One of Us is Lying

One of Us is Lying
Karen McManus
Delacorte, 2017 368 pages
Grades 8-Up
Mystery

Five seemingly unrelated teenagers are together in detention on trumped up charges when tragedy strikes. One of the boys, who runs a gossip social media sight, has an allergic peanut reaction and his EpiPen is missing, leading to death. Now the remaining four teens are being accused of murder, especially after Simon's site posts secrets posthumously about of them that they do not wish to get out. Which teenager did it? Or all they working together? Meet the prom queen, jock, nerdy brainiac, and bad-boy drug dealer as they react to the accusations in different ways and begin to form relationships with each other. Once the secrets are revealed, their lives are changed forever. More changes ensue after the media grabs hold of the story and the entire country is watching them. The murderer could be one of the four, or a supporting character, or maybe the victim himself. All is revealed by book's end, including motivation. An epilogue shows how the characters fare after the fallout settles and life as they now know it becomes the norm.

A classic mystery meets the Breakfast Club in this very hot teen book. Reading it reminded me of a Lois Duncan story, especially I Know What You Did Last Summer. Readers will enjoy gathering clues and trying to figure out the perpetrator. The person behind the murder is get-able, yet not too obvious, as McManus throws in plenty of red herrings and many folks with motivation. All of the characters grow and change as both a result of the accusations and the revelation of their secrets. They turn out better off for the upheaval and all ends satisfyingly happy. It bothered me that all of the main characters are physically beautiful, which is unrealistic, but reflects American popular culture and is to be expected. This is not necessarily the stuff of great fiction, but teenagers will (and do!) love it. The action never stops and the plot goes through many surprising twists and turns. Readers will have a hard time putting it down and it will appeal to both genders and all reading levels. Because of some sexual situations and drug and alcohol use, this book is not appropriate for younger teens, although I know they are reading it. It came recommended to me by a ten year old and it is most certainly not for her. An entertaining who-done-it that will appeal to a large audience.