5/17/22, 5:51 AM
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
Stephen Writes
Book reviews, and original bookish content
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen
M. McManus
DECEMBER 2, 2020NOVEMBER 15, 2020 ~ STEPHEN WRITES
This book has been on my TBR for such a long time, and when Ellie (https://readtoramble.com/downthe-tbr-hole-36/) and I agreed to do a buddy read together it felt like the perfect opportunity to pick it up
at last. Thank you so much to Ellie, she made reading this a really fun experience and it was great to
share our reactions to everything that happened.
Pages: 358
Published: 30th May 2017
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Trigger warnings: Cyber bullying, sexual references, drugs, homophobia
Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule.
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5/17/22, 5:51 AM
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
Sports star Cooper only knows what he’s doing in the baseball diamond.
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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.
This is a mystery that presents a fascinating premise and almost totally delivers in terms of execution. It
is both supremely clever and very well thought out as the story poses an endless stream of questions that
will tie your brain up in knots and leave you desperate for answers, all while trying to pick the merest of
holes in each character’s narrative.
The technique of using multiple perspectives and switching frequently between them works perfectly
for this book and it is done to maximum effect, adding to the already considerable intrigue and creating
something that is not only addictive, but brilliantly developed. As a result, I was so invested in
discovering how it would all play out that each revelation towards the end was met with an audible
reaction.
One day at school, five pupils go into detention at Bayview High School but only four come out alive.
Bronwyn is bright and abides by all the rules. Cooper is popular, easy-going, and very good at baseball.
Nate is in danger of falling into a life of crime and is on probation for dealing drugs. Addy is the
glamourous prom queen. Meanwhile, Simon runs an app that reveals everyone at Bayview’s worst
secrets and is rather unpopular.
The only thing they have in common is that mobile phones were all placed in their school bags without
their knowledge, causing them to be put in detention with technophobe teacher Mr Avery. Whilst there,
Simon pours himself a drink of water before a car accident takes place outside, which makes everyone
get out of their seats to look out of the window. Mr Avery leaves the room.
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5/17/22, 5:51 AM
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
When Simon eventually downs his water, he suffers a severe allergic reaction and dies, despite the
others’ best efforts to revive him. The suspicion immediately falls on his four classmates. Did one of
them put something in Simon’s drink when he was not looking and remove the EpiPens from the nurse’s
room? As the case plays out under the glare of the national media, they all protest their innocence, but it
also emerges that Simon knew things about them that they were desperate to hide.
The plot was gripping and threw up all sorts of possibilities, which ensured that I was constantly
speculating about what really happened during the detention and most importantly, who killed Simon.
The inclusion of cryptic social media posts made things more interesting, as did the fact that the whole
thing seemed staged and all the main characters had an apparent motive.
Every character comes under scrutiny at various stages of the book, which made for an exciting guessing
game, and the outcome was quite unexpected in its own way. The only minor issue I had was the
absence of even the most subtle of clues, giving the reader very little opportunity to work things out.
One of the most important pieces of information was given retrospectively, which I did not really
appreciate.
Apart from that, however, it is thoroughly engrossing and I loved that despite the complexity
surrounding the mystery, there was also a major focus on character development. The story alternates
between the four points of view throughout its timeline, all of them written in the first person and –
despite not possessing a great deal of originality in one or two cases – provided with an excellent
amount of depth.
Of all the characters, Bronwyn is the one most determined to get to the truth. I really liked this aspect of
her, and she clearly becomes less self-conscious over the course of the story. We see this most acutely in
her romance with Nate, which seemed unlikely at first but their relationship was very sweet and I ended
up rooting for them.
Nate himself was someone who I was unsure I would like in the beginning, but he definitely grew on
me. He struck me as misunderstood, and I particularly appreciated the way he defied all the clichés. As
for Cooper, he was the kind of likeable person who looked out for everyone, and he had a very
interesting storyline that the author developed so well.
But for me, the biggest surprise of all was Addy. I had a fairly negative opinion of her at first as she
seemed vain and also quite submissive, but she grew so much as a character to the extent that she
became my favourite out of the four. It was absolutely wonderful to see her gain such a level of
independence and inner strength.
For all of their positive traits, the book always left you to wonder if one was indeed lying and had
actually killed Simon, which made the mystery very fiendish indeed. There are plenty of other characters
who come into the reckoning too. Each one of them is very well developed, and several of them are also
hard to completely trust.
