books

Obviously, I have never claimed to be unbiased in my opinions here, but that will probably never be more apparent than in my recommendation of Maureen Johnson’s young adult mystery series. I’ve enjoyed her quirky writing and unique voice since Bermudez Triangle and 13 Little Blue Envelopes days, and she has never lost the spark in her writing that reminds me so much of the author herself. I’ll go into more about why you should check out her entire body of work (and her hilarious Twitter) later, so for now I’ll jump into my review of the Truly Devious series.

Right now, there are three books in this series. (The latest news from Johnson shows a fourth book being released next year! Yay!) It follows a girl, Stevie, as she attends an elite boarding school and simultaneously tries to solve a murder from the 1930s. What Johnson handles masterfully is a balance between glimpses of that past and the real-time crime and drama happening in the present.

I’ll be honest: there are a lot of characters that pop up and overlap in these books. But Johnson handles their development and presence in a way that makes them seem memorable but not overwhelming. Plus, she develops the setting (Ellingham Boarding School) into its own kind of character by the end of the series.

Seriously, if you are the sort that has ever dabbled in writing (just me?), this series does such an interesting job of balancing different times and characters and the growth and aging of settings that it’s inspiring to sit down afterwards and try to map it out.

So, if you are looking for some books to help you pass a socially-distant, long holiday weekend, I fully suggest diving into this series. Especially if you are also the kind who listens to true crime podcasts and enjoyed Unsolved Mysteries as a kid.

After you read the Truly Devious series, check out all of Maureen Johnson’s work.

Here is where I remind you all that I’ve worked at LeakyCon (and with Mischief Management) for about nine years, which also includes the time period when Maureen Johnson ran the literary track. (And what an amazing time that was!!) This means I have had the good fortune to be around Maureen quite a bit, though it was a few years ago.

I liked her writing long before I met her, but meeting her gave me a glimpse into her personality — the compassion, loyalty, and bravery that she exhibits. She’s undeniably eccentric. (One of my favorite conversations with her involved a serious discussion about cabbage as a viable furniture building block.) But she is also self-aware in a way I find admirable, and those that truly know her light up when you ask them about her. I feel like that’s a good indication of her as a person.

Her self-awareness (and a bit of her eccentricity) echo into her writing, and it means that I never worry if I am going to enjoy her work. Truly Devious is unlike anything else she’s written, which makes it feel brand new and lovingly familiar all at once. I pre-ordered these books, but I was so impatient to read this series that I had them put on my kindle. And then read them in one sitting. They were that engrossing.

Let’s not talk about how long it’s been since I’ve posted, or how many books I’ve read since the last time I sat down to write like this. (It’s triple digits, y’all.) Instead, let’s talk about a young adult book I’ve read a couple times: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour.

I’ve read a few LaCour novels–The Disenchantments and Everything Leads to You (LOVE)–and so I knew I would finish this book and believe for a few days that the world she created was real. In a vibrant, pulsing way. LaCour has this magical writing style that makes the scenery vivid and the characters just nestle right into it; she manages to create a world that feels real and true and possible and contemporary. And honestly, as someone who mostly writes contemporary fiction, I can tell you this is a feat and for that alone I would recommend reading her work.

Except that she’s also amazing at character creation and depth. I always end her books feeling like I need to know more about this flawed friend she has given me to love.

We Are Okay is, in particular, about loneliness and grief and the enduring power of true relationships. It’s set against a snowy New York winter in an empty college dorm, which fits the main character’s feeling of distance from everyone. When Stephanie Perkins said the book was “so lonely and beautiful that I could hardly breathe,” she hit the nail on the head. You feel that enduring weight throughout the book, even as Marin, the main character, struggles to turn the corner on her grief into feeling okay.

It’s an absolutely gorgeous, heartbreaking book, and I know that seems like a weird recommendation for right now; but the world is heavy and sad, and sometimes the struggle to find beauty and understanding in that is so real. So frustrating. Something about reading this book made it easier to look around and see some of those bright spots of light. It probably doesn’t hurt that the book feels like a lighter read than it is because it’s a little shorter in length than some of her other work.

I mostly read YA and romance, and I’ll make sure to indicate which sort I am reviewing for you. I’m not affiliated with any specific site or bookstore, but if I received the book through any sort of program (like Kindle Unlimited or the library, etc.) I will be fully open with you all about it.

For now, I’m just happy to be back.