This book was one of the first in the new wave of YA Mysteries - not thrillers, but actual, someone wants to be a detective and solve a crime in the tradition of Agatha Christie, and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators.
Our story is set at a school most of us could only dream of hoping to attend. Accepting on the elite of the elite - based on talent, not only on money - the Ellingham Academy is a remote school at the top of a mountain. Founded by the millionaire Albert Ellingham, near the start of the 20th Century, the school was marked by tragedy not long after it was opened. One student was killed, and the founder’s wife and child kidnapped. The only clue was a pieced together note, signed only: Truly, Devious. Our main character is Stevie; a teenage girl who was desperate to go to Ellingham Academy for one reason only: to solve the mystery of Truly, Devious. A newcomer to a boarding school that is not your average, Stevie knows only one person before she starts - Janelle, one of her housemates (yes, instead of the standard dorms, they have “houses” - actual houses with a student to a room. Stevie’s housemates are a diverse bunch - a teenaged author for one - and their house parent is one of the teachers. The house is eclectic, the people nuanced and well rounded. I think, aside from the mystery aspect - which was done so very well - my favourite aspect of this book was the diversity. Janelle is black, focused on STEM, and likes girls! And, even better, it didn’t feel like a diversity grab. Janelle felt like a realised character, and I would 100% be keen to read a spinoff regarding what she does once she leaves Ellingham. The other wonderful thing was that our main character has anxiety! Not that anxiety that people might think of - oh no, so nervous before a test (thought that is perfectly valid, I would never want to demean or make small anyone’s mental health struggles) - but full blown, on meds, carries-meds-with-her, panic attack having, capital A anxiety. As someone who has and is medicated for anxiety, I am always happy to see a decent representation in YA books, especially when it is done without any stigma, and with friends who understand and support instead of judging. Maureen Johnson has done a fantastic job of portraying mental health in a realistic and non-inflammatory way. This book will be added to my M/H awareness list (will be? Already is!). There is also a non-binary character, who is dating Janelle. Again, would love to see more of these two, I think they would make a great spinoff. Don’t read this book (without having the second and third within easy reach) if you don’t like cliffhangers! Books one and two do end with a cliffhanger. The mystery aspect is done spectacularly - I read mysteries almost exclusively for a while - and there were twists and red herrings that I truly (haha) didn’t see coming. Overall, I thought pacing was good, flow was good, mystery was good. Did not like waiting for the sequels! Audiobook narration was also very good. Content warnings: murder, blood, gore, murder, death by suffocation, death by starvation (? not sure, also not sure which book) Rating: 4.5 stars
0 Comments
|