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A review by paperbacks_and_planners
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
4.0
This is a sequel and may contain spoilers for book 1 - Truly Devious
Summary
In the aftermath of book 1, Stevie is back home after being pulled from Ellingham Academy. But an unexpected person whisks her back to school with an assignment - keep David in line. Now her mission to solve the murder is back on and she's more determined than ever. And she has one huge thing on her side, she has the first new evidence in years.
Overview
This is told in third person, in dual timelines - today from Stevie's POV and 1936 from Albert Ellingham's.
I LOVE the flashback format! I feel like it adds so much to this story.
This book ends on a massive cliffhanger. If that's not your jam, I definitely recommend waiting for book 3 to be released!
Content Warnings: Murder/Death, Anxiety, Panic Attacks
What I Liked
1. This mystery is so twisty and well done! And these cliffhangers will be the death of me!
2. I love the format of this book! The flashbacks slowly reveal what really happened in 1936 and it adds so much to the atmosphere and tension of the mystery.
3. The pacing of this book was perfect - which is important as this is definitely a plot driven book. We learn so much new information about the murders and happenings of Ellingham and were introduced to even more new threads. There were so many reveals and twists that I was 100% invested from start to finish. I never wanted to put this down!
4. I just want to mention once more how many years this cliffhanger has taken from my life. So. Good.
What I Didn't Like
1. I'll be honestly I still feel very meh and unattached to the characters. My love for this series is much more about the plot than the actual characters. I don't have strong feelings about any one of them or their relationships.
Spoiler
Summary
In the aftermath of book 1, Stevie is back home after being pulled from Ellingham Academy. But an unexpected person whisks her back to school with an assignment - keep David in line. Now her mission to solve the murder is back on and she's more determined than ever. And she has one huge thing on her side, she has the first new evidence in years.
Overview
This is told in third person, in dual timelines - today from Stevie's POV and 1936 from Albert Ellingham's.
I LOVE the flashback format! I feel like it adds so much to this story.
This book ends on a massive cliffhanger. If that's not your jam, I definitely recommend waiting for book 3 to be released!
Content Warnings: Murder/Death, Anxiety, Panic Attacks
What I Liked
1. This mystery is so twisty and well done! And these cliffhangers will be the death of me!
2. I love the format of this book! The flashbacks slowly reveal what really happened in 1936 and it adds so much to the atmosphere and tension of the mystery.
3. The pacing of this book was perfect - which is important as this is definitely a plot driven book. We learn so much new information about the murders and happenings of Ellingham and were introduced to even more new threads. There were so many reveals and twists that I was 100% invested from start to finish. I never wanted to put this down!
4. I just want to mention once more how many years this cliffhanger has taken from my life. So. Good.
What I Didn't Like
1. I'll be honestly I still feel very meh and unattached to the characters. My love for this series is much more about the plot than the actual characters. I don't have strong feelings about any one of them or their relationships.