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Box in the Woods

 The Minerva House gang is back! This is NOT a drill. I repeat this is NOT a drill!


SUMMARY

Stevie Bell is back and better than ever (literally) in The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson, but this time, with another mystery. For three books, we have been riveted by the Ellingham Academy murders. Now that Stevie has solved those, she begins the summer before her senior year working in a deli - not exactly the perfect job for a mystery-solving teenager but it is a safe job (unless you count the deli-slicer as a dangerous weapon...). 

In 1978, four prominent teenagers at summer camp in Barlow Corners went into the woods together to smoke after camp curfew. Sabrina, Todd, Diane, and Eric were never seen alive again. They were seen, however, stabbed to death in the woods. 43 years later, still, no one knows why. Cold. Case.

When Stevie gets an offer to solve the Box in the Woods murders, she takes it - posing to everyone (even her parents) except her friends and the camp owner as a regular counselor. As Stevie unearths details about the case, she realizes these murders are not what they seem. Who in the tiny town of Barlow Corners should she trust? Is everyone telling the truth? Why would anyone lie? What have they got to hide?

REVIEW

Would I have gone camping voluntarily or gone into the woods at night at all voluntarily two weeks ago? This may be surprising, but yes, I would have. My dream date is stargazing in the middle of the night surrounded by gorgeous Tennessee trees. Would I go by myself right now (or with three other friends...)? Absolutely not! Maureen Johnson, The Box in the Woods has ruined the dark outdoors for me (especially alone) for the next couple of weeks. Thank you very, very much. (This is both sarcastic and not because I loved this book!)

This is a great standalone next to the rest of the Truly Devious series. A question I keep getting is - can I read this if I haven't read the other three preceding books? I would say yes because the spoilers in this book are minimal to its three other siblings. I would recommend reading the others too but only because they are very good. I reviewed them here! The characters I love have come back to life! Stevie's unconventional intelligence, Nate's heart, Janelle's ingenuity, and David's hotness (?) (I know, but truly it might be all he's good for). 

Brief criticism, the solution to the case is a little out of pocket. This book violates one of the foremost rules of professional mystery writing: give your reader any and all of the information they need to solve the mystery along with the main sleuth (whether that may be Poirot or Stevie Bell). Johnson disclosed information only to Stevie and not to the readers. I don't love this very much because I think it is not quite "fair" to give the investigator an upper hand over the reader. It is mystery-writing policy to give everyone the same information. 

******question for people who have read this book already! (and I will grant you that it is a pretty petty question, but nonetheless...)******
While I know I am one of the only people who actually likes David (appearance = 90% of this...), is Nate not a better match for Stevie hands down? He's so supportive of her and will be at Ellingham with her for her senior year. He also is just so darn cute. There is a difference between "cute" and "hot," and I think cute is what Stevie needs at this point. NATHANIEL. FISHER. While I completely understand the allure of the slightly older guy, Nate seems like a better choice for her. (I still contend that both Nate and David are great fictional boys. David is just for someone else other than Stevie, I think.) Please let me know what you think. I can say one thing for certain: the more Nate page-time we got in this book was *MUAH*. 

Happy reading as always!!

PS - The cover is purple. PURPLE. Come on, y'all. Pick it up. 



Age Range: 13+
ISBN: 9780063032606
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Tags: YA fiction, YA mystery, Maureen Johnson, summer camp, summer read, light romance, 1970s, non-linear timeline

*TW and other topics: murder, crime, blood, WWII (Nazis specifically, but very briefly), drugs & alcohol (brief - the murder was in the seventies - hippies, bro, HIPPIES), homosexuality, grief, kissing (a very sweet aspect of this book but I understand some girls and their parents want to be aware of this in novels.)*

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