alisoninbookland's Review of One of Us Is Next (One Of Us Is Lying, #2)

by Karen M. McManus

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • There's a new mystery to solve at Bayview High, and there's a whole new set of rules. The highly anticipated sequel to One of Us Is Lying!

Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now.

This time it's not an app, though—it's a game.

Truth or Dare.

Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.

Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And the rules have changed.

Fans of the hit thriller that started it all can watch the secrets of the Bayview Four be revealed in the One of Us is Lying TV series now streaming on NBC's Peacock!

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First of all, major kudos to Karen and/or the publishing team for adding a short list of who everyone is at the beginning of the book. It did take me a few chapters to find my footing but the list really helped.

Once again, McManus wrote a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read. It’s easy fall into step with the story and once you really get going in the story, you can’t walk away.

Thankfully the book doesn’t fall into the mistakes many sequels make. One Of Us Is Next acknowledges that One Of Us Is Lying exists. The story isn’t just a repeat of the previous book. We get an entirely new group of kids and and an even more dangerous game. The students are actively try to not make the same mistakes that were made months ago.

I love that our characters aren’t just sitting around waiting for someone to step in and do something. They decide to solve the mystery. The narrators (Knox, Phoebe, Maeve) are interesting but ultimately their voices started to sound the same.

Oh, that mystery was GOOD. The pacing picks up towards the end and I couldn’t stop reading. I could see the pieces falling into place. I was (mostly) correct with my prediction but McManus still managed get one twist on me.

All in all, super fun read.

One of Us Is Next (One Of Us Is Lying, #2)

by Karen M. McManus

Reviewed by alisoninbookland on Jan 19, 2020

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