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bzliz's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Stevie is a fun protagonist and I enjoyed listening to this audiobook more than I enjoyed reading the previous three physical copies. I think this type of YA mystery is well suited to an audiobook format since there is generally minimal tension and, much like murder mystery parties, I don’t think the answer is meant to be solvable.
Because we moved settings to a summer camp rather than the academy, I think some of the structure fell apart for me. It’s such an odd thing that happens in summer camp stories (and only in stories) where an adult in charge of the camp will tell one child they can bring their friends and that’s the way the author integrates known characters that form the support system around our main character. I don’t know why that bugs me so much but it’s so weird, especially for positions that interact with children. Like, you don’t want to vet these friends at all? Just one interview? They play a very small part in this anyway so I’m willing to overlook it.
I didn’t like the mystery as much in this book either. Like Stevie notes, it’s different when the people involved aren’t all dead and gone. There’s a greater discussion that can be had about the morality of true crime content, especially of recent events rather than very old cold cases. But Stevie doesn’t completely dive into that so I won’t either.
Over all I’d say this is a fun enough read if you’re looking for something with a mystery element but low danger. It is not necessary to read the previous three books before this one.
Because we moved settings to a summer camp rather than the academy, I think some of the structure fell apart for me. It’s such an odd thing that happens in summer camp stories (and only in stories) where an adult in charge of the camp will tell one child they can bring their friends and that’s the way the author integrates known characters that form the support system around our main character. I don’t know why that bugs me so much but it’s so weird, especially for positions that interact with children. Like, you don’t want to vet these friends at all? Just one interview? They play a very small part in this anyway so I’m willing to overlook it.
I didn’t like the mystery as much in this book either. Like Stevie notes, it’s different when the people involved aren’t all dead and gone. There’s a greater discussion that can be had about the morality of true crime content, especially of recent events rather than very old cold cases. But Stevie doesn’t completely dive into that so I won’t either.
Over all I’d say this is a fun enough read if you’re looking for something with a mystery element but low danger. It is not necessary to read the previous three books before this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Minor: Homophobia
tanvi45's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Drug use and Homophobia
brandyoak311's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Drug use and Panic attacks/disorders
hrh_victoria's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Mental illness and War
baksaydora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
I liked this one too. It was a little slow for me, and I still think the romance is unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
Minor: Homophobia and War
simply_fran's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Didn't feel like it was playing fair...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and War
bookishmillennial's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Wow, the way that Maureen Johnson set up another murder mystery for Stevie to unravel was so damn entertaining!
This takes place at a summer camp which Stevie is recruited by the owner to join so that she and her friends (Janelle, Nate, David) can attempt to solve the 1978 murders of four camp counselors in the woods. They’re known as the “Box in the Woods” murders and had remained unsolved. I was expecting another few books to fully crack the case but Johnson provided a completely standalone mystery, which was equally shocking and impressive!
I can’t wait to continue on and read the next book. These books are cozy, funny, and sometimes extremely tense and stressful mysteries, and I love the anxiety representation in them too.
I highly recommend them, and it’d be cool if they adapted it into a movie series!
This takes place at a summer camp which Stevie is recruited by the owner to join so that she and her friends (Janelle, Nate, David) can attempt to solve the 1978 murders of four camp counselors in the woods. They’re known as the “Box in the Woods” murders and had remained unsolved. I was expecting another few books to fully crack the case but Johnson provided a completely standalone mystery, which was equally shocking and impressive!
I can’t wait to continue on and read the next book. These books are cozy, funny, and sometimes extremely tense and stressful mysteries, and I love the anxiety representation in them too.
I highly recommend them, and it’d be cool if they adapted it into a movie series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
m4rtt4's review
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
3.25
this was... okay, but a huge disappointment after the Truly Devious Trilogy.
Johnson made Stevie dream of being like Hercule Poirot, but the foreshadowing fell flat with the 'grand reveal'. The point of Agatha Christie's mysteries is that all of the information is available to the reader before Poirot reveals his solution, but since the solution depended on Sabrina's diary which was only revealed in the 'grand reveal' itself, there was no way the reader could have tried solving the mystery themselves and that automatically takes off half of the fun in reading murder mysteries. Also making the killer a literal Nazi is sooo unoriginal and overused — I am no Nazi sympathizer (!!) but I've seen this so many times in all types of American media that you just can't surprise me with that anymore.
I was mostly annoyed with how the mystery was executed, but as a cherry on top I couldn't care less about Stevie and David's relationship either — I don't see what they are supposed to see in each other, and in my opinion Stevie is perfectly capable of being a strong female YA protagonist without having a love interest.
I was mostly annoyed with how the mystery was executed, but as a cherry on top I couldn't care less about Stevie and David's relationship either — I don't see what they are supposed to see in each other, and in my opinion Stevie is perfectly capable of being a strong female YA protagonist without having a love interest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, Medical content, and War
kawaii_rose's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Minor: Cursing and Panic attacks/disorders
brianareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder