This was a solid YA mystery, told from the perspective of 4 teens who find themselves in the wrong place at the right time, leading them all to be witnesses to and suspects in a murder. I guessed the killer fairly early, but not the accomplice(s), and either way it was fun getting to the resolution. Recommend for YA mystery lovers!

BIG thank you to netgalley and publishers for this ARC. I saw the premise and was desperate to get my hands on this!!! So to say my expectations were high is an understatement. A thriller twist on the breakfast club and it did not disappoint.

The characters were super fleshed out! I was worried that switch back and forth would throw off the story, but they all stood so well on there own that I couldn't stop reading AT ALL. I loved them all so much it is hard to choose! My favorite was Addy this girl grew leaps and bounds in front of our eyes and it was a fantastic transformation! Bad boy sexy pants Nate was everything I could hope for from the "criminal." Nerd extraordinaire Bronwyn being a girl was GREAT. Cooper my heart! Just everyone was great.

The plot was good. I was interested the whole way through and could not wait to finish the book. That being said the major plot point was very obvious to may pretty early in. I had a guess to what really happened and I was right. That all being said I still really enjoyed the book. The pacing, the writing, the characters, and of course the story. This is a damn good debut from Karen McManus. Please write us more books about anything! McManus is a new insta buy for me!

If you’re a sucker for true crime TV shows, this book will be your version of YA heaven.

Told from four alternating POVs (the murder suspects), One of Us Is Lying features fully fleshed out, complex, and interesting characters whose plots all stand on their own. So often when there are a number of characters, their stories tend to get a little lost, but this is certainly not the case here. Everything is suspect and because of that, every lie, every aspect of these four unlucky teens’ lives are sifted through and exploited. All of the characters are flawed and real. They’ve made mistakes and the worst (best?) part is that they might be paying for it. Seemingly small incidents become incendiary and inciting. The catty, pettiness of high school is on full display and motives are everywhere.

The premise is awesome. It’s simple, yet completely enthralling. You won’t stop until you know the truth.

There are tons of clues. And it’s the readers challenge to sort through and figure out what’s important. If you are even remotely into sleuthing, you’ll enjoy this story exponentially.

Twists, red herrings, romance, revenge. There’s a little bit of everything.

Because the characters are so real, it’s compelling to want to know about them. Everything from their heartaches, their fibs, their crimes, to what they’re hiding even from themselves. This unlikely foursome becomes something unexpected-friends-in the face of tragedy.

The mystery is a good one. Even if you make the right guess about what happened, odds are you’re missing some finer details that are totally unexpected and hit fast.

Occasionally, because the characters are so dimensional, the pacing is a little stunted and the story a tad sidetracked, but it always comes back around relatively quickly.

There were a handful of clichés that might bug the reader, like the catty cheerleader, the blatant sexism (at points this is called out though, which, thumbs up), but the other characters certainly redeemed themselves and the story.

The book was intriguing and the characters are well written. It is hard to put down.

I love mysteries, and thought One of Us Is Lying presented a fun locked room inspired puzzle. Five high school students are tricked into thinking they have afterschool detention. All five show up at the assigned detention room, full of questions. Before long, one of the five is dead. As questions swirl, they start banding together to try to figure out what happened and who was responsible for the murder. As the victim was a dirt-digging student blogger who knew secrets about each one of them, they all theoretically had a motive.

I had two theories about the killer, and one of them was correct. It was an ending I'd seen before, but I still found this an enjoyable and suspenseful read. I also liked the fact that none of the characters was quite what he or she seemed to be at the outset. As each character confronts the secret that the murder victim knew, he or she has to do some serious soul-searching about what will happen when the secret comes out.

This is a fun summer read, perfect for your beach or pool or airplane tote!

This wasn't even on my radar at first. I'm not sure why it wasn't since contemporary mysteries are my favorite books! But when I did find out about it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I really wanted to get my hands on it. I was so happy when I did.
On a normal day, there's many different kids who have detention, but this particular day, most of them don't belong there. They include a criminal, a beauty queen, a smarty pants, an athlete, and an outcast. Unfortunately, not all of them make it out of the room. What happened in that short time, that caused Simon to die? Did it have anything to do with the fact that he planned to uunearth their darkest secrets the next day?!
I loved the writing style in this one. It was all over the place with the multiple POVs and it felt a bit clunky and disjointed. In a mystery, that makes the reader confused and causes them to miss out on guessing who the real person is. I also really enjoyed all the POVs she had. They were all different, but were all developed so they all had their own voice. As a character driven reader, I was impressed on all the ways she was able to tie things together.
But even with the great writing style, I wasn't really a fan of the plot. I called most of the plot twists throughout the story, which didn't make it really a "thriller" for me like I see some people shelving under. I was also able to call some of the "BIG" reveal at the end. Since I only got part of it right I won't take anything away from it, but still some parts of it were a bit obvious.
As for the characters, I didn't really connect to any of them. And that was extremely unfortunate because there were so many of them. But to be honest, I didn't really care for anyone in that book. Not the main characters ot any supporting ones. Maybe that's the way the author wanted the reader to feel, but as a character driven reader, I was not a fan. I got the point of why it was written that way, but it still wasn't my favorite. (If that makes sense.)
It was overall an addictive, murdery twist on The Breakfast Club and I really did like it. I can't wait to see what else McManus has in store!

Review will go live on June 1, 2017.

The blurb for this book nails the summary: One of Us is Lying really is a mashup of The Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars.

Thanks to a "technophobe" science teacher, five high school seniors wind up in detention one Monday afternoon. Each student reflects a different stereotype: Bronwyn is the brain, Cooper is the jock, Addy is the princess, Nate is a thug, and Simon is the social misfit. Before their hour is up, however, Simon is dead, and suspicion falls on the four who survive.

Using the mystery as the central focus of this story, Karen M. McManus focuses on the various stresses that befall teenagers. They face pressure from parents to meet certain standards, whether they be academic, athletic, or social. In Nate's case, the lack of those expectations cements him as a bad guy, when in fact what motivates him to commit the crimes he does is the same thing that motivates his peers: fear.

Bronwyn feels she must earn the highest grades, have the fullest résumé, and be so well-rounded that Yale could never reject her. Like Bronwyn, Cooper's parents have determined his fate. His baseball skills will land him at worst a college scholarship, although it would be pretty fabulous if he got drafted into the pros. Cooper and Bronwyn are so terrified of letting down their parents that neither takes the time to consider if these plans are what they want for themselves. Addy, on the other hand, appears to live the high school dream. She's dating Jake, a popular football player, and she's in with the popular crowd. But Addy is scared that she doesn't deserve any of this, and that fear leads to destructive insecurity.

McManus also shows the heartache of kids who have no one supporting them. For all of the pressure that her parents put on her, Bronwyn knows they care about her. She also has her younger sister Maeve on her side. Cooper's support system is found with his grandmother and a couple of friends, and Addy finds herself surprised that her older sister stands by her. Only Nate is left without anyone - at first, anyway. By the time people offer him ballast and aid, he's too leery to accept it. Nate is a guy accustomed to surviving on his own, yet he needs allies just as badly as Bronwyn, Cooper, and Addy.

As well-developed as those four are, Simon is left feeling flat. There were a few times when McManus attempted to fill him out, but they were short-lived. You get the feeling that Simon could be as compelling - if not more - than the four survivors, yet he is undeveloped.

McManus keeps up a steady pace for the most part, although the plot's denouement and resolution feel rushed. The epilogue, however, drags, and you find yourself wondering if it was necessary to include it.

This is a quick read, and it will be difficult for you to put down this book once you start it. You will have to know what happened to Simon. Was his death accidental? Was he murdered? And if that's the case, then who killed him? All along, you will enjoy getting to know Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper, and Addy, and you will dearly hope that none of them is the culprit.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvYxu...

I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Five students were sent to detention. They had no connections and they weren't friends. By the end of the day one of them is dead and the other four our suspects.

I was slightly disappointed by this book. The story is told through several different points of view but I didn't feel the narrative voice changed. I figured out the killer about a third of the way through but I didn't think that it was believable so I dismissed it. However, I was right. The story, the relationships and the character growth is completely expected. The book is a quick read however I didn't really care about the characters or the murder so it felt like it took a long time.

If books were judged on their premise alone, One Of Us Is Lying would be an instant success. It’s what got me hooked on this book in the first place. Five students walk into detention, only four come out alive. Pay close attention and you might solve the mystery. EEEEEEEK. Exciting!

It’s not a twisted sort of fate that brings Bronwyn, Addy, Nate and Cooper together in detention on the evening of Simon Kelleher’s death. They’ve been set up. Someone wanted them there. To witness or to draw suspicion, no one can tell for sure, but after that night they will never be the same again. Simon was murdered and someone in that classroom is responsible.
As people start pointing fingers, “the Bayview four” try to move on with their lives. Except Simon’s killer does not grant them much time to process. Harmful evidence against the four starts conveniently popping up – which begs the question, which one of them is lying? Who is digging graves for the others?

It was all extremely addictive. Not just the search for Simon’s killer, but also the gossip floating around and the connection between this particular set of characters. The writing was engaging and fast-paced. Exactly right for this kind of book. I couldn’t keep myself from reading once I had started.

To be fair, the unravelling of the story could have been more mind-blowing. I guessed early on who was responsible for Simon’s death and although there may have been moments where my confidence wavered the tiniest bit, in the end I had it right. It doesn’t matter too much. The book was still intriguing. But some things were a little too simple or needed just a tad more foundation. The story was definitely good, but it had the potential to be great. So despite my appreciation, I also felt like the book missed that ‘something’ that made it extraordinary.

The characters are introduced as your average high school stereotypes. The brain, the beauty, the athlete, the criminal and the outcast. I was surprisingly okay with it. Because they own their status. Each one of them feels safe within his/her group of people. But as secrets start coming out and they have to fall back on each other instead of their former safety net, the author takes them beyond their initial labels. I thought it was really well done. As the characters have to face the consequences of their actions, they can’t hide anymore, they have to show the world who they really are. Painfully, relatably human.

There is romance in the book, but in a good, low-key kind of way. It doesn’t take over the story or diverts the focus. There was chemistry and believable emotion. I think it served the story well. The boy was also really my type of guy, so that helps a lot of course.

I would definitely recommend this book. It’s a compelling read with likeable characters and an intriguing plot, helped along by good writing and a fast pacing. A decent young adult mystery for sure. I’ve seen the book being compared to Pretty Little Liars and I agree. It has the same vibe. A bunch of teenagers framed for murder who constantly feel like there’s a sword hanging above their heads. Sounds pretty similar to me.

This story turned out to surprise me as I didn't see the ending coming! I had no idea about any of the revelations until they were revealed and I love that in a mystery! Things that were seemingly not important actually were and I missed the clues but they are there! The book got better as it progressed and as we got to know the 4 teens and who they really were. I could relate to many of the problems they faced, Addy's mainly unfortunately. This book brought up some key issues of today and I loved how everything played out for the good in the end. There was a sweet romance as well.

I find myself reaching first for the mystery/thrillers in my YA queue, and this one's intriguing premise—a dead student, only four other students in the room—moved it to the top of the list. The priority treatment was justified: the four narrative viewpoints are distinctive and gripping. Each character reveals secrets that keep them on the reader's suspect list. Relationships are complicated, convincing, and even moving. A solidly satisfying mystery. Recommended.

If you're someone who is interested in thriller/mystery but is a scaredy cat or squeamish like me, this is the perfect read for you. The mystery was fun and there were some fun creepy moments, but nothing that will keep you up at night. I loved all of the four main characters. They each started out as stereotypes: Nate, the criminal; Cooper, the jock; Addy, the beauty; and Bronwyn, the brain...but they were all explored far beyond those parameters throughout the book. It was also surprising how much the idea of male privilege came into play here, and the narrative (while subtly) definitely spoke to its toxicity and danger, which was a smart move and much appreciated. There was also a nice smattering of romance, which kept things fun when the main mystery threatened to get a little bit repetetive. I will say that the ending erred a bit too much toward the contemporary once the murder had been solved, but because I was trash for that romance sub-plot anyway, it didn't bother me too much. This is the ideal YA summer beach read and I'm really looking forward to seeing what McManus does next.

Every once in a while a book that is a joy to read ends up in your hands. This was one of those books. Initially this book completely escaped my notice but then I started seeing some really great reviews for it from a lot of different people. I saw a bandwagon and decided to jump on. I am so glad that I did. This book was such a surprise for me. I hoped that I would like it but I never expected to love it. Once I got about midway through the book, I didn't put it down until I turned the last page.

The characters in this story are great. I had hoped that I would like the characters when I started reading this book. I never dreamed for a moment that I would love them. The four main characters at the heart of this book are all very different from each other and I really felt like I got to know them over the course of the book. There were times that I felt like the book was really focusing on one character more than the others but then the focus would move on to the next character for a while. I really enjoyed getting to know all four members of the group.

This book starts out in detention. Simon, Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, and Nate are the only students in detention that day but after a terrifying emergency only four students ever get to leave. Simon is rushed to the hospital where he later dies. The authorities think that one or all of the other students might be responsible for his death since Simon was about to reveal big secrets about each person on his gossip blog.

The mystery in this book was really very well done. I had no idea what happened to Simon. I would come up with a theory only to realize that I had to be wrong soon after. I was literally guessing until the end of the book. I also really felt for each of the characters as their secrets were revealed. All four really go through a major life change during the course of this book.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This was a very smartly written story that was next to impossible to put down. I am very impressed by the fact that this is the first book written by Karen M. McManus. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Random House Children's - Delacorte Press via NetGalley.

This book is pretty different from the kind of books that I normally read - novel-length mysteries don't usually hold my attention - but it looked so intriguing that I knew I wanted to pick it up!

I think the biggest praise I can give this book is that it kept me so interested that I stayed up late to finish it. Not too late - it was probably only eleven by the time I finished - but I wanted to find out so desperately that I would have stayed up much later. The pieces just weren't fitting together in my head (and there was a spoilery reason for that) and I had to find out why.

Each of the four main characters was interesting for different reasons - not necessarily likable all the time, but definitely interesting. They each got their own bit of pretty independent plot, which was impressive in a relatively short book. I could usually tell when the point of view had switched just from the writing, even when I was reading too quickly to miss the helpful headings that actually told me.

Aside from the mystery, I really liked the relationship between Bronwyn and Nate. I wasn't really expecting much romance in a book like this, and normally finding it would have annoyed me, but I thought it was done so well that I actually found myself wanting to get back to their sections to know how things would work out with them! That was a really nice surprise.

I did have some serious mixed feelings about a certain part of the book. That, plus the lack of anything particularly extraordinary, is what kept the rating at 4 stars instead of 5. The part I'm talking about, however, is a major spoiler, so I won't talk about it here. If anyone's curious, I'm definitely open to discussing it, but I try to keep reviews and comments spoiler-free, so message me on Twitter or Instagram.

Final verdict: a pretty good mystery, any flaws of which didn't interfere with how much I wanted to keep reading.

This book is a symphony of high school cliches, and I'm almost embarrassed at how much I enjoyed it. All the tropes I normally hate are represented: the misunderstood bad boy, the not-so-good good girl, the popular girl ready to break out of her clique, and the jock with secrets. They come together in a murder mystery when Simon, the school gossip who ruins his classmates lives by airing their dirty laundry on his app, is murdered during detention. The four other students in detention with him become suspects in his murder, especially when it comes out that they were all next on Simon's hit list.

There's nothing surprising or inventive about this story, and the twists and turns aren't all that difficult to see coming down the path. I didn't take it seriously at all as a murder mystery, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. By embracing its tropey-trashy-YAness, the book allowed me to do the same. I devoured it in a matter of hours, and it proved to be a fun distraction.

