A review by mayas
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
3.75 stars
Book CWs: murder, kidnapping, blood, animal dissection, anxiety disorder, alcoholism.
This was difficult for me to rate because the first half was slow-paced and I was bored but the second half was so good. I was a bit disappointed by some of the reveals (and also the last page) but I enjoyed the suspense and mystery.
This instalment introduced a few more characters, who were all (to my understanding) white, and the poc were barely relevant to this book. I hope the non-white characters are more present and relevant in the third novel!
Overall, I really enjoyed this (the second half) and I like how Johnson writes her characters; there's a lot of compassion. The friendships are also really lovely.
:)
Book CWs: murder, kidnapping, blood, animal dissection, anxiety disorder, alcoholism.
This was difficult for me to rate because the first half was slow-paced and I was bored but the second half was so good. I was a bit disappointed by some of the reveals (and also the last page) but I enjoyed the suspense and mystery.
This instalment introduced a few more characters, who were all (to my understanding) white, and the poc were barely relevant to this book. I hope the non-white characters are more present and relevant in the third novel!
Spoiler
I liked how Janelle's skills were used toward the end, though!Overall, I really enjoyed this (the second half) and I like how Johnson writes her characters; there's a lot of compassion. The friendships are also really lovely.
:)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Cursing
(Further) Content Warnings: murder; animal dissection; alcoholism