One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus: A Book Review
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction; Mystery
I honestly did not expect to like this book as much as I have. First off, multiple first person narrators are not my thing – to the point that if I had known before picking up the book that it used the style I probably would have just put it back down. (I read the synopsis on GoodReads rather than the back of the book or opening the book: I feel it authenticates the journey more.) Second off, the time jumps and rewinds make it unnecessarily confusing. It works for TV shows, but for books its something that you constantly have to stay on top of – something that tends to jolt you out of the reading hazy when you are really getting into the book. (For a TV show example think How to Get Away with Murder. My fiancé is obsessed with that show at the moment and the time jumps work to build suspense in that scenario. In books, I find it unnecessarily confusing. Also it is just a really easy way to show time passing – which holds the question: is the time thing really necessary?) In my opinion, I say no, because I always ignore it (like how I tend to ignore who the narrator is whenever theirs multiple). However, while the beginning was a rocky start, I found myself loving the pureness of the characters, wanting to know who did the deed, and what was happening because, like for the narrators, NOTHING WAS MAKING SENSE!
McManus pulled twists and turns throughout her work – giving just enough information that curiosity rose, but nothing could be expected. Even the murderer was shocking even though it was hinted at throughout the story. I mean… its IMPOSSIBLE! Right? Logic says no, but fact says yes. People go “Huh?” and the book is like “put me down now b****”. There are no loose ends, but at the same time I don’t want the book to end and those are the best kinds of stories. Stories that make you feel like the characters are real; that you can’t believe what you are reading because it just can’t be true; that you could pick up the book again and realize you never actually finished it.
One of Us is Lying does have a sequel. Is it now on my to-read list? Yes. Is there an excerpt at the end? Yes. Did I read it? Yes. Is it a continuation of the story? No. Am I disappointed? Yes. Do I think that it is going to be a major letdown after this story? Possibly.
I want to know more about the MC’s in this story McManus! Does Addy go to college? Do Nate and Bronwyn make a supercouple? What about Cooper?
My main question: What happens next?
Guess I will have to wait and find out.
Who would most enjoy the work:
- How to Get Away With Murder TV Show fans
- Breakfast Club fan
- Mystery Fans
- Suspense Fans
- Teens who think their lives are boring
| Plot: | 10/ 10 |
| Characters: | 10/ 10 |
| Writing: | 10/ 10 |
| Editor: | 10/ 10 |
| Total | 40/ 40 |
Title: One of Us is Lying
Author: Karen M. McManus
Edition: First Edition, Hardback
Published: May 30, 2017
Publisher:Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9781524714680
If you want to get it: Amazon; Barnes&Noble
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