Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature, very witty summer camp murder mystery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE BOX IN THE WOODS, Stevie Bell is home for the summer from Ellingham Academy, miserable away from her friends and working a miserable food service job. That's when an entrepreneur comes calling/emailing. Carson owns a successful startup and a summer camp in a small town where there were four unsolved teen murders in 1978. He's heard about Stevie's work on the Ellingham case and wants her to help with his true crime podcast. Even better, she gets to work at the summer camp to make some money and bring her friends. After he helps her lie to her parents about what she'll really be doing at camp, she's on a train to a small town in Massachusetts and meeting up with her roommate Janelle and housemate Nate. Right away, Carson is what Stevie expected: the "tech bro" type who rushes into new ventures. He's so enthusiastic, he pays for a new room of the library, invites the whole town, and introduces Stevie to crickets chirping and later hostility from one of the victim's sisters. Now Stevie's not sure how she will win people over to do her job, and she's not sure she wants to work with Carson at all. When she wakes up in her cabin to the word "Surprise" painted over her bed, she begins to panic. The same word was painted at the crime scene so long ago. Could the killer still be out there?
Is It Any Good?
For anyone who adores summer camp murder mysteries, you'll find this book irresistible, and, as a bonus, it's also witty as heck. Stevie Bell, from the popular Truly Devious series, is back. She loves solving mysteries so much that she's willing to help a "tech bro" with his crime podcast, and she's also willing to work at a camp and do outdoorsy things -- and she's not the least bit outdoorsy. Carson as the "tech bro" is a pretty astute send-up of overzealous entrepreneurs who use terms like "Think Jams." Stevie may not be as reluctant as she should be about collaborating with Carson, but she's 17 without a lot of power in the situation. She decides to ignore him instead of quit when he steps out of line.
When Carson is officially on the sidelines, Stevie gets down to work -- often by sneaking out of work at the camp, but her roommate Janelle has the arts and crafts more than covered. Like any good murder mystery, there are lots of taped interviews to ponder, some precious object missing, another mysterious death, and a detail that gets overlooked until the last second of divine inspiration. And there's danger in the woods. In the dark. You'll be hooked until the final showdown/small town Think Jam, and if you solve the crime before the incredible Stevie, you should have your own podcast.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the drug use and drinking in the 1970s vs. now in The Box in the Woods. It's mentioned a few times that the 1970s were just a different time. The drugs found in the woods slowed down the investigation into what really happened to the murdered teens. What were some other consequences of the heavy alcohol and drug use?
Do you watch true crime shows or listen to podcasts like Stevie does? What draws you to them? How do mysteries in general engage your brain? Were you working along with Stevie in the whole story to try to solve the crime?
This is a stand-alone story. Do you want more Stevie Bell mysteries? Where should she go next?
Book Details
- Author: Maureen Johnson
- Genre: Mystery
- Topics: Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date: June 15, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: June 17, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
What to Read Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate