Author: Maureen Johnson
Rating: 7/10
Genre: Mystery; Young Adult
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell has come to Ellingham Academy, a private school for the brightest of their generation, with a plan to solve the cold case that occurred there years and years ago. As she tries to accustom herself to her very much changed school life, “Truly Devious” seems to have come to pay another visit.
“There is nothing so serious as a game.”
The concept of this book appealed to me very much. I loved the idea of a school for all kinds of prodigies, a story which followed a girl with a passion for true crime, the solving of a cold case which has made a return to the present day. I found it all very original and intriguing.
However, I was a bit disappointed. Firstly, the setting was not as magical or alluring as I had hoped. I really wished we could have seen more of an intricate, functioning system as opposed to just glimpses of a, more or less, typical school.
Moreover, I had also expected an elaborate and thrilling mystery, and personally, it has yet to hit those notes for me. As of now, the mystery seems simple and is not as baffling as I had hoped. It was revealed through dual perspectives, one in the past and one in the present; and while it did make the book slightly more compelling, I wish the point of views played off one another a bit more.
The romance in this book came out of left field. However, I had been bored enough at that point that I welcomed the romantic angst. It is by no means a well written start to a romance, but I found myself wanting more.
On another note, I liked the voice of the main character, Stevie. I felt that it really did embody the voice of an awkward teenage girl who has spent way too much time reading about murders, but has no real experience. It was fun to watch her try to tackle situations by pulling from her vault of true crime knowledge. Though, the scenes written to impress us with her detective skills (deductions etc.) did not particularly have the desired effect on me.
As for my personal reading experience, I did not really enjoy the first half of this book. It involved a lot of setting up. We were being introduced to the many characters, the academy, the mystery. So while it was crucial that we have all this information, it was dull to read because there was little to no action.
The second half of the book, however, worked to pick up the pace and became much more engaging. The old mystery really started to expand and the present-day conflict had finally begun. I could see the potential for complexity and depth. I could also foresee there being shocking discoveries and sharp twists and turns. In the end, there were a few ties and connections I did enjoy.
If you’ve read this book, you would know why it’s hard to rate. The last 100 pages were very exciting, but the ending was so abrupt and felt a bit unnatural. I felt like the book had just begun when I reached the last page. I’m not sure whether to hate it or love it. Although, since this is the first mystery series I have ever read (there are not a lot out there), I guess I’ll give it a benefit of the doubt.
This book felt like an introduction and has laid out several paths and bread crumbs. It definitely leaves you reaching for the next book.
Reviewed by: N.G.Rainwater (1st Reading)
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