By: Chloe Rocha

This book is about five students who enter detention one day, but only four manage to survive the ordeal.

‘One of Us Is Lying’ tells the captivating tale of Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper, who all become prime suspects in the murder of Simon Kelleher. Each of these high school students have their own secrets that they don’t want revealed. They are desperate to protect themselves and their secrets. Knowing that, you can’t help but wonder how far each of them are willing to go to ensure their secrets remain hidden from the public eye and ruin their reputation.

I enjoyed this book because it delves deep into the personalities and thoughts of each suspect. The whole story isn’t told from just one point of view, but four. By doing this it keeps the reader guessing what really happened until the very end.

‘One of Us Is Lying’ takes on dark themes, such as murder and depression, catering to a teenage audience. Unlike other authors who struggle to develop complex plots for younger readers, Karen M. McManus writes with an enjoyable voice that effectively establishes her story, targeting young adults perfectly.

Overall, This book is a surprising and engaging read that is difficult to put down. I particularly appreciated the in-depth exploration of each character’s perspective, ensuring that the audience remains fully engaged in the story-telling. If you’re looking for a compelling and grounded mystery to unravel. I highly recommend checking out ‘One of Us Is Lying’.

If you read this book and you enjoy it, there is a series by Karen M. McManus. The next books follow a lot of the same characters, but they follow different stories. The books in order go: ‘One of Us Is Lying’, ‘One of Us Is Next’, and finally ‘One of Us is Back’. I personally have yet to read the rest of the books, however i did start ‘One of Us Is Next’ but never finished it.