Title: The Box In The Woods
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Pages: 400 pages
Release Date: June 15, 2021
Mystery fans, it is time to don your thinking caps with the newest novel from Maureen Johnson, The Box In The Woods. Considered the newest iteration of her Truly Devious series, this standalone novel featuring familiar characters and a gruesome unsolved murder is a great way to kick of your warm-weather reading. If you ever wished for a more gruesome, more diverse Nancy Drew, Stevie Bell is your girl.
Stevie and her pals are stepping out of Ellingham Academy out into the world. Well… just for the summer at least:
Amateur sleuth Stevie Bell needs a good murder. After catching a killer at her high school, she’s back at home for a normal (that means boring) summer.
But then she gets a message from the owner of Sunny Pines, formerly known as Camp Wonder Falls—the site of the notorious unsolved case, the Box in the Woods Murders. Back in 1978, four camp counselors were killed in the woods outside of the town of Barlow Corners, their bodies left in a gruesome display. The new owner offers Stevie an invitation: Come to the camp and help him work on a true crime podcast about the case.
Stevie agrees, as long as she can bring along her friends from Ellingham Academy. Nothing sounds better than a summer spent together, investigating old murders.
But something evil still lurks in Barlow Corners. When Stevie opens the lid on this long-dormant case, she gets much more than she bargained for. The Box in the Woods will make room for more victims. This time, Stevie may not make it out alive. “
The Box In The Woods: Stevie Bell Standalone
The author really shows off her craft and finesse with The Box In The Woods by making this a solid read for those who haven’t read the first books in the series. As someone who hasn’t read the first three, it was easy enough to follow along with the characters and their established relations. More importantly, there were no spoilers (that I could tell) from the original mysteries, and she didn’t spend a lot of time explaining the past, which can be tiring for familiar readers. Johnson managed to find a really nice balance between the two extremes.
Her trademark wit and charm can be found on every page of this summer camp mystery. That being said, Maureen Johnson’s The Box In The Woods still has a grittiness that makes this the high-stakes mystery that it is. It’s like Nancy Drew, an 80s slasher, and your favorite true-crime podcast came together to make this fun yet heart-pounding mystery. The heroine, Stevie Bell, is a compelling main character that feels so very human, and she’s surrounded by a thoughtful, diverse cast, past and present.
Didn’t See That Coming
The complaints I have about Maureen Johnson’s The Box In The Woods are few, but they are important ones. At the beginning of the novel, flashback chapters are detailing the events surrounding the original murders. But halfway through the book, they just stop, which makes it feel like they really weren’t that important. The book wouldn’t be missing much without them, but I wish there had been more chapters dedicated to the past events for a fuller, richer story.
As someone who always seems to guess the ending, I appreciated the way that The Box In The Woods left me guessing the entire time. However, when the big reveal finally came, I was a little disappointed. While it came as a complete surprise, I felt like Johnson didn’t really allow readers to solve the mystery for themselves. While still believable, the ending feels a bit whiplashed because it seemingly comes out of nowhere… like something was happening behind the scenes that readers didn’t get to experience.
The Box In The Woods is available now, physically, digitally, and audibly, wherever books are sold. Make sure to grab the first three books in Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series, Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair, and The Hand On The Wall.
Verdict: The Box In The Woods is an awesome way to kickstart your summer reading. Even for those who haven’t gotten the opportunity to read the first three books in the Truly Devious series, this standalone can easily be enjoyed without fear of ruining the mysteries involved earlier in the series. The gruesome unsolved murder has 80’s slasher written all over it, but its smart dialogue and witty charm make The Box In The Woods feel like your favorite Nancy Drew novel. While the ending seemed a little out there, I didn’t leave the novel feeling like there were any loose ends, and it was satisfying enough. So, grab a cool beverage, settle into your favorite shady spot and crack open this fun YA mystery!
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