Reviews

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

sam_hartwig's review against another edition

4.0

I absolutely loved this and didn't want it to end! I need more books in this series pretty please!!

Not a five star rating because I felt a little let down by the ending. I felt like everything was figured out quite quickly once Stevie found the diary. Maybe I'm being too picky, but it just felt too easy.

I hope Nate is in every one of the books too, I just love his humour!

cam_sherm's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

4.0

thepaperbackplanner's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Stevie Bell is back, baby, and it’s time to solve a murder! Well, several murders. At a summer camp. Let’s dive in! This murder mystery has everything: Angsty teens, a small town with big drama, ridiculous subscription boxes, arts and crafts, fear of snakes, a horrible tech bro, and all the twists and turns you may not see coming. I will say that while sometimes I am good at solving mysteries, I did not solve this one entirely, so we can add “satisfying mystery solution” to that list! The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because I, personally, missed the really in-depth mysteries we got from the Truly Devious trilogy since this was a standalone novel. This has been a pattern I’m noticing about myself recently: As much as I love the *idea* of a standalone story, it’s hard for me to adjust to them as part of a longer series. It’s the same with Murderbot Diaries — my favorite one is the longest one. This is a real “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone interested in a quick, fun YA mystery summer read! 

lindenw's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

I love a YA mystery, and I love a summer camp as home base for a story. I thought this would be a home run- a creepy mystery paired with summer fun, what could go wrong? Well, a lack of plot & clues to follow along really did this one in. There was a whole lot of book for not much plot occurring, a lot of characters introduced without much follow through on them, and the fact that the book hinged on the main character doing one single thing to solve it- and the answers are all laid out there, with no way for the reader to have even tried to make an accurate guess along the way. Just thought I’d have more fun in this one, like I did with the trilogy prior to it. 

amandalyn's review against another edition

4.0

This was my least favorite of the series, but I still did really enjoy it. I just missed some of the characters that weren’t there and the academy, which was essentially another character in the first books. But I still enjoyed the mystery and Johnson writing. It was worth reading but I would have been happy if she had left it either the original three.

alyrayj's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this was a one off from the rest of the series, about a different murder and storyline but omg it is my favorite one.

leonierbbn's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

3.75

thepopeslibrary's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

starborns's review against another edition

5.0

if bitw has million number of fans i am one of them. if bitw has ten fans i am one of them. if bitw has only one fan and that is me. if bitw has no fans, that means i am no longer on earth. if the world against bitw, i am against the world.

words cannot describe how avidly i flew through the last forty percent of this story, when i anxiously awaited the unveiling of stevie's plan. what a masterful, creative, and perfectly executed mystery for all ages. still gagged. still reeling. still crying and screaming.

read_and_twirl's review against another edition

3.0

3.5/5