One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Lying was is just outright one of the most addictive books I’ve read all year, if not longer. From the moment I picked it up and started reading I found it incredibly hard to put down; I read on my way to and from work, on my lunch hour, after dinner and right up until I could keep my eyes open no longer! One of Us Is Lying tells the story of five high school seniors; Gossip Girl-esque Simon who runs a gossip blog, popular baseball player Cooper, serious and studious Bronwyn, loveable drug dealer Nate and pretty girl Addy. Each one finds themselves suddenly in detention after having a cell phone mysteriously placed in each of their bags. Whilst trying to convince the supervising teacher that none of the phones belong to them and that someone must be pulling a prank, they all suddenly hear the sound of a crash outside. Whilst the teacher and four of the students rush to the window to see what is going on, one student, Simon, hangs back and when they all return to their seats Simon begins to choke. As Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper and Addy all try to get help for Simon, unfortunately, it arrives to late and he is pronounced dead at the hospital – from anaphylactic due to a peanut allergy. So who killed Simon? Well here is the tricky part. No one knows, but there are plenty of people who would want to. Simon has a lot of enemies due to his gossip blog that he runs, filled with the rumours and secrets of just about everyone in the school. But since he was in the room with just the others in detention, they quickly become the focus of the police investigation into Simon’s death and the ensuing media circus that threatens all of their reputations and futures. Each character bears the brunt of everyone’s judgement from both family and friends, is pressured to turn on the others and most importantly, has one last secret about themselves revealed on a tumblr blog which continues to post following Simon’s death. Who killed Simon? Who is still posting their secrets? Who wants them all to be destroyed? Who is lying? One of Us Is Lying takes you on a rollercoaster ride of some serious character development, highs and lows of emotion and an all-important final twist. It gave me a classic who-done-it scenario, all the of drama you would expect from a high school filled with rampant hormones, a newly budding romance, a secret romance and an incredibly satisfying finale. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced, addictive read, not to mention this is now set to become a tv series after being picked up by E!

A very engaging, readable YA novel. When I pre-ordered this book, I didn't realize it was Young Adult but once I started reading I couldn't put it down. SYNOPSIS Overachiever Bronwyn, star athlete and overall good guy Cooper, beautiful homecoming / prom princess Addy, mysterious bad boy Nate and gossip monger Simon all end up in detention together one day after school. Sound a little like '80's hit movie Breakfast Club? Five stereotypes who have very little to say to each and really nothing in common until... the unimaginable happens and Simon goes into anaphylactic shock. He has a well-known, severe peanut allergy, yet his epi-pen isn't in his backpack and no one can find any in the nurses office. By the time the ambulance arrives, it's too late. What really happened to Simon? Was this an elaborate plan to get rid of the school's biggest gossip? Did he have something on one of the people in the room big enough for murder? All four swear they had nothing to do with Simon's death. Who is lying? Are they all lying? Can they trust each other? Can they trust anyone? As the remaining four deal with the fall out of Simon's death, they begin to see each other for who they are beyond the surface, they realize who their friends really are, they deal with the possibility of losing everything and each one is forced to reach within themselves for the strength to survive. WHAT I LOVED Very well-written book. It's been a long time since I was in high school, but I thought Karen McManus captured the essence of the experience. The angst, the social divisions and the fear everyone had of stepping out of line and ending up being banished. The tides turn so quickly and so randomly that with one wrong move, even the most popular can find themselves completely friendless. Although I guessed a couple of the key plot lines/ twists, I did not see the final twist coming. The final puzzle piece was not who I expected. Great twist. I loved how all the characters ended up being more 3 dimensional than expected. Each having unseen challenges, pressures and secrets. WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE Not much to not love. A couple parts were fairly predictable but still a great book. OVERALL Great read for both teenagers and adults. I would probably say it's more for 14/ 15 and above. There are some mature themes/ references (language, drugs, depression, mental illness, alcohol, sex and homosexuality), none of it gratuitous, no over blown descriptions but it is in there.

Engaging debut thriller! The description for One of Us is Lying is accurate. This novel reminded me so much of one of my favorite movies, The Breakfast Club. I haven't read nor watched Pretty Little Liars but now I know I want to. The story begins when five kids are sent to detention but only four leave the room alive. There's Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper, and Simon. Bronwyn is the good student. Her destiny is Yale. She's an overachiever. Addy is the homecoming princess who's dating the perfect guy. Cooper is the star athlete. The one being scouted by the major leagues. Nate, the drug dealer who's on probation already. Last, there's Simon who's a threat to everyone because he's the mastermind behind the gossip app who has destroyed several lives at Bayview High. When Simon dies, the rest of the kids are the main suspects. Is one of them lying? Did they plan it together? Or is it one of them the culprit? Worse, is someone else framing them? These are all valid questions which Karen M. McManus does a beautiful job at disentangling them. I was hooked from the first chapter. Surprisingly, I ended up liking all the suspects but my favorite one was....you know it...bad boy Nate. Nate has been given a bad deal. He comes from a broken home with an alcoholic father and a no-present mother. He has raised himself and he made the wrong decisions to pay the bills. He's in trouble with the law already. His future as a suspect looks grim. Bronwyn was my second favorite. She's smart and protective of her younger sister. Her character grows as I was turning the pages. Her loyalty and dedication towards another character won me over. Addy's life crumbles in front of her eyes when Simon's death affects her perfect relationship. She looks for solace in her family, specifically her older sister who supports her no questions asked. I was glad she had her. Addy's was the character that grew the most and who developed a backbone when she needed it the most. I was not sure what to think about Cooper at first. I thought he was shallow but I soon realized he was the one under the most pressure. He was hiding things that if known, could affect the rest of his life. Even when his future is threatened, he has time to do small things in support of the other suspects. One of Us Is Lying played in my head just like a movie. It had the perfect combination of suspense, intrigue and captivating characters. The plot, as well as the dialogue, was well developed and entertaining. I won't hesitate to read another book by Karen M. McManus. “Unless one of us is lying. Which is always a possibility.” Cliffhanger: No

In "One of Us is Lying," Karen M. McManus crafts a thrilling contemporary mystery that invites readers to immerse themselves in the tension-filled corridors of Bayview High. Five seemingly typical students—each representing a different high school stereotype—walk into detention, but only four make it out alive. The shock of Simon's sudden death sets off a riveting chain of events, as the remaining classmates find themselves entwined in a web of suspicion and intrigue. Each of the four suspects—Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper—harbors secrets that Simon was poised to expose, raising questions about their innocence and complicity. McManus skillfully interweaves multiple perspectives, allowing readers to uncover layers of deception and complexity within each character. As tensions rise and the investigation unfolds, the story explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the lengths one might go to protect their secrets. With its fast-paced narrative and clever plot twists, "One of Us is Lying" keeps readers guessing until the very end, delivering a gripping tale that challenges assumptions and highlights the darker side of high school life. Perfect for fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers, this book is an edge-of-your-seat read that reminds us that appearances can be deceiving—and that anyone can be capable of murder.

I binge-read this book, not due to the murder mystery but rather because of its rich character development. Four high school students: Nate, Cooper, Addy, and Bronwyn become the center of attention (and suspects) due to the death a fellow classmate, Simon. Before reading the book, I thought it would be a cliche teen novel with complicated plot lines, and flat stereotyped characters. But I was wrong, the book was a pleasant surprise. From the first 10 page or so, the book wastes no time to get to the main story, the murder of Simon. From there, the book pulls you in with a cat and mouse game. Sure it has drag but the author uses it to her advantage. Every time the story slows down, it develops or reveals a layer of a character in the book. Sure the book has tropes but all of them feel real rather than stereotyped. The book also presses at several important issues that I did not expect (and I will not spoil in the review). In the end, it is a book that I would recommend highly to everyone I know. I binge-read this book, not due to the murder mystery but rather because of its rich character development. Four high school students: Nate, Cooper, Addy, and Bronwyn become the center of attention (and suspects) due to the death a fellow classmate, Simon. Before reading the book, I thought it would be a cliche teen novel with complicated plot lines, and flat stereotyped characters. But I was wrong, the book was a pleasant surprise. From the first 10 page or so, the book wastes no time to get to the main story, the murder of Simon. From there, the book pulls you in with a cat and mouse game. Sure it has drag but the author uses it to her advantage. Every time the story slows down, it develops or reveals a layer of a character in the book. Sure the book has tropes but all of them feel real rather than stereotyped. The book also presses at several important issues that I did not expect (and I will not spoil in the review). In the end, it is a book that I would recommend highly to everyone I know.

I read One of Us Is Lying a while back, and while the concept really grabbed me — five students go into detention, but only four come out alive — the book didn’t leave a lasting impression overall. It had potential, especially with the Breakfast Club-meets-murder-mystery vibe, but the suspense never fully pulled me in the way I hoped. The multiple POVs gave each character their moment, but the voices often blurred together. The mystery was interesting enough to keep reading, though I found parts of it predictable. That said, it touches on some heavier topics that added depth, which I appreciated. If you enjoy high school settings, messy secrets, and light mysteries with drama, this could be a hit for you. For me, it was a decent read, just not one that stuck with me. 📚 I received no incentive for this review — just sharing honest thoughts from a longtime reader.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManns is a multi-perspective book based on a mysterious death of a student during a detention. I found myself loving the way this book explored different points of view. It would often switch between different characters' perspectives. For someone who normally enjoys a movie or film adaptation rather than the book, the way that author uses these points of view makes me crave more. The perspectives are special as they give insight into each character and fully flesh them out. Instead of being presented with someone like a typical jock in most books, you end up learning their reasons for acting the way they do. On top of this, this book does a great job displaying social media's role in highschool life. It uses ideas like rumors to show the negative impact they truly have on the person involved. But the best part of this book is the main plot itself. The journey within the pages of this book holds many plot twists, suspenseful moments, and even some emotion. This aspect is a good contrast compared to most other mystery books. But although this book is amazing, it doesn’t come without its negatives. I believe the largest flaw of this book is becoming hard to follow. With the multi-perspective way of writing, it often becomes jumbled and makes me have to go back to figure out which character’s perspective I was in. To add to this, the way the author displays time made it hard to tell if it had been a day or a year. This would not have become an issue if the author did not struggle to set the scene. The story often jumps between different settings with no warning and leaves the reader to decide what is going on. Overall though, this book was a great read. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys mystery books, or just loves a good plot twist.

I think I went off on the wrong foot with this book; I wrongly and mistakenly assumed that this book wasn’t for me – boring, full of high school dramas and teenage angst which, to tell the truth, were not my thing at the moment. It indeed took a while for this book to grow on me. As I mentioned earlier, except for the first chapter where Simon, a notorious gossip mastermind of Bayview High, mysteriously died from a severe peanut allergy, I spent a huge chunk of the first half frustrated and feeling detached from the story. I knew the book was in the middle of build up, but what I thought endless, too detailed descriptions about the four suspects – the four students – and their backgrounds and emotional conflicts were a bit too much for me. I was expecting more of the mystery – whodunnit – elements (as this book is supposedly YA mystery), definitely NOT high school dramas involving drama kings and drama queens where they whine and go on and on about what they have done wrong. To be honest, I wasn’t remotely interested in such kind of stuff. It may sound harsh, but I was pretty close to giving up on this book. But I didn’t want to. So I tried to throw all my preconceived ideas about this book and start over with a clean slate, seeing this book as a mere YA contemporary rather than a YA mystery. And I’m glad to say, it worked. It actually took me another 20% of the book to get me fully invested in this book, it worked nonetheless. I think it was where a big secret of the Mr. Nice guy was finally out and how it leads to a debacle of his future, friendship and familial relationship. The grim undertone reeled me in the story in the true sense of the word – for the first time – and I realized this book might call for readers in the right frame of mind and being patient. Your opinions might differ from mine and you may have been hooked by this book straight away, but it wasn’t the case for me. It needed me to read this book with the same approach that I usually take when reading YA contemporary/romance. Anyways, from then onwards, I found this book pretty unputdownable; I enjoyed all the elements in this book. Friendship, budding romance, suspicion, and emotional struggles and guilt from what they have done. Such elements are really well-integrated and gelled with the main plot, and I definitely enjoyed the thrills and excitement as I was inching towards the end, as I got closer to the revelations to the whole plot. Although I might have made this book out to be devoid of the mystery elements earlier, it isn’t true. The disturbing and mysterious ‘Tumbler’ posts which were not ought to be published because of Simon’s death certainly got me curious to know who actually killed Simon. Was it either of the four students? Or is there an accomplice?? The plot twist which I didn’t see it coming took me by surprise but this book doesn’t end there – there’s actually another important key to this murder case and I thought it was really well done. I read the last 30% in one sitting – I was kept on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t put it down. The characters, especially the main four characters are all well-fleshed out. Their issues, secrets and consternation from unexpectedly embroiled in the murder case are well delineated with the solid writing and alternating multiple POVs, getting me emotionally close to them. I especially enjoyed how the four characters begin to close ranks to get down to the bottom of the case, supporting each other despite the fact they were not really friends nor particularly close before it happened. When the story, or the situations surrounding the main character(s) spin out of control, multiple POV style works really well, giving readers enough glimpse of their emotional process and what is going on in their minds. It adds a lot of tension and intrigues, a sheer delight of reading. Karen M. McManus certainly pulled off in that regard. She’s also brilliant at messing with our emotions – getting our hopes up and then crushing them on the next second. I went through this agony especially in Bronwyn’s chapters. I personally Bronwyn and Cooper’s chapters are outstanding compared to the ones of the other two characters. I might be wrong, but I felt that way anyway. I appreciate this book ends on a light, hopeful note. The four characters have gone through their own nightmares and debacles, it has also made them stronger and be honest to themselves. This book left me with warm feelings, wondering what their future holds for them. Apart from the depictions of police procedural being pretty shoddy (I was like, ‘Come on, they couldn’t be this sloppy, could they?’), I am quite satisfied with this book. This is surprisingly emotionally charged, well-written book. I am glad I ended up liking this book in the end. Another lesson NOT to easily DNF a book; Story CAN pick up where you leave off.