One of Us Is Lying: TikTok made me buy it (One Of Us Is Lying, #1)

by Karen M. McManus

The international bestselling YA thriller by acclaimed author Karen M. McManus - now available in a bold new cover look complete with a blood red background and matching sprayed edges.

Five students walk into detention. Only four come out alive.

Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule.

Sports star Cooper only knows what he's doing in the baseball diamond.

Bad boy Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime.

Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life.

And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won't ever talk about any of them again.

He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it's no accident. All of them are suspects.

Everyone has secrets, right?

What really matters is how far you'll go to protect them.

'Tightly plotted and brilliantly written, with sharp, believable characters, this whodunit is utterly irresistible' - HEAT

'Twisty plotting, breakneck pacing and intriguing characterisation add up to an exciting single-sitting thrillerish treat' -THE GUARDIAN

'A fantastic murder mystery, packed with cryptic clues and countless plot twists. I could not put this book down' - THE SUN

'Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club' - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

But the story doesn't end here, it continues with One of Us Is Next. . .

• ISBN10: 0141375639
• ISBN13: 9780141375632
• Publish Date: 1 June 2017 (first published 30 May 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

For my first read of 2021, One of Us Is Lying is a good start!

In terms of the mystery, while I did have numerous suspicions throughout by about chapter 8 my top suspect was the right one. There were a couple moments that through me off and made me doubt my suspicions. I wouldn't say it was obvious, but the hints are definitely there.

I enjoyed the premise quite a lot and I think this could really appeal to a teenage audience. I was most struck by how different high school is from when I was a teen - not that long ago LOL! - because of the prevalence of social media. The characters have all the stressors most generations have experienced, but under a constant microscope.

The characters were pretty distinct, which I enjoyed. They were facing some very different family dynamics and pressures, not to mention internal battles. I enjoyed the bit of diversity that sprung up too and how that changed those students' experiences. Each of the 4 students - Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper - had a secret that makes them suspects in Simon's death. It was powerful to see how releasing themselves from those secrets in various ways actually freed them in other ways too. Despite the horrible experience, they grow so much and learn a lot about themselves, their peers, and their families.

I chose to listen to listen to this after hearing that the audio was good and noticing that there were 4 narrators. Sometimes multiple narrators can create a jarring effect, but normally it enriches my experience of each character. In this case, it definitely enriched. Kim Mai Guest, MacLeod Andrews, Shannon McManus, and Robbie Daymond each brought their characters to life, while blending well with the other narrators representations of each character's voice. The point of view changes frequently in this book, and the narrators took over the narration for 1 character's point of view. I would definitely recommend listening.

I'm struck by the fact that this is a series - because it ends very resolved in my opinion. But I enjoyed this one and will likely try to continue the series soon.

[Eve1972]

Enjoyed this one a lot. The mystery was well executed. I'm usually fantastic at Sherlocking, but this one managed to catch me off guard.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

This. Was... I couldn’t tear myself from the pages once I actually got around to an evening just for reading! My eyes could not be averted. Just

[Linda]

One of Us Is Lying was excellent! I don't know why I didn't read it until now, but I'm happy I finally cracked it open to get to know Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper and Nate!
It's really well-written, and the mystery kept me guessing all the while. (How I've been able to avoid spoilers is another mystery!)

[leahrosereads]

Oh, this was great! I loved how Breakfast Club all these characters were and how devious this ended up being. Brilliant! I'll definitely be checking out more of this author's work soon.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

*Review to come!*

[limabean74]

Wow this was good! I really enjoyed it. I loved the characters, the story, the mystery and the twist. So much fun to listen too. The Narrators were great. Highly recommend!

[ibeforem]

I thought this was really great, which should be evident by how quickly I read it (3 days). It starts out with five students serving detention one evening, but then one of them dies in a way that can't quite be accidental.

The characters start out rooted in their stereotypes -- the smart one, the pretty one, the bad boy, the jock, and the outcast. But with the exception of Simon, who dies, there is good growth for each character. No one stays stagnant in this story, and everyone comes out of it changed for the better. The book gives you the story from each main character's point of view, and the character voices are different enough that I really didn't have to look back to remember who was talking.

The mystery itself was quite good, with a lot of twists and turns. Everyone is a suspect, and the author does a good job of keeping you guessing until the end. I don't read a ton of YA, but I look forward to the next book by this author!

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

The book alternates between the point of views of the four protagonists. I thought the author's idea of introducing the "locked house mystery' to the YA genre was a good one, and I was intrigued because I live unreliable narrators. Unfortunately, this book did not deliver at all.

The lies that the title of the book refers to are all uninteresting and I saw the resolution (which I'm trying really hard not to spoil) coming from a mile away. The characters were incredibly cliche and I saw the ending coming from a mile away. The best thing about this book was the idea behind it.

Full review at wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog

[Laurie]

I ended up skim reading it, what a disaster. I didn’t feel any connection to this book at all and couldn’t bother myself with reading everything. At 40% I decided to read the last chapters and although I didn’t see that one coming, I got a really big PLL wannabe feeling.