The third book did not disappoint. Love the characters and all the twists. Can’t wait to share this with patrons.

This is an easy 4-star read. I loved One of Us is Lying and enjoyed One of Us is Next, though to a lesser degree. While nothing will ever replace the original in my heart, One of Us is Back blew book 2 out of the water. One of my primary disappointments in book 2 was that the cast of characters wasn’t as charismatic or memorable as the original cast and the appearances of the Bayview Four seemed like shoehorned nostalgia points or a flimsy bridge to keep fans of the original on board. I was happy that One of Us is Back centered more fully around the Bayview Four and bringing a satisfying conclusion to their stories while connecting with the events of books 1 and 2 meaningfully. Some characters felt fairly minimally involved, which is unsurprising given how large the cast has become after two novels starring separate ensemble casts, but the mentions of them sometimes felt a bit like reassurance that the author hadn’t forgotten about their existence as opposed to their serving a real role in the plot.
The character development for the Bayview Four, however, was everything that I wanted from the series. I loved watching the growth of not only our protagonists but also their relationships with their families and the important people in their lives. We met these characters at a very chaotic time in their lives when they were thrown together by unimaginable circumstances, and now we see them growing into their own identities and making strides in their lives as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. It’s incredibly satisfying because by now, readers know these characters and we can all feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in them at the conclusion of their story.
The mystery itself is remarkably more tense than the last one to strike Bayview, and again comes in second only to the original plot with Simon. I felt like the culprit was believable and had motives that felt legitimate and didn’t come out of left field. Every aspect of the suspense plot held echoes of Bayview’s previous scandals and tied all three together in a way that was more satisfying than a third, primarily independent whodunit would have been. I loved all the callbacks to book 1 and the deeper exploration of the characters, their backstories, and the fallout of their choices - particularly the flashback chapters.
My only real criticisms of this book are the juggling of an oversized cast of characters and just the slightest feeling of it being rushed due to how much needed to fit in. I had so much fun though, that I honestly can’t hold any of that against it. This book felt like a return to the series' heart and the book that started it all, and I highly recommend it, even to those whose interest may have waned during One of Us is Next. It’s hard to wrap up a series like this, but One of Us is Back did an outstanding job. Readers can be satisfied as they turn the last page and finally reach ‘The End!’

I’m sad to say that I have DNF this book. Now in all fairness it has nothing to do with the actual plot or anything. It’s a total me problem. I don’t remember a single thing from the previous books. So once I started this one I felt zero connection to the story and couldn’t remember anything. Because of that I felt I couldn’t pay attention to it.

4.5/5 stars

One Of Us Is Back is the long awaited conclusion to the incredible One Of Us Is Lying YA mystery/thriller trilogy.

I could not have been more excited to read this book. The Bayview Crew is back together for the Summer. This book really ties together the two previous books. This is a very satisfying conclusion to the series.

The narrators in this book are Addy (1 of the original Bayview 4), Phoebe, and Nate (also an original Bayview 4).

The mysteries from the first two books are mentioned numerous times. And in this final book we have a new mystery to solve.

There are lots of secrets as well as lots of shocking revelations. The book features all of the important characters from this series. We get lots of Nate and Bronwyn. And we also get to see Cooper and Kris, Maeve and Luis, and Phoebe and Knox.

The book focuses a lot on Jake (big villain from the past) and a digital billboard that announces that it's "Time for a new Game Bayview." Some characters are redeemed and some are not. Also we get to find out some very interesting facts from the past.

Overall this was such a fun read! It featured everything that I was looking for in a final book! And it was so great to see all of our favorite characters again!

Fans of McManus' earlier books will be pleased. This thriller is not recommended for young readers as there are mature themes and language.

Karen McManus truly never fails to impress me with her books. I was a big fan of this series to begin with so I knew this book would also be a winner. I love that McManus brought back characters from both of the previous two books and turned them into this masterful team to figure out the mystery happening in their town. I felt the pace was fantastic, and I honestly did not want to put the book down. This book was a super fast read for me, and Karen McManus will definitely continue to be one of my favorite young adult thriller authors. I would highly recommend this series to those that are new to the mystery, thriller genre. It definitely won't disappoint.

Okay, respectfully: why do Nate and Addy have so much more chemistry that Nate and Bronwyn? I mean, don't get me wrong. I like the character arcs here, but Bronwyn is such a strong cool character and she is barely in this last book. Nate gets more page time with everyone else than with Nate and I think they deserved better. STILL--I will buy this and it will going on my teacher shelf for my kiddos to read. I'm not 100% sure that it is a strong enough book socially to require it in my classroom, but I will stock it for kids to read recreationally.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

Having read the first two books in this series, and loving One of Us is Lying, I needed to see how the series would finish out. Unfortunately, this book fell short. Too many characters made it difficult to give them all appropriate time on the page to shine. Plot as predictable even if the end big moment was satisfying. It just felt empty with lots of recaps of the previous books. I will still read future books by McManus but this one was clearly just fan service.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.

