5 Thrilling Stars

“… Four good looking, high profile students all being investigated for murder. And nobody’s what they seem.”

I have to admit it I didn’t read the blurb as I love to go in blind especially with authors I’m not familiar with but when I read the tag line on the cover “The geek, the Jock, the princess, the criminal, who would you believe?” I have to admit I was hooked! I’m also a big fan of YA reads but this sounded different, twisted even so I knew I had to read it!

The plot is a basic one, five students enter detention but only four leave however the story behind it is far from straight forward! From the very first chapter I knew this wouldn’t be your average YA read. The story is very cleverly written. It’s told from all four of the student’s point of view and in first person which made you feel like you actually living this nightmare along with them. It’s extremely fast paced too which just made it so additive!
The story is very much plot driven and the character development second to none! After finishing this book I was absolutely amazed to read this is the author’s debut book which I have to say wow, where has this author been hiding!

The characters were all very different and in their everyday lives they wouldn’t normally give each other the time of day but when they are all accused of murder they find they have to work together. Bronwyn the overachiever who is destined for Yale, Addy the popular girl who is really is just insecure. Nate, the resident bad boy who has a terrible home life and Cooper the jock who lives and breathes baseball. If you look at these kids on the surface you would think they have nothing in common but they do, they all have secrets and big ones at that! So the question is, just how far would they go to keep their deepest darkest secrets hidden. Well, this is where it gets interesting!

I have a knack of guessing the twists in reads and with this one I have to say I did catch on about mid-way through. Normally that would immediately turn me off and skim read the rest of the story so I could find out if I was indeed correct but with this I didn’t do that. The writing was just too good; I just couldn’t put it down. The cleverest part of this story is that none of the detail given to you is pointless and let me tell you it’s all about the detail so do not miss a word! Don’t be tempted to rush through to find out literally who did it. Absorb every chapter, every nuance because otherwise you’ll wish you hadn’t!

As you would expect from reading a story about teenagers there is an element of romance in this book from two of my favourite characters. It suited the storyline perfectly and at no point did it feel like it was added just for the sake of the genre. There is no sex in this read so if you’re looking for this kind of read for early teens I would say it’s a great choice. There is reference to sex but no sex scenes as such. The relationship between the two characters was on the sweet side and if anything added more dimension to the read not that it needed any mind.

Wow, Ms McManus you really took me on the ride of my life! You have thrilled me and kept my interest throughout. You have delivered everything I love in a Young Adult read, angst, drama but also suspense so I couldn’t ask for more. I used to love reading suspense/mystery reads when I was a teenager but in the midst of my adult life I lost interest so I’d like to say thank you for giving me a reminder of what a great and stimulating genre it is. If you are a YA lover then I highly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed! Congratulations Ms McManus, I cannot wait to see what you have for me next!

4.5stars

This is such a good book! I love that this book is both a contemporary and a thriller. There are parts that are just cute and about friendship and others that put your heart speeding up to know what's going to happen!

The book follows Bronwyn, Addy, Nate and Cooper. They were put in detention after being found with phones in class, that turned out, weren't theirs. Someone clearly set them up and they have to discover why because in that same room in detention was Simon - the school gossiper - and he had an allergic attack to peanut oil after drinking just a cup of water and died. Now, the four of them have been made suspects and a lot of secrets are going to come up!

Our characters couldn't be more different from each other! But I love that as the book goes on, their friendship develops, and without what happened, they would have never been friends.

I absolutely loved how the secrets were unraveled and how realistic the whole situation felt. The writing was really good and made the book incredibly gripping and the different pov's, which usually I'm not a fan of, were really nicely done and easy to follow.

I can't stop thinking about this book! It was just so good and although I was kind of expecting already what happened at the end, it still managed to surprise me in many ways!

I would love if this book was ever turned into a movie - preferably a really good adaptation. It would be such a good - slightly cute - thriller! And they should also keep that cover because it's gorgeous!

