The Box in the Woods Review

Hi friends! This month has really been a thriller month for me. I’m excited to be sharing my The Box in the Woods Review with you all. I loved the Truly Devious series so I was really excited about this book coming out. Let’s jump in!

Read my The Unbroken Review!

Title: The Box in the Woods

Author: Maureen Johnson

Rating: 4 Stars

CAWPILE: 8.2 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, YA

Content Warnings: Death, murder

Format: eARC

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Date Published: June 15th 2021

Goodreads Description: 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.

I received a review copy from Edelweiss and Harper 360. All opinions are my own.

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The Box in the Woods Review

Characters – 7/10

I like Stevie. I really loved her growth in the Truly Devious series. Her anxiety at the beginning of The Box in the Woods was really palpable and I really felt for her. However, I felt like she took a few steps back at the end of the book. Her conflict with David felt really unnecessary and not enough time or conversation was given to it. She acted really jealous and spiteful, which seemed a bit out of character.

We did not get enough of Janelle and Nate. I really love Stevie’s friendship with Nate, but it does feel like Janelle was just there for no reason. I had hoped to see more of them.

Atmosphere – 9/10

Summer camp murder? Sign me right up. I love the camp setting. It reminds me of my own summer camp memories. This book was also really creepy, and the horrific murders actually rocked me a little. I didn’t entirely expect it from a YA book, but I’m not mad about it.

Writing – 9/10

I could not stop reading. The writing is really good and Johnson knows how to write a mystery. Apart from some really cringey tropes (the “not like other girls” among them), this is a good book.

Plot – 8/10

I enjoyed the flashback scenes and the mystery. The murders were gruesome, but it was a good change of pace from the first three. The clue path was good, but I do feel like some more details could have been added. The end felt a bit rushed, but I enjoyed the conclusion.

The Box in the Woods Review

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Intrigue – 9/10

As I said, I could not stop reading. I blew through this book. The case was fascinating and I would have loved to solve it.

Logic – 8/10

The ending felt a bit rushed, especially the conflict between Stevie and David I mentioned earlier. A lot of research and conversations happen off-page that we should have seen on-page. Johnson also brushes over a lot of trauma, that should have been addressed in my opinion.

Enjoyment – 8/10

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I got to read it.

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