For me, not as good as One of Us is Lying. I really loved that book and wish that things had just ended there. Overall, this was a good read and my students will love it, but it was not my favorite of her books at all. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

A highly satisfying conclusion to the Bayview Crew's story. I read it in 48 hours because it was hard to put down! Definitely recommend to any thriller fans and fans of Karen McManus's other works.

Thanks to NetGalley & RH Children's for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this over vacation, after watching the first season of the show with my teen daughter. It was a pretty good time! I probably would have been better served by having read the 2nd book in the series, since a number of characters are added therein, but it was easy enough to pick up what was going on, and what had happened previously. McManus does a good job of going over anything you might've missed if you skipped a book.

Frothy good fun beach read for teens or adults!

The Bayview Crew is back with a final installment. Just as things are settling down a bit in Bayview a billboard appears that says “Time for a new game, Bayview.” As the story unfolds, the new game becomes clear. All the usual suspects are back and fans of the series will enjoy this fitting conclusion. Minimal time is spent detailing the backstory of the previous books so readers should have read them to get the full experience. I appreciated how all the characters, even those long gone, make a reappearance in this book. This is a recommended purchase for libraries that have the first two books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte for the complimentary digital copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own. This book is available on July 25, 2023.

Solid four stars. This book wraps up the One of Us Is Lying trilogy, and it does so in a nice little bow for our main characters. Personally, while this book was still well-written, the characters didn’t feel as unique this time around, and the members of the Bayview Crew who didn’t get a POV seemed very flat. That was disappointing, but the interspersed viewpoints from Jake and Simon were really well-done, and I think it gave depth to both of their characters that was much-needed. Overall, this was a great ending to a fascinating trilogy.

I was a little afraid to pick this one up because it had been so long since I had read the first two and didn't do a reread, but I was happy to see that there were several hints back to the previous books and enough background to remind me. I really enjoyed this one- it kept me hooked and wanting to keep reading. There were several storylines I didn't predict and I liked the way the story came together at the end. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the e-arc of this book!

This book is the third (and final?) installment of the One of us is Lying series. I read the first book so many years ago, and the second book last year, and was excited to see that she was continuing the series.

I don't know if it's because so much time has passed since reading the last books, but I felt like there are SO MANY characters in this book that it's hard to remember who's who. Book 1, followed "The original Bayview Four," and Book 2 followed new characters, and now they're all combined in One of is us Back. This story follows a few months after the second book ends, and wraps up the story between Simon, Jake and the Bayview Crew. It definitely kept me guessing - not predictable at all, and I had no idea how it was all going to end. This series as a whole is probably one of my favorite YA thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the digital ARC!

I loved the first books in this series but it's been way too long so I had to take notes to remember all of them as so many are "typical" teens--snarky, fun-loving...but mostly secretive! In this sequel, Jake is released from juvie and the fun begins! A sinister message appears on a billboard and no one knows what to make of it. There are parties, drinking, and all of the usual teen behaviors that ramp up the action until we're not sure what is going on or who is behind it all! Told in a past/present format, the novel reveals secrets from the past as well as ulterior motives used by the young adults to justify revenge. Trust me: you don't want to be part of this crowd!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley, Karen McManus and Delacorte Publishers for this ARC.

They’re back. This is the third book in the series following One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next. This book brings back characters from both books. The story is told from multiple povs including: Nate, Addy and Phoebe. We also get glimpses into the past from narrations by Jake and Simon.

The story starts out when a billboard in Bayview gets hacked. The Murder Club which includes the original Bayview four try to figure out what it all means. On top of that Jake Riordan, who nearly killed Addy is being released from jail. Soon one of the Bayview four is drugged and kidnapped during a house party.

The story does a great job of including elements from the other two books. There were good unexpected twists and it was full of action. Middle and high schoolers will enjoy this book. There are a lot of characters, so I would recommend reading it when you have time. If you read it in small increments, you may need a refresher on the characters. The author did include a detailed list in the form of contacts at the beginning of the story. I found that very helpful and referenced it multiple times.

I really enjoyed this third installment of Karen M. McManus' series. She continues to keep the reader guessing through suspenseful situations. It was also interesting seeing the characters mature since the first book. It gets into some dark things but not so dark that it is disturbing or inappropriate for the young adult audience.

Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for a review. I love Karen McManus' books and this didn't disappoint. It took a little bit to refresh myself with the characters and their romantic interests/relationships. As always, the story kept me engaged and guessing. Highly recommend.