I thought. The new characters were interesting, though I don't think any would stick around for a new story (if there are ever more books about Stevie, which I would definitely still read).
I didn't guess the mystery and I liked how it all came together at the end. The story feels very fast though; I don't know if that was a good thing or not. By the end, I realized that not even a week had gone by. But I supposed such is the way with many mystery books.
This book didn't spoil anything much from the original trilogy, so I don't think you have to read the trilogy before reading this one. But I would recommend reading the trilogy first, as you'll understand the characters a lot better—they get more development and complexity in those books.
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
crunchycrystals's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Homophobia
genny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Medical content and Car accident
msjk427's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Murder
Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Car accident
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After solving the Ellingham mystery, Stevie Bell is now known more widely as a teenage sleuth and so it comes as not much of a surprise when she is contacted by a man who wants to solve a decades old mystery at a summer camp. In 1978, four teenagers were killed at Camp Wonder Falls and the crime was never solved. The new owner wants Stevie's help to solve this mystery for a true crime podcast. Though she isn't too thrilled about the podcast, Stevie can't pass up the opportunity to uncover the truth of another crime that has long been buried.
Maureen Johnson has proven with the Truly Devious series that she can create a really fun and compelling mystery that keeps readers engaged through the last page. This is true in 'The Box in the Woods' though without the three book space to delve as deeply into the story, it's a much quicker and slightly less complex mystery. For those who have read the original trilogy, this is a fun addition to the series and it's great to return to the characters. If this is the start of a spin-off series of one-off mysteries, I think that it could work. If it is merely a follow-up to the original, it makes less sense as it doesn't really add anything to the trilogy beyond being another fun mystery. I will be interested to see what Johnson does next with these characters if this is the start of something new.
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
briely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death and Murder
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
manarnia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Medical content and Alcohol
e_flah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I really didn't care for the whodunit, which is the main reason I'm giving this 4.25 stars. It felt like some key clues were withheld from the reader until the big reveal.
The Box in the Woods is a true standalone novel. It hints at the mystery from prior books but doesn't give away any spoilers about how the mystery was solved or who did it. Stevie and her friends are introduced with enough details that you could easily get to know them if this was your first Truly Devious book. As a forgetful reader, I personally loved the little introductions that helped me remember who was who.
Overall, The Box in the Woods was a solid read that kept me racing to find out who happened. I hope we end up getting some more Truly Devious books.
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Car accident
coolbeancat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Minor: Gore, Homophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, and Car accident
yvonne_cl's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol