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someryarns's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Murder, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Car accident, Gore, Alcohol, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
brianna_moye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Gore, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
letiross'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, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Drug use
Minor: Homophobia
jojo_fiction_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Dealing with poorly handled past investigations, small town secrets, and of course, high school relationship drama, Stevie finds herself in a very different environment than Ellingham, and a murder case that is still raw and fresh in the hearts of the citizens of Barlow Corners.
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How?? How does Maureen Johnston keep writing books that rope me in completely?
First it was books 1-3 of the Truly Devious series and now this?? The summer camp setting, the small town vibes, NATE!! I'm obsessed.
Maybe its because I grew up going to summer camps like that (minus the murder), or that I live in a small town, (or maybe it’s just cuz I watched fear street 1978 recently) but I was really able to visualize the setting and the small town characters so well. I was on the edge of my seat and I definitely gasped out loud a few times at some of the plot twists and revelations. I liked that I was able to follow along with the mystery pretty easily, but not to the point that everything was obvious (there's lots of notes in the margins of this book with my different theories lol). I also really liked the flashback chapters going back and forth from past and present. I think that it tied the plot together well and kept things moving at a really good pace and also gave us the information we needed from the past to be able to fill in the blanks in the present.
Stevie was, of course, as quirky and clever as ever. I really like how, unlike her last main case where no one is alive to have a personal connection, Stevie was able to see the real and raw pain of the townspeople. Especially with each new true crime investigation that The Box in the Woods case received throughout the years. It made me think about true crime today and how when discussing the cases of people, especially those that have occurred recently, being sympathetic and respectful to the grieving parties involved needs to be at the forefront.
In terms of the other characters, I really wish there were more Janelle moments. I found her character wasn't really plot central like Nate or even David (and ofc Stevie). She was mainly seen tinkering around the camp and missing her partner who was in Thailand for the summer.
David honestly wasn't in this story too much either and tbh I wasn't mad about it. He didn't really add too much except for some relationship drama when Stevie was supposed to be doing her detective thing. And his character development near the end was slightly better but all in all I'm still not a fan.
NATE THO, oh my god I fell in love. An antisocial king. I don't think I've laughed that much over a character's one liners in a while. (minor spoiler)
He was really forced out of his shell in this book and I love his dynamic with Stevie due to them both hating to show their emotions or feelings. I really hope we get to see more of his character in the future.
All in all, a fantastic read and I'm so excited to see what Maureen Johnson has in store for us in her next story Nine Liars.
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
babyleo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder
Minor: Drug abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
alliemikennareads's review against another edition
3.75
I loved that we returned to some of my favorite characters and got more of Stevie’s mystery solving adventures. However, this felt a lot more surface level and underdeveloped compared to the prior books. While the story weaves past and present and ties everything together in the end, the “big reveal” didn’t feel nearly as built up to in this book as each mystery felt in the rest of the series.
I hope for more books in this series because I love Stevie as a detective and her friends are the best. But I’d like a little more focus on the mysteries vs the friend storylines in the future!
I’d still recommend this to fans of the series - it’s a quick read and an interesting mystery still!
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
marioosa517's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Gore, Drug use, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Infidelity
hkburke2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Gun violence and Car accident
avacadogurl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
strongsun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Blood, Death, Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence