ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus

"Everyone has secrets, right?"

One of Us is Lying

Genres: Young Adult Suspense | Thriller Psychological

Posted: February 25, 2018

I really enjoyed reading ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus. This young adult novel reminds me of a 1980's movie mixed with the television show, Pretty Little Liars. There is a mix of high school drama, suspense from trying to find a murder suspect, and the friendships that are formed along the way.

When an unlikely group of high school students are all sent to detention for breaking the no phones in class rule something unexpected happens. One of them does not make it out alive! One question remains throughout this book, who did it?

McManus takes you on a roller coaster of a ride as you read from all four characters points of view. Each one telling you bits and pieces of why they could have done it. Slowly you learn what each one has to hide and why. Some of these secrets are more shocking than the others, but all can hurt and destroy lives just the same.

I really like the high school setting and I feel that it helps to explain the reason behind the app that Simon created that was eventually the reason someone wanted him dead. The suspects are the four who did make it out of detention. Could it be Bronwyn the brain, Addy the beauty, Nate the criminal, or Cooper the athlete? Who killed Simon in detention and why? That is the ongoing question throughout this read. I found ONE OF US IS LYING to have many surprises, with love, friendship, hope, anger, and suspense weaving together to create a truly unforgettable read. It's one you will read again and again. I cannot wait to read more from Karen M. McManus.

Book Summary

“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.

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.