Name: big ab's review of The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
Item: The Vanishing Stair
Rating: 3.5
Author: big ab

Maureen Johnson

In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life. The Truly Devious case—an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936—has consumed Stevie for years. It’s the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Stevie’s willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity—Edward King’s son. But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What’s the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn’t just a piece of history—it’s a live wire into the present. Praise for Book One: “The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story.” —New York Times Book Review “Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was special? There’s that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell.” —USA Today (four stars) “Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart.” —Bustle

The Vanishing Stair

Sarin Booi

A book gives you everything. It gives you a window into other souls, other worlds. The world is a door. Books are the key.

"That is a lot of snow," Janelle said approvingly."You probably don't like snow, right?" 

 "Oh, I like it," Nate said. "Snow makes it socially acceptable to stay in."

"Okay," he finally said. "Okay. Yes. Okay. Sure. Let's solve the crime of the century. Why the fuck not?"

"Counselors," Nate mumbled under his breath."You get a counselor and you get a counselor, and you get.."

"I'm a watch ad." David said. "She's a hipster grandpa. Together, we solve crime."

"So," David saidz "Is this weird?" Which part?" Stevie said. "Is there fan-fic of this? You know, these two. What does that look like? What do we call it? Porlock?Sheriot?"

"IfI show you, will you stop?" he asked. "Definitely" she said.

Follow the Wonderland rule: don't eat or drink anything

Chulandon leanday Bradley 

Jocelyn Smith

i’m being harsh, this is probably a 4 star read. but i don’t care about the mystery at all which is like a huge portion of this book. i enjoy the characters a lot, like i looove how kooky and weird these kids are and that they are genuinely funny. and i love larry the security guy, im hoping for justice for larry in book #3. but i think book #3 will be my last book for this series. 

big ab

issa

Chourouk

buny

bro how is every single answer unsatisfying w this mystery. HOW DO I HAVE EVEN MORE QUESTIONS AFTER GETTING THE ANSWER I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER FOR !!!!!!!!!! fuck if i know!!!!?

Sarah Sammis

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson is the second in the Truly Devious YA mystery trilogy. Stevie Bell at the end of the first book went home, shamed by her involvement of the death of a student and the disappearance of another. Now out of the blue, the wealthy and powerful father of another student, David, invites her back with the caveat that she keep his son out of trouble.

Marginalized	Uhoria	Maze	66CCCC

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comm...

Olivia 

chloe rae

Hot DAMN. This book is my JAM. 
I knew I had to go on with this series. I just knew it. I wasn’t that blown away by the first book but I knew it was going somewhere good and I WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. 
This was stellar. So, so good. Everything I liked about the first book just got amplified. I feel like I understood people better in this book, too. David still pissed me off, and was still manipulating and self-sabotaging, but I felt like I understood WHY. I really understood Stevie this time around, too. How she operates and processes things. I wanted more of Janelle and Nick but that’s probably just because I love friendship, like a lot. And Larry! I love Larry! Three cheers for Larry! 
THAT MYSTERY THOUGH. I just have to say, Maureen set up the ‘reveal’ in such a clever way. I figured it out at the same moment Stevie did and it was SO COOL. It happened just as I wanted it to, with all these little pieces coming together and my eyes widening and my brain going “OMG I KNOW WHO DID IT.” It was, honestly, pretty perfect. At least, in my opinion. 
And THAT ENDING? 
I need the next book immediately. This series just became a new favorite and I’m just so stoked about it. I have been in the WORST reading mood/slump ever and this may have just changed things around.

destiny

i gotta admit i’m having a lot of fun with this series

Paulina

** spoiler alert **
           2,5⭐️

opening line: 3/10 rating

i’m so sad that about this. the first book was amazing and this… it felt rushed. I have so much to say about it:

in this book stevie was just unbearable and stupid. I literally thought of the end of book one that this poem leads to the stairs in minerva and she, who is supposed to be a detective, smartass girl, couldn’t figure this out till halfway of the book - it was literally torture and not exciting to follow her through this.

also david and stevie? - what the hell was the idea of the author with them? this was not just miscommunication or whatever it was supposed to be, it was hey it’s all good now - let’s bring some drama here so that this book can go another 100 pages. i literally couldn’t care less about them together or separated.

there were some really cringy things the characters said that brought me back to 2018 with a mix of gen z - Gotcha? no one says that. and that was definitely not the worst just the one I highlighted. overall the writing, the chapters… it was all so chaotic and unconnected, like you couldn’t even call it a plottwist because often it was just unrelated to the chapter before.

