A review by patsonprozireads
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • 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

CAWPILE rating: 7 out of 10 (nearing 3.75 stars)
  • 5.5/10 for Characters because there were certain moments where it felt like the narrator's voice was more like the main character Stevie's voice instead. Stevie as a MC is okay, and I could identify and distinguish well the secondary characters closest to her. Some secondary characters I had to look back to the beginning to see who they were, but I guess it is understandable since there are a lot of names and characters. I did not care much about what happened to many of these secondary characters, though.
    For example, Hayes' death did not matter to me.
  • 8/10 for Atmosphere because the book was pretty immersive! I could picture in my head most scenes and settings. I did not give it 9 or 10 because that is reserved for books I feel like I could NOT put down. Also, some characters I could not really put a face to. An 8 is a pretty good rating tho :)
  • 7.75/10 for Writing: the book was well-written, very readable, and very easy to follow. I liked the balance between descriptions and dialogue, and the letters and "documents" inserted in between here and there made the reading experience pleasant. I reserve 8-10 for books that are readable while also having beautiful prose.
  • 7/10 for Plot: the plot felt entertaining and I did want to know what had happened and what will happen, and the pacing was good. Some things were not as realistic (or maybe felt a bit more "ridiculous"?
    like the Truly Devious letter that is projected onto Stevie's bedroom
    ) but this was rare. A few things felt like they needed more explanation or background:
    for some time i was a bit confused about Flora, Iris Ellingham's friend, and who she was, I pictured Alice as older than 2 years old, i was a bit confused when Ellie and David popped up and suddenly seemed important, i wanted more background on Janelle and Nate, i felt like i needed to know more about Albert Ellingham's fortune because of the fact that the school was completely free for students and also the mention of anarchists who hated him...
  • 7/10 for Intrigue because, as mentioned, I did feel like I wanted to continue reading and find out what happened. The book was consistent in holding my attention but it did not deliver in some cases because the main mystery will probably be resolved in the second book. 
  • 6.5/10 for Logic: most things made sense, but I found some things that did not add up 100%.
    why did police not question this famous girl that Hayes was photographed being affectionate with? I mean, I vaguely remember her being mentioned before, and I do not even remember her name and how she was firstly brought up, but what she said to Stevie was crucial in her finding out Hayes was not the one who accessed the workshop with Janelle's ID card to get the dry ice... I guess police not questioning her would not be the first time they are incompetent in researching murder cases, but still...
  • 7.5/10 for Enjoyment: the vibes were good! I enjoyed reading it and the story was entertaining. It's not a higher rating because I wasn't stuck to the book.
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