One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

 
Title: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Rating: 4 stars
Review Writer: Teodora B.

 

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus follows an intriguing plot that will hook readers in instantly. 5 students walk into detention. 4 leave. Who murdered the 5th? 

 

Each student - Bronwyn, the brain; Addy, the beauty; Nate, the bad boy; Cooper, the athlete - has their own story, and fair share of secrets. But most importantly, they all have their own reasons for wanting Simon, the school’s most notorious gossip blogger, gone. When he dies under suspicious circumstances, they all become suspects. As the investigation unfolds, tensions rise, friendships are tested, and the truth becomes harder to hide. 

 

I really enjoyed this book, because the characters are all relatable. There’s such diversity in their backgrounds and personalities, that everyone can find a character they connect to. I also like how each chapter is written from a different character’s perspective. It really allows you to understand where they are each coming from, and their reasons for doing certain things or behaving a certain way. It also has a very unexpected ending, so if you usually instantly guess who did it, this will be much harder for you to figure out. However, one thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the pacing. The book has a slower pace as compared to other murder mystery books. Some of the scenes seem unnecessary, as they do not contribute to the plot. Overall, I would recommend One Of Us is Lying to fans of murder mystery novels, and thrillers. 

 

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Title: One of Us is Lying by Karen M.  McManus

Reviewer: Louisa, grade 8

Rating: 5 stars

One of us is Lying by Karen M. McManus is a thrilling novel filled with suspense and shocking plot twists. This mystery is centered around four high school students that have never before had anything to do with one another; Bronwyn, who will most likely get into Yale at some point, Cooper, whose life is all baseball, Addy, the perfect prom queen, and Nate, Bayview High School’s resident bad boy. These seemingly unrelated teens get drawn together in the face of a murder investigation where they are the suspects, and while secrets are uncovered and truths are revealed, they start forming an unlikely friendship.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it kept me interested the whole time, and as new developments shocked me, it got more intriguing. It was also easy to understand and relate to the characters and their conflicts. The whole plot is very believable, and it is full of subtle clues and red herrings that turned me in every direction possible while reading it. As well as spinning a mystery, Karen M. McManus incorporates real-world problems in our society, such as substance abuse and homophobia, into her book. This helps make the story even more real and engaging because the characters have real problems and conflicts that make it easier to connect to them. 

Overall, this book was excellent, with a suspenseful plot that makes it a real page-turner. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting mystery or just a good book in general.