courtney12345's review against another edition
5.0
This book is clearly written for people who watched Scooby-Doo as a kid. Older teens would relate to this book as well. It's a fun mystery book with some life lessons thrown in.
birdieandthebooks7's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jenmurray's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
genieinanovel's review against another edition
5.0
*First thoughts: 4.5 stars because I want more Fred*
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Dark Deception picks up where we left Daphne and Velma, which is to solve a mystery that’s going on with their friend Shaggy. He pretty much keeps to himself, but the warning they got from Marcy (the vanished girl in the previous book) has them a bit worried, so they tail him. Then something really weird happens at Crystal Cove… a ton of jewels wash up on their beach.
So now this sleuthing duo has two mysteries to solve, but it turns out they might be connected.
There wasn’t as much about the history of Daphne and Velma’s friendship in this book as the last one, but you can see how they’re on the mend and falling back into their old groove. Of course, this book was more about solving the mystery, not about the previously broken friendship, but we still do get to see how the girls are becoming close to each other once again, which brings up some cute moments. Girl friendships are the best when they’re genuine.
On another note, this one proved to me why Velma is my favorite character of the Scooby gang, because she is such a sass ball and I loved every second of it. We do get to see more of Shaggy this time around, which is awesome because I also love Shaggy, but I do wish we had more Fred. Maybe in the next book we’ll get more of him.
And yes, there is a third book coming! The author herself said so.
So if you haven’t picked up either of the Daphne and Velma books yet, what are you waiting for? It’s definitely a must-read if you’re a Scooby-Doo fan!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Dark Deception picks up where we left Daphne and Velma, which is to solve a mystery that’s going on with their friend Shaggy. He pretty much keeps to himself, but the warning they got from Marcy (the vanished girl in the previous book) has them a bit worried, so they tail him. Then something really weird happens at Crystal Cove… a ton of jewels wash up on their beach.
So now this sleuthing duo has two mysteries to solve, but it turns out they might be connected.
There wasn’t as much about the history of Daphne and Velma’s friendship in this book as the last one, but you can see how they’re on the mend and falling back into their old groove. Of course, this book was more about solving the mystery, not about the previously broken friendship, but we still do get to see how the girls are becoming close to each other once again, which brings up some cute moments. Girl friendships are the best when they’re genuine.
On another note, this one proved to me why Velma is my favorite character of the Scooby gang, because she is such a sass ball and I loved every second of it. We do get to see more of Shaggy this time around, which is awesome because I also love Shaggy, but I do wish we had more Fred. Maybe in the next book we’ll get more of him.
And yes, there is a third book coming! The author herself said so.
So if you haven’t picked up either of the Daphne and Velma books yet, what are you waiting for? It’s definitely a must-read if you’re a Scooby-Doo fan!
bookswithbonnie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
noctem_novelle's review against another edition
3.0
This series is really just Betty & Veronica meets Scooby-Doo, which is also just Riverdale.
I enjoyed the first book, but the mystery wasn't interesting. Reverse that for book two. In The Dark Deception, gems mysteriously wash up on the beaches of Crystal Cove and the locals suspect it has something to do with the town's original settlers who vanished without a trace. Velma and Daphne aren't so sure and decide to investigate.
This mystery was FAR more interesting than The Vanishing Girl, but the subplots just...weren't. When I first heard of this series, I was under the impression that it would be a series of full-blown Mystery Inc capers with a focus on Velma and Daphne, but so far Mystery Inc is MIA. I did appreciate that Shaggy and Fred are slightly more involved, and also that Fred apparently has a thing for Velma.
The Dark Deception really set the stage for an investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Cove's first settlers (it's all very Roanoke), which I think would be a great way to bring the whole group back together. It's due to publish on 2/2/21, so I look forward to seeing how this mystery unfolds.
I enjoyed the first book, but the mystery wasn't interesting. Reverse that for book two. In The Dark Deception, gems mysteriously wash up on the beaches of Crystal Cove and the locals suspect it has something to do with the town's original settlers who vanished without a trace. Velma and Daphne aren't so sure and decide to investigate.
This mystery was FAR more interesting than The Vanishing Girl, but the subplots just...weren't. When I first heard of this series, I was under the impression that it would be a series of full-blown Mystery Inc capers with a focus on Velma and Daphne, but so far Mystery Inc is MIA. I did appreciate that Shaggy and Fred are slightly more involved, and also that Fred apparently has a thing for Velma.
The Dark Deception really set the stage for an investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Cove's first settlers (it's all very Roanoke), which I think would be a great way to bring the whole group back together. It's due to publish on 2/2/21, so I look forward to seeing how this mystery unfolds.
jorjor_14's review against another edition
4.0
interesting change to the usual scooby gang dynamics which I like. hopefully we get more fred and the hex girls in the next book
readingratboy's review against another edition
I gave up on this book pretty early on. It’s written by a different author than the first one, and the two authors obviously have different perspectives on the characters, their personalities, and their struggles. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but the new author dismisses a lot of what I thought were the most compelling parts of the first book and the characters immediately felt far less nuanced. oh well