This book review was written by Anastasia Kutselik of Richard Montgomery High School
Warning: This book includes some sexual scenes. Read at your own discretion.
One of Us is Lying is written by Karen M. McManus. It’s quite a case to solve with four different perspectives alternating throughout the book. Aimed at young adults and teenagers, this story takes place at Bayview High school in detention. Those who know about detention would describe it as boring, but this book is less believable as five students attend detention and one dies before it ends.
Each of these five students fit the classic stereotypes in high school: the nerd, the beauty, the criminal, the athlete and, as Simon called himself, the outcast. These five ended up in detention after being framed into having their phones during Mr. Avery’s class, which has strict no phone rules. None of them would have thought that one wouldn’t make it out of detention alive, yet the death and the case made headlines in the town newspapers. The book itself is also very eventful, as it’s a murder mystery with a mix of romance and personal issues.
“Everyone’s got secrets,” he says. “Right?”
The outcast, Simon, died in detention, while the other students made it out alive. Living up to his label, Simon tried to fit in by creating an app with all of the students' secrets. No one knew how he got the secrets, but this made him more noticed, many enjoying the drama. His secrets ruined many people’s lives, either highschool related or scarred for life. But once he dies, the remaining secrets keep on being posted. Reading the book, the most interesting part about Simon is why he did the app, and the background makes you feel sorry for him. But then you’re mixed with emotions, as spilling others’ secrets is wrong but the reason for it is sad.
The nerd, Brownyn, is crafting her way to Yale. Her classmates would describe her as a little miss perfect who broke no rules and buried herself in studying. She never imagined herself in detention until she was framed. Her life changes in ways no one would have thought after being a suspect for murder during that very same detention. As she, like the others, was trying to piece the puzzle together, she and her enemy got closer. Although she is a stereotype of a nerd, she also has a more adventurous side that didn’t just come from the events in the story. I connect to Brownyn in a way, as I’m very school focused and I’m usually studying for school. But at the same time I have this adventurous and outgoing side to me that’s not really seen by others, unless they are my friends. Brownyn isn’t the most typical nerd as she wonders about other students, in particular Nate, trying to see if there’s anything behind him that’s hidden.
The criminal, Nate, is one of the main suspects during this case. Already having a criminal reputation in the town, many people are quick to assume he’s behind it all. This death mystery just adds to Nate’s life mess, and having an alcoholic father with a mother who died made life hard for Nate already. Throughout the story, I felt very sorry for Nate and how he had to grow up. A sad reality is that others are probably going through something like this. The character change that Nate had through this story really teaches a lesson of being aware that others could be having a rough life but it might not seem like it to a stranger's eye. But every sad tale has a miracle and for Nate, it turns his life around.
The beauty, Addy, is seen as the perfect homecoming princess. That's the show the public sees, but in reality, no one is perfect. After Simon's death, her life, like other lives, fell downhill starting with her perfect relationship with Jake. She, like other teenage girls, struggles with body confidence, even though many find her gorgeous. Overall, her life issues are relatable to some people. She deals with a toxic relationship that others her age don’t notice a lot, which shows an awareness of different toxicity in relationships. The reality life of these characters gives it more of a real effect, as mostly books aren’t this connected to the modern world. As the investigation goes along, an eye-opening revelation hits her, giving her a new look at life.
The athlete, Cooper, is becoming a baseball champion in town. Similar to Addy, he also has relationship issues. His relationship with Keilly shows how people lose feelings and that feelings can become mutual. But that's not the only reason he decided to leave Keilly; it’s something Cooper tried to block out for a long time. The reason deals with more of a modern issue of finding your sexuality, as more people are being exposed to it, meaning some could relate to this. As Cooper is trying to keep the reputation given to him by his father, the secrets start popping up creating an obstacle. As the case goes on, people were shocked and thought of him differently.
As all their lives take a turn from the secrets, the case keeps getting more heated as the story is told. What I loved about this story is how all people can relate to one of the characters in some way. The characters’ backgrounds and life stories connect to the ones in real life. For those with a love of mystery with a hint of personal perspective, this will be an amazing book for you. As for the rest of the book readers, still read it, as it feels like a movie going on in your head as you’re reading. I would recommend it to my classmates and friends but with a warning that there are some sexually described scenes and some high school drinking and drug scenes. Not only does this book keep you wanting to read it non-stop, the story doesn’t end there, as there’s a part 2 called One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus. As I was reading this book, I really couldn’t put it down.
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