Maureen Johnson
Series: Truly Devious, #3
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson delivers the witty and pulse-pounding conclusion to the Truly Devious series as Stevie Bell solves the mystery that has haunted Ellingham Academy for over 75 years.REVIEW
Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph . . .
She knows who Truly Devious is. She’s solved it. The greatest case of the century.
At least, she thinks she has. With this latest tragedy, it’s hard to concentrate on the past. Not only has someone died in town, but David disappeared of his own free will and is up to something. Stevie is sure that somehow—somehow—all these things connect. The three deaths in the present. The deaths in the past. The missing Alice Ellingham and the missing David Eastman. Somewhere in this place of riddles and puzzles there must be answers.
Then another accident occurs as a massive storm heads toward Vermont. This is too much for the parents and administrators. Ellingham Academy is evacuated. Obviously, it’s time for Stevie to do something stupid. It’s time to stay on the mountain and face the storm—and a murderer.
In the tantalizing finale to the Truly Devious trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson expertly tangles her dual narrative threads and ignites an explosive end for all who’ve walked through Ellingham Academy.
I have been hooked on this series since Truly Devious, and I couldn't wait for this finale. If I were to describe this conclusion in three words, I would use: captivating, surprising, and satisfying.
All the elements I loved in the first two books were still present in this final chapter, and maybe Johnson even turned it all up a notch or two.
I felt like I got to know some of the other characters better in this book. Stevie began to really embrace these people as her own, and in doing so, I got to spend more time with them. But, I didn't only learn more about the present day characters, Johnson revealed a plethora of tidbits about the Ellingham Academy residents from the 1930s, and some details were quite surprising.
I felt like Johnson not only maintained that classic whodunit feel of the previous two novels, but rather, she amped it up for this book. The gathering of all the suspects, while they were trapped due to a blizzard, seemed torn from the vintage mystery handbook. I felt a smile spread across my face as it played out in a most gratifying way.
But, I came here for answers and resolutions, and you know what? I got them! I discovered the whole, unadulterated truth about Alice (a pretty big surprises there), Stevie figured out how the present day and 1930s murders were connected (this was rather messy and interesting), AND I finally found out what was "always on the staircase, but never on the stair."
Stevie was a force, as she had been this whole series, and I will forever keep her on my list of literary favorites. Her wit, her humor, her quirks - I loved them all, and I was thrilled with the ending Johnson gave her.
I will miss Ellingham Academy, but I will remember it fondly.
* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maureen Johnson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, The Name of the Star, and Truly Devious. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), and The Bane Chronicles (with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian, and she has also served as a scriptwriter for EA Games. She has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and lives in New York City.
Have you ever been trapped in a blizzard?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
i just saw this series on another blog and after reading your great review it only confirmed it for me...i want!
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
It really was a great series. I loved the characters, the multiple mysteries, and I found myself very wrapped up in it all. I hope you get a chance to read it
DeleteLove it when a series ends in such a satisfying way. I need to pick these up now that the series is finished!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
It's always nice to get to read them all in a row, as the wait between books can be somewhat painful.
DeleteSo glad to hear this was a solid conclusion. I need to get going on the second book yet. I love the sound of the classic whodunit aspect here, and yes- Stevie is awesome- I really liked her character in book one.
ReplyDeleteDo it! Do it! Do it! I was a little worried about Stevie in this book, but she worked it out.
DeleteA bookseller at the store where my book club meets recommended this series. I'm glad to see it's so well loved. :D
ReplyDeleteI hope you consider it. I am a solid fan of it. The characters, the setting, the mysteries - it was easy to get lost in these books
DeleteI promise to begin this series this year!
ReplyDeleteI hope you do, and I hope you like it as much as I did
DeleteI feel like I need to give this trilogy a try. I am so glad that this one worked so well for you.
ReplyDeleteI would say all three books worked for me. I think my rating was a little lower on book 2, because I listened to the audio instead of reading it. I feel like I would have gotten more, as this genre requires more focus, had I read the book.
DeleteI’m so glad this was a satisfying conclusion to the series!
ReplyDeleteMe too. There was the bit of political creep, but outside of that, I loved it
DeleteI had no idea this was book #3. I guess I need to get on #2 then lol
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's worth
Giddy up, Karen!
DeleteOh, I definitely need to look into the rest of this series, especially with such a strong conculsion!
ReplyDeleteIf you like mysteries, this is one of the stronger YA mystery series I have read. Great characters, fabulous setting, and multiple mysteries made this a winner for me.
DeleteI have seen people overall really enjoying this series as each book has released. I am glad you could enjoy the ending of the series so much. It sounds like the gang of the characters are so good and that the classic whodunnit is handled so well.
ReplyDeleteJohnson did a great job with this, and I loved the way she had it unfold
DeleteI'm glad to hear the ending of this series was so satisfying for you. I've not tried a Maureen Johnson book yet but Truly Devious is on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI have read other books by Johnson. All have been positive experiences for me, but I am especially glad this ended well, because it has been a strong series for me
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