New York Times Bestseller, One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus is a young adult mystery novel. Four years after its publication, the book was adapted into a television series.
On a typical Monday afternoon, five students walk into detention. Bronwyn Rojas is a straight-A student bound for Yale. Addy Prentiss is a girl defined by her boyfriend and struggling with confidence. Nate Macauley is a drug dealer on probation. Cooper Clay is a popular baseball player with a well-liked girlfriend. Simon Kelleher is a social outcast who runs a gossip app called About That, which exposes secrets at their school.
But only four walk out. A sudden commotion causes the teacher to leave the room. Moments later, Simon dies from a violent allergic reaction. The remaining students become suspects and find themselves the center of school-wide suspicion. Their lives begin to unravel as they try to uncover the truth. Are they being framed, or is one of them hiding something?
Karen M. McManus, known for her contemporary thrillers, published One of Us Is Lying in 2017. She later released two sequels, One of Us Is Next and One of Us Is Back, along with several standalone novels. The story switches between the four characters’ points of view, which allows readers to connect with each one and follow the mystery from multiple perspectives.
The novel explores themes like social pressure, personal identity, and the damage caused by rumors. While some readers criticized the final twist and the use of high school stereotypes, I found the story gripping. McManus builds strong suspense, keeps suspicion shifting, and holds the truth back until the very end.
One of Us Is Lying contains mild profanity and some mature topics. It is best suited for teens and young adults who enjoy mystery stories with emotional tension and unexpected turns.