21/100: Truly Devious + Mystery Genre Thoughts

please enjoy this photo of my squishy, sleepy kitty

 Something wicked devious this way comes... 

What did I just read...

If someone were to write a book about me, I feel that I could be perceived as equal parts Hermione, Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), and now Stevie Bell.
From the very first pages, I found myself identifying with Stevie (except I've got wonderful parents whom I love and tend to agree with on most things...).


I have loved mysteries since I devoured the Nancy Drew books as a girl and my interest in that genre has only expanded as I've gotten older, especially when it comes to crime shows and true-crime cases.  I could empathize with Stevie when she described how she felt like no one understood her; like she was an outsider because of this fascination with something that the rest of the world perceives as "morbid." When Stevie would say something awkward or feel like she didn't know how to respond to certain social situations, I wanted to scream "yes that's me!"

This book took me by surprise, in all the best ways.
There were so many mysteries, so many secrets, and so many weird characters. Honestly, this is the most diverse cast of characters I've read about, but it really lent itself to the plot of the story. Stevie was a fully formed character but I didn't for one moment feel like she was portrayed as overly (or annoyingly) feminist; she was, in my mind, a very close rendering of Nancy Drew, solving mysteries because she enjoyed it, not because she had to "stick it to the man."

I think the setting of the story (Ellingham Academy) was a really unique but intriguing place and it's what initially drew me to the story. Johnson has a way of describing nature and surroundings that makes you feel as if you are right there in the story. Even though this is technically a YA novel, it didn't explicitly read that way to me. In fact, at the beginning of the story I wasn't even quite sure how old these students were. It was stated in the beginning that they were juniors and seniors, and I just kind of assumed it was high school, but part of me was leaning towards college until it was written that Stevie is 16.

I think it just felt freeing to read about another young person that has an interest in mysteries, crime, and murder. I enjoy the genre because it's smart; when a good writer is behind the helm, it's an adventure to witness all the details and exacting dialogue play out. Plus, it takes an intelligent author to write a mystery that leaves you hanging until the end. After reading Truly Devious, I am feeling the pull to dive further into the mystery genre, even researching some good true-crime novelists to really dive into that genre as well.

Like I said, this book took me by surprise and had the unintended effect of reawakening my love for mystery and crime. It brought to life that Nancy Drew/girl-detective in me. Of course the problem now is that I wasn't smart and I didn't reserve all three books at the library before we had to practice social distancing and self-isolation, so I'm on the hunt for an ebook version.

All in all, please read this book. It's engaging and has you on the edge of your seat. I haven't felt the urge to read a book in a day for a long time and when a book makes you want to binge read it you know it's good!

Stats:
Completed: Mar 20
Rating: 5 stars
Pages: 416

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

36/100: Read It And Weep

Image
Read It And Weep is the fifth installment in the Library Lover's Series by Jenn McKinlay. They are cozy mysteries set in a small town on the east coast. I love reading these kinds of books because they are the ones I don't have to pay too much attention to. The plot is simple and engaging, very much a whodunnit type of setting, and they are just fast-paced enough to keep my attention but not so fast that my heart pounds in my chest :) I tend to use these books as palate cleansers when I find myself in a bit of a book slump or have just finished reading a more intense story. I can get done with them fairly quickly and move on to the next title in my TBR pile... something that is ever-growing. I will say that I did not enjoy this one as much as its predecessors. The author inserted a love triangle into the mix, a trope that I will never feel drawn to. Plus, I found myself irritated through the majority of the book because the main characters refused to communicate. I kept thi...
Read more

2/100: Let Me Be a Woman

Image
Two books in one week!!! My second finished book of the year is Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot. This was gifted to me by a friend for my birthday, and I'm sad to admit that it took me six months to finish it. It's very small and compact, less than 200 pages. But don't let the size fool you: this book packs a whole lot of theological truth into a pocket-size. Elliot really simmered things down to the basics for me in terms of what it means to be a Christian woman. I can't really say much in terms of review because I found this book to be so extensive. She writes in the form of letters to her daughter Valerie, and while most of the book is told through the lens of marriage, any woman regardless of relationship status, can find answers and clarification as to what our roles are as women of God. I plan to read this one again at some point so I can go through and underline my favorite parts and also be able to digest the content more. Stats: Completed: January ...
Read more

31/100: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Image
There's nothing quite like finishing a good book on a warm (not quite summer) day. The sun is slowly setting, the birds are happily chirping, and the breeze is cooling the weather down. I can't think of a better story to wrap up than The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. There will be some exciting changes happening in my life this week; exciting but slightly scary! This continues my comfort read-a-thon and it was just what I needed. I loved this continuing storyline of the four Penderwick sisters. Even though the original Penderwick novel will always be near and dear to my heart, the follow-up was just as sweet and endearing. Each sister got their time to shine and the storyline involving their father was well fleshed-out and relatable. I think Birdsall was really able to expand on each sister's personality in this story, and we get glimpses of where she might take them next. I can't really say much more, except please read this sweet story! Stats: Completed: Apr...
Read more