I loved this book and I would most definitely recommend it!

One Of Us Is Lying is the YA thriller of 2017. I ate up every second of this book. The plot is entirely clever with plenty of red herrings and twists throughout. The characters are outstanding. They are fully developed, feeling like real people and not just caricatures of your typical teenager. The writing is excellent keeping and will keep you hooked throughout. Certainly a Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars type except better than what you think that will give you. This story is truly a delight. I highly recommend if you enjoy YA mysteries or thrillers, you get your hands on this one asap!

Genuinely page-turning and gripping, with an amazing premise, truly unpredictable twists and sympathetic, compelling characters.

This is not the kind of book I usually choose to read. I don't know why, but murder mysteries have never really appealed to me. But this book is different. It combines my love of teen fiction, The Breakfast Club and American high schools with a tense and complicated murder mystery. I loved the depth of the characters and how their lives change during the investigation. I loved seeing characters like Addy, who seemed a little bit bland if I'm being honest, make a complete life U-Turn and become this cool and independent woman. Some elements are predictable and ultimately I saw some parts of the ending coming, but I think there are enough twists and excitement to keep readers gripped until the end. This is a stay-up-all-night kind of read. I loved it.

I really loved this book - what a great read! I wasn't sure about a teenage book, as they are often filled with lots of angst that I don't miss and wouldn't go back to for the world. But this wasn't like that - there were the trials and tribulations of teenage life in there, and the characters had some stereotype features, but they were developed and carefully crafted to be much more than they first appeared. I loved the murder mystery, which was gripping - and the title is a genius stroke as I was immediately wondering which of the narrators was lying to me. I thought I had solved the puzzle about 2/3 in, but there were still some twists and turns I hadn't expected which made it gripping until the last page. This is a fun and fast read, as you want to see the next piece of the puzzle - well paced and written with great affection. The characters are varied and some serious issues are raised and dealt with very sensitively.

Five high school students are in detention for having phones on them: the princess, the jock, the brain, the outsider and the gossip. By the end of detention, Simon (the gossip who reveals everyone's secrets though a blog) is dead. As the story unfolds, each of other four have their worst secret revealed. Suspicion falls on the four of them and the question in the title becomes one you will ask: which one of them is lying? Of course, all of them are lying but in this case, who would kill Simon? A teen mystery that really crosses over as all adults will recognize the characters from their teenage years. An excellent read, as even if you figure some of it out, there is more to come.

What I really loved about this book was not only the diversity and representation that it offered, with a bunch of different characters who poked fun at the stereotypes that they were supposed to represent, but also the different perspectives that we saw as they each struggled through the difficult days after the loss of a classmate that they weren’t actually sure they liked, and the ensuing murder investigation.

Besides the Bayview Four, there were a cast of other, interesting characters propping up this schooltime thriller, from Bronwyn’s sister Maeve to Addy’s boyfriend Jake, and Simon’s only friend Janae, each had their role to play, and you felt like there was more to them than just their role in the story. If I had a complaint, it would be that a) it’s never explained how old Maeve is, and why she’s hanging out with people who are clearly older than her, and b) she doesn’t seem to really have any interests outside of Bronwyn. But I can forgive that on the basis that if my sister was accused of murder, I’d drop all my outside interests too.

A host of unhelpful and often distant parents was the typical setup to allow these four to solve their own murder mystery, despite having been advised to stay away from each other until the investigation was complete.

While I thought at first that this might be jam-packed full of cliches, with the typical stereoptyped, one-dimensional high-schoolers and the secrets they don’t want to get out, what actually unfolded over the course of the book was much more nuanced than that.

Each of the Bayview Four has something to hide, and inevitably, as is the way of teen dramas, those secrets are gradually revealed and the stakes raise higher and higher, with a mysterious Tumblr blog amping up the tension by revealing details that couldn’t have been known to anyone outside the room.

