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shirazwhine's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
dilani's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It gave what it was supposed to be giving…but at the same time it didn’t. I love Stevie and her friends, especially Nate. I was ecstatic to see more of him. Although the mystery Stevie was solving kept me reading, it felt like something was missing from the overall book. Maybe I didn’t feel as excited as I did when I first read Truly Devious? Still a solid book and I would love to see where Stevie goes from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, and War
raccoonbirb_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
meganelise's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.0
While the mystery in this book wasn't as good as the one in the original trilogy, I still really enjoyed this return of Stevie and friends. The same quirky friendships, funny and cute banter, and quest for the truth made it an enjoyable read.
The focus is definitely more plot heavy in this one though—it makes for a quick read, but there wasn't really a ton of development for our characters. I wanted David to be present for more of the story. I love the friendships that Stevie has with Nate and Janelle and those got more focus than her relationship with David, I thought. The new characters were interesting, though I don't think any would stick around for a new story (if there are ever more books about Stevie, which I would definitely still read).
I didn't guess the mystery and I liked how it all came together at the end. The story feels very fast though; I don't know if that was a good thing or not. By the end, I realized that not even a week had gone by. But I supposed such is the way with many mystery books.
This book didn't spoil anything much from the original trilogy, so I don't think you have to read the trilogy before reading this one. But I would recommend reading the trilogy first, as you'll understand the characters a lot better—they get more development and complexity in those books.
The focus is definitely more plot heavy in this one though—it makes for a quick read, but there wasn't really a ton of development for our characters. I wanted David to be present for more of the story. I love the friendships that Stevie has with Nate and Janelle and those got more focus than her relationship with David, I thought. The new characters were interesting, though I don't think any would stick around for a new story (if there are ever more books about Stevie, which I would definitely still read).
I didn't guess the mystery and I liked how it all came together at the end. The story feels very fast though; I don't know if that was a good thing or not. By the end, I realized that not even a week had gone by. But I supposed such is the way with many mystery books.
This book didn't spoil anything much from the original trilogy, so I don't think you have to read the trilogy before reading this one. But I would recommend reading the trilogy first, as you'll understand the characters a lot better—they get more development and complexity in those books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
crunchycrystals's review against another edition
mysterious
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Homophobia
francesturpin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
genny's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.0
One last mystery with Stevie, which I enjoyed very much! The comedic timing in this book was gold. I've heard this described as a "summer camp slasher" so I expected a lot more gore, but the violence is mostly contained to descriptions of dead bodies. The thrill is still there though, don't worry. 😅 The major twist is pretty out-there, but Johnson put in enough clues along the way that I could think back on them and go "oh, yeah, that makes sense". You can read this without reading the first three books, but there are references sprinkled throughout so you'd be spoiled on certain things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Medical content and Car accident
msjk427's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed the Truly Devious books, so was excited for this one. It was hard to put down and I basically read it in two huge chunks. Johnson does a good job of creating mystery with some spooky elements, and follows the classic style of the "big reveal" at the end. Based on the ending, I am wondering if we will see some more books potentially set in England. The only thing I don't like about these books is some of what I would call "wokeness." I've seen that more and more in YA and find it disappointing. Although, I can't necessarily fault the authors of inserting these elements into their books as they are at the whim of the hand that feeds them aka their publishers. So no stars removed, just a general observation. And more reason for me to stick with reading historical fiction and leave contemporary out of my arsenal.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Murder
Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Car accident
starrygoldeneyes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail