A review by genny
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? Yes

4.0

Hmm! It's hard to review this because it really doesn't feel like a complete book - there was no resolution at all as everything is set up for the sequel. I was aware of this going in so it didn't hamper my enjoyment, but just keep that in mind! That said, I had fun and found myself flying through the pages - the blurb on the cover is right, this is "compulsively readable". I dove into the second book immediately after finishing this one.

The 1936 mystery is a classic whodunnit, and it's enjoyable to see Stevie dissecting it with the lens she's developed from following mystery novels and true crime. It allows her to come across as a teenager with believable detective skills. She has lovely friendships with Janelle and Nate. The romance, though?
I don't get why Stevie and David are attracted to each other, but...eh. They're hormonal teenagers on a remote mountaintop, I can allow it.
Anyway, I liked both the past and present mysteries, and I'm excited to see how they play out in the next books. Love the "dark academia" atmosphere of Ellingham. Just don't read this without the sequels onhand, because it'll be very frustrating.

Side note: The narration misgenders Vi - it's established that they go by they/them pronouns but the narration later refers to them as "she"; I looked it up and Maureen Johnson said that these were unfortunate typos. The correct pronouns are used in The Vanishing Stair.
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