Sunday, July 23, 2023

Book Commentary || One of Us is Lying - Karen M. McManus


 

Title: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus - A Riveting and Twist-Filled Thriller

 

A heart-pounding and exciting  thriller, "One of Us Is Lying" by Karen M. McManus, keeps readers on the edge of their seats the entire time. The story kicks off with five students going to detention. But out of five, only four come out alive. So the remaining four became the primary suspects because the teacher leaves the room before the victim dies.

 So coming to the plot, it’s a typical American high school story with

       Bronwyn Rojas, an overachiever focused on her future 

      Cooper Clay, a basketball jock

      Addy Prentiss, prom queen and cheer leader

      Nate Macauley, bad boy and drug dealer who is on probation

      Simon Keller, creator of a notorious gossip app called "About that"

 These five are sent to detention by Mr. Avery, who is a technophobe. The strange thing about that is all get caught with mobile phones in their backpacks, which is not even them to begin with. When Simon pours and drinks the water, he suffers a severe allergic reaction and the EpiPen is the nurse’s also got missing which resulted in the death of Simon. It seems that Simon planned to post their deepest secret in the app, but he dies 24 hours before that. So, investigators and all the national media branded them as the primary suspects.

 Everyone has secrets. But how far will one go to protect their secret?

strength

The narrative unfolds with the alternative perspectives which show every emotion, inner guilt, and inner strengths of each character. As the investigation proceeds, the book explores the negative or dark sides of social media and how it affects teenagers and makes them to take rash decisions.

 The plot skillfully navigates and makes us suspect every one of them at some point. Just when we think that we have found out the truth, the author reveals another plot and mystery and keeps us hooked up throughout the book. Even if some things are somewhat predictable, some other revelations are very unexpected and thrilling.

 The strength of  “One of Us Is Lying” is the development of characters throughout the ending. It was explained beautifully how each of them overcame their guilt, self-doubts, and insecurity.

 If there is any criticism, it would be that a few minor plot threads could have been explored in greater depth and some plot twists are predictable. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the novel.

 Conclusion  

"One of Us is Lying" is a wonderful Young Adult thriller with its engaging characters, cleverly written plots mystery, and relevant theme. For anyone looking for a gripping and immersive whodunnit, this novel is a must-read. Prepare to be enthralled by the secrets, lies, and betrayals in this thrilling tale of high school drama and murder.


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