This is a contemporary young adult mystery/suspense novel by American author Karen M. McManusit. It has a very frank and entertaining tone, as well as
an intriguing premise. However, I knew from the first that it was going to be disappointing. The author promised too much in the mystery, for it to be possible to fulfill all expectations. The book was also recently adapted as a show on Netflix, the trailer is below.
Trailer of The Show based on the book
Property of: Netflix
The Summary of One of us is Lying
So basically Goodreads describes it as:
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
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
The Good Points of One of us is Lying
I liked the multiple viewpoints used by the author, as well as her writing style. It is refreshing and relatable. The characterization is gripping and believable, especially in the case of Abby.
Characters
Each of the characters feel real. They have a solid background and a complete personality. They also mesh together quite well.
Mystery in the Plot
When done right, mystery can easily drive the plot forward and make the readers salivate for more. The initial setup for the plot is brilliant. It’s unexpected, daring and captivating.
The Bad Points of One of us is Lying
The romance. The resolution of the mystery.
The romance
One word sums up everything about the romance in this novel: cliche.
The superhot badboy is entangled with the nerdy know-it-all, will they, won’t they? It’s the cheesiest, most predictable thing ever. Bronwyn, gasp! Nate, gasp! Ugh.
The whole thing has zero mystery, interest or depth. The amount of time give to a romance side plot which could have been understood with halp the context is just silly.
The resolution
The author writes herself into a corner. This is a sign that she didn’t have the ultimate villain in mind since the beginning. The ending seems forced, and quite frankly the villains motivations re quite sketchy. He did all of it just because his girlfriend cheated on him once? Also, he kept badgering them and exposing himself to suspicion, why exactly. The key to a good mystery is the build to satisfactory resolution, and this book does not deliver.
Overall
It’s a solid 5/10. Readable but nothing special.
Disclaimer: One of us is Lying and all of its materials are owned by Karen M. McManusit. We are merely using some of them in this post to illustrate a point (fair use). If you wish for your materials to be taken down please contact us and we will remove them immediately.
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