Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Nine Liars

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Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson

12 reviews

agxxo's review

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

The ending of the book bumped it up from 3 stars to 3.5 because I really wasn’t expecting the reveal.

Also, David? An absolute jerk.

As I wrote in an update the other day: “Something just feels different about this book... idk if it's the writing or what but it just feels different. And slower. I mean seriously, we're on page 156 and the investigation hasn't even started yet. Stevie literally just learned about the case like 20-30 pages ago.”

There was just something different about this book and it just wasn’t as good as the others. I literally struggled to get through this— I ended up having to listen to the audiobook for the last like 150-200 pages just to get through it.

Also the cliffhanger? It wasn’t even about the mystery, it was about David kissing someone else (as aforementioned above, he’s a jerk).

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kawaii_rose's review

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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.

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marioosa517's review

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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.

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theoriginalbookdragon's review

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challenging emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.25

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kenzaett's review

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.25

Oh wow. This book made me feel so much! Whilst book 4 in the series wasn't my favorite, felt too rushed and obvious - this one, with the setting in London, so many new characters, and a deep exploration into the real personalities of our favorites, was a much better "sleuths abroad" Version than A Box in the Woods (I might be biased though because I, too, studied abroad in England😅)
The mystery was hard to solve, I couldn't get behind it until 80% of the book, which might have just been because we didn't know the characters as well... But I love how they were all fleshed out, had different identifications... I loved how Stevie and Izzy grew together, and I understand why people have been hating David for the past 4 books (I didn't, I just found him very... ambiguous). This book was very emotional. More so than the mystery focused, thrilling, scary triology - there was a current threat and danger, this one just explored an older case and there wasn't much danger posed to the kids. There were many more mature themes, which I liked, as the characters grew up along the readers over the course of the books. And I got annoyed by Stevie. A lot. I understand Janelle. I understand Nate. She still needs a lot of maturity, a lot of growth. She's still processing who she is and who she wants to be, and can't make peace with the idea she has to go to an actual school and not just rely on solving whatever mystery finds her during her adult years. All the other ones have something to their own, rube Goldberg machines whilst having good grades, a book out whilst still applying to 71 colleges, even David, who's doing "as little as possible" and feels inadequate next to Stevie... But she doesn't seem to want to move on from her successes, and that might just inevitably become her downfall. But I don't think there's another book planned to explore that. And that's okay. I feel like Stevie's chapter is over - I thoroughly enjoyed the series over the past few weeks, but I'm okay not continuing, and letting my own imagination run for what happens next.
I'm not as "trapped in this universe" as I've felt with other triologies, and I definitely find that this is also a good standalone, without having to read everything in order and beforehand. Thank you, Maureen, for this adventure.

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stuckinatimeloop's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

the thing about these books is the characters don't have a lot of depth. they're likable, sure, but you don't form a connection with them really. they're just there. they have the potential to be something more, but the author focuses more on the plot. and that's not a bad thing, it's what makes these books likable because the plot is written well.
to me, books that have well written characters are more impactful and stay with me for longer. like a study in charlotte. amazing detective series with amazing characters.
i do like truly devious though. overall it's a fun teen detective series. i hope in the future books the characters get more development.
also nate fisher my aroace icon.

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