If you like: humor, suspense, YA, Janet Evanovich, boarding school stories.
Only Maureen Johnson can pull off a mystery that makes you fearfully hold your breath one moment, then burst into laughter the next. Truly Devious takes murder, weird and brilliant teens, a huge mountain-secluded boarding school in Vermont, and creates an unforgettable romp.
All of Truly Devious takes place at Ellingham Academy, with chapters that switch between a grisly murder in 1936, and present day, when Stevie Bell, a savvy, self-proclaimed true crime aficionado, attends the school. The setting is forest-y and atmospheric, and even though Stevie and her classmates are surrounded by nature, the isolation feels smothering at times.
Without a doubt, one of the best parts of Truly Devious is Stevie. She is pragmatic and strange, with earnest observations that aren’t meant to be funny, but usually are. Like when Stevie first meets a new classmate, a YouTuber-turned-celebrity:
“Stevie always tried to be truthful, but she didn't want to make her first acquaintance in her new house and say, ‘Your show was mediocre and overrated but I see why you are valued: for your looks and deep voice.’ People tended not to warm to that kind of thing.”
Stevie also has anxiety issues, of which she’s familiar with panic attacks and her trusty bag of medication. Her management of it is realistic, but what I love most about its portrayal is that Stevie doesn’t let it run her life. Even badass detectives can have anxiety. Also, at the end of the day, no matter how many gears of the Truly Devious mystery machine are turning, Stevie is still a teenager. She’s worried about finding her place in a new school, being accepted by friends, and dealing with her politically polar-opposite parents.
That’s not to say that the mystery isn’t entrapping. The way Johnson ties past and present together is brilliant, especially with the way clues from the past bone-chillingly appear in Stevie’s life. It keeps you flipping the pages, grasping for more and more. Warning, though! It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so don’t go in thinking everything is going to be neatly wrapped up by the end.
The last thing I find remarkable about Truly Devious is its cast of diverse characters. Most of the kids who attend Ellingham Academy are geniuses in their own right—artists, writers, scientists, engineers—all with different sexualities, backgrounds and ethnicities. As cheesy as it sounds, I enjoy the awkward, loving, earnest dynamics of their relationships, and how everyone has something to contribute as Stevie solves the mystery.
Truly Devious is a great start to a new series. I can’t wait until The Vanishing Stair releases on Jan. 22, and I get to see Stevie and her classmates uncover another part of the mystery.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson; Katherine Tegen Books; Jan. 2018.
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