One of Us IS Lying is the story of four teenagers. It is told by all four points of view.
First up is Bronwyn, straight A student, smart, determined and resourceful. She’s the perfect Ravenclaw.
Next is Cooper, the star pitcher. He would be the perfect jock except he is sooooo nice and just all around decent, basically the perfect Hufflepuff.
Then, we have Abby. Abby is popular but lacks confidence. She’s been dating the star running back of the football team for about three years.
And last but not least, there’s Nate, the criminal, my child. He’s been arrested for drug dealing and is now on probation. His dad is a drunk and he has to take care of the bills and shit. (To me, he’s a Slytherin but I might not be impartial because I am a Slytherin and it’s the best house ever.)
Why do I insist on sorting them, you will never know. (I don’t even know...)
These four characters are everything. I connected to them in so many ways. The ones I didn’t love at first sight, grew on me like you wouldn’t believe. They were just so complex and flawed, I couldn’t help but love them.
The side characters were also really interesting and I loved many of them. (I'd protect Maeve with my life.)

On to the plot. I don’t actually want to say a lot because just jumping in without knowing much might actually be best for this book.
The book starts with our four babies in detention with Simon. Simon is the gossip king of the school. He even has an app dedicated to it with weekly updates. What he writes on it always turns out to be true. Problem is, Simon has an anaphylactic shock during detention and dies. Our four protagonists are the main suspects.
The intrigue was so well told, I couldn’t figure what had truly happen. Even when I suspected, I dismissed it almost instantly. It kept me on my toes the entire time.

What I also liked in this book was the growth of the characters, as well as the relationships (whether they were romantic or not) between them. I found them really captivating and couldn’t help but root for them. I could feel what the characters felt, there was an actual growth and I could feel our their feelings evolved. I seriously loved this side of the book too.

The author also showed the double standards we have in our society and how it can affects everyday life.

I read this book in one sitting and simply couldn’t put it down.
All in all, an amazing debut novel. I will be impatiently waiting for more from this author.

Obviously the blurb describes the story pretty well. This book really held my attention and I really wanted to read it straight through. I wasn't able to (life, work, responsibilities), but I did stay up late the second night to finish it.

It's definitely a mystery and everyone who is a person of interest is hiding something. I had a couple of theories and kind of talked myself out of them. I turned out to be right, but it really could have gone several other ways. What I liked most about the ending was that it wasn't convoluted. The author drew the conclusion from within the story and didn't just throw some random situation in there (that ruins a book for me).

For a debut book, it was well-written and never had that "debut book vibe".. I would read this author again, and will probably buy the hardcover for this book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: May 30th 2017

I was instantly drawn to One of Us Is Lying at first because it gave me Breakfast Club vibes when I read the description; I love that movie. It doesn’t always happen when I read books, but I was sucked in from the first page. There was no way I was putting it down until I finished it and that’s exactly what happened. I read One of Us Is Lying in one day and it was so good! I loved it.

I’m not the biggest fan of books with multiple point of views, but for this book it worked perfectly. I enjoyed reading all of the character’s parts in the book and I was invested in them all. I had no idea what was happening and when I put it together in my head it always ended up being something totally different, so it kept me guessing about who murdered Simon.

Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper were all dealing with big things happening in their life and then they were thrown into this police investigation on top of it. As much as I really liked them all, I honestly didn’t know who to believe at times. Red flags everywhere and everything and everyone seemed suspicious in my eyes. Everyone had secrets. That’s what made this book so fun though.

Overall, I am really glad that I requested this book. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing. It was a really fun read and I enjoyed it so much. I couldn’t put it down. It was happy, it was sad, it had me laughing out loud, and it had me yelling “whaaat?!” a million times. It was more than just solving a murder case. There’s so much more to the story and it tackles some of the important issues happening today. It was a really great book. I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Pretty good mystery, of the whodunnit variety. I think the character's are what really make the book. They each have a story of their own that unfolds throughout. My favorites parts are how two characters develop an unlikely friendship and how Addy grows so much as a person. The ending was acceptable although I think I would have liked a little more information on motive.

I have been dying to read this book ever since I heard about it. I was not disappointed. It's influenced by The Breakfast club but the only difference is murder is involved. When I heard that I had knew I had to read it.

So the story is about 5 students who have detention and by the end only 4 of them come out. The 4 of them automatically become the main suspects. Not only are they the suspects but they each had motive. So who did it?

Omg wow this book was so good. I have to say I didn't want to put it down. I was dying to know who what actually happened. The author does a good job of keeping you on your toes. At moment I thought it was one character then you find something about the other character and then it's like wait now I think it's them. So I was all over the place guessing who did it. By the end of it I was completely shocked by what actually happened. The author did a really good job tricking me.

I also really enjoyed that this was a book you got the different perspectives. All these characters are so different from each other. It's nice seeing how they each deal with what's going on. As the story goes on you start to figure out the secrets that they've been trying to hide. I felt this made things tricky because I was always switching up who I thought was the killer. I also found myself really caring for these characters because you learn so much about them and the reasoning behind their secrets. Now I'm not saying I agree with some of the things that went down but I did feel a bit of sympathy for them.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story that kept me guessing until the very end. I really loved all the characters that were in this book. The ending was very shocking which is always important to me with a mystery book. I would highly recommend this book.

Five students walk into detention. Four walk out - and one leaves in a body bag.

<i>The Breakfast Club</i> meets <i>Pretty Little Liars</i> in this YA thriller. Everyone in detention that day had a reason to hate Simon, the creator of Bayview High's gossip app. Was it the golden boy star pitcher? The drug-dealer? The popular girl? The brain? (see what I mean about <i>The Breakfast Club</i>?) The case soon gains the attention of the national media and the kids find them selves forming an uneasy friendship as they try to prove their innocence while wondering if one of them is lying. Things get even more uneasy when someone starts sending anonymous emails across the school claiming to have planned the murder and framed the group for it.

This one is definitely more the Agatha Christie puzzle mystery than a dark Swedish thriller. The twists and turns were in some cases predictable, especially when it came to the romance, but it was a fun ride to follow along with. The book drags a bit in the middle while you're waiting for more clues to show up, but the end was a satisfying solution that tied up the loose ends nicely. Fans of the movies and series mentioned above should enjoy it.

HOLY MOLEY, SWEET MOTHER OF MILKSHAKE MAKING MURDERERS! I don’t know where to begin, I love everything!

THE CHARACTERS! The book is in a quartet alternating PoV among Bronwyn, Addy, Nate and Cooper. I’ve warmed up to Bronwyn almost instantly. I love her spunk and how she tries so hard for even the most mundane of things. Nate has this mysterious air about him that made me read more about him just so to discover what’s his deal. And then Addy surprised me with her transformation from an “airhead homecoming princess turned badass ninja investigator”. And even Cooper whom I thought had a personality of a cardboard became interesting and even turned into a kind of a superhero in the end.

THE FRIENDSHIP! Just like I don’t like insta-love, I also hate insta-friendship. “One of Us Is Lying” is gladly nothing like that. The book showed a dynamic and complex forged connection among the four main characters. Bronwyn, Addy, Nate and Cooper are the contradictions of each other’s images. They have no interest whatsoever on becoming friends even the day after the whole Simon incident. How could they, when they are all murder suspects? But then the investigation becomes more and more oppressive that they have no choice but to rely on each other. So they start sitting on the same cafeteria table after their own cliques ditched them. They sneak out on abandoned construction projects and hold “murder club” meetings in order to piece together the puzzle that is Simon’s death. Did they become friends even then? Well, to paraphrase Cooper’s words: they are not exactly friends but not nothing either.

THE ROMANCE! Just like in the iconic John Hughes movies this book is loosely made after, two of the “murder club” members start being attracted to each other. As expected, their romance has a forbidden love element to it and I love how their relationship is so well-developed and made me wish for a happily ever after for them. There are also two romantic sub-plots that are too cute for me not to mention.

THE SISTERLY LOVE! I am a sucker for books with large helpings of sibling love and let me tell you, the sister affection meter went off the charts with this one. Bronwyn has this feisty younger sister Maeve, whom she is so protective of. Addy has this older sister Ashton, whom supported her through and through with the whole Simon thing. Then there’s this one time when Addy casually invited Bronwyn and Maeve over for a “sisters’ night” and I am like beyond ecstatic with the whole idea of these four girls hanging out! OMG, I can’t get enough! Something came up tho and the sisters’ night did not happen in canon. But in my mind, sisters’ night happened after the book’s timeline and became a regular thing among them.

