Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson

42 reviews

bookb1itch's review against another edition

challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really adore Stevie Bell and want to get students in my library to read her stories.  I disappointed myself by getting into this one before I realised I'd missed "The box in the woods", which i now need to go back to.  This one ends on a surprise cliffhanger, so I hope Maureen Johnson has more cases for Stevie to solve in the near future.  Loved that Stevie and her friends were tourists in London for part of this book - some great references to tourist hotspots.  Also lovely that part of the book was set during the Brit Pop War of 1995 between Blur and Oasis.  Nostalgia for me, but something that might interest today's teens(?). These books talk the reader through the clues which help solve the crime and in my opinion are a better introduction to the genre than "A good girl's guide to murder" series, which is all over TikTok etc.  I feel some of the content of "AGGGTM" is too adult for its target audience.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Honestly not my favorite of the series, but I still love Nate, Janelle, and Vi, and Izzy was a great addition to the group.

But the main mystery was hard for me to stay engaged with and follow. There were too many variables and too many people, so the reveal (while some pieces of evidence made sense) didn’t feel gratifying. Plus, maybe I missed it, but there was no clear motive for the murders.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

yoursparrow's review against another edition

4.0

David still has no character development beyond what was set in the first book

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

grays_opinion's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Would have preferred more understanding as to why the first murder happened, but otherwise it was a good book with a good mystery. That last chapter was wild though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity

paronomaniac's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Drug use and Infidelity

rubyl28's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I love the Truly Devious series. The books don't always hit the mark, but I don't really mind. Give me teen detectives solving cold cases! Why not! That said, I felt that the murder of the 90s far surpassed the present-day narrative here, and so my one complaint (if big) is that I wanted to spend the whole book in the Nine's company. It may also be my Cambridge/London bias...

A delight to devour all the same.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Medical content, and Alcohol

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

kawaii_rose's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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

I enjoyed reading this book, but I feel that Maureen Johnson is introducing too much conflict in Stevie and David's relationship. It would be refreshing if the author could shift her focus to the other relationship in the story, which is between Vi and Janelle, instead of always focusing on the main character and their love interest. She also didn't express what "kind" of asexual person Nate was, as if he was aroace, or just ace.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Vomit

I enjoyed reading this book, but I feel that Maureen Johnson is introducing too much conflict in Stevie and David's relationship. It would be refreshing if the author could shift her focus to the other relationship in the story, which is between Vi and Janelle, instead of always focusing on the main character and their love interest.

mariposa517's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this. It was going to be 4.5 stars, and then the ending.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Medical content, and Death of parent