I figured out the killer roughly halfway through the book – much earlier than the characters, but then I suppose I have the advantage of the omniscient presence, and having read a lot of thrillers – but that didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the story. There was still plenty going on as they – and I – unravelled the tangled web of secrets and lies, figuring out who knew what and who was where at which point. The tension was as much in what would happen next as in figuring out whodunnit.

I devoured this book in a day and a half, skiving off work, hanging around too long during downtimes, lingering overlong during lunch, and staying up late while my boyfriend snored beside me. It was compulsive reading, with enough variety and intrigue to keep me interested even after I figured out who the liar was.

Mix Prep School Confidential with The Liar Society and throw in a dash of Dangerous Girls and you're still not even close to the plot of One of Us in Lying but you're in the right ballpark in terms of a YA murder mystery.

One of Us in Lying is the ultimate high school whodunit. When a teen dies during detention the remaining four students find themselves under scrutiny and at the centre of a murder mystery.

All the students have secrets, which victim Simon seemed ready and willing to exploit. So it's not difficult to imagine any of them murdering him as they all had motives.

The story is told from multiple POVs which means the reader gets to experience the mystery unfold right along with Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper and Nate.

The book is full of secrets and lies. Like literally all the secrets! No not really but you get the point. I had my suspicions about the culprit/culprits from the start, then promptly changed my mind and ended up being right on the money (don't worry no spoilers here).

As much as the story is about finding Simon's killer, it's also about the pressure and stress placed on teenagers today. We uncover a lot about Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper and Nate throughout the book. We see them as they face their guilt, loss, anger and tackle their own more personal issues.

One of Us is Lying is an intriguing and dramatic coming of age story with a harsh lesson and good mystery.

4 Stars in my Sky!

I received a review copy

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel - as someone who doesn't usually read YA novels I wasn't sure what to expect but this one really sucked me in!

Now don't get me wrong - I didn't really identify with the main characters much because sometimes they were such 'teenagers trying desperately to act like grown ups' - like a lot of teenagers are I suppose! But they did irritate me at times. This didn't spoil my enjoyment, though - it only added to the feeling that being at high school must be very like living in a jungle, with everyone trying to be top of the chain and outdoing each other. Must be exhausting!

There were all the 'usual' social groups you tend to see in American movies and books, with an element of Gossip Girl thrown in: pure, guilty-pleasure viewing! I haven't watched Pretty Little Liars but a lot of people compare it to that too.

The story itself is told from various perspectives - Bronwyn, Cooper, Addy, and Nate - and I really liked that. It's a simple and easy read, but there are still plenty of secrets and half truths floating around, as well as a good dose of suspense. The narrative has various layers and depths as the book continues and you slowly unfurl what's happened, and I liked trying to work out who was lying and who wasn't.

I won't say anymore as I don't want to ruin anything but I can say that, even if you don't usually read YA novels, you might well enjoy One Of Us Is Lying - it's a well-crafted, easy to read and fun novel that kept me guessing until the end!

A good mystery like this one was exactly what I needed right now. It had very real, believable characters who you couldn't help but like as piece by piece you got to know their real personality. I don't think there was actually one of the four that I didn't love completely by the end. The way it's written makes you feel like you know them at the start but then as they get caught up in being investigated for murder and their lives start to fall apart, it uncovers more about their personalities and you start to really know them as individuals rather than stereotypes.

The mystery was compelling and beautifully written. I guessed the ending, but in a way that made me feel really clever rather than like it was predictable, because of the fantastic twist to the story. You've got to be able to guess the endings sometimes, or what's the point, right? It was just perfect and exactly the answer that satisfied me immensely.

Above all this is a story about secrets. There are so many secrets hidden in this book and it's all about what happens when they come out. I absolutely loved that idea and the way that everything changed as the plot progressed.

This is definitely one of the most perfect contemporary mysteries I've read and I would recommend it to anyone.

I was given a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

YA and whodunnits are my two favourite genre and when the two come together I am a happy reader. This book did not disappoint.

Five teens go to detention, four have deep secrets, one is the exposer of secrets - he dies! All four remaining teens claim they were framed into being present that day. The Police are convinced they colluded to commit the murder together. Secrets are exposed, relationships break and form, and lives are ruined before the truth comes out.

The multiple viewpoints are confusing at times, clues to the solution are disappointingly visible and the police are simplistic and single minded but the real story here is how these teens rise to overcome the events involved. It is a thoroughly good read that holds the attention right to the end.

This book opens like a Scream movie - to paraphrase Simon:
'You're all walking teenmovie stereotypes and I'm the omniscient narrator'.
Although under the genre YA, don't be put off if that's not normally the type of book you'd pick up. This could easily hold it's on with any current who dunnits or suspense thrillers. It just happens to be about a group of 17 year olds.
The main characters were all either instantly likable, interesting or made you smirk. Bronwyn reminded me of Hermione Grainger. As described by Nate:
‘She was always trying to join things or start things for other people to join. Then be in charge of all the things she joined or started’. (Mr Avery - Snape!?)
This made me laugh. Some YA fiction really struggles because even with a half decent suspenseful plot, the characters just don't ring true, but that wasn't the case here.
The author does a good job of dropping some subtle hints to make you question what everyone is hiding, but unless I was just having an off day, I didn't guess the outcome and the reveal until quite late on.
I was also relieved the author didn't give us a complete Disney, happy ending, final chapter. Somethings are just left for the reader to imagine how they will pan out. They are 17 after all - it's unlikely things will stay the same.
Great debut. Had me laughing and speeding through the pages. Will lookout for this author and would read any future novels.

This book was okay for me, I felt myself skimming it quite a few times and ended up mostly interested in the dialogue between characters. I can't say the book really gripped me, but the characters are what really pushed the story along and made me interested in seeing what is going to happen.

Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this. The highlight of this novel is definitely the characters. The main characters were written so well and had depth, you really got to know each of the main characters and connect with them. They were realistic and diverse and really made the story for me, but I just didn't find the rest of the writing as interesting.

Five students of Bayview High School have to go to detention for having a cell phone with them. They all swear that the mobiles do not belong to them and that they don’t have the least idea how they ended up in their backpacks. Bronwyn, the perfect student with a flawless record and surely a place at one of the Ivy League colleges; Nate, the constant loser who is currently on probation for drug dealing; Cooper, a promising baseball player; Addy, the girlfriend of one Bayview High’s most wanted boys; and Simon, on the one hand an outsider, on the other the creator and head behind the school’s gossip app who seems to know all the secrets of his class mates. Just a couple of minutes later, Simon is dead and the four remaining students are the prime suspects. Actually, all of them have something to hide as the police soon finds out and their secrets might have lead each single student to murder. They all plead innocent, but apparently one of them must be lying.

I really enjoyed this combination of young adult with crime novel. Karen McManus’ four protagonists are interestingly drawn, very singular characters which – of course – show some stereotypical features but which I think is normal for their age where you try to play some role and fit in. The author plays with the reader in bit by bit revealing more about the teenagers and their individual flaws and weaknesses. I did not really expect all of them having these secrets which, in fact, are everything but harmless and could really destroy their lives – well, that’s what happens when they are a finally revealed.

I liked the arc of suspense a lot. First of all, there has been a murder quite at the beginning of the story and of course you want to know who committed the crime. But then, all protagonists one after the other tell you that they have something to hide without immediately illuminating you. So apart from the search for the murderer, there is much more you want to find out and which makes you keep on reading.

For me, “One of US is Lying” can easily equal novels such as Jay Ashers “Thirteen Reasons Why”, Celeste Ng’s “Everything I Never Told You” or E. Lockhart’s “We Were Liars”.

Five children end up in detention at school, 4 of them have never been in detention before, all all think they were framed. Before the detention finishes one of the children is dead from anaphylaxis, and the other 4 children are in the frame for murder - though seemingly not the teacher.

The story is of the 4 remaining children, each with secrets the murdered child was going to reveal the following day. All are very different, and not natural friends, but they become close in order to solve the mystery.

Even if you work out who is responsible, the how takes longer, and this book is full of very likable 3D characters and makes for a very enjoyable read you won't want to put down. It will certainly appeal to teenagers, but also to anyone who has teenagers - or who has ever been a teenager themselves. A very good book, which I can visualise as a very good film in the future.

One of Us Is Lying is a gripping young adult mystery about what happens when four very different students are accused of murder after a fatal detention. When Simon, the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app, dies in detention one afternoon, the other four students in the room with him find themselves in the spotlight, and that’s before it turns out they all had secrets ready to be posted on the app. They all claim innocence, but it is difficult to know who to believe in this world of high school scandal, gossip, and social media infamy.

The novel is a good blend of high school teen fiction and a murder accusation mystery, blending young love, sporting and academic hopes, and breaking strict rules given by legal counsel. From the start, McManus opens up a comparison with The Breakfast Club, but the novel does what Heathers does to the genre for a modern day audience, turning seemingly fun scandal and humiliation into serious consequences. The narrative is exciting, with enough twists and potential that even if you work out the answer to the mystery, it might leaving you second-guessing yourself at least for the earlier parts of the book. The characters are purposefully archetypical, but nevertheless are engaging, and would probably appeal even more to YA readers who don’t have a large knowledge of 80s teen films or earlier teen fiction and books like the Point Horror series. Having an app and Tumblr at the forefront helps to make it fresh, whilst not relying too much on the technology to make a point.

One of Us Is Lying does not particularly break any ground, but it is not trying to. It plays with the YA genre and with teen movies whilst also being an enjoyable read about the lengths people may or may not go to protect their secrets and their friends. The friendship that ends up forming the heart of the book is a real highlight, showing the ways in which people can come together even for very unlikely reasons.

I am still reeling from the perfection that was this book.

One of Us is Lying is a refreshing take on the YA contemporary/mystery, loosely inspired by The Breakfast Club, but with a hint of murder, scandals, and romance. This remarkably well-written novel has fast become one of the best books I have read so far this year.

When five teenagers are given detention for having phones in class, they expect only another boring day at school: Bronwyn, the brain, is bound for Yale and never breaks the rules; Addy, the beauty, has a picture-perfect boyfriend and is the future homecoming queen; Cooper, the jock, is the all-star baseball player on the fast-track to any scholarship he wants; Nate, the criminal, is on probation for dealing; and Simon, the outcast, is hated by almost everyone at school for his gossip app that has ruined lives and driven one girl to attempt suicide.
Five teenagers go into that classroom … but only four come out. Before the end of detention, Simon is dead. According to the police, it was murder, and what’s even worse is that Simon was planning on releasing the life-altering secrets of all four of his fellow detentionees – which makes them all suspects in his murder. Did they really do it … or are they being set up by a killer that still on the loose?

When starting this novel, I fully expected that there would be a few issues in regards to the perspectives – four POVs is a lot for a short novel, and absurdly difficult to pull off. But McManus did it! And not just adequately, but perfectly. I fell in love with Bronwyn, Nate, Addy and Cooper, and the thought that one of them might be lying physically hurt me. I haven’t connected with this many characters at the same time since Six of Crows. All I wanted to do was protect each of them, and every time one of them was questioned by police, I was practically sick to my stomach with worry. (I know I sound like an overbearing parent, but I really felt for them!)

While these characters stem from high school stereotypes (jock, nerd, bad boy, mean girl), the tropes placed on them are wonderfully subverted as each character goes through some intense development. In just 360 pages, McManus delves deep into the lives of four completely different teenagers as the come to terms with a traumatic event, and allows them to learn and change for the better. She does this with all four characters – I know some authors who struggle with intricate character development for just one character! You could even say One of Us is Lying works as a Bildungsroman in a sense, as each character grows exponentially. I believe that almost every reader will be able to emotionally connect with at least one of these characters. I saw parts of myself in each of the four characters and have no doubt others will view themselves in them too.

