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A review by linesiunderline
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Stevie, I will follow you wherever you go next.
So there you have it, in a nutshell. Readers of the original trilogy will find a lot to love in this standalone adjacent novel. The quick humour, sharp writing, tight and tense structure - it worked brilliantly in the first books and Johnson is back at it here.
Things I would have liked to see:
• more of the sections revealing details from the past narrative - as the novel went on they were more spread apart and I found those sections added a lot of tension and excitement
• an even stronger sense of place - I wished that the camp could have come across as vividly as Ellingham does in the original books
• more scenes featuring Stevie with the side character friends because the friendship dynamic is so well done
Very satisfying - more Stevie please!
So there you have it, in a nutshell. Readers of the original trilogy will find a lot to love in this standalone adjacent novel. The quick humour, sharp writing, tight and tense structure - it worked brilliantly in the first books and Johnson is back at it here.
Things I would have liked to see:
• more of the sections revealing details from the past narrative - as the novel went on they were more spread apart and I found those sections added a lot of tension and excitement
• an even stronger sense of place - I wished that the camp could have come across as vividly as Ellingham does in the original books
• more scenes featuring Stevie with the side character friends because the friendship dynamic is so well done
Very satisfying - more Stevie please!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders