#truly devious review

[walkawaytall]

Audiobooks for which I think the narration vastly improves the book consumption experience:

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, narrated by John Green - this is John’s first non-fiction book and his narration of the book imbues the text with the right balance of emotion. I cry every time I listen to it, especially the chapter “Googling Strangers” (a version of which you can hear on the podcast that the book kind of spun off from for free if you want). I think John was the perfect narrator for this book and I can’t imagine anyone else reading it. In case you’re wondering, my favorite chapter is “Bonneville Salt Flats”.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, narrated by Tatiana Maslany — Tatiana is an actress (I mainly know her from an arc on Heartland and a couple of episodes of Parks and Rec, but she was apparently the main character in Orphan Black and has done a bunch of other stuff) and this really comes through in her narration — in a good way. She’s a fantastic voice for Katniss’ inner monologue and I don’t find her read of other character’s voices distracting or confusing in any way. Granted, I knew the stories before listening to the audiobooks, but I enjoyed these so much that, not only did I buy them so I would stop using up Hoopla borrows on them, I also have suggested them to like ten people this year and looked to see if Tatiana had narrated anything else that I might find interesting (she hasn’t done any other audiobooks from what I can tell, which is a real shame).

The Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson, narrated by Kate Rudd - I also went looking for anything else narrated by Kate Rudd and was not disappointed — she’s narrated over 500 books, including some of John Green’s novels. But the Truly Devious series is just really fun. It’s a YA murder mystery series. The first three center around the same mystery while the next two (and I assume any subsequent additions) are standalones with the same central cast of characters. Kate does an excellent job of reading the engaging source material and I think I have enjoyed every book I’ve heard her read; I just also happen to really like this series.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, narrated by Jennette McCurdy — I think for a memoir as heavy as this one, it only makes sense for Jennette to read her own words. The book is great, her narration is great, but it’s probably not for everyone. Jennette’s story of becoming a well-known child actress at the behest of her mother only to realize once her mom died of cancer that their relationship was abusive is somewhat harrowing, but there is hope woven in as well.

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott, narrated by January LaVoy — this book is really good but it also gutted me (I won’t spoil anything, but do maybe look up content warnings prior to consuming) and January LaVoy did a really good job. If her name sounds familiar to my Star Wars peeps, it probably is: she read the audiobook for Bloodline, some of the stories in the From A Certain Point of View series, and the new recording of The Courtship of Princess Leia (lol) among others, but she has also narrated loads of non-Star Wars material. Loved this book, loved her narration of it.

Special mention:

The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda — this is a special mention because I do not actually suggest these books at all. The first one starts out fairly promising with a seemingly interesting and strong main character who suddenly loses all of her personality and agency the moment she meets a hot vampire, and it’s not because she’s being compelled or anything interesting like that. By the end, the only “character” I really liked was the house that Diana’s aunts owned? (Well, I also spent a chunk of the first book hoping that the weird number of times Matthew warned Diana that his stallion bites would turn out to be foreshadowing that the horses were all vampires, but that unfortunately never panned out.) Anyway, these books are not good but I am convinced I kept listening to them even after swearing off the series after the first book because of Jennifer’s narration. And then they switched narrators for the weird little follow-up fourth book about Phoebe becoming a vampire (Time’s Convert) and I wasn’t able to finish it. (And that is not me saying that the narrator of Time’s Convert isn’t good. She narrated Leia, Princess of Alderaan and also did the Leia chapters in The Princess and the Scoundrel, which means I have told multiple people that I wish she would have read the whole book rather than switching off with whoever did Han’s chapters. She’s a fine narrator. What I’m saying is that Jennifer Ikeda was good enough to keep me listening even when I hated what was being read to me while another perfectly fine narrator couldn’t do that, and that’s saying something.)

#these are in no particular order #but I do really really love #the anthropocene reviewed #audiobook #audiobook review #books #book review #the hunger games #suzanne collins #tatiana maslany #truly devious #maureen johnson #kate rudd #i’m glad my mom died #jennette mccurdy #thistlefoot #gennarose nethercott #january lavoy #jennifer ikeda

[tomatoreads]

📖:The Truly Devious Series

✍: Maureen Johnson Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is not the best mystery book that I’ve read but it’s also not the worst. The thing I always look forward to in a mystery is the solution or where the main character finally unfolds the mystery. It should be the highlight/peak of the story and that didn’t happen in this one, the solution felt like a letdown. It wasn’t mind-blowing. And until the very end, I still don’t understand why Stevie chooses David. I really haven't liked him that much from the very beginning of this series. I still feel Nate is the better option. But nevertheless this series is still entertaining. The way the author tells the story is interesting and I think I'll still read the next book of this series.  

#book review #reading #book recommendations #books and libraries #bookworm #book blog #booklr #book community #book tumblr #bookish #booksbooksbooks #truly devious #the vanishing stair #the hand on the wall #the box in the woods #maureen johnson #mystery

[nerdynatreads]

☆☆YouTube | Tumblr | Instagram | Storygraph ☆☆

book review || Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson

Well, this was a letdown. I loved the previous books in this series, but this was such a disappointment, by comparison. The characters were always my favorite part, but god, there was just way too much drama in this one — a lot of which really just felt like Johnson was reaching to create. It seemed as though she felt like she had to create enough character drama to equal out the mystery? But the mystery itself was also a bit predictable!

I always felt like Stevie’s anxiety was well incorporated into her character and felt genuine, but this time around it was just far too much. The jealousy over David’s friend was such a stretch, I was having to do some real mental gymnastics to follow Stevie. Not to mention, they’ve been in a long-distance relationship for months, where all you have is communication, and yet they spend a lot of this book not communicating about anything of importance? Then the final bit was so eye-roll inducing, I might have pulled a muscle. The past timeline always draws me into Johnson’s mysteries and thankfully, this one was the same. Setting was well established in both perspectives and my intrigue was pretty high a lot of the time which did keep me engaged and reading. However, we spent a lot of time setting things up in the current time, which made it feel like it took a while to return to the mystery. Then it was unsatisfying in the end! The reasoning was, in fact, pretty thin and I guessed two major elements, making the final reveal anticlimactic. Oh god, don’t even get me started on the cliffhanger. That was just stupid.

3 / 5 stars

#book review #truly devious #truly devious series #nine liars by maureen johnson #mystery books #ya mystery books #bookblr #booklr #book tumblr #booktube #booktuber #book youtube #bookshelf #bookshelves

[swiftiesisters14]

First finished book of 2023! I really enjoyed the mystery in the book. I found myself going back and forth trying to solve it before the killer was revealed. If you have not read The Truly Devious series I really recommended it. The fifth installment did not disappoint. Rating: 4/5

#my book reviews #nine liars #maureen johnson #ya books #young adult books #truly devious #book recommendations #book review #bookish #cute cats

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 2/5

 Book Blurb: Stevie Bell solved the case of Truly Devious, and now she’s taking her detecting skills abroad when she becomes embroiled in a mystery from 1990s England. 

Another pulse-pounding and laugh-out-loud stand-alone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.Senior year at Ellingham Academy for Stevie Bell isn’t going well. Her boyfriend, David, is studying in London. Her friends are obsessed with college applications. With the cold case of the century solved, Stevie is adrift. There is nothing to distract her from the questions pinging around her brain—questions about college, love, and life in general.Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax.The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.Seven suspects. Two murders. One killer still playing a deadly game.

Review:

Stevie Bell is taking her detective skills international as she spends a week in England with her boyfriend and friends while also tackling a mysterious unsolved murder case surrounding a group of friends. Stevie Bell’s boyfriend David is studying in England and invites her to come visit him for a week under the guise of studying abroad. Stevie has been struggling to figure out what she’s going to do with her life after she’s finished school, in fact, just doing apps is having her struggling. She misses her boyfriend terribly and so when he suggests this, this is the perfect opportunity to get her mind off things. Yet when she gets there she meets his friend Izzy who begs her to help her solve her aunt’s mystery. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University go to a country house and play a drunken game of hide-and-seek... and two of them were found murdered in the woodshed the next day. Nobody knows who did it, and its been left as a cold case ever since. But Izzy’s Aunt, one of the friends, is determined to solve it and Izzy thinks Stevie is the perfect person to crack the case. Yet while she is consumed by this case Stevie is also having issues with her boyfriend David ( let me maintain this, I have always disliked David, every book I hope Stevie finally see’s what we all see and just DUMP HIM AND MOVE ON. I never liked him in the previous books but this book just highlights Stevie’s strange fixation on David, and the guy really does do NOTHING to deserve it and he really is the blandest guy ever. With the way he treated her in the previous books i was so over him and was hoping maybe this time he’ll finally just go cuz seriously Stevie, you can do better, just because he’s cute doesn’t mean he’s a good fit for you seriously I would rather you just be single and focus on solving cases than be constantly mooning on and on about how great you think he is when he does absolutely nothing. MORE TO COME IN THE SPOILERS). So while Stevie is trying to break down this case she is beginning to realize that the Nine all have their own secrets and that they are definitely lying.... and that one of them is the murderer. I had fun with the mystery it was the relationship stuff with David that dragged this book for me. The mystery itself was a fun one to read but I honestly wished there was more tension or building, and that it focused on the relationship between the Nine rather than Stevie and David relationship drama. With the way the book ends, there is definitely another book coming... but honestly I don’t now if I’ll be reading it. If you’re looking for good young adult mysteries with some romance check out the books by Karen M. McManus.

SPOILERS ( The book ends with David dumping Stevie out of nowhere and Stevie spent the entire book jealous of Izzy and David does nothing really to act like a good boyfriend or even act like a boyfriend seriously, your girlfriend comes all this way to visit you, wouldn’t you want to spend time solving a case with her??? and then when Izzy tells Stevie David dumped her because he felt like he was going to lose her and that he wasn’t good enough for and is now drinking and moping in a bar, Stevie goes to him only to find him kissing someone else. Is anyone else surprised? I certainly am not. IM BEGGING YOU PLEASE JUST LET STEVIE HAVE A DECENT LOVE INTEREST, I DONT WANT OR NEED DAVID ANYMORE, PLEASE JUST LET HIM STAY IN ENGLAND PLEASE DROP THIS RELATIONSHIP). 

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #truly devious #bookbuzz #ya book #ya mystery book

[cattatonically]

The Hand on the Wall - Maureen Johnson (Truly Devious, book 3) 

Synopsis

Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph . . .

She knows who Truly Devious is. She’s solved it. The greatest case of the century.

At least, she thinks she has. With this latest tragedy, it’s hard to concentrate on the past. Not only has someone died in town, but David disappeared of his own free will and is up to something. Stevie is sure that somehow—somehow—all these things connect. The three deaths in the present. The deaths in the past. The missing Alice Ellingham and the missing David Eastman. Somewhere in this place of riddles and puzzles there must be answers.

Then another accident occurs as a massive storm heads toward Vermont. This is too much for the parents and administrators. Ellingham Academy is evacuated. Obviously, it’s time for Stevie to do something stupid. It’s time to stay on the mountain and face the storm—and a murderer.

In the tantalizing finale to the Truly Devious trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson expertly tangles her dual narrative threads and ignites an explosive end for all who’ve walked through Ellingham Academy.

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson delivers the witty and pulse-pounding conclusion to the Truly Devious series as Stevie Bell solves the mystery that has haunted Ellingham Academy for over 75 years.

My Thoughts

This book seems to pull everything together. But holy toledo, was it an adventure getting there.

Over the course of the last three books, one of the things that I love loved most has been the friendship between Stevie and Nate. I haven’t spoken much about it, but truly, they understand each other on a very deep level, even if on the surface it doesn’t appear that way. And that’s a friendship, I believe, that will last.

And honestly, I don’t think I’ve spoken enough about Stevie, and her relationships in these books. She truly cares about her friends. She is usually very practical, analytical, and logical. But people don’t fit into molds, or patterns, like crimes do – which are her passion. People confound her, and she tries hard to understand her friends, and support the things that make her happy.

In the beginning, it was implied that she would be closest to Janelle – a very gregarious, outgoing, brilliant young engineer. But watching her grow closer to Nate, the recluse writer, and understand the things about him that make him happy, the more I grew to appreciate that she does this with all of her friends.

Stevie may not be the most socially active person on the campus – something I definitely relate to (I am having flashbacks of reading in the corner of the music room during lunch because it was the leas populated area at my high school). But she tries. And honestly, props for that.

As far as the mystery goes – that in itself was a wild ride and a half.

We’ve been teased and tormented over the course of three books about the 1936 Ellingham mystery, as well as the present day murders occurring in the same location. The answers were slowly trickled out in a way I truly didn’t see coming. Though I really should have.

Despite the ups and downs – at one point I thought there was another cliffhanger, and nearly lost my mind, making enough distressed noises to disturb my cat – everything really did fall together rather cleverly.

Looking back – the pieces are there. But it really isn’t until you have the whole scene that it really clicks. And I love that about these books. With some, it all comes together immediately, and you’re waiting for the characters to catch up. I really didn’t feel that with this series.

And while this story feels complete, I know that there are more books to come. However, I think I’m going to take a pause, and come back to these at another time. I love this series, but I don’t want to burn out on it. I’ll come back, with fresh eyes, and a fresh mind, to see what Stevie gets up to next.

#Book review #The Hand on the Wall #Maureen Johnson #Truly Devious series #Catt reads #Catt's life in books

[tealeavesand-roses]

Image Description: Still from the Russian film Kholop (2019)

🌿🐇🌞🧚🏻✨HAPPY SPRING EQUINOX✨🧚🏻🌞🐇🌿

Halfway through March but decided to get a head start on my

April TBR

as some of my March reads might lead into April.

Anyways, here’s my TBR list for March and April:

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio In the Woods by Tana French The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman: Read The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious #2) by Maureen Johnson: Currently Reading We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry: Currently Reading

#march tbr #april tbr #may tbr #catherine house #elisabeth thomas #if we were villains #m.l. rio #in the woods #tana french #the vanishing stair #truly devious #maureen johnson #we ride upon sticks #quan barry #currently reading #read #book tumblr #booklr #book reviews #books and literature #books & libraries #libby app #spring equinox #happy spring #spring #ostara

[ninsiana0]

Read NINE LIARS by Maureen Johnson if you love teenage detectives, murders in English manors, travel narratives, friend group dynamics, a nice curry takeaway, hoodies, Maureen's authorial voice, dual narratives, the 1990s, and cats.

#Maureen Johnson #Nine Liars #Truly Devious #book #books #book reccomendation #bookrecs #book review #bookworm #bookish #bibliophile #booknerd #readersoftumblr #readmore #readingismagic #Read this if

[thereadingfed]

Welcome to the reading fed.

Here you will find books reviews, recommendations, and probably other random things about books I’m obsessed with.

This blog is called the reading fed because in alignment with my dream job, a federal agent, I’ll rate books based off my own justice system.

THE FREEDOM STATUS

Awaiting trial: current read

In solitary: I did not enjoy the book, I do not recommend it. I will not read the rest of the series/DNF. Dhmu. 0/5 or 1/5

In jail: Meh. It was okay at best. It doesn’t stand out and I wouldn’t read it again, but it also wasn’t terrible. 2/5

House arrest: it was a pretty good book, nothing to reread a million times and it doesn’t stick out, but I’ll keep an eye on it because it has some potential. 3/5

Probation: the book was good. Not fully perfect but definitely a series I will keep up with bc it has a lot of potential and is entertaining/a book I do not regret reading. Would potentially read again if I’m in the right mood. 4/5

FREEDOM: the book to end all other books. I will post/talk about this book for the rest of my life. No one will ever wanna speak to me again after I read this book, it is my entire personality. I love this series/book. I reread it constantly and will keep up with ANYTHING this author releases related or unrelated to this book. 5/5

I hope you enjoy the inevitable chaos, cadet 🫡

-The Reading Fed

#books and literature #taylor jenkins reid #fantasy #fourth wing #xadenviolet #casey mcquiston #rwrb book #truly devious #maureen johnson #malibu rising #seven husbands of evelyn hugo #daisy jones and the 6 #romcom #books & libraries #books talk #books and reading #book review

[laplumedemaureen]

Book Review : The Hand on The Wall - Maureen Johnson

Here comes the third book in the Truly Devious series

I have to say... that I was disappointed. And I hate writing negative stuff in my reviews, but I genuinely enjoyed the first two books and this one held so much potential... but it just lacked something. It reads very easily, the writing style is neat and it has a lot of mystery and suspens.

And yet... it felt like a grade A student had sprinted their homework right before deadline. The potential is there, but the result just doesn't work. The characters could be so much more likeable if we gave them the chance to develop a bit more (like Nate is there but basically doesn't do anything ever.. David obviously has issues but we don't have the emotional release or explanations we're waiting for...). Honestly I found that the characters with the more depth were the ones from 1935 that we only see in flashbacks.

And as for the mysteries, we get to learn more about Alice's disappearing which is A) cool, but B) not delivered from Stevie's perspective, and C) again, disappointing. We've been waiting for three books to know where Alice is, if she is alive, and if not, how she died. And now that we know... it feels bland. It lacks savor, or the "wow" moment of the grand reveal. Same thing goes for the school's current murders. It's just too easy and not that surprising/exciting.

Also, teenagers trapped in a school during a snowstorm, I was thrilled. It could have been so much more amazing than that. I feel like the book should have been longer, like we don't have enough material for this one to be really memorable.

I do intend to read the next book, mostly because I hate leaving things unfinished, but my expectations will be lower and I hope things get more exciting again. On a side note : how gorgeous are these covers ?!?!

What about you ? Have you read this series ?

#review #book review #critique littéraire #critique de livre #writing #reading #mine #writeblr #hand on the wall #truly devious #maureen johnson #mystery #ya

[the-liliger]

Review and Spoiler - #20

Truly Devious: A Mystery by Maureen Johnson

Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author, creates a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, excellent for fans of E. Lockhart and Agatha Christie.

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest artists, inventors, and thinkers. It was founded by an early twentieth-century industrialist, Albert Ellingham, 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 he opened the school, his wife and young daughter were kidnapped. The only clue left behind is a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed off with the well-chosen, pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” Many years later, true-crime aficionado Stevie Bell begins her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she ambitiously plans to solve the case.

Spoiler: Is the case or the mastermind behind the tragedy as dead as everyone likes to believe?

#maureen johnson #truly devious #trilogy #books and reading #spoiler #review/summary #mystery novel

[tea-books-and-middleearth]

Review: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Review: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious by Maureen JohnsonYoung Adult | MysterySeries: Truly Devious #1Published by: Katherine Tegen BooksRelease date: 16/01/2018Length: 416Rating: ★★★☆☆Goodreads | Waterstones | Publisher Synopsis: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…

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#3 stars #book review #katherine tegen books #maureen johnson #mystery #truly devious #young adult

[pplydm]

ePUB#94

Title: The Vanishing Stair

Author: Maureen Johnson

I had foregone reading the consequent novel in my to-be-read list just for this Truly Devious sequel. The Vanishing Stair was amazingly worth delving into, was ultimately quick to complete and terrific in terrifying its readers. In it, Maureen Johnson seemingly made sure protagonist Stevie was introduced the same manner as how it happened in the initial part of the Ellingham Academy's saga. Chapters of the throwback narrative was initially monotonous yet reaching the resolution and learning case revelations was totally thrilling, only to be cut short by both planned and accidental deaths, respectively. Dr. Fenton's unreliable, scamming, investigation all benefited Stevie's researching nonetheless. Felt bad Larry had to be dismissed, he should've been a staple to the entire series. Even the obnoxious Edward King character received a spot for the third installment. Also, the portrayed comparison between the teenagers of the 1930s and modern juveniles was apparent in terms of provocative affairs. Opting for Albert Ellingham as the king, brain and the game master is also Maureen's attempt in reflecting each true crime hobbyist's love being featured in a book release. The author was evidently glorifying my own preferences through paying homage to Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes personas and the volume of books exhibiting them. My radar is open for any other Maureen Johnson creations.

"You can't rely on your gut," she said. "Not in determining guilt. But your gut can help you in other ways. It can keep you from getting hurt." Don't follow someone into the dark, Stevie. I've seen it happen too many times. Reading is one of the great pleasures of life -- maybe the greatest. "It's true. All the money, all the power -- none of it compares to a good book. A book gives you everything. It gives you a window into other souls, other worlds. The world is a door. Books are the key.

#books and libraries #currently reading #literature #goodreads #book review #books #reading #suspense #thriller #essay #maureen johnson #the vanishing stair #truly devious

[vulpisnocturna]

Bloodstained Rubies - Chapter IV - Repercussions

Read on AO3

Masterlist

Chapters: I; II; III

Warnings: captivity, murder, violence (not towards reader), Chrollo being a menace, obsession, controlling behaviour, Yandere Chrollo, manipulation, emotional manipulation, psychological manipulation, gaslighting, suicide threats/attempt

Word count: 6k

Your preparations were complete. This was the day. The day where you would finally escape. Just before getting on the blimp, you would enter the airport, and at the gate, you would find a way to approach security and let them know you were in danger. Chrollo had already told you that you would travel alone, just the two of you, therefore, you didn’t have to worry about any of his horrid friends giving him a hand. And yes, he was a thief, and he had superpowers, but a bullet to the head always did the job, no?

You hated him more than ever. After that night you had gotten drunk two weeks before, you had woken up to find he had left a love bite on your throat. You had been seething, and had actually tried throwing things at him, which had resulted in you being tied to the bed for a full three hours, forced to listen to him monologue about everything and anything just to get a kick out of you. He asked you questions, of course. What your favourite films were, what your favourite flowers and books and artists were, and even if you did not answer, he answered for you, because he was a disgusting stalker who knew the answers already. Then, he gave his review on each of the answers, psychoanalysing you based on the things you liked.

And of course, he had not stopped kissing you. It had been wishful thinking, truly, but you’d hoped he wouldn’t press you. But no, he was even more hands-on. Like an octopus, he seemed to attach himself wherever you went. His hands may not have been sticky, but they sure felt like it. He would wrap them around your waist from behind, burying his face in the crook of your neck and keeping you still as he had his fix of kissing your neck and sucking disgusting hickies on it like he was a fifteen-year-old who had just discovered snogging.

And it should have been gross, and distasteful, and it should have made you feel dirty. And it did, but not in the right way. No, it made you feel dirty because every time he kissed your neck and told you all the things he just couldn’t wait to do to you and how good you would feel if you just let him have you, your lower stomach would feel tight and hot, and you’d find yourself aroused. And it felt so revolting to be betrayed so severely by your body.

There were few times where you had the presence of mind to thrash around and flail your limbs to hit him or get him to let you go, but by the point you put a tight leash around your mind, he had already gotten what he wanted. By the time he had kissed you and pulled you on his lap, you had already shown it took you several seconds before you bit down on his tongue or his lips. And if you did draw blood, he would smile at you, his eyes growing darker and full of lust, revealing a sadistic part of him that made you feel like it actually turned him on, and that he could barely restrain himself from retaliating in kind. His fingers would curl around your hips like a vice, and he would let out a soft groan, looking at you like you were prey.

So you had stopped biting, because you were terrified of what would happen if Chrollo Lucilfer lost control.

You hated how he played house with you. How he liked to cook for you, telling you about all the things he liked about you, forcing you to cuddle with him and acting like this was all normal. Your anger, your venomous words, your violence, none of it affected him at all. You were at least glad he never hurt you physically, but no, Chrollo was much more subtle and devious than that. No, Chrollo liked mind games. He liked bringing up the fact that he was so so saddened by the fact that your behaviour prevented him from taking you outside, from letting you see and experience the outside world. He was not expecting you to escape at all. But you would. Oh, you would that very day.

As you stood next to him in front of the door that had been the lock of your gilded cage, you felt... excited. Fearful, ridden with nerve-wracking anxiety, dreading what could go wrong, but also excited. Because you would do it. You had to believe that.

‘Now, you know the rules, darling’ he said softly, and you saw his red book appear in his hand. The lock clicked, and he picked up the suitcase, placing his hand on the small of your back and leading you outside. You walked with him to the lift, pretending to be a well-behaved dog that would follow him everywhere and never stray far away from him. You obediently got in the passenger seat, and Chrollo put on some music, seemingly in a good mood. You lowered the window to get several mouthfuls of clean air after a month of strict captivity in the house and did your best to ignore him. You didn’t even try to ask him where he was planning to take you next, and you did not want to know what job he would be involved in next.

Chrollo, on his part, did not seem particularly bothered by the fact that you were not talking, and the drive was fairly quiet. Your stomach was churning, a lump of anxiety burrowing itself in your throat, almost suffocating you. Your heart hammered like a Metallica concert in your ribcage, and you were worried he might actually hear it, because to you, it was as loud as the crack of thunder. Nevertheless, you tried to act natural and composed, fearing he would see your nervousness and be on his guard. He would notice if you were suddenly nicer to him in the hopes of relaxing him, so instead, you tried to act as dismissive and bitter as you always did.

He parked the car in the parking space of the airport, and like the pretend gentleman he liked to masquerade as, he opened the door for you and offered you his hand, which you promptly ignored. Not deterred in the slightest, he got your suitcase and walked with you towards the entrance. You swallowed, your legs weak as you glanced at him and then at the people walking around the main room. You quickly pinpointed three guards in one corner by the ticket stall and another two near the exit that led to the docking area. He grabbed two tickets from his pocket and gave you a slight smile. You shifted on your feet.

‘I need to go to the bathroom before we leave’ you said, pointing at the toilets on the other side of the room. He lifted an eyebrow.

‘You can wait until we get on the blimp’ he said. You shook your head.

‘I have to go now’ you retorted, staring him down. His dove grey eyes bored into you for a few seconds, and then he nodded. You gulped, cold sweat running down your spine as you rigidly made your way to the toilets. You could feel his eyes on the back of your head. You locked eyes with one of the guards, and brought one hand in front of your stomach, so he wouldn’t see it, quickly but deliberately showing the guard your thumb bending towards the palm of your hand and the other fingers closing over it, in a signal for help. The guard’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after a second, she nodded. You ran towards her and her two colleagues all of a sudden, standing behind them.

‘Shoot him! Now! He’s really dangerous’ you said, your voice cracking as Chrollo turned to look at you, his hand sliding from the handle of the suitcase, his expression growing cold.

‘Ma’am, what is the situati-‘ the female guard started to say, but before she could finish the sentence, she stopped talking with a weird grunting sound. You slowly looked over to her, confused, and your horrified eyes set on a pen sticking out of her forehead, and a trickle of blood pouring on her brow. Your voice caught in your throat, and you watched, paralysed, as the guard slumped on the ground and hit the tiles with a thud. The other guards drew their guns, and the ones behind Chrollo also came rushing over, but before you could even plead with him, they were all dead.

You shivered wildly as you saw him walk towards you with graceful, unhurried steps, though his expression was stony.

People started screaming and running, but Chrollo took out his magic book, and in a few seconds, all of them were on the floor, unmoving. Your eyes widened in horror and despair, and you quickly crouched and grabbed one of the guns on the floor, pointing it at him. He stopped walking and tilted his head.

‘I would not have had a reason to do this if you hadn’t tried to leave me, sweetheart. What’s with that look? I told you your actions have consequences. Put the gun down’ he said, his voice unwavering, calm, authoritative. You didn’t.

‘You’re a sick fuck- a sick fuck’ you said in a croaky voice, your teeth gnashing and grinding against each other to the point your jaw ached. He did not stop approaching, and did not seem particularly bothered that you were pointing a gun at his face.

With your heart and your brain filled with naive, delusional hope, you pulled the trigger.

You did not see him dodge, but the next moment, there wasn’t a hole in his face, and his head was tilted slightly, which meant that monster was fast enough to dodge bullets. You let out a choked sound of despair, your grip unsteady, your eyes brimming with tears, your breath shallow and uneven, your heart thundering in your throat. Your heart and the blood in your veins turned to ice as you realised what the only way out of this was. It was all your fault. Those people he had killed... it was all because of you. You slowly placed the gun against your temple, the cold metal of the barrel burning your skin as you stared at Chrollo. As you placed the gun to your temple, Chrollo's expression turned from calm and confident to concerned and deranged very quickly. His aura exploded around him like a cataclysm that paralysed you.

'No! No, you don’t!' he growled, his voice low but desperate.

In a single movement, he grabbed you by the wrist and pulled the gun out of your hand and away from your head. In his eyes, you saw his fear of losing you, his worry about your safety, and his reluctance to hurt you. All your hope of freedom disappeared as Chrollo threw the gun far, far away from you. Your fingers shook as your arms fell limply at your side. Primal fear of death took hold of you, and coldness seeped in the marrow of your bones.

‘Shh, shh, shh’ he murmured, dipping his head and placing a finger on your lips, instantly collected and composed again.

‘You are a very troublesome girl. My heart aches, darling. Have I not been kind towards you? I have given you everything. I give you love, affection, gifts, a nice house, nice food, expensive wine, flowers, books, films. I would take you outside, if you knew how to behave yourself. But you are one greedy girl, no? All you want is to be by yourself, all alone. Isn’t that sad? I’m not very happy now, and neither are you. See? This is a distressing situation for the both of us. Did you not think this through? Did you forget the rules I told you? That I would be forced to utilise violent methods to deal with those who would seek to take you from me? You are mine, darling. Remember that for me, yes? You do not leave me’ he said, staring at you, his face inches away from you. He wiped the tears from your cheeks, planting a soft kiss on your forehead. You trembled, frozen, rooted to the spot.

‘You can either come with me now, or I can knock you out and carry you on the blimp. Either way, you are going to be on that airship in five minutes’ he said, his voice calm and mellow. Your chest heaved, and your eyes trailed to all the corpses around you. There must have been at least fifteen. You felt the sudden urge to throw up. Your fault. It was all your fault. All these people, they were dead because of you. Why were you worth more than any of them? Why weren’t you the only corpse strewn on the white tiles? If only you’d been smarter, if only you had devised a better plan... but no, you realised all was useless in front of a monster such as he was. A monster that could kill with a pen. A monster that could dodge bullets. A monster that stood unflinching in the face of mass murder. What were you hoping would happen? You were only a normal girl. He was the stuff of nightmares.

You let him drag you towards the docking area. He took out his phone and started calling someone.

‘Shal, I need you to hack into the security cameras of Starling’s airport. Then, tell Shizuku to drive here to clean up. I ran into a little mishap’ he said, and then nodded and ended the call, grabbing the suitcase and dragging you along onto the blimp. Apparently, he had reserved all of it, so the pilot was none the wiser about the bloodbath that had ensued in the airport. He sat you down in one of the luxurious rooms, on a sofa, and poured you a glass of wine, and then one for himself.

‘Would you like to say something?’ he asked, twirling his chalice in his hand. You jerked your head “no”, your eyes fixed on the glass of the coffee table, your mind replaying the images of the corpses in the airport as the blimp took flight.

‘I hope this won’t be repeated. Otherwise, you understand I will be unable to trust you outside’ he said calmly. You gritted your teeth, your trembling hands balled up into fists as your shoulders hunched.

‘Curious how your face was not on the missing people board at the airport, don’t you think? None of the guards even stopped you. How curious. I wonder if your family submitted a missing person file to the authorities’ he mused after a few minutes, opening his bag and getting a copy of “Crime and Punishment” out, taking out a bookmark and starting to read, lounging in an armchair, his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. You did not fall for the obvious bait, but you could not stop the horrible thoughts that clouded your mind. Had your family filed a report? Had Chrollo killed them? Threatened them?

You got up from the sofa, walking numbly towards the cabin and closing the door behind you, lying down on the bed and staring at the patterns in the wall paint.

Chrollo sighed, bitterly taking a swig of red wine, his grey eyes trailing to the closed door of the cabin where you had gone to half an hour earlier. He turned a page, feeling distracted and slightly hurt.

It was illogical, obviously, considering he had always expected you would try at least once to leave him. It was just human nature to seek freedom. But was freedom not overrated in your case after all? He had lifted you up from a life of boring routines, awful working conditions, inane friends and a family that did not care for you as well as he could. He was giving you the chance to travel, the chance for adventure; he was giving you affection, protection, respect, sharing all his possessions with you, treating you to the finest food, the best clothes and jewellery, he stole ancient tomes, invaluable artefacts, pretty necklaces and earrings, even paintings for you. He knew you at least found him physically attractive. He knew he was good-looking, and whenever he kissed you, you always struggled to be stubborn and reject him, because your body and your mind were not in agreement. He knew he was not a good person, but did you truly see him as such an abhorrent, unlovable monster? Was he such a disgusting individual in your eyes?

Chrollo traced the rim of his wine glass, his eyes clouded with disappointment and a slight twinge of sorrow. The truth was that he was lonely. His heart had been empty for so very long, and the moment he had met you, the world had burst into vivid colours. Emotions had sprang in his chest, joy and contentment warmed him whenever he held you. He felt alive for the first time in more than a decade and a half. Was it so wrong for someone like him to seek companionship and acceptance? Was his darkness truly so overwhelming that you would never see all of him and find him anything but repulsive?

Chrollo was not one to deny his own nature. He was prideful, arrogant, egotistical, manipulative and possessive. But with you, he also felt a twinge of kindness, respect, admiration, something he had never had with any of the many women he had spent time with in his life. He was filled with personality traits you might find unsavoury in a person, but he was also intelligent, loyal, protective, dependable, open-minded, and frankly, he thought himself to be a very interesting person. Surely, there were positive things about him you might like, if you actually considered giving him a chance. Contrary to popular beliefs, he was not devoid of human emotions. He felt just like everyone else, though his feelings were kept on a tight leash out of the belief that they could be used against him. “There is no greater curse than loneliness”, he thought to himself, taking another swig of wine and turning a page. His life had been anything but easy, but there had been times, especially when everything seemed at the point of collapse, when he had wished he had someone by his side, someone he could share his inner demons, someone who would not judge and condemn. Someone who understood him, both the darkness and the light. But those people did not exist, and Chrollo did not want to share his pain with anyone. He did not want to see the pity in anyone's eyes.

One way or another, you would stay with him for life. But Chrollo didn’t want you to be unhappy either. At some point, he thought, you had to give in. At some point, you would be too tired and lonely to keep rejecting him. But it had been a month, and you were still as proud, headstrong and stubborn as you had been on the first day. Even if he hadn’t abducted you, upon finding out what his job was, you would have been repulsed, because you seemed to have the morals of a saint. He simply did not understand, though he had to admit he found himself charmed by your naiveté and innocence at times. You were like a flower blooming in the harsh snow, or through the cracks of cement, untainted by the cruel world.

He was a villain, but he was no monster or savage. He had only killed those people because he couldn’t afford to leave witnesses to your stunt at the airport. He was no rapist, he had never forced himself on you, even when his desires had boiled and set his body aflame with lust at the sight and feel of you. He had never hit you, not once. You were too precious for him to hurt. And yet, all he got from you was bitterness, fear and coldness. He believed you would come to love him someday, but he was lonely and filled with yearning. Your presence, your body, the taste of your lips, it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted your heart, your mind and your soul too. He wanted to be the only one you held dear in the world. He wanted you to feel safe with him, to love him, to understand him, accept him and foster a meaningful connection with him. Was he destined to spend the rest of his life without those things, with the meaningless farce of a relationship?

The harsh truth was that he had felt a pang of hurt and panic when he had witnessed your attempt at leaving him, your attempt at killing yourself, naive as it had been. He had been scared of losing you.

'A human heart is a fragile thing,' he mused. He put the book down and took another sip of wine, leaning back in his armchair, a sad, almost tired look on his face. You were like a puzzle, the piece that he wanted so badly to connect with the others, to finally form an image that made sense. He wanted you to be happy, to be satisfied, but he also wanted you to be his and only his, for him to own your mind and your heart. It was a difficult conundrum; but Chrollo was determined to make you fall.

He sighed, and his gaze hardened at his own wavering thoughts. If his beliefs vacillated, he would never succeed. You would come to accept him and cherish him, one day. And most importantly, the lesson he had imparted that day would make you think twice about trying to leave him again.

He closed his eyes, his mind drifting to a dream of a hopeful future. A cold night of Autumn, in a home warmed by the blazing, crackling flames in the fireplace, your body underneath him on a comfortable sofa, your skin glowing, the light dancing on your curves as he grazed his fingers over your body, tracing, gripping, kneading, caressing, your laboured breaths mingling, your lips swollen with his kisses, your eyebrows furrowed in bliss, your hair strewn around your face, your legs around his hips, his mouth against your throat, your soft sighs and moans filling the room. He imagined your arms around his torso, fingers curling on the skin of his shoulder blades, your back arching into him, your nails digging in his back as he gave you pleasure. He imagined lying down with you, spent and satisfied, stroking your hair, kissing your forehead, whispering words of devotion to you as you caught your breath and smiled at him. He imagined running you a bath, wrapping you in a blanket, making you a warm drink and sitting with you outside to watch the stars in the peaceful forest he would have bought a home in. What a perfect life, he thought longingly. A small sliver of peace in a world that had robbed him of every piece of happiness and serenity. He liked the life of freedom, adventure and danger he had with the Troupe, but in his heart, there was something Chrollo had never been able to steal: peace. What he wanted with you, what he truly wanted, was someone to come back to, someone to feel alive with, someone to protect, cherish and trust, someone who loved him, a home.

He downed his glass of wine.

His phone buzzed, and he picked it up, reading the text from Shalnark. “Cameras erased. Shizuku cleaned everything up”, it read. He wrote a quick reply and picked up his laptop, connecting it to the wi-fi and absentmindedly googling a website listing houses for sale. Perhaps, you would feel safer in one place. Perhaps, he could give you a place to call home, and a place for him to call home too. Of course, asking for your input would be like poking a rattlesnake at the moment, when you were so upset over what had happened at the airport, but he could still save some possible options. Perhaps it was a good move. Besides, he remembered your routine before you started living with him consisted of long walks in the park every weekend, so he knew for a fact you enjoyed nature. Some would think Chrollo enjoyed the city life, but the truth was that he liked peace and solitude. It would do you good to get some fresh air without him having to deal with a possible escape attempt on your part. It would be perfect to have a nice house somewhere that was quite isolated, but still not too far from civilisation, both to keep you from going to other people for “help” and for him to live in relative secrecy, away from prying eyes. He started looking for houses in natural reserves, in a place that was neither cold nor hot.

The blimp landed four hours later, and Chrollo sighed, closing his laptop and putting it back in his bag, getting up and walking to the cabin. He gently knocked on the door. No answer.

‘Dearest’ he said against the wooden door, listening in for any noise. Nothing.

‘Dearest. Would you come out, please?’ he repeated, his voice calm and purposely soothing. Once again, there was no answer. He let out a deep exhale, turning the doorknob and walking in. His face smoothed and softened as his eyes set on your sleeping form curled up on the duvet. He silently walked closer, observing the damp patch under your face, a clear sign you had cried yourself to sleep. He brushed your hair out of your face with reverence, observing the face of the woman that had thawed his heart. You looked so fragile when you slept. It made him want to protect you and hold you close. He squeezed your delicate hand slightly.

‘Darling, wake up’ he said, his voice soft but slightly louder, and you stirred, gasping, your eyes snapping open, and you scrambled away from him. He observed you quietly.

‘We have landed’ he said simply, his gaze darkening ever so slightly at your reaction, but he did not let it deter him from treating you with the utmost tenderness. Even idiots knew vulnerable times were the best moments to manipulate someone into depending on them.

‘You do not have to fear me, sweetheart. I would never hurt you, you are my precious girl’ he said with a slight smile. You grimaced, and he could practically taste your next words in the tension building in the air.

‘So I’m precious, but everyone else is trash and it doesn’t matter if they die? They’re disposable? They’re unworthy? They mean nothing? But me, I’m oh so fucking special?!’ you said in a disgusted, angry voice. Chrollo straightened up, leaning towards you and tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

What an obvious question, he thought.

‘Exactly. You are my woman. You are the most important thing in the world, and your life is worth millions of theirs’ Chrollo remained calm, despite the anger that blazed in your eyes.

'Is that so difficult to believe?', he continued candidly, 'when you think about it, that's exactly what every human being thinks, myself included'

He straightened up, his face serious again, his voice still soft.

'Yes, my love, that's exactly what I think. You are the most wonderful person I have ever met, you deserve the world, and everyone else means nothing at all to me. This is how the world works. A parent will let millions die if it means they can save the life of their child. People prioritise that which is dear to them’ he said simply. At the candid, casual tone of his voice, your arms flopped at your side and your jaw slackened in defeat and resignation.

‘That doesn’t mean they had to die’ you murmured, your eyes searching for something, anything in his dove grey eyes. Something that would make him human in your eyes. But what he said... perhaps that was the most human thing of all. To be selfish, to care only about one’s own, to look only after one’s own. And yet, you didn’t even think what Chrollo had with you could ever be considered “caring”.

He took a step towards you, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, and he sat down on the side of the bed, leaning forward.

'Look at me, darling'

Your eyes slowly followed his finger and met his gaze. Chrollo remained very still, not daring to move so as not to break the balance of the moment, and he spoke softly.

'Do you care, love? Do you care if anyone else but you dies?' he asked almost curiously, with clinical fascination. You stared at him, your lips parting in disbelief at his question.

‘Of course I do’

Chrollo raised an eyebrow, his expression intrigued as he looked at you.

'Do you?' he asked, and you stayed silent and Chrollo continued to study you, his voice still soft, ‘Do any of the people who died today mean anything to you, my love?’

Chrollo's fingers slid across the duvet over your knee and he touched your skin gently, the movement of his fingers soothing and gentle, and yet to you, it was like being burnt.

‘This is just how humans work. You only care about those who are important to you. It is how you protect yourself’ he said simply. You stared at him, shaking your head stiffly.

'Do not liken me to you. I care because they are human. I care because you took human lives. Innocent lives. Just... just to stop me from escaping. You killed- so many people... do you not think of all the potential you robbed them of? Every single one of them had a life as nuanced and complicated as you or I do. And yet... you do not care, because they are not close to you? You have no humanity' you said, torn between disbelief, guilt and rage. Chrollo was selfish, you knew, but somehow, you had hoped in the depths of his darkness, there had to be some humanity, some... compassion. But you were once again mistaken.

‘I don't care. Their lives meant nothing to me’ he paused, but kept his fingers gently stroking your skin, 'I know you do not approve, but I stand by what I did. They were in my way. And I did not want you to leave me. Can you blame me for wanting you to be mine forever and not wanting another soul to touch you? I had to kill them, to stop you from leaving me. Simply put, my lovely, you signed their demise. You were aware that by trying to escape, you were putting innocent lives in danger, but you put yourself and your happiness first. Shh, it’s okay. I could never judge you for it, it’s as it should be, my darling. But you cannot play preacher with me, and speak of morality, when you also thought of your own needs above people’s lives' he said with a small smile. You froze, a cold, bitter nausea gripping your body, paralysing you, making you its prisoner in the truth he spoke. Because you had known Chrollo was powerful, strong and dangerous. You had heard him say he would kill people to ensure you did not leave him. But you had chosen to naively ignore that fact, blinded by the delusion that everything would work out in a world where nothing ever did.

‘I never wanted- I never wanted...’ you stammered, clutching your lurching stomach.

