david_slack110507's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I will admit that I would have most likely gotten this finished a lot earlier if I hadn't gotten distracted with other books and other things happening in life as I left the book with about 40ish pages left for a while whilst finishing other books and doing other things in life.
The biggest strength of the book is that it is fast-paced, I got through most of the book very quickly and the condensed chapter length helped with this as they didn't drag on for too long. Another highlight of the book is that the dual timelines work very well with me sometimes preferring the past timeline over the present Ellingham one, but both were interesting, and their associated mysteries were good as well though in that regard I would say that the Truly Devious plotline from the past was a much more interesting mystery than the one in the present regarding the murder of Hayes.
My biggest issue with the book is that I found it very difficult to connect with the characters as with regards to the past timeline, the story is told factually that sometimes has some character moments that help develop the cast of characters for that timeline, but this doesn't happen often. The cast of characters for the present timeline wasn't also the easiest to connect as very few characters stood out to me apart from Nate and Stevie who I think had the most distinctive personalities/characters though I would be interested in seeing them develop, I just found that it was quite overwhelming with the number of characters introduced and then often left for extended periods of time before being reintroduced into the story.
The second half and near the end is definitely the strongest part of the book and I am very interested in seeing where both the Truly Devious and Hayes' murder throughout the series. I do hope that the series doesn't drag out the mystery, but I have a feeling that it will reach a satisfying conclusion. I would give this a 4 but I feel like a 3.5-star rating is much more appropriate as my main issues such as the lack of connectivity as well as Stevie and David's relationship kind of came out of nowhere. I feel like my experience with this book would have been much better if I had read it more consistently, so this is a fault on my part.
The biggest strength of the book is that it is fast-paced, I got through most of the book very quickly and the condensed chapter length helped with this as they didn't drag on for too long. Another highlight of the book is that the dual timelines work very well with me sometimes preferring the past timeline over the present Ellingham one, but both were interesting, and their associated mysteries were good as well though in that regard I would say that the Truly Devious plotline from the past was a much more interesting mystery than the one in the present regarding the murder of Hayes.
My biggest issue with the book is that I found it very difficult to connect with the characters as with regards to the past timeline, the story is told factually that sometimes has some character moments that help develop the cast of characters for that timeline, but this doesn't happen often. The cast of characters for the present timeline wasn't also the easiest to connect as very few characters stood out to me apart from Nate and Stevie who I think had the most distinctive personalities/characters though I would be interested in seeing them develop, I just found that it was quite overwhelming with the number of characters introduced and then often left for extended periods of time before being reintroduced into the story.
The second half and near the end is definitely the strongest part of the book and I am very interested in seeing where both the Truly Devious and Hayes' murder throughout the series. I do hope that the series doesn't drag out the mystery, but I have a feeling that it will reach a satisfying conclusion. I would give this a 4 but I feel like a 3.5-star rating is much more appropriate as my main issues such as the lack of connectivity as well as Stevie and David's relationship kind of came out of nowhere. I feel like my experience with this book would have been much better if I had read it more consistently, so this is a fault on my part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Grief
Minor: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Cursing, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
quillify_'s review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
binches's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I didn't expect to like this book so much. It has such a great story and the setting is absolutely fantastic.
Truly Devious tells the story of Stevie Bell, a girl with an obsession with true crime, as she gets the opportunity to live and study in an old school, ready to solve the murder that was committed there 70 years ago. Things change, however, when she is faced with the reality of what it means to be confronting death.
The book features a variety of characters, each of them likable and fleshed out in their own way. I loved how the story managed to shift the perception of a crime from something to just solve towards something that can be traumatic and horrifying. The writing, worldbuilding, characters, and dual timeline were done perfectly to tell an intriguing story about a girl who just wanted to find a dead body.
Truly Devious tells the story of Stevie Bell, a girl with an obsession with true crime, as she gets the opportunity to live and study in an old school, ready to solve the murder that was committed there 70 years ago. Things change, however, when she is faced with the reality of what it means to be confronting death.
The book features a variety of characters, each of them likable and fleshed out in their own way. I loved how the story managed to shift the perception of a crime from something to just solve towards something that can be traumatic and horrifying. The writing, worldbuilding, characters, and dual timeline were done perfectly to tell an intriguing story about a girl who just wanted to find a dead body.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, and Cursing
Minor: Medical content, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Drug use
myleesimm's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
it was fun! a really good read :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Cursing, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Transphobia and Racism
stevie accidentally misgenders a character, idk if that'd be considered transphobia to most but to be safe i added the warning LOLmarioosa517's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing and Alcohol
z_thatsit's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, and Fire/Fire injury
anonymous_biblioholic's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Murder, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcohol
bookishgoob's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
the beginning half was incredibly slow and i hated it until i realized that there was several books in this series and then it made sense. the atmosphere was being built. this book is a nice dark academia read. i’m starting the second book now. the main character stevie is a little annoying and a little “not like other girls” which annoys me in books. also her obsession with true crime makes me gag. i hope she learns soon that true crime involves real people and that even though she knows a lot about police proceedings doesn’t mean it’s going to be like her podcasts. i like the building relationship between her and david.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Violence
jillkaarlela's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A thrilling boarding school murder mystery about a school that is famous for a murder that happened in the 1930s. I really liked this! It was super exciting and page turning, and even as I reread this, I still really enjoyed it! There are some pretty unexpected plot twists.
The protagonist, Stevie, is such a complex, yet relatable character, who, as the book goes along, I really feel that I am getting to know. The author pulled back the curtain to show every part of this character, which so many books lack. The reader gets a front-row seat to exactly how she processes the world and how the gears turn to figure out the giant twists. That is really what makes these books so special for me. We see this complex, fascinating, ambitious female character, yet she is also completely human and flawed. We get to see her struggle with her mental health and her battle to stay alive in a school full of secrets and mysteries. I love how accurately and candidly Johnson portrayed Stevie’s mental health. It was so real/honest and raw. I think many people could benefit from reading these even just to see the struggles that those with anxiety face on a daily basis. It was very comforting to see someone else going through similar mental battles to know that it’s not just me. I think many others who struggle from mental health issues will find comfort in reading this accurate depiction of anxiety and panic attacks. I would recommend this series for those who love YA mysteries! I like how it’s told in a dual perspective of back in the 1930s and now. Also, there’s romance and you know I had to pick taylor songs for this book, and they are “the way I loved you (TV)” and “the other side of the door (TV)”.
Age rating: 13+
The protagonist, Stevie, is such a complex, yet relatable character, who, as the book goes along, I really feel that I am getting to know. The author pulled back the curtain to show every part of this character, which so many books lack. The reader gets a front-row seat to exactly how she processes the world and how the gears turn to figure out the giant twists. That is really what makes these books so special for me. We see this complex, fascinating, ambitious female character, yet she is also completely human and flawed. We get to see her struggle with her mental health and her battle to stay alive in a school full of secrets and mysteries. I love how accurately and candidly Johnson portrayed Stevie’s mental health. It was so real/honest and raw. I think many people could benefit from reading these even just to see the struggles that those with anxiety face on a daily basis. It was very comforting to see someone else going through similar mental battles to know that it’s not just me. I think many others who struggle from mental health issues will find comfort in reading this accurate depiction of anxiety and panic attacks. I would recommend this series for those who love YA mysteries! I like how it’s told in a dual perspective of back in the 1930s and now. Also, there’s romance and you know I had to pick taylor songs for this book, and they are “the way I loved you (TV)” and “the other side of the door (TV)”.
Age rating: 13+
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Cursing and Death
Brief cursing, but not very much. Since this is a murder mystery, it focuses on the murder mystery, and it discusses dead bodies. It isn’t gory or graphic, as it is YA
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