By: Claire B., North County High School and Hala M., Crofton High School
Claire B.'s Review: One of Us Is Lying is a gripping, suspenseful novel, surrounding the death of a student in detention. Five Bayview High School students are in detention when one of the students, Simon, suddenly dies while the teacher is out of the room. After claims that this incident was no accident, the four remaining students in the detention all become suspects. Each of the four have motives. Simon ran a gossip blog and had learned devastating secrets about all of them that could change, even ruin, their lives. The secrets, ranging from cheating on a test to selling drugs, are suddenly revealed, and chaos ensues.
Every page reveals a new twist that keeps you glued to the book. I enjoyed how suspenseful the story was, and how relatable the characters were. Characters that appear stereotypical at first quickly become layered and complex. One of Us Is Lying explores important themes for high schoolers such as the impact that lies and gossip can have on others. There is a mix of suspense, mystery, and romance, making this book an interesting read for most teenagers. One of Us is Lying is set to become a television series later this year, so I would highly recommend reading this book before then!
Hala M.'s Review: Four ordinary high schoolers become murder suspects after the death of Simon Keheller, each with their own secrets. We follow Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper as they navigate the daily adventures of being a high schooler all while trying to find a murderer.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was really engaging and I couldn’t put it down. I particularly loved how the author used Simon’s murder investigation to highlight the character development of Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper. In the end it felt like the Bayview four’s growth was the real justice served.
Something that I thought could have been better is making the secrets more creative. The author gave each of the four suspects a secret, giving them a motive to kill Simon and... more drama. But some character’s secrets were just not as good as others and to be honest not that secretive. That being said, that's just some minor constructive criticism and didn’t take much away from the book so I definitely still recommend it. It’s a great murder mystery/coming of age story and once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. I would recommend this book to 12 and up.
Click here to check out One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus.