The Box in the Woods: 4 (Truly Devious, 4)

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As someone who always seems to guess the ending, I appreciated the way that The Box In The Woods left me guessing the entire time. However, when the big reveal finally came, I was a little disappointed. While it came as a complete surprise, I felt like Johnson didn’t really allow readers to solve the mystery for themselves. While still believable, the ending feels a bit whiplashed because it seemingly comes out of nowhere… like something was happening behind the scenes that readers didn’t get to experience. Stevie is one of a kind. Most high school teens have different hobbies. Some of them into sports. Some writes…Some draws… Some dances… But Stevie solves crimes. She already solved Ellingham Academy’s coldest, very famous case which occurred mid 30’s. This is the most elaborate of the Nutshell Studies, she said. It’s called Three-Room Dwelling. Three rooms, three bodies. What’s key in this one is the blood splatter...

The Box in the Woods: Truly Devious, Book 4 - Common Sense Media The Box in the Woods: Truly Devious, Book 4 - Common Sense Media

The fact that Stevie can work through her anxiety, not let it immobilize her, and continue to work towards her goal of solving the Box in the Woods case is… How did I not know there's going to be a book 4 in the Truly Devious series??? I'm so excited!! The cover is gorgeous, especially since it's purple, my favorite color :p Do you see the kid with the red hair?” he replied. “Blue shirt? His name is Lucas. He is my nemesis.” But something evil still lurks in Barlow Corners. When Stevie opens the lid on this long-dormant case, she gets much more than she bargained for. The Box in the Woods will make room for more victims. This time, Stevie may not make it out alive. I always enjoy a scary summer camp vibe and this definitely had that. It was campy, mysterious and cleverly-plotted. A fantastic set-up.

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Having not read the previous books, this was my first time meeting the side characters, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed! What a fun group of folks! The Box in the Woods is separate from the other books, but it's just as juicy and good. It continues with Stevie Bell and her friends solving cases, this time at a summer camp, where 4 teenagers were murdered in the 70s and no one has ever figured out who did it.

The Box in the Woods - Maureen Johnson - Google Books

For those interested, the fifth book, Nine Liars, is releasing at the end of this month, on Tuesday, December 27th. Sabrina wonders whether Patty’s dad is a Nazi. She wonders what happened to his random guest and whether he was killed. She tries ringing him but it doesn’t go through. Sabrina starts researching the Third Reich. Families can talk about the drug use and drinking in the 1970s vs. now in The Box in the Woods. It's mentioned a few times that the 1970s were just a different time. The drugs found in the woods slowed down the investigation into what really happened to the murdered teens. What were some other consequences of the heavy alcohol and drug use?But a delightfully quirky cast of characters and a carefully crafted atmospheric setting made it an excellent addition to the Truly Devious series. There’s a whole new mystery in this book, thank GOD because I was getting bored of Albert and David. The story is told with a dual timeline, one part in the present and one in the past at the time of the crimes. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Very well done mystery with an interesting young sleuth. Must read more of Maureen Johnson’s books. Read more

Funny Murder The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Brandy had been up five times during the night with Claire Parsons. Claire was eight and scared of going to the bathroom by herself. The bathroom was outside, about thirty feet away from the cabin, and Claire had to pee more than any child alive. Brandy had tried everything—cutting off Claire’s supply of bug juice after dinner, taking Claire to the bathroom three times before lights out, offering to give Claire something to pee into on the cabin porch so she wouldn’t have to go out to the toilets. If you told Claire to go by herself, she would stand by your cot and poke you with a wet finger until you took her. (Why was it always wet? From what?)

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So this was a disappointment. I expected so much from this. I loved the previous three Truly Devious books and there was no reason I wouldn’t read this. Sadly it wasn’t that good.

The Box In The Woods : Maureen Johnson : Free Download The Box In The Woods : Maureen Johnson : Free Download

Many mentions of bands Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin. Stevie's boss drives a Tesla. Mentions of Miller beer and Ativan, the prescription drug. References to lots of sleepaway camp movies and the Stephen King book/movie Misery. Johnson’s novel is deliciously atmospheric, with a sprawling cast of complex suspects/potential victims, surprising twists, and a dash of romance. As in her Shades of London books, Johnson remains a master at combining jittery tension with sharp, laugh-out-loud observations.” – Publishers Weekly. ⭐ review The dangerous city of Ketterdam is governed by the Merchant Council, but in reality, large sectors of the city are given over to gangs who run the gambling dens and brothels. The underworld's rising star is 17-year-old Kaz Brekker, known as Dirtyhands for his brutal amorality. Kaz walks with chronic pain from an old injury, but that doesn't stop him from utterly destroying any rivals. When a councilman offers him an unimaginable reward to rescue a kidnapped foreign chemist—30 million kruge!—Kaz knows just the team he needs to assemble. There's Inej, an itinerant acrobat captured by slavers and sold to a brothel, now a spy for Kaz; the Grisha Nina, with the magical ability to calm and heal; Matthias the zealot, hunter of Grishas and caught in a hopeless spiral of love and vengeance with Nina; Wylan, the privileged boy with an engineer's skills; and Jesper, a sharpshooter who keeps flirting with Wylan. Bardugo broadens the universe she created in the Grisha Trilogy, sending her protagonists around countries that resemble post-Renaissance northern Europe, where technology develops in concert with the magic that's both coveted and despised. It’s a highly successful venture, leaving enough open questions to cause readers to eagerly await Volume 2.

But what then? She had gotten in with the stated purpose of solving the Ellingham case. She’d done that. It was impossible, but she’d done it.