‘You didn’t want it to happen, but you overlooked it' he whispered, keeping his voice gentle and soothing. He looked at you, his eyes taking in every inch of your face, of your skin. His fingers continued to stroke your knee, his touch soothing and tender.

'I know, darling, I know. Your mind and your heart are telling you different things. I am like a poison to you, and yet you cannot resist' Chrollo tilted his head, his eyes still on your face, 'I know your struggle is a difficult one, but I will help you overcome it. You can abandon your morality, the shackles of society, the good and proper, and you can have freedom from those useless rules that society has imposed on you. It is only human nature. Break free. Life is so much easier when you do not care for those that are not your own, sweetheart' the last words were laced with some kind of heaviness as he uttered them, as if they carried a much larger meaning than what he was willing to divulge, but you were too concerned with the breaking of your own mind, the shattering of your own heart over the guilt and repulsion you felt for yourself, the dread you felt at knowing he was right, in a way. You had chosen yourself even at the expense of many innocent lives. You were selfish, heartless and a monster.

'You are my own, my love. You're the only one worth anything in this world, and I would destroy a thousand worlds just to keep you by my side. Is that not the ultimate expression of love?' Chrollo's lips curved up in a slight smile, as if he had just imparted a sacred lesson to you, as if the words he had spoken were the wisest in the world. He had some kind of dreamy look in his big dove grey eyes, as if he truly saw himself as the romantic lead in a film. It made your stomach churn.

‘You think murder is the ultimate expression of romanticism? Have you any idea how fucked up that is? That you should be obsessed with somebody, and willing to trample on the whole world and all its worth just to get what you want? Even at the expense of the happiness of the one you are so obsessed with?’ you asked, your voice straining, struggling to pass through the heavy lump constricting your throat.

‘It is not only romanticism' he replied with a slight frown on his face, 'it is reality. People murder, steal and ruin each other's lives over and over again, all over the world, every day. This is the way of the world. I know you find it difficult to accept, my love. The truth is that most people are selfish and cruel, and if you want to live a happy life, you have to be as well’ he said simply, as if it were a dogmatic truth imparted from the heavens.

‘And so, instead of attempting to better the world, you simply decided to be the worst of them all? Why add cruelty onto cruelty? Why make the world worse?’ you continued, spreading your arms as if to illustrate your point. Chrollo sighed deeply.

'Because the cruelty of the human race cannot be changed, my love. It is part of our nature, and attempting to deny our own nature is futile. But that should be a good thing. It is who we are, and we should not want to be any other way. And those who accept their human nature, darling, those are the ones who shall be free and happy’ he said with his placid, enigmatic smile.

‘I will take everything from this world, and create freedom and happiness for those I call my own. The rest of the world could burn, and I would not care' he said simply. You stared at him, shaking your head slightly. Arguing with Chrollo on morality was utterly useless. You'd probably have more luck convincing a lion to stop eating zebras. You picked up your bag and exited the cabin, wanting nothing more than to get off that blimp and get to whatever flat Chrollo had decided you would live in next and try to forget the massacre you had caused. Forget the blood and the corpses and the smell of iron in the air.

#yandere chrollo #hxh chrollo #chrollo #chrollo lucilfer #chrollo smut #chrollo x reader #yandere chrollo lucilfer #chrollo hunter x hunter #hunter x hunter #phantom troupe #hxh x reader #yandere x reader #chrollo x you #chrollo x y/n #yandere chrollo x you #yandere chrollo x reader

[rbafterdark]

NOW AVAILABLE ON PATREON TOO!

Subscribestar & Deviantart Exclusive:

Which includes the prologues, The original Oceana 5 pages, and WIPs to Completed pages of "The Continuation".

1 year later since this on-going sequence of events between our heroes and the devious Oceana had occurred and dangling over a cliffhanger...

Thanks to one of our supporters, the series shall finally continue!

With yours truly @ralphbear25 [Creator, Writer] and Collaborator @Deadmen233 [Artist and Co-Writer] taking the reigns where we left off WITH A TIDAL CRASHING INDUCING BANG!

With the rebranding title from page 6 onwards:

Oceana Triumphant - THE CONTINUATION!

----

Currently the Sketch. Fully ink and colored page [with plot description] coming soon!

#rbcomics #furry #comic #oceana #art #ralph_bear #crimsonglow #goo_girl #drdeadman #chameleon kid #lion gal #Dr Flame

[cattatonically]

The Vanishing Stair - Maureen Johnson (Truly Devious series, book 2)

Synopsis

All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.

For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.

The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel of the Truly Devious series, nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.

My Thoughts

After the cliffhanger that ended Truly Devious, I couldn’t help but dig into The Vanishing Stair right away. And I’m so glad I did.

Stevie’s mind works both for and against her. As someone with pretty severe anxiety, watching Stevie go through her anxiety/panic attack motions was very, very familiar. I feel for Stevie – she’s where I was at when I was her age. Granted, she’s also smack dab in the middle of two very, very convoluted mysteries.

Where Truly Devious left us with a lot of questions, Stevie is very keen to use her skills to find the answers. And she does – with gusto. It was truly fascinating to watch Stevie at work. She is so organized, logical, and detail-oriented. (A lot of key points to put on a résumé, honestly.)

Stevie does what she needs to do to find the answers she’s looking for. And I can really admire that about a young woman – she’s a go-getter, and even if she doesn’t necessarily want to, she’s going to raise hell to find the answers she wants. I kind of wish I had more of her gusto both at her age, and at my age now.

Again, I really loved the dual timelines in this book. I loved seeing how things played out between 1936 and 1938, compared to Stevie putting the pieces together in modern times. While we got far more detail in the flashbacks, there are still quite a few questions left to answer. Some things may be falling into place, but there’s still so much left to discover.

And every step the way, Stevie can rely on her friends. This is something I truly adored about this book – how Stevie, socially anxious and awkward Stevie, took steps to healthily learn to rely on her friends, and ask for help. She may have the ulterior motive of solving the entire care, but she’s also growing as a person, and adapting, and I love that for her so much.

I am still determined to read this to the end. I need to know what happens next. Honestly, this mystery series has me absolutely captivated, and I can’t seem to let go. I’m in it now, and I won’t let go until I have all of the answers I seek.

#Book review #The Vanishing Stair #Maureen Johnson #Truly Devious series #Catt reads #Catt's life in books