sourryebread's review against another edition
3.5
but David, i dislike you so much (i don’t care that he got better or his family or whatever excuses people have, he is annoying)
Moderate: Murder, Child death, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders
itsheyfay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Classism, and Suicide
Minor: Pregnancy
m4rtt4's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Spoiler
the snowed-in part seemed to drag on for ever and ever and also there were too many scenes where they just read Edward King files with nothing exciting happeningGraphic: Murder
Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
mcirish02's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child death
tangleroot_eli's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Child death
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Drug use, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
elsebeok's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Confinement
themoodreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Cursing, Addiction, Death, Alcohol, and Child death
simply_fran's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
bzliz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I can’t even begin to sum up the events of the book without giving away major plot points so check the following spoilers if you want to know whodunnit:
<spoilers>”Call me Charles” aka Stevie’s advisor is the culprit behind the deaths and accidents at the school. Alice’s body was found while tunnels were being filled in but as a member of the faculty he couldn’t claim the reward. He used dry ice to make a tunnel deadly and lured Hayes there presumably after Hayes heard him conspiring with his accomplice, leading to the death in the first book. Ellie- after Stevie accused her of being the brains behind Hayes’ show- said some things that make Charles nervous so when she ran, he blocked her into the tunnel where she eventually died, giving us death number two. Dr. Fenton was the accomplice and became Stevie’s advisor at Charles’ hand. When Fenton stopped going along with the plan and gave Stevie a warning that Alice was at the school, Charles turned on the gas burner in her kitchen and she died in the resulting fire- death #3.
He got Fenton’s nephew to come stay at the school since he still needed a partner who wasn’t faculty but thanks to David’s return and desire to destroy his father’s campaign- Stevie and her crew didn’t evacuate like the rest of the students and he couldn’t bring Hunter in on his scheme.
As Stevie grandstands and explains this all to her crew, Charles, and the remaining faculty, Larry is scanning the walls of the second floor looking for where Charles hid Alice’s body. They find it and Charles tries to escape which leads to a steep fall and his own demise.
Ultimately, David is able to crumble his father’s campaign & Stevie has solved the case. She even decides not to come forward with evidence of Alice’s birth parents and adoption when the body’s DNA doesn’t match the Ellinghams.
So many things happen in this that it would be impossible to sum it all up. I do wish some of the discoveries here had made it into the previous books so it didn’t all come crashing together right at the end but I suppose that’s what you get with YA mysteries.
Minor: Drug use, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
whewtaewoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence and Drug abuse
Minor: Child abuse