Nothing stood particularly out. This book didn't have the best characters, the best relationships, the best writing or the best plot. Mystery wise it Nothing stood particularly out. This book didn't have the best characters, the best relationships, the best writing or the best plot. Mystery wise it was just enough to keep me going.
You got all the needed mystery vibes: a remote summer lake camp, some creepy woods, a small town where everyone’s in everyone’s business and a grotesqYou got all the needed mystery vibes: a remote summer lake camp, some creepy woods, a small town where everyone’s in everyone’s business and a grotesque bloody murder.
If Truly Devious was your thing, then there’s no way you’re not going to like this follow up.
I loved seeing the cast back and dumped into a new scenario and, as always, loved the mystery solving. Johnson never leaves you hanging.
What a great breath of fresh air after that train wreck of a third book.
I really enjoyed my time with this novella. It gives you great insight into ThWhat a great breath of fresh air after that train wreck of a third book.
I really enjoyed my time with this novella. It gives you great insight into Thomas Cresswell on some scenes from the previous book and some new scenes as well, and made me feel a whole lot better.
This shit blew my mind in a hundred different ways, it's not even funny.
You may think you know this series, but you don't really. You don't even beginThis shit blew my mind in a hundred different ways, it's not even funny.
You may think you know this series, but you don't really. You don't even begin to imagine until halfway through this book, when Holly Jackson knocks you in the head and destroys you.
Read it for the characters, grey and complex and brilliant. Read it for the development, watch them struggle and grow and learn. Read it for the relationships, learn they would do anything for each other. Read it for the mystery, start it light and slow and progress it into a place so deep and fucked up.
Holly Jackson’s books are always such a joy to read. Albeit a bloody and murderous joy.
The sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is just as good as Holly Jackson’s books are always such a joy to read. Albeit a bloody and murderous joy.
The sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is just as good as its predecessor.
I love the small town vibes, I love the relationships portrayed and I love the multiple format of how the story is told.
I particularly enjoyed the development of the main character Pip. She is a great character in the way she makes questionable decisions, may not always abide by the rules, and is in the process of accepting she might not be a perfect person.
Pip’s relationship with Ravi is wholesome and honestly, my main complaint is that I just want more of them. Give me more Ravi, for God’s sake.
The only thing that threw me off is the exact same as on the last book. Right at the end, when the confrontation is happening, Pip makes a questionable decision that allows the confrontation to go the way it goes.
But honestly, I had such a great time it doesn’t even bother me that much....more
Holy hell, I've been sleeping on YA murder mysterys haven't I?
Picked this up on a whim in Edinburgh in December, never heard of it before, but a quickHoly hell, I've been sleeping on YA murder mysterys haven't I?
Picked this up on a whim in Edinburgh in December, never heard of it before, but a quick goodreads search and the high ratings had me picking it up. I had no expectations on this book, but oh boy.
This was excelent in every sense of the word. The narrative was engaging and the writting hooked you in. Holly Jackson is a mastermind. I particular loved the multimedia formats in the book and how we get to see Pip's entrys in her investigation. Such a brilliant add-on.
The characters where adorable and complex. I loved our main character Pip, and I loved Ravi, and I loved all the family dynamics and friendships. The banter in this is A++, it felt real and so funny, I was cracking.
I loved the romance. But don't worry. If you're not a fan of romance, this one doesn't take center stage at all. It's this underlining that you get sneak peaks of, barely there, but exquisite.
The actual murder investigation and how the plot developed and unfurled was brilliant. I was pleased with how the investigation went, it seemed very real to me, sometimes I forgot the case wasn't a real one.
Did the main character have a slight "dumb horror movie character" move at the end? Yes she did. Was I screaming at ther from the top of my lungs and 2AM? Yes I was. But we can forgive her for that. She was otherwise an awesome main character.
I've got my eyes open for YA mysterys now. My life's about to change....more
It's a yes to the quirky characters, and a yes to the vintage setting. It's also a yes to all the relationships, all theThis book is a full blown yes.
It's a yes to the quirky characters, and a yes to the vintage setting. It's also a yes to all the relationships, all the captivating flashbacks and all the mystery solving involved.
It's thrilling and captivating and compulsive, and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up....more
A very slow start followed by a unwavering rush to the finish line.
Truly Devious had a dubious start in my opinion, it spent far to long on frivolousA very slow start followed by a unwavering rush to the finish line.
Truly Devious had a dubious start in my opinion, it spent far to long on frivolous things when it could’ve been far more incisive.
However, it pays off with a set of thrilling flashbacks, interesting and mysterious characters and such a cool dark academia-ish setting.
I’m aware a lot of people don’t really like David, but I’m in love with him. He fits really well into the story and is a great match for Stevie. His mysterious background and rough personality feel right.
Don’t expect any sort of closure at the end though. Nothing at all is solved and you are only left with more questions. I didn’t mind that at all considering I have the sequel right next to me, but I’m guessing if you read this as soon as it came out, it might have given some people a heart attack. ...more
There were so many problems with this book, I am imploding with frustration.
Now, I will say straight off: This was still a very entertaining book, andThere were so many problems with this book, I am imploding with frustration.
Now, I will say straight off: This was still a very entertaining book, and I still love the overall story of this series, and so I can’t really bring myself to give it a lower rating, even if it deserved it.
The characters felt extremely lost in this narrative. It kind of felt like we were walking backwards from the development we went through in the previous novel. They didn’t feel like themselves at all.
The creation of the love triangle felt incredibly cheap and unnecessary. Audrey Roses’s decisions were incredibly dumb and the reasoning she gives herself again and again feels thin and frail. This second love interest is incredibly dodgy, clearly tricks her and lies to her again and again, and she pointedly overlooks all that because he’s pretty? Dear lord. Thomas Cresswell is precious and deserved better from you.
