Sign in with Facebook
emma's Reviews > Truly, Devious
Truly, Devious (Truly Devious, #1)
by
by
emma's review
bookshelves: ya, mystery-thriller-horror-etc, owned, historical, 3-and-a-half-stars, reviewed, recommend
Mar 31, 2019
bookshelves: ya, mystery-thriller-horror-etc, owned, historical, 3-and-a-half-stars, reviewed, recommend
Read 2 times. Last read April 14, 2021 to April 18, 2021.
JOHN GREEN, PAY ATTENTION. This is how you write a cool mystery-y book with quirky teens without making me want to die.
Okay, John Green, you can stop reading now. I think it would make me uncomfortable if you read the rest of this review, considering the mean things I’ve said and the mean things your fans have said to me in the comments of my mean things. We just have too much backstory.
Now, for the rest of you!
WHAT A FUN RIDE.
As soon as I heard this book was “unsolved murder mystery at boarding school,� I was in. When I heard the elaboration “unsolved rich people murder mystery from History mixed with current boarding school murder mystery plus true crime aficionado,� I was EXCITED.
And whoa mama was that excitement warranted.
This was not a perfect read for me by any means. I think the quirkiness was wayyy extraneous at some points (even if it wasn’t John Green-level - but truly what is), and it took away from the pacing and the believability. It kind of felt surreal at times. (Like, can we stop talking about the girl who somehow has her dirty unshowered hair in a million tiny ponytails tied with baby socks and get to the murdering, please?)
Also, the pacing of this was weird just because it’s a three-book series with one or two main mysteries. So you get answers at some points in this book, but not a lot of them and not really any that matter.
A very unsatisfying experience.
I think if I could have read all three books at once and pretended they were one very long book, I would have liked this more. As is, it’s a solid three point five.
Also, I already forget what happened in the second book. But that’s unrelated.
Bottom line: This was fun and promising! But weird stuff prevented it from being any more than that.
-------------
reread review
hell yeah.
rounding up to 4 (instead of down to 3) upon reread
-------------
reread updates
THERE'S GOING TO BE A FOURTH BOOK??!
i just picked this up for a reread on basically a whim and now i find out there's another installment out in 2 months. i think i'm god.
-------------
pre-review
baby, let me tell you...I GOT WHAT I CAME FOR.
review to come
-------------
tbr review
i am ready for INTRIGUE. i am ready for SUSPENSE. i am ready for CRIME and MURDER.
Okay, John Green, you can stop reading now. I think it would make me uncomfortable if you read the rest of this review, considering the mean things I’ve said and the mean things your fans have said to me in the comments of my mean things. We just have too much backstory.
Now, for the rest of you!
WHAT A FUN RIDE.
As soon as I heard this book was “unsolved murder mystery at boarding school,� I was in. When I heard the elaboration “unsolved rich people murder mystery from History mixed with current boarding school murder mystery plus true crime aficionado,� I was EXCITED.
And whoa mama was that excitement warranted.
This was not a perfect read for me by any means. I think the quirkiness was wayyy extraneous at some points (even if it wasn’t John Green-level - but truly what is), and it took away from the pacing and the believability. It kind of felt surreal at times. (Like, can we stop talking about the girl who somehow has her dirty unshowered hair in a million tiny ponytails tied with baby socks and get to the murdering, please?)
Also, the pacing of this was weird just because it’s a three-book series with one or two main mysteries. So you get answers at some points in this book, but not a lot of them and not really any that matter.
A very unsatisfying experience.
I think if I could have read all three books at once and pretended they were one very long book, I would have liked this more. As is, it’s a solid three point five.
Also, I already forget what happened in the second book. But that’s unrelated.
Bottom line: This was fun and promising! But weird stuff prevented it from being any more than that.
-------------
reread review
hell yeah.
rounding up to 4 (instead of down to 3) upon reread
-------------
reread updates
THERE'S GOING TO BE A FOURTH BOOK??!
i just picked this up for a reread on basically a whim and now i find out there's another installment out in 2 months. i think i'm god.
-------------
pre-review
baby, let me tell you...I GOT WHAT I CAME FOR.
review to come
-------------
tbr review
i am ready for INTRIGUE. i am ready for SUSPENSE. i am ready for CRIME and MURDER.
Sign into ŷ to see if any of your friends have read
Truly, Devious.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
October 8, 2018
– Shelved
March 31, 2019
–
Started Reading
April 2, 2019
–
Finished Reading
April 14, 2021
–
Started Reading
April 18, 2021
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-46 of 46 (46 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Audrey
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Mar 31, 2019 09:49PM
It’s so so good!!
reply
|
flag
Rachel wrote: "Hope you get it! 🤞🏼"it is gotten!
Audrey wrote: "It’s so so good!!"i'm VERY EXCITED
completely unrelated, but i thought you were dead or something (i use instagram frequently).
This series is so GOOD I’m glad you enjoyed it!!
madhura wrote: "completely unrelated, but i thought you were dead or something (i use instagram frequently)."lmao not dead just suffering
cait wrote: "This series is so GOOD I’m glad you enjoyed it!!"SO MUCH CAN'T WAIT FOR SEQUEL
So the funny thing is, Maureen and John are (or at least were, I don't follow them as much anymore since I deleted my Twitter) pretty good friends
Kyra wrote: "So the funny thing is, Maureen and John are (or at least were, I don't follow them as much anymore since I deleted my Twitter) pretty good friends"that fits with my understanding of the world
yeah I wonder what would be in it, as it seemed like it ended with the third book ...
I can't believe people actually like this book. I'm reading it right now and its writing is juvenile and I hate it
Omer wrote: "yeah I wonder what would be in it, as it seemed like it ended with the third book ..."new mystery hurray
WhoMadeMeAWeeb wrote: "I can't believe people actually like this book. I'm reading it right now and its writing is juvenile and I hate it"you seem like fun
The book was totally good! I just finished but I don’t understand why we got basically no answers! It’s infuriating but I want to read the other books because this one was so good. I’m confused on how I feel right now but I do know that I like answers and that’s why I like YA mysteries (because we get answers by the end of the book). But we didn’t. And now I have even more questions about the ending!!! Now I’m going to go buy the second one. But just a question, do we at least get good answers in the second book???
Azaria wrote: "The book was totally good! I just finished but I don’t understand why we got basically no answers! It’s infuriating but I want to read the other books because this one was so good. I’m confused on ..."nope! not till the third. that's the way it goes with series i guess
John Green looking at this post like 👁👄👁
AHHHHHH I love your reviews so much!!!!! I totally agree with the whole pacing thing. It would’ve been better as just one book. The fourth book is really good tho! Probably my favorite one in the series!
this just make me more excited to continue the series. i have the 2nd and 3rd book sitting in my room. I agree that the pacing was very weird like can we get down to business?? but excited to continue it.
Sonakshi wrote: "John Green looking at this post like 👁👄👁"how he looks at all of my posts
nora wrote: "AHHHHHH I love your reviews so much!!!!! I totally agree with the whole pacing thing. It would’ve been better as just one book. The fourth book is really good tho! Probably my favorite one in the s..."thank you!!! honestly they never quite did it for me like this one did but i always found the series fun!
Ulises wrote: "this just make me more excited to continue the series. i have the 2nd and 3rd book sitting in my room. I agree that the pacing was very weird like can we get down to business?? but excited to conti..."there's no series quite like it!
Wow I didn't expect even you to like this, I had to dnf... Now I feel savage 😅🙈
oo I've been wanting to read this ever since I read Let It Snow cause she had the best story in that book and now this book has your seal of approval so I know I'm prob gonna like it
Teru wrote: "Wow I didn't expect even you to like this, I had to dnf... Now I feel savage 😅🙈"it's very out of character
Shawn wrote: "oo I've been wanting to read this ever since I read Let It Snow cause she had the best story in that book and now this book has your seal of approval so I know I'm prob gonna like it"against the odds i really did enjoy it!
I'm pretty sure we're getting a 6th book but maybe you know this already cause this was posted one year ago lol. also, poor John hahahhaha
Cameron wrote: "I'm pretty sure we're getting a 6th book but maybe you know this already cause this was posted one year ago lol. also, poor John hahahhaha"unfortunately it appears this series will never end. and no poor john
So, I find this book, am unsure if it's too "teen-y" and right for me, click on this review, start reading, and then I realize, pfft... I know this voice! I've read reviews like this before! Lol then I actually look up and see that it's you, Emma! I trust your reviews, which, surely everyone does, because you don't hold back. You're 100% honest and it is so so refreshing and appreciated. 🫡 I salute you. Anyway. I'm definitely adding this to my TBR because of your review. I was on the fence, but now I'm in for the ride, and I will just have to be okay with the fact that the mysteries stretch out over multiple books. I think I can do it. Wish me luck! 🤞
I've just read all five in this series in two days (thank you public library for ebooks!) and I entirely concur that the first three books are best read as one long book. I understand cliffhangers are -infuriatingly- very popular right now and good for sales but that's really inappropriate for this genre in particular and the end of book 1 is a rather egregious violation of readers' trust. I think I'm well hooked on this series now; 5 ends on a minor cliffhanger so I'll stock around for 6. But I won't be starting any more of her series because I find this tactic frustrating and, frankly, arguably disrespectful.
Haha! I’m sold on this from the beginning of your review alone
help i thought youd hate this, like i did..
ya quirky murder mysteries with mysterious female characters is such a niche genre. also the fact that you loved this like i did is amazing.
Lol, that first bit really cracks me up. Maybe I should be worried about my personality though, because I see so much of myself in John Green characters and I vibe with them way more than with characters in this series
Kira Thompson wrote: "Lol, that first bit really cracks me up. Maybe I should be worried about my personality though, because I see so much of myself in John Green characters and I vibe with them way more than with char..."i don't know if i'd call these guys "relatable" but i sure had more fun with them
adira wrote: "ya quirky murder mysteries with mysterious female characters is such a niche genre. also the fact that you loved this like i did is amazing."i'm so into it
hadley₊˚⊹� wrote: "help i thought youd hate this, like i did.."i'm capable of surprises
Madeline wrote: "Haha! I’m sold on this from the beginning of your review alone"WOOHOO
El wrote: "I've just read all five in this series in two days (thank you public library for ebooks!) and I entirely concur that the first three books are best read as one long book. I understand cliffhangers ..."interesting!
Danielle wrote: "So, I find this book, am unsure if it's too "teen-y" and right for me, click on this review, start reading, and then I realize, pfft... I know this voice! I've read reviews like this before! Lol th..."thank you so much!!! i hope you enjoy!
Currently reading, and is def a fun style read I can devour in one day. That says a lot
Nice review. The first one was great. I did not love the others and I was so sad, but I was OK with continuing to give the author my money, on the strength of the first one. I often “pay@ people like this.
Ugh John green
"Like, can we stop talking about the girl who somehow has her dirty unshowered hair in a million tiny ponytails tied with baby socks and get to the murdering, please?)"Oh my goodness, yes! Give me some suspense!
this review just made me decide to pick the book and read it, so thankss (it made me laugh)