It all takes place in a fairly typical high school setting, but that did help to highlight certain topics such
as class divisions and unsavoury social attitudes. The inclusion of Mikhail Powers Investigates and all the
media coverage was perhaps a little over-dramatic, but it was entertaining all the same.
The writing is engaging and has a fast pace, giving the plot a real intensity. There is excellent attention to
detail which is evident in each component of the mystery, and it is easy to see why this has become one
of the most popular young adult thrillers along with A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, one of the
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5/17/22, 5:51 AM
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
outstanding books I have read this year.
Overall, this is a difficult book to put down. The character development works brilliantly alongside a
compulsive mystery and barring a few slight niggles, it was a highly accomplished read. The sequel is
now a tantalising prospect and having finally got round to picking up this book, I am now wondering
what took me so long.
A very good read. I loved the use of multiple POVs and the amount of character development, which as
much as anything made it a hard one to put down. The mystery was not bad either!
My rating:
.5
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LYING
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ONE OF US IS
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Published by Stephen Writes
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Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
19 thoughts on “Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by
Karen M. McManus”
1.
Shalini
SAYS:
DECEMBER 2, 2020 AT 10:03
I think I would love to read this book. Sounds so much fun. Fantastic review
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 10:06
Thank you, Shalini
It was definitely a fun read.
2.
Reply
Bex
SAYS:
DECEMBER 2, 2020 AT 10:58
Nice to see you enjoyed it. Did you know there’s a sequel? I really liked it.
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 10:07
Yes, I’m about to start the sequel! I’m glad you enjoyed it
Reply
1.
Bex
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 11:25
3.
Gobookmart.com
SAYS:
DECEMBER 2, 2020 AT 11:37
Great..
i should pick it for my next read.
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 10:07
Enjoy!
4.
Reply
Jessica @ beyondthefrontcover
https://stephenwriterblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/02/book-review-one-of-us-is-lying-by-karen-m-mcmanus/
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5/17/22, 5:51 AM
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 2, 2020 AT 15:03
Sounds really good! I’m glad to hear the multiple POV’s worked here, I find it can be hit and miss as
to whether it enriches a book or just makes it confusing. Great to read your thoughts as always
Stephen
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 10:09
Thank you, Jess! It’s an addictive read and I agree that multiple POVs don’t always work, but it is
perfect for this book
5.
Reply
Noelle
SAYS:
DECEMBER 2, 2020 AT 17:43
Nice review!
I’ve been considering reading mystery/thriller stories lately, but it’s hard choosing where to start.
This book sounds like a gripping read! I’m especially interested in the character development that
takes place as the mystery unfolds.
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 10:12
Thank you! This wouldn’t be a bad place to start! Yes, the character development is terrific
6.
Reply
Julie Anna's Books
SAYS:
DECEMBER 3, 2020 AT 00:05
Great review! This book has been on my radar for a very long time – I never knew whether or not I
wanted to pick it up! It sounds really good from your review though!
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 7, 2020 AT 10:38
Thank you so much! I really hope you enjoy it if you do pick it up – it keeps you guessing.
7.
Reply
Bookshelves and Teacups
SAYS:
DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT 13:28
I remember loving this book. It was a good mystery and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who
the killer was using characterization as my only clue. The sequel was quite disappointing though.
Reply
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1.
8.
Book Review – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus – Stephen Writes
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 7, 2020 AT 11:46
I’m glad you enjoyed it! And ah I’ve just started the sequel, sorry it didn’t live up to your
expectations.
Reply
Ruby Rae Reads
SAYS:
DECEMBER 21, 2020 AT 14:43
Ah so glad you enjoyed this one, I found it so much fun!! This review is so amazing btw!! I 1000%
agree about the lying aspect, it’s actually a really interesting plot device that the author used and
makes the story super engaging. I really enjoyed the sequel if you were interested in that one xx
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
DECEMBER 23, 2020 AT 12:19
Thank you, Ruby!! I’m really glad you enjoyed this one too, it was such an easy book to invest in.
I actually finished reading the sequel last week, it was okay but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much
9.
Reply
Siya Gite
SAYS:
MAY 25, 2021 AT 13:49
The book is totally awesome! Especially, the plot is really very engaging and I also had a lot of fun
reading it! Amazing review, Stephen!
Reply
1.
Stephen Writes
SAYS:
MAY 29, 2021 AT 10:53
Thank you so much, Siya! I’m glad you loved the book as well
Reply
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