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A review by ruthypoo2
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Kidnapping