Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson {review}

Truly Devious
by Maureen Johnson
publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
release date: January 16th, 2018
hardcover, 420 pages
intended audience: Young adult
series: Truly Devious, book 1
source: received from publisher for honest review

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder. 

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

~Amy's thoughts~

All Stevie has ever wanted to do was to solve crimes, and Ellington Academy is notorious for its unsolved kidnapping and murder from 80 years prior. Now Stevie feels she is living the dream of a lifetime, studying at the prestigious school for free, while also having access to inside facts on the case. Stevie just knows she will be the one to crack the case. Until, murder hits the halls of Ellington Academy once again. This time it is a student, and even though the murder looks like a suicide, Stevie isn’t so sure. Now she has two crimes that need to be solved, even though it seems like everyone is starting to turn away from her.  

A gripping page turner with twists and turns at every chapter, Truly Devious leaves readers reeling for answers, while trying to solve the mystery for themselves.  Sherlock Holmes collides with Nancy Drew in this modern day true crime mystery, where murder, riddles and drama keep a fast-paced reading tempo.

However, be warned, like a true crime mystery this book will leave your jaw dropped in shock as you finish the last page and close the cover. The beginning of an intertwining mystery series, each book is written to seamlessly blend into the next, carrying on the mystery, opening more doors than it closes.  Maureen Johnson leaves readers dangling on the edge of a cliff hanger, where readers will be left with the desire to read faster in order to find out answers, but slower so the story won’t end. While some readers might be upset about the abrupt ending, this book gives exactly what a mystery promises, sometimes there aren’t answers right away, but will be even more satisfying when the answers finally come.

I can’t wait for the next installment of the Truly Devious series, especially after the cliff hanger ending. This is the first book that I have read where the end of the book abruptly ends right in the middle of the story’s climax; where I was left sitting in shock looking for the next chapter.

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.

Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Hank and John Green.

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Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee {audiobook review}

THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AN VIRTUE

by Mackenzi Lee

publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
release date: June 27th, 2017
intended audience: Young adult
series: Guide, book 1
source: library, Hoopla Digital

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

My thoughts:

If you haven't jumped into this fun, adventurous, shenanigan-filled, romp of a story---you are missing out.  Furthermore, if you HAVE read this story and haven't listened to it's audiobook counterpart---YOU ARE ALSO MISSING OUT. While this new trio will capture the hearts of many just on the written page, the audiobook performance of this was 100% spot on. Read by actor Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle, himself!), he managed to perfectly portray Monty's spoiled cheekiness and longing, Percy's sweetness and conflict, and Felicity's intelligence and indignance.

Monty is off on a Grand Tour with his best friend and secret crush, Percy. His headstrong and booksmart sister, Felicity is along for the ride.  He's determined to ditch their appointed chaperone and have some fun.  So Monty, being Monty, does something brash and ridiculous---and his reckless actions get them hunted down and mixed up in a dangerous secret that will have them veering off-tour and crossing paths with mysterious scientists, strangely conscientious pirates, and all manner of undesirables.

The adventure kicks in almost immediately, twisting and turning and whisking them all over the world and hardly letting up until the end. The romance is swoony and complicated, but there were definitely times when Monty's pining and whining and just plain cluelessness got to be a little much. Still, for the most part he's hilarious and his character definitely progresses. Percy is quiet and troubled and faces challenges from many sides, his station, his illness, his ethnicity,...all things he just can't get Percy to understand. Felicity is disapproving and ready to roll her eyes at all her brother's antics, but she was also absolutely brilliant and refuses to let society's ignorant view of a woman's place hold her back. She proved to be one of my favorite characters in the story and I absolutely can't wait for her to take center stage in book two!

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Simmons College. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the historical fantasy novels THIS MONSTROUS THING and THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE (HarperCollins), as well as the forthcoming THE LADY'S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY and SEMPER AUGUSTUS (coming in 2019 from Flatiron/Macmillan). She is also the author of BYGONE BADASS BROADS (Abrams, 2018), a collection of short biographies of amazing women from history you probably don't know about but definitely should, based on her popular twitter series of the same name. 

She currently calls Boston home, where she manages an independent bookstore, drinks too much Diet Coke, and pets every dog she meets. 

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