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A review by mariekejee
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It took me a bit to read this book, despite me being excited for the resolution of these mysteries. If anything, I'll blame the pandemic for it - once I forced myself to pick the book up again, it kept me hooked. And as my sleep-deprived brain mentioned before: the book ends on another plot twist, so I started reading the third instalment right away. Annoying as it is, I do have to admire her ability to make me want to continue in a series, something I rarely (want to) do.
As for the story itself: I disliked the way this book starts, but in hindsight it makes sense, story-tension wise. I like how despite some mysteries being solved in this book, I still feel like I don't have the whole picture and it makes me want to read more. I read half the book three months ago so I don't remember much about pace and tension in that part, but the latter half is a (good) whirlwind of excitement and suspense.
TheDavid -plotline is still a hit-or-miss for me and (the implications of) Ellie being found dead in a tunnel made me feel uneasy to say the least ( her death affected me way more than Hayes', particularly because I assumed she hadn't actually died, and because the way she died is just immensely sad and painful ).
Otherwise, I really liked the book. Furthermore, I'm planning on finishing the THIRD book in this series (for the record: I can recall having finished roughly.. five series in my whole twenty years of being a book nerd) soon. If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.
As for the story itself: I disliked the way this book starts, but in hindsight it makes sense, story-tension wise. I like how despite some mysteries being solved in this book, I still feel like I don't have the whole picture and it makes me want to read more. I read half the book three months ago so I don't remember much about pace and tension in that part, but the latter half is a (good) whirlwind of excitement and suspense.
The
Otherwise, I really liked the book. Furthermore, I'm planning on finishing the THIRD book in this series (for the record: I can recall having finished roughly.. five series in my whole twenty years of being a book nerd) soon. If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Kidnapping