One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, published June 2017 by Penguin.
Read: September 2017
Genre: Young Adult/Mystery/Thriller
Source: Purchased
#Pages: 360
Get It Now: Wordery | Amazon
Goodreads Synopsis: Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule. Sports star Cooper only knows what he’s doing in the baseball diamond. Bad body Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime. Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life. And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won’t ever talk about any of them again.
He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it’s no accident. All of them are suspects. Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you’ll go to protect them.
The Book Review
This is one of those debut novels, that doesn’t read like a debut. Not only does it instantly give you The Breakfast Club vibes with that cast of characters and detention setting, but the gossip app plot is also reminiscent of Gossip Girl, gearing this book up for some fierce comparisons, but it stood out well on its own.
The suspense was well-built, and I did follow quite a few red-herrings. The ultimate reveal surprised me but at the same time left me just a little tiny bit deflated. It wasn’t the murder-mystery I had thought it was going to be, but it was still a really enjoyable read, especially because of the diverse cast of characters. Not only were they all well fleshed out (in a 360 page book!), but their individual backgrounds and family lives got a look-in too, which meant we really got to know, and care for, them.
The plot is fast paced and gripping, with chapters being told from alternate character points of view, and there’s a hint of romance in there too, which I was definitely shipping. Overall, it was an impressive debut, that was well written as well as being entertaining, and one I would highly recommend.
The Rating
4/5
Have you read One Of Us Is Lying? What other thriller/mysteries would you recommend? Let me know in the comments!
Confessions of a Book Geek 
I just finished listening to this one on audiobook and found it an enjoyable, intriguing story that did some solid character work. I did have a couple of issues with it. For one, I feel like the police are no more competent here than they are in your average Scooby Doo mystery. the other is the entire Jake/Bronywn relationship. I get the attraction, the long-simmering crush and the two getting together for some of the book. I also buy how things play out — until the epilogue when it feels like we’re trying too hard to give them a happy ending.
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Great points, Michael. But glad you enjoyed it overall. How was the audiobook reading? I always think that makes or breaks an audiobook. R xx
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It was multiple narrators and they were all great. I think my issue with the middle lagging was due to real life, it took me longer to get through the middle than I originally anticipated
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I finished this book yesterday and loved it! I was surprised by the fact it’s a debut – it was so well written!
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I was so surprised it was a debut. It was a really good YA thriller/mystery! R xx
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I should have picked this one up this month. I’m seeing a lot of positive reviews for it lately. I love when a mystery misleads you a little because it’s so important to keep readers on their toes in this genre. There have been so many impressive debuts this year. It’s been a great year in publishing. Great review!
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I haven’t read a lot of YA thrillers/mysteries (usually they are aimed at adults), so I was pleasantly surprised by this one, and it’s very good for a debut! I can’t think about how many great and potential great books have been released this year alone (and all the ones I haven’t got to yet!). It creates bookish anxiety in me! Lol R xx
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I’ve seen this book about but didn’t really have a clue what the book was about. I mean, I saw it on the shelf at Tesco and knew I’d seen on blogs but no clue of the story. It sounds kind of cool, I mean, I loved The Breakfast Club and so the mere mention of that film has me intrigued. It does build some high expectations, though. I might just have to treat myself.
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You deserve a treat! Maybe this weekend?? It was a reasonably quick and fun read, but very good for a debut! R xx
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[…] to review books, so I managed to post reviews for December Girl (4*), All That She Can See (4*), One of Us Is Lying (4*), Empire of Storms (4.5*) and Tower of Dawn […]
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