Bronwyn is the high-achiever; you know that nerd who sits at the front of the classroom, answers every question, and sucks up to the teacher? (i.e. me). While Bronwyn is considered the brains of the little group that forms after the media and classmates turn against the four, she grows as a person and comes to the realisation that her future, while still important, is not worth everything. Due to her sister’s illness and her Latino father’s struggle to become successful, Bronwyn puts a lot of pressure upon herself to be the best and make her parents proud. I really felt for her and admired her strength and intellect.

Nate is the drug dealer and the resident bad boy. His bipolar mother disappeared years ago and his father copes by drinking himself into a stupor, leaving Nate to act like the adult and pay the bills. While Nate begins the novel acting like, well, a criminal, as the story develops, we see another side to Nate: a caring side, a sweet side; he doesn’t have much love in his life, but he craves it more than he wants to admit. Nate also starts a relationship with one of the other characters, and I shipped it from the very moment I sensed the author going in that direction. I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved these two characters together. Y’all know I’m a sucker for a bad boy, so no surprises when I loved him.

I absolutely adored Cooper. The novel’s most popular boy in school and the best player on the baseball team, Cooper should come across as a typical jock, but he is one of two characters who goes through the most compelling character development. The best way to describe him is that he is the epitome of a genuine good guy: he cares for people and he stands by someone when they go through hell. He also harbours a deep secret that tugged on my heart strings. I’m so glad McManus developed his character this way, because this particular issue is still considered very taboo for those in the sport-world. There’s not enough positive representation, and I send a big thank you to McManus for opening this discussion.

If anyone were to ask me why I cried when reading this book, it was because of the new love of my life: Addy. At the beginning of the novel, Addy is this robot of a girlfriend – like the ultimate Stepford Wife. Her boyfriend practically dictates her life, her mother is obsessed with having a man to take care of her and has drummed that into Addy, and she only cares for her looks and her beautiful blonde hair. But that changes after her secret is revealed. Like Cooper, Addy goes through some of the best development I have seen in a long time, and I felt like a proud Mama bear by the end of the novel. Addy is an angel sent from heaven with purple hair. I adore her.

One of Us is Lying has an incredibly fast-paced storyline, rich with intrigue and suspense. I read the novel in one sitting – I even stayed awake till 2 a.m. just to finish it. I used to be a massive Crime fiction aficionado, so I can usually guess the ending of a novel. In fact, I would put my odds at 9/10 times. But in this case, I could not pick out the murderer for the life of me – and when we find out the answer, it will blow you away. I literally took notes as to who I thought the real killer was and what their potential motive could be, and was still completely wrong! This book also talks about many sensitive issues, mainly diversity and mental health, and treats them with respect while also opening up a dialogue for further discourse.

(I also wanted to quickly point out that many people are comparing this book to Pretty Little Liars, and while there are some similarities, the teens in this book are so much smart than PLL: for one, they don’t discuss their problems in the middle of a public space; two, they actively try to figure out who the killer is; and three, they take many precautions as opposed to the PLL who literally make the stupidest decisions ever.)

McManus’ writing was top-notch and I still can’t believe this is a debut novel, because it certainly doesn’t read like one. Each character’s voice was individual and in tune with how teenagers think and feel in reality. It’s so easy to get swept up into the story, which is probably why I read the book so quickly. I wish I could go back and savour the novel properly; I’ll just have to settle for a reread instead.

One of Us is Lying is already 2017’s best YA mystery – I’m calling it. It’s true. I cannot find a fault with the novel and I had a genuinely fun, if sometimes frantic, reading experience. I can’t wait for McManus’ next novel – I’ll be keeping a watchful eye out for her from now on.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and Penguin for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Set in Bayview High, five students are brought together for not following the "No Phones In Class" rule. They all deny the charge but it falls on deaf ears. The five seem to be from different backgrounds both socially and academically.

