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A review by spearly
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Sorry, there's not 2, but 3 books in this series? I like the first but how long can Johnson drag this out??
EDIT:
Well I have finally finished this series! I have some lukewarm feelings.
The good:
Everything tied up real nice with a big bow. I wasn't expecting the way things came together, and I was pleasantly surprised by Stevie's big reveal.
The writing is great! Nice, fast-paced, keeps you on your toes. Johnson has a way with world building, that's for sure!
The, not bad, but meh:
I thought Truly Devious was a standalone novel and the 1936 cold case had been solved, so I wasn't sure what to expect from another 2 novels! And to be honest, I could not even tell you what happened in book 2. I feel like this series could have been a duology.
Also, obviously this is a very YA type of mystery, but I think I was expecting a bit more suspense. A bit more heart-pumping, a few more twists and turns, a story that you can never figure out. The reveal was satisfying, but the road to get there was loooong.
A decent series. Not sure I'll be following the Truly Devious family into Stevie's next mystery, The Box in the Woods.
EDIT:
Well I have finally finished this series! I have some lukewarm feelings.
The good:
Everything tied up real nice with a big bow. I wasn't expecting the way things came together, and I was pleasantly surprised by Stevie's big reveal.
The writing is great! Nice, fast-paced, keeps you on your toes. Johnson has a way with world building, that's for sure!
The, not bad, but meh:
I thought Truly Devious was a standalone novel and the 1936 cold case had been solved, so I wasn't sure what to expect from another 2 novels! And to be honest, I could not even tell you what happened in book 2. I feel like this series could have been a duology.
Also, obviously this is a very YA type of mystery, but I think I was expecting a bit more suspense. A bit more heart-pumping, a few more twists and turns, a story that you can never figure out. The reveal was satisfying, but the road to get there was loooong.
A decent series. Not sure I'll be following the Truly Devious family into Stevie's next mystery, The Box in the Woods.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Murder
Minor: Drug use