FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, KAREN McMANUS
“Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club” (EW.com)in this “flat-out addictive” (RT Book Reviews) story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
AndSimon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.
And don’t miss the sequel, One of Us is Next!
Praise for One of Us Is Lying An EW.com Best YA Book of the Year Selection A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year Selection A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book of the Year Selection A New York Public Library's Best Book for Teens Selection
A CBC Teen Choice Book Award Nominee A Bustle Best Young Adult Book of May 2017 A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year Nominee
A YALSA Best Fiction Book Nominee A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
“You’ll tear through this juicy, super-fun (if murder can ever be fun?) thriller."—Bustle
"A whodunit with a Breakfast Club twist...following four unique voices on a chase to find the killer, this one will keep you guessing until the very, very end."—Popcrush
"Twisty plotting, breakneck pacing and intriguing characterisation add up to an exciting, single-sitting thrillerish treat."—The Guardian
"This is no ordinary whodunit…surprising and relevant."—USA Today
“An addictive, devour-in-one-sitting thriller.”—Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners, Little Monsters, and The Cheerleaders
★"[As] McManus's intense mystery unfolds...each character becomes more complex and nuanced, adding richness and depth to the suspense." —VOYA, Starred Review
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.
