One of Us is Lying Book Review
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus Book Review and Recommendation.
Date: 2-07-25 Post Written By: MK Overall Rating: 9.9/10 Buy on Amazon: One of Us is Lying
Book Cover Rating: 8.9/10
(My personal opinion)
Author: Karen M. McManus
Pages: 416
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Mystery
Subplots: Thriller, Romance
Series: One of Us is Lying #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Published: 2017
Number of Editions: 143
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook, Audio
Awards Won: YALSA Teens’ Top Ten, South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult, Rhode Island Teen Book Award, Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee For High School, Gateway Readers Award Nominee, Lincoln Award Nominee, Goodreads Choice Award Nominee For Young Adult Fiction, and more.
Goodreads Rating: 3.92/5
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
Movie/TV Show?? : TV Show on Peacock!
Book Type: Standard
POV Type: Multi
Pacing: Fast
Generally: The Breakfast Club + Murder, Engaging, Mysterious
Hook:
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.
And Simon, 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.
My Review
Going Into It:
Going into this book I had just read a couple average YA mystery books, and was looking forward to something similar. I never could have expected just how much BETTER this book would be….
Characters:
Bronwyn Rojas- Bronwyn is one of the four main characters in this book. She’s a senior in high school. She is seemingly a stereotypical ‘good girl.’ She is SUPER smart and on track for Yale. But, she also feels a lot of pressure to not disappoint others.
Cooper Clay- Cooper is another main character. He is seemingly a stereotypical ‘Jock.’ But, he is still REALLY nice, and smart. He’s a STAR baseball player and a senior in high school.
Nate Macauley- Nate is the third main character. He’s also a senior in high school, but he’s had a more troubled past. He is friends with the wrong people, and generally seems like the stereotypical ‘bad boy drug dealer.’
Adelaide Prentiss- Addy is the final main character, and another high school senior. She is the stereotypical ‘popular blond beauty.’ In reality she can be indecisive and insecure, but is also smarter than anyone thinks she is. Addy is also under a lot of pressure from her family and friends.
Simon Kelleher- Simon is only really in the first few chapters of this book, but the rest of the book generally revolves around him. He is a stereotypical ‘outcast,’ and he invented a gossip app. No one likes him, but people still listen to the mean gossip, right up until its about them……
Wow!! I LOVED them ALL the main characters ❤️❤️❤️!! This is probably in my top 5 best group of characters I’ve read about. At first glance it seemed like they all had VERY stereotypical personalities, but Karen M. McManus somehow made them all seem so UNIQUE and engaging. I loved their interactions, secrets, and personalities. They honestly couldn’t be better.
Character Rating: 10/10
Setting:
This book takes place in Bayview, California. A majority of the book takes place at Bayview High School.
I have absolutely nothing to complain about: the setting was described well enough to picture it, and some parts had great tension and energy, but overall the setting didn’t stick out in comparison to some other books I’d read recently.
Setting Rating: 6.8/10
Plot:
Wow!! Gripping, exciting, energetic!! This plot was FULL of twists and turns, and second guessing everything you thought you knew two minutes earlier. This plot and ‘whodunit’ sort of idea stood out dramatically in comparison to other books I’d read recently. I’ve heard this described as “YA breakfast club” and (even though I haven’t ever actually watched breakfast club), I tend to agree.
Plot Rating: 9.8/10
Writing:
I ABSOLUTELY understand why people call Karen M. McManus the “Queen of YA”. This writing was perfect!! I was never confused, and could always feel the emotions and energy in her writing. I’m immediately going to go buy any other Karen M. McManus books I haven’t already read 😊.
Writing Rating: 10/10
Ending:
YES!! I was SO worried the ending would ruin some of the LOVE I had for the other parts/characters in this book, but it didn’t!! It was the perfect amount of “wow I DID NOT expect that,” while still making sense and wrapping the plot up FLAWLESSLY.
Ending Rating: 10/10
The Overall:
Overall, I LOVED this book. Definitely my favorite YA mystery book I have read recently!! The plot, characters, writing AND ending were PERFECTION!! I would strongly recommend this book!
Overall Book Rating: 9.9/10
I would strongly recommend this book
Buy on Amazon:
ChatGPT’s Opinion: The story takes place at Bayview High, where five students—Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper, and Simon—are all in detention together. However, only four of them walk out alive. Simon, the notorious gossip who’s known for spreading rumors about everyone, dies during the detention, and it quickly becomes clear that his death wasn't an accident. Each of the remaining students is a suspect, and they all have their own secrets that Simon was planning to expose. As the investigation unfolds, the group of students must confront their pasts and work together to uncover the truth behind Simon's death.
The book is a mix of suspense and drama, with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. Each character has a unique perspective, making the story engaging and layered.
-
Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work includes the One of Us Is Lying series, which was turned into a television show, as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, Nothing More to Tell, and Such Charming Liars. Karen’s critically acclaimed, award-winning books have been translated into forty-two languages.
-
-
ChatGPT.com (ONLY for specified “ChatGPT’s opinion” portion of review)