What a way to start 2020. I can‘t thank Maureen Johnson enough for cheering up the dark winter nights. It felt like the author had cocooned me in the web of lies and deceit at Ellingham Academy and I couldn’t have been happier to be there. Fantastic storytelling from the first book to the last, books one and two devoured during the first week of January - it was almost impossible to wait the two weeks until the 21st for the final book to be released.
What I like most about the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson.
1. The setting - how I wish Ellingham Academy was real and I could go. I haven’t felt this way about a setting since Hogwarts!
2. The intertwining of the parallel storylines from 1930’s to present day. The author managed to convey a real sense of the past without taking away from the immediate dangers and suspense in the present.
3. The intricacy of the plot which was unusually complex for a Young Adult novel and I loved it. There were so many twists and turns and additions to the story which I didn’t see coming.
4. Characters - especially Stevie who as the main protagonist was particularly flawed and all the more likeable for it. She was relateable and I felt like I was her silent detective partner trying to figure out the veiled clues alongside her.
5. The Grand Finale! I so hoped for an all cast gathering and reveal Agatha Christie style and I wasn’t disappointed!
Five stars from this reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️