THE DIVERSITY! The diversity of characters is not just there in order to tick off a box in a checklist. The diversity bears an importance with the story. It also helps, in a way, to move the narrative forward. For example, in Bronwyn’s case, being half-Colombian means avoiding association with Nate because her father hates the Colombian drug cartel related stereotype. And Mikhail Powers being a gay investigative journalist, eventually helped our main characters to sway the public opinion to their favor.

THE DETAILS! The author’s attention to details are just astounding. I cannot think of another contemporary YA that takes notice to the littlest of things such as this book. For example, there are these things that were mentioned just in passing that made the characters real and relatable: Addie checking for her period, dealing with a pimple, and the chore of maintaining a pixie hair cut. Cooper’s Southern accent is also a character nuance that is effectively detailed. When the narrative is in his PoV, his dialogues are mostly straight and un-accented but when the narrative’s PoV is on the other three, Cooper’s accent is visibly accented. And the blurb does not joke when it said pay close attention so you can keep up with solving the murder. Just a hint: take note of the characters’ hair and eye color.

THE WHODUNIT ELEMENT! So as not to give away a lot, let’s just say that I am beside myself guessing who the murderer is. Who among the four main characters is lying?! The ending is just brilliant. It’s not much of a shocker but it is extremely satisfying.

“One of Us Is Lying” is “The Breakfast Club” on steroids!!! If you’re a fan of the iconic movie, this book is that and so much more.

I really liked the characters and enjoyed the mystery set up. However, the ending really ruined it for me and makes me hesitant to recommend it. It adds to the idea teens have after reading/watching 13 Reasons Why that suicide is a form of revenge.

What a nice surprise!I haven't read this author before and I find this story so clever!This book completely drew me in and I found it hard to put it down.It really reminded me of Pretty little liars, and I love this series!

I'm in the middle of a bunch of really great modern classics of the fantasy and sci fi persuasion that I'm enjoying very thoroughly, but somehow I can't stop picking up lightweight YA stuff and whipping through it in the background. This week's installment of Sharon Off Track is the upcoming One of Us Is Lying, by Karen M. McManus, and a hat tip to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

It starts out all Breakfast Club, with five very different kids in detention, then takes a twist toward (according to the blurb) Pretty Little Liars, with one of them dead and the other four suspected of his murder. The police are pretty sure they conspired to do it.

But here's the thing: all four are first person POV characters. We spend time in each of their heads--including during the incident--so the only way for one of them to have done it is for them to be actively lying in their narration of the story.

But...there's no framework for their accounts--these aren't diaries or confessions or anything. They're straight narrative which would make that kind of lie really cheap, a cheating form of unreliable narrator. Which leaves us with--who did it?

If I sound intrigued by this book, I completely was, maybe more than it deserved. It is a straight-up high school story whose drama takes place mostly in the halls and classrooms (and teenagers' bedrooms and family rooms, plus the police station). This is usually not my jam. And it's a straight-up whodunit, so if I was expecting anything, it was really trashy pleasure.

But I ended up intrigued by the story. There were a ton of secondary characters, all very easy to keep straight. All four characters had friends and love interests and families at one level of involvement or another. There were secrets--SO many secrets; the victim ran a gossip blog and had a lot of enemies.

But there was something so much more human about this story than the description offers. This book contained not one but TWO sets of fiercely loving sisters who support each other. There was a cathartic breakup, and one that just seemed sad. There were loyal friends and partly loyal friends and crappy friends and crappy friends who are maybe also evil, and there are adults who do not have it together (and, of course, bungling police--I mean, that's just a detective story inevitability, right?). There are loving parents and indifferent parents and absent parents and parents who are trying but going about it all wrong and those who have been wrong but will maybe make it right. Guys, there was so much uplift of the human spirit in this book, right beside the salacious gossip!


When it comes to the end--no spoilers--I'm torn. On one level, it was very satisfying--the information was all there but not pointing right at it. As a mystery ending, it was very good. On the level of humanity, on which the book was so surprisingly successful, it was a little weaker--more soap opera and less human condition. I would love to discuss the ending with someone and its implications, but it's not necessary--it's the ending the story needed.

And that's what this comes down to; you've got a readable book that was so compelling that I was explaining the plot to my husband and he was trying to figure out whodunit with me. That