This book left me with different intakes most of the time, but in the end, it lived up to its rating. I’m always a sucker for the high school stereotypes and what authors will do with them. One of Us is Lying proved by Karen M. McManus that not everyone is put out to who they’re supposed to be.
One of Us is Lying follows the story of four high school stereotypes. The jock. Cooper. The princess. Addy. The Geek. Bronwyn. The criminal. Nate. One day they’re all put into detention with another classmate, only to find him dead. With four leading suspects in the room at the time, who could it be?
Intriguing to say the most because I also love mysteries. I bought this book at the Penguin Teen Showcase along with another book, Found by Fleur Ferris. When I first walked in and saw the book, I had to restrain myself from getting it. By the end of the night, it called me.
What makes the victim more interesting is that he once had an About Page with everyone’s information from their school, Bayview High School. The victim had something on each of them which leads the story on even more.
The story is told from the first point of view, two perspectives in each chapter. Overall, the readers and everyone else in the story assume it’s Nate because he’s a rebel. Also because there’s a Tumblr page which seemed to replace the victim’s page. However, the Tumblr page focuses on the victim’s story and finding him justice. Some are led to believe that is controlled by Bronwyn because she’s smart. Though, it didn’t add up to me…
Each of the characters has a secret which is revealed sooner or later in the story. The one that seemed to take me by surprise was Cooper. Although, I must admit…at one point I did think it was him. Out of all the characters, I seemed to like Cooper. He was…less problematic in the story.
Addy was a bit too much for my liking. Nate was the worst stereotype, as in such a cliche as well as Bronwyn. I’m guilty of this also when Bronwyn and Nate get along the most. The only thing that seemed to annoy me was the teacher who was in detention that day. Mr. Avery is barely mentioned, and you’d think an adult would be involved in it too.
Overall, the story flow was good. However, at one point it was dragging where I just wanted to find out who the killer was. Then, it suddenly picked up again. McManus must’ve noticed the mundane and added something to excite her reads still. Another thing was the epilogue. I thought it was unnecessary and really cliche. The story would’ve been fine without it.
Putting those aside, I enjoyed the book and its mystery. It’s the first Young Adult novel with mystery that I’ve purchased. I tend to read those genres separately but gave it a chance. So, for anyone who’s seeking something new with a bit of romance and gossip…I’d recommend this book. Apart from the little strings pulled, I’d rate this four stars. You can check out the author here with her new book!