YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

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.

Aly, I’ve got Parents’ evening tonight, but will focus on this tomorrow. Part of me wants to delay...will we get our questions answered?

I feel you! I hope it wraps up really well or I'm going to be disappointed that there's unanswered pieces.

ch 7 (view spoiler)[ Wow lots of information. Alice wasn't Albert's daughter, but George's. And he may have been the one to kidnap them? Or maybe the wife wanted to leave Albert and take Alice with her and it turned into something else? And so many questions about what's happening at the school now! (hide spoiler)]

ch 13 (view spoiler)[ Okay, so I maybe missed this before. Alice is Flora and George's daughter. And George, instead of telling Albert he was in debt, organized this elaborate kidnapping that backfired and now the wife is dead and Alice is missing because his partners are pieces of shit. Geez this is crazy (hide spoiler)]

ch 21 (view spoiler)[ So sad that Alice got sick and died before George found her. That's awful :( I still need to know who is killing people at the school!! (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I'm so happy Stevie solved the whole mystery, even the part about Alice not being Albert and Iris' biological daughter. There was a lot about "Call me Charles" so I wondered if he played a role, but I definitely didn't know the whole thing. I'm really satisfied with the way this all turned out. Stevie is with David but they're not in school together which is probably a good thing. And the academy gets the money to keep going and expand which is great. (hide spoiler)]

Up to ch4. (view spoiler)[ Mind has gone a bit blank regards Eddie and Francis, but I’m sure their behaviour will add something to our mystery eventually. I should have reread the others, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t know that Alice had a different father-supposing that detail will help later. (hide spoiler)]

Aly, I've finally got to ch8 - really picking up the pace! (view spoiler)[ I had a feeling we had been dropped clues that there may be more to Alice's parents than we'd been led to believe, but I really was surprised by the George revelation. Does that make him less likely to have been involved in killing others? I'm also getting creepy feelings about David...and the tension about the storm is picking up. (hide spoiler)]

Up to ch12 - okay, this is a lot more tense than I expected, though it’s more about what I’m anticipating!

Aly, just read your ch21 comment. (view spoiler)[ While it was sad, it fits with he way the book has been se tup that it's more about the mystery of the actions of the others. Love the detail about the painting, but I can't work out why Leo got himself caught up in it. (hide spoiler)]

Finished. Review on home page. While there was a feeling of us knowing more than the characters, I enjoyed watching it all come together.

28% (view spoiler)[ OMG!!! George is the father of Alice. (hide spoiler)]

Karen wrote: "Aly, I've finally got to ch8 - really picking up the pace! [spoilers removed]"

I felt the same way (view spoiler)[David really got weird there and I wondered if he was involved in things (hide spoiler)]

Pragya wrote: "28% [spoilers removed]"

Yes! Big reveal lol

56% (view spoiler)[ David's behaviour is making me irritated. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "Pragya wrote: "28% [spoilers removed]"

Yes! Big reveal lol"

I never thought of it. 🙈

Aly wrote: "ch 21 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I was hoping that Alice would have survived. It's so sad that she ended up dead. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I had doubts about Call me Charles for a while. (hide spoiler)]

Karen wrote: "Aly, I've finally got to ch8 - really picking up the pace! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I flipped out when they revealed that. Things are definitely getting more interesting. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[I'm simultaneously surprised and not that Stevie is starting to suspect David. Makes me start theorizing about whether or not he's involved. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16: (view spoiler)[That was probably a stupid idea to stay at the school. Now they're likely trapped with the murderer. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21: (view spoiler)[Okay, why'd Stevie go out alone in a snow storm anyway? Now she's trapped underground. (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Good way to wrap things up! I never suspected Charles, but it made sense the way it was presented. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "ch 13 [spoilers removed]"

OMG yes! It gets crazier the further things get. I honestly feel bad for him in some ways.

Chapter 2 - (view spoiler)[So Alice is Flora's daughter??? Okay, so could her biological father have something to do with this case? Why do I feel like ill have more questions than answers with this book? Hahaha.

I really want to know where David is. And I hope we don't get a love triangle thats been hinted at in the last book. I can't be dealing with that. I don't trust Hunter. Maybe he had something to do with his aunt's death?? Idk, but guy is shady.

(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9 - (view spoiler)[George is Alice's father? How did no one else work it out if they looked so alike???

And of course, fucking David is back. Just shows up like nothings happened. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13 - (view spoiler)[Of course the gang was gonna stay at Ellingham. I would have been surprised if they had actually gone home haha.

Well... Safe to say that David is pissed about Stevies connection with his father. But it was a still low blow to say what he did. (hide spoiler)]

Finished - (view spoiler)[Can't believe I'm finished with this series. I want more books!

The ending was nicely wrapped up and I'm happy Stevie got her happy ending, sort of.

I was not expecting it to be Call-Me-Charles, but it makes so much sense in retrospect!! (hide spoiler)]

Abby wrote: "Chapter 16: [spoilers removed]

Chapter 21: [spoilers removed]

Finished: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Me neither! But once Stevie started explaining, everything fell into place for me. (hide spoiler)]

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Date changed. Restarting November 21st 2020. Happy Reading ☺

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Date reset for November 6th

Starting this!

12% (view spoiler)[Okay I'm thinking that Ellie poster is old. Maybe from before she died?
And it's got some weird phrasing... Maybe code for something? (hide spoiler)]

36% (view spoiler)[This is already more interesting to me! More events, more history. I'm just going with the flow. I wonder if Hunter's got anything to do with things. And it was strange what Fenton said on the phone in Vanishing Stair. Didn't make much sense.. (hide spoiler)]

39% (view spoiler)[Well hello David! And now the excitement begins! (hide spoiler)]

47% (view spoiler)[A person on the grounds!

I'm glad Stevie told David that she was there thanks to his dad, but damn he's gotta see she just wanted to get back to the school (hide spoiler)]

Will finish up tomorrow, it's a quick read!

66% (view spoiler)[OMG she dead?? (hide spoiler)]

Finished! (view spoiler)[Oh no! Alice technically isn't their child! So the school's going to get the $70m

And oh my gosh the moose <3 I was worried it'd be a cliffhanger and I'd just groan and get exasperated. But that was a great ending! I'm glad that the 4th one is a standalone mystery but with the same cast of characters (hide spoiler)]

Ch 6 - (view spoiler)[ what is going on with these two. Stevie is not the only one wondering what the heck is happening between her and David. A blizzard will be the perfect opportunity for the killer to pick off more victims, since everyone will be forced to stay inside, etc. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 13 - (view spoiler)[ WTF, he still hasn't forgiven her even though he knows what kind of man his father is? Plus, I don't see that she has really done anything wrong. She didn't even really report anything to King and she tried to avoid David as much as possible for a while there. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 19 - (view spoiler)[ Wait, so Francis and Eddie somehow found Alice and stowed her away so they could come back and get her?? I'm so confused. (hide spoiler)]
Finished - (view spoiler)[ Ah, interesting! I do think Stevie should have presented this last theory about Alice to the board and then said that she wanted to money to stay with the school (perhaps as long as they readmitted David??). When is Alice's birthday anyway? It must be soon, right?

I'm still not sure what to think about David. I guess he redeemed himself a little, but he is still weird.

What could the next book possibly be about? Do we have any loose ends that I've lost track of? (hide spoiler)]

nope the next book is a standalone mystery but same characters I think :)

Maddie wrote: "nope the next book is a standalone mystery but same characters I think :)"

Yeah, I finally read the synopsis and figured that out. It should be a fun book to read. Sucks that it comes out next summer.

yeah but im glad that I dint have to remember all the details haha

I just finished book two and am diving straight into this one :)

First quarter - (view spoiler)[Ooh that first chapter was super interesting. Alice's father was not Ellingham? There are layers becoming increasingly exposed in both the old and new murder cases.

It is so hard to view Stevie falling increasingly further apart and taking so little care of herself as she gets even more consumed by solving the crimes.

David is only looking more suspicious, especially when Stevie remembers how he thought Hunter was her new boyfriend and then his home was burned down hours later. It seems almost too obvious at this point that he is the villain of the story. I think he just a hurt boy acting out and there is another to blame for Haze's death. (hide spoiler)]

Maddie wrote: "12% "

(view spoiler)[Why did I screech when Stevie first saw the poster? I literally JUST finished the last book and it was like I had completely forgotten that her body had been found and it wasn't a super recent image. It was quite sad to meet Beth and get to see other elements (lol at that pun) from her life outside of Ellingham. (hide spoiler)]

Maddie wrote: "36% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I don't trust Hunter and I didn't trust Fenton either. I don't quite know why, though. (hide spoiler)]

Second quarter - (view spoiler)[I love how the gang hid until the snow rose and they had no option but to stay in Ellingham. David has returned and I dislike him more than ever, although he does seem to want to reach a resolution. I understand how he feels betrayed by Stevie but gosh is he mean! (hide spoiler)]

Third quarter - (view spoiler)[After all those revelations Alice died from something as simple as the measles and those who held her didn't risk taking her to a doctor in case they recognised who she was. How sad! (hide spoiler)]

Fourth quarter - (view spoiler)[Oh my gosh, it was Charles! I can't believe he escaped jail time but at least the case was solved. I love that David left Ellingham to return to his father with a stick of dynamite and then we later learned how a billboard was mysteriously destroyed! I still don't like his character but I do pity him. I also really liked the press readings that ended the book as it wrapped things up in an exciting way. I had shivers when they found Alice did not bear any DNA with the Ellinghams, which the reader already knew from the historical perspectives. (hide spoiler)]

Maddie wrote: "Finished! "

I thought this was such a great ending. (view spoiler)[I didn't realise that the fourth book was a standalone and I was surprised that the mysteries were solved in this book. (hide spoiler)]