Bronwyn the brainy one, Addy the beautiful one, Nate the drug dealer and on probation, Cooper the sportsman and Simon the gossip spreader. After barely half an hour into detention Simon is dead.

What follows, is a story of what happens to the remaining four students. Their family background as well as their own feelings and relationships are explored. The expectations of the parents for their children, as well as the pressures that accompany those expectations. They have to deal with media, gossip and investigations. It is soon apparent that the students are not quite as they first appear.

This story is written almost in a diary like format. Each chapter has sub-chapters that are headed with the name of the student, date and time. It gives each character a way of giving their own view-point and perspective. It allows the story to develop individually as well as collectively right through to the conclusion.

This is a good solid story, set at a good pace. I would recommend it to older YA Readers and general mystery readers. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

One of Us is Lying starts off sounding like The Breakfast Club: a group of teenagers in detention and slowly, they get to know each other and become close. I was all for an adaptation of the much-loved film. What also made this book sound amazing was the thriller aspect of it and I couldn't wait to read it.

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. 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.

I was instantly drawn into this book and read it in one sitting. I literally just sat on the sofa and didn't move until I had turned the last page. The pacing was brilliant, the thrills were just crazy, the characters were fantastic and the romances were heart-wrenching. One thing that I think is really important in a thriller is that you can't just guess what happens, it's not predictable... And this wasn't! I was constantly guessing who killed Simon and it was only before the big reveal that I knew what had happened, and to be honest, when I found out I was right, I was a bit disappointed. I didn't want it to be THAT. I didn't want THAT to happen, and yet, it did and I'm slightly disappointed.

One of the things that I look for in a novel is character development. You can't have a 300-page book and the characters not develop in any way - otherwise, it seems like a waste of time to me. But in One of Us is Lying, all of the characters went through major character developments that were pretty much perfect. My favourite character development had to be Addy's - by far! She grew into this strong young woman who knew how to protect herself, and she learnt that she shouldn't take rubbish from anybody and that she's her own person, not anyone else's; she can't be controlled. I also loved Nate, he reminded me so much of Jughead from Riverdale, and I could completely imagine Cole Sprouse playing Nate as well.

Diversity wasn't a major factor in this book, there were only two characters that I would class as 'diverse'. There really isn't much that I can say about this book without revealing spoilers, this book is full of twists and turns on nearly every page. I absolutely love it. The romance was also well-written. I shipped the romances so hard and I just needed them to work out and when I thought that one of them wouldn't, I think I nearly cried because they were just so right for each other.





"I miss how easy school used to be. But I guess nobody I hung out with ever really cared about me, right? Or things would have been different."

- Karen M. McManus, One of Us is Lying





I live for whodunnit stories and I actually haven't read very many that really keep me on the edge of my seat - this one actually did. I everything about this book apart from the big reveal. It's like the hype surrounding a book, it gets so big and crazy that when you actually read it, you're like 'oh... okay...'. I feel like the reveal was rushed and that it was the 'easy way out' in the writing-a-thriller-novel sense. NOT IN-REAL-LIFE SENSE. AT ALL. Please do not get mistaken about what I mean when saying the 'easy way out'. If you would like to talk to me more about this specific point, contact me on social media or email and then we can discuss it.

One of Us is Lying tackles hard-hitting issues such as cheating, abuse, death, depression relationships, love, family issues, sexuality... Everything. And I feel like there could be so many novellas written about each of the characters because I would love to learn more about each of them. As much as the reveal disappointed me, I did like the way that McManus tied everything together and how everything was linked. It reminded me so much of Pretty Little Liars and how no detail is too small. And that's exactly what this novel is. It's a Pretty Little Liars/Gossip Girl/The Breakfast Club/Agatha Christie mash-up, and it works so well!

Overall, I really did enjoy this novel. I consumed it all in one sitting and I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.

Warning: this book contains triggers for abuse, death, depression, drugs, alcoholism.

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Released 1st June