The Vanishing Stair

This has a lot in common with [b:Truly Devious 29589074 Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1) Maureen Johnson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498501619l/29589074.SX50.jpg 49916452]. Compelling lovable secondary characters (I would still die for Nate and Janelle, in fact now more readily than ever). Pacing that mirrors Stevie's experience of anxiety. Reveals, some more surprising than others. And of course, a cliffhanger ending.I know a lot liked this more than the first book, but I don't feel the same. To me, Truly Devious felt more well-rounded on its own. Whereas with The Vanishing Stair, sometimes it felt like Johnson was leaning too hard on either the prior book or the third (yet to be published) book to determine what she included in the second.My other qualms are more, “it's not you, it's me.” I didn't care for some of the reveals and dynamics: - I have an aversion to the “unreliable (probably at least in part because of substance abuse) middle-aged woman perspective” trope, and I think that's what Johnson gave us with Fenton. - The reveal of Ellie dead in the tunnel reminded me of Turtles All the Way Down. In both instances it felt gruesome and ridiculous. It was also strange to see this specific horrific thing included in YA contemporaries by author friends. Like, did they discuss this?- David and Stevie kept acting as though they had a lot of history. But they really didn't have much at all? They disliked one another for a good chunk of the first book. They made out a few times. But it was framed like they were integral in each other's lives. David literally told Stevie that she's all he's got (p. 221). Maybe the point is that teenagers are angsty and dramatic, but I just felt like I was missing something.I still think the series is funny and relatable, while also being a good murder mystery, which can't be an easy balance to strike. The Vanishing Stair was definitely interesting enough for me to feel some mild panic about [b:The Hand on the Wall 29589087 The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious, #3) Maureen Johnson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561249776l/29589087.SY75.jpg 49916473] not being out yet.