I loved the chapters of francis and eddie because we got to learn so much about them, more than in two books about stevie. I would have loved the book if the writing and the depth of the characters were exactly like in this chapter.

i’m not sure what I should think about the presentation of stevie’s anxiety. i have anxiety myself and I know it’s different for everyone else but her anxiety was mentioned as a big thing at the beginning of the book and then never again. idk it just felt like a box she could check like okay great that “thing” was mentioned in my book so now the anxiety reader can relate to her more ✅ nope not at all here

overall it was okay to read, the writing was not too bad but the structure and characters were pretty blank sadly - I wished that what lacked in book one would be now in book two but i guess not :/

Idk man… the plot isn’t bad, but it was somehow pretty soporific. It took me a while to finish it.

Tabea

Denaiir

Not a lot happened in this one (I thought it was a duology but nope, middle book) but it was oddly compelling and I loved the new characters. David was being a brat but he was the only annoying one. There was a crazy cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Nessa Luna

The Vanishing Stair is the sequel to Truly Devious, which I reread this month as well. I loved how through this book we learned a lot more about the mystery that took place when the school first opened. Honestly, I have to admit that the three books kind of blended together in my mind, because I read them back to back, but I have to say that I did not feel like this book suffered from ‘middle book syndrome’.

CAWPILE: 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 (Avg: 7.64)

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

C & TW: Drug use(specifically by minors), referenced alcohol use (again, mostly by minors), Trans character and LGBT+ Relationship

Ok, now we're getting somewhere! The cliffhanger here makes more sense than the one in the first novel. How Stevie discovered who the murderer of The Ellingham Case is confusing; I felt, since her thought process is in the same vein as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, her conclusion to her hypothesis makes sense but to me it's confusing. I feel like this is Maureen's way of saying readers shouldn't bother try to solve it but just follow Stevie and trust her (Maureen's) plot development. I also feel like I'm not getting enough answers for such a short trilogy (fouth book is a spin-off, so it doesn't count). Also, how exactly does David's disappearence and Haze and Ellie's death tie into the unsolved murder and kidnapping case? I feel like readers should've received some LEGIBLE clue by now. I honestly can't say Haze's mocumentry counts. Overall its really good; looking forward to the next book! Full review to come soon.

New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller! In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson's second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life. The Truly Devious case--an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936--has consumed Stevie for years. It's the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Stevie's willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity--Edward King's son. But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What's the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn't just a piece of history--it's a live wire into the present. Praise for Book One: "The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story." --New York Times Book Review "Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was special? There's that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell." --USA Today (four stars) "Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart." --Bustle

Victoria

Well, of course I couldn’t help myself. That was such a rollercoaster ride.

Samantha 

menna

i find that i can't put two words together to describe what i feel when i like a mystery or a thriller. i feel the urge to just say "brain went boom" and call it a night.

honestly this was a ride and brain did go boom and i can't wait to finally find out what happens and how it all ties together because what the fuck was that ending

Nothing rly happened in the middle it pissed me off

Kat 

Jamieson

I. LOVED. THIS. SO. FREAKIN. MUCH

This was ... WILD. The twists?!?! The turns!!! The REVEALS. I think this is definitely becoming one of my new favourite series?? and I am DYING FOR BOOK THREE ALREADY


  Where do you look for someone who's never really there? Always on a staircase, but never on a stair.


The Vanishing Stair starts a few months after the events of Truly Devious. Despite being pulled from Ellingham Academy by her parents, the mysteries of Ellingham Academy and the Truly Devious case still haunt Stevie. So she makes a deal with the devil (Edward King) and returns to Ellingham - in exchange for watching out for David, who she hasn't talked to since she left. But despite holding a fresh clue into the Truly Devious case, it seems harder than ever to solve - what does the new clue mean, what happened to Ellie, and how does the girl and boy who Stevie found in the photos tie back into the case.


  


Maureen Johnson absolutely outdid herself with this one! I enjoyed it even more than book one, which was one of my favourite books of 2018. 

The Vanishing Stair was just as twisty and compelling as I expected. We're almost immediately thrown back into the mystery of Truly Devious and this book flew past for me. I finished the large majority of it in one sitting because it was so compelling and the time just flew past as I was reading it. I was totally immersed in the world, the characters, the mystery and everything. 

I love the aesthetics of these book so much. The dark academia feel / mysterious boarding school element is an absolute favourite of mine. WE NEED MORE OF THIS !! This book is also kinda gory at times? And creepy? And ooh boy I loved that so much !! (Even though I was lowkey worrying about people appearing at the end of my bed as I was trying to sleep after finishing this)

I also LOVED HOW THE MYSTERY PLAYED OUT. I don't wanna reveal too much because spoilers, but Maureen Johnson reveals so much, and yet it doesn't answer anything - it just leads to more questions and I thought that was SO INTERESTING !! I loved how the mystery expanded and became even more thorny and strange. I also loved how many clues we're given, and there is a chance to put it all together alongside Stevie (though of course I didn't because I am a dumb dumb). And that ending .. KILLED ME. And you know what? I love a good cliffhanger. Yes they're awful but they're also THE BEST. They get me so hyped for the next book and let me tell you ... 2020 needs to come faster because I am HYPED. 


  


lets talk characters

I really enjoyed Stevie in this once again! She is a super intriguing character to follow and I love how fleshed out she is. The representation of her mental illness is also really well done, and I related to a lot of the things about anxiety. 

I do wish Janelle and Nate had been in this more. Especially Janelle and Vi, they are such cute girlfriends and we need more of them. But I enjoyed the new side characters. Those being, the two students in 1929 introduced as part of the mystery. Both those characters were intriguing and I hope we learn more about them in the last book.

My surprise stand out favourite was .. the romance!? Now I don't usually care much for romance subplots but I am FEELING THIS ONE. The miscommunication was kind of annoying, but overall I am really, really into David/Stevie and like ,, actually felt my cold dead heart move a little every time they talked. 


  "There's nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact." 




OVERALL, I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. I really hope more people pick up this series! I think it is so fun, so well written and has all that dark academia / creepy boarding school / mysterious aesthetic I know yall are hard for. @ the publisher if you're listening ................ send me book 3. (Actual rating 4.5*)

tws: anxiety/panic attacks, murder, death, abduction, dissections

Rachel Kanyid

Loved this way more than the first book. Very engaging and can't wait to read book three.

henrique

I have no words to describe this book, this series, other than the following: “ You have to read it”.

The thrill the author creates with the fast paced, yet meticulously crafted story, the constant back and forth between present and past events, the feeling of nearing a conclusion as you get further and further into the book, is breathtaking. 

Whilst I’m sure there are many great books out there who surpass this book on every level, which I will likely encounter in the future, I really think that this one is quite high up there for me. 

The realism of the characters and situations makes you feel like these could be people you interact with yourself, and yet are somehow woven into this intriguing mystery with all its twists and turns, which really helps to further its realism in my opinion.

Taking a queue from the previous instalment in the Truly Devious series, this book ends on a major cliffhanger, leaving a world of possibilities for the third one. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to have fun reading and discovering a new writing style.

amelia <3

Carah Gedeon

3.5
Though this book was better for me than the first book, I still had some problems with it. I knoooooow that this is a YA book, I knoooooow that YA can sometimes be cheesy, but the first half of the book it was so cheesy that I physically cringed at times. But, I was glad to see progression of the characters and I really felt like I knew them better in this book. The beginning was super slow for me, and it wasn't until the last 100 pages where I zoomed into it with anticipation. I'm wondering how Maureen Johnson is going to wrap everything up in a whole novel, I feel like a lot it will be open space, so we'll see.

Jocelyn Smith &
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

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Jocelyn Smith &The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

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Jocelyn Smith &
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson