2018 book 12

Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious
Look, I am one hundred percent here for YA boarding school mysteries but Johnson is doing that thing here where she thinks writing for a younger audience means using super simple language, which makes for a choppy read. The plot is fun--a new student at a mysterious, elite boarding school is trying to solve a famous kidnapping/murder case that took place at said school in the 1930s. I did especially love that the protagonist was from Pittsburgh (with several appropriate references to the Monroeville Mall, haha! Stevie, I too have failed to impress people with my knowledge that Dawn of the Dead was filmed there). I did get very caught up in all the mysteries, but it seems this is the first book in a series so the end is rather frustrating. I will definitely read the next one though. B/B+.