The narrative keeps trying to reason the characters had no other way but to make these decisions. However that is clearly not true, and the fact that our very intelligent cast of characters have overlooked that is insulting.
Don’t even get me started on Audrey Roses’s atitude and manipulation of her cousin, all whilst professing feminism. She will not have her choices taken away from her, but clearly has no problem taking other women’s choices away.
Leaving the wreck that was made of the characters I love, and going into the murder case itself. I realized who the killer was 1/3 of the way through, just by the way they were written on the page. So that was a bit of a flop.
However the setting was incredibly created and the ambiance very well set. Maniscalco is very good.
I really should bring myself to lower this rating, but I’m a wuss and I really love this series, even if this book was a train wreck.
I will now try to forget this book ever happened and move on....more
Boarding school setting, long train rides, forensic sciences, 19th Century Romania, serial killer. Need I say morOh, oh well. I guess I’m all in then.
Boarding school setting, long train rides, forensic sciences, 19th Century Romania, serial killer. Need I say more?
I’m officially on the Thomas Cresswell fan club. He’s such a smol bean with a tough exterior, so flawed but he means so well. I’m in love. Audrey Rose is such a strong main character as well. I really like them both together and individually.
Overall the romance was so well developed from the first book into something so much bigger and stronger. I’m drowning in how good this love story is.
The murder mystery aspect is getting better and better. I could not guess who the murderer was and so many things actually caught me by surprise. The mystery thrilling vibe of the book was stunning.
I liked this follow up to Staking Jack the Ripper so much more than the first novel. Maniscalco is a fast learner, and you can really see how she grew and evolved in this second novel, and how the story grew and evolved with her.
I love historical fiction, Victorian England, forensic sciences and serial killers, but this was still kind of a disappointment.
Even though ManiscalcoI love historical fiction, Victorian England, forensic sciences and serial killers, but this was still kind of a disappointment.
Even though Maniscalco promises, she fails to deliver in several aspects. The thrill of this murder mystery is simply not there, and even though you are told time and time again there is a killer on the loose in Victorian England, it just doesn't really feel like it.
As far as mystery goes, I did successfully deduce the identity of the murderer 3 chapters in. And Maniscalco failed to make me doubt my judgement of the situation through the whole 300 pages. So there went the plot twist.
The cast of characters were small, but still managed to be seriously underdeveloped and two dimensional.
It might seem that I didn't like this book at all, but that's not quite it. It was a very fast read and I really liked the romance, though I would like to see it more developed. This story had such a strong foundation to build upon, but I felt that it overall fell short.
I still think it's worth the read if the following installments get better....more
Lair of Dreams carries most of the essence of the first book in the series, but it does feel a lot more sluggish.
The action was slow to come, and I diLair of Dreams carries most of the essence of the first book in the series, but it does feel a lot more sluggish.
The action was slow to come, and I didn't enjoy the dream scenes that much, and boy, were there lots of them! Additionally, the mystery wasn't nearly as interesting for me, and I felt less invested in it.
But there are still the characters we've come to love, and the 20's NY vibes, and I still have big hopes for the rest of the series....more
There is an absolute charm to the 20s that The Diviners captures and uses to its advantage so perfectly.
The way the setting is used in this novel is aThere is an absolute charm to the 20s that The Diviners captures and uses to its advantage so perfectly.
The way the setting is used in this novel is absolutely perfect. From something so simple like the slang words used, the clothes, the hairstyles, to the overall atmosphere it creates - that little niche of both incredible joy and incredible sadness, of something seemingly perfect but so fragile. Everything is spot on.
The characters are an incredible mix, a perfect imprint of a growing America.
I love Evie - I actually don't remember the last time I loved a character this flawed this deeply. She is spunky and the perfect image of a flapper. She is, however, so much more than that. She is too much, but feels constantly like too little. She will not be you perfectly moral main character, and I think I love that the most.
But there are so much more characters to love, of various ethnicities, so many backgrounds, with such incredible stories to tell.
Libba Bray will paint you a pretty picture, but she will not allow you to see past the bad strokes, the inhuman treatment of people, the bestiality of the world. And I can only guess she will shine it even brighter as this series moves forward.
I will tell you though - I'm not a thriller/horror reader. I'm actually the biggest chicken in the world. This book kept me up multiple nights, and I could never have guessed how terrifying this actually was. There were cults and demonic shit happening, not even speaking of the gruesome murders.
But fear not (or do, actually), because every shiver down your spine and every time you check under your bed just to make sure will be worth it.
This is a phenomenal read, whether you're here for the romance, the paranormal, the mystery, the thriller or the historical fiction. It exceeds in all departments....more
This isn’t a particularly bad story, but it isn’t a particularly captivating one either.
In my opinion there were several things that pulled this book This isn’t a particularly bad story, but it isn’t a particularly captivating one either.
In my opinion there were several things that pulled this book down and made my enjoyment of it very scarce.
The narrative, for one. was convoluted and it took a long time to get anywhere. The plot wasn’t really all that bad, but it lost a lot of its punch by diluting itself in a lot of boring stuff.
The world building felt both underdeveloped and overdeveloped. By that I mean that everything was info dumped right into your lap, but what was dumped wasn’t explained very well. It felt confusing and overcrowded with information that I didn’t care about and didn’t particularly need. And, mostly, just boring.
I could’ve eventually forgiven that, or at least looked past it, if the characters were amazing. But I didn’t particularly liked or connected with the characters - it didn’t feel like the author made any effort to bring you into their heads at all. And that was that.
Small but relevant shout out to the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters all throughout the book.
The concept was pretty interesting though, and the overlining plot wasn’t bad at all. It just felt way overdone in places and badly executed most of the way through....more
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