Five students were sent to detention under mysterious circumstances and one ends up dead. Everyone, even those in detention, want to know what happened and figure out who killed their classmate.

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives. The story didn't focus on the mystery, but the scandalously delicious details of the students in detention. I typically do not like novels like this, but I was compelled by the characters and their misdeeds.

For fans of Paula Stokes, murder mysteries and romance!

This book follows the complicated journey of 4 students who are involved in the murder of a fellow student. 5 enter detention, but only 4 walk out.

What I liked:
I like the story's development. How each of them got equal attention and all of their POV.

I really liked Nate's character and his story. How he sees the good in one person and is drawn to it (not saying who to not spoil it).

It definitely keeps you wondering what happened. It could have used a bit more suspense, but it was still enjoyable.

I would've liked to see more action in the end and the truth revealed more dramatically.

Overall, it was a satisfying read. I will say. With that character's outcome, to give teens (and people) encouraging words. For them to know that they are not alone and that there are peoole who are willing to be there for them.

PS. There are LGBT characters.

Five high schoolers walk into detention. Only four walk out. Cooper the star athlete. Bronwyn the brains. Addy the it girl. Nate the criminal. And Simon the gossip. A crime with countless suspects and no leads. Who did it?

Did this catch your attention? Yes? Good. If you need more convincing on picking up this mystery keep reading.

The book grips you from the very beginning. It is fast-paced and the events happen one after the other and leave you no time to even think of what happened. Each character has a point of view so we get the events from multiple perspectives and we are able to get inside their heads and learn a little bit more about them. But let’s meet them shall we?

Cooper: the golden boy baseball athlete wanted by the best universities. He is popular, he has an amazing and supportive, not to mention totally hot, girlfriend and his career only seems to be following one road and that is upwards. So why does he feel like he’s missing something?

Bronwyn: the smartest of them all ready to be accepted to Yale like the rest of her family. After all it’s a tradition. She can’t afford letting her father down. Not after everything he’s gone through to establish himself in the business field and the difficulties he’s faced as a Latino. She is the perfect example of a star pupil right?

Addy: the girl who always comes second. The one who never speaks up, the one who follows. She has an amazing, supportive boyfriend so what esle should she need?

Nate: the drug dealer. With an alcoholic father and an MIA mother there’s not much he can do to turn his luck-and fate- around. It’s not like he actually needs love right?

Simon: the outcast. He’s always been on the outside but by creating his gossip blog About That people at school seem to be afraid of him. Because he never post lies.

Tell the truth you’re sold right? RIGHT? What no? What if I told you all the main females are strong and independent? What if I told you there is latinx rep and lgbtq rep? Still nothing? Not even if I mentioned the amazing character development every character undergoes? Or the sibling bonding? Or the cutesy romance? Ok last chance. The book has the one and only trope that matters: young, troubled, beaten by fate, handsome boy who seems tough but has a heart of gold. Yeah I knew that would be the dealmaker.

It wasn't his allergy to peanuts that allegedly killed Simon it was his thirst for gossip and his longing for popularity.

If you think high school is bad , imagine what it would be like with an app that lets everybody know what everybody else is trying to hide. Wouldn't you want to make it disappear? or make the boy who created it go away....forever.

Unfortunately we have all heard of similar gossip apps which encourage anonymous rumour spreading both at school and university, making the lives of students even harder. In her book Karen M. McManus gives the readers food for thought.

This novel is undoubtedly one of the best whodunit YA books of the year. It has everything: likeable suspects, a gripping plot, romance, betrayal and revenge. You just won't be able to put it down .

The story is narrated from four different perspectives and all the chapters are equally appealing, which is not usually the case in novels with so many narrators.
The author created and developed the characters skilfully and it's hard not to feel you have something in common with all of them despite their flaws, which are by the way, what make them regular high school students.

The ending will satisfy most readers. I somehow saw it coming because it made sense in a way. What I really loved though, was that after the truth was revealed, the story kept going a little bit more so that we knew how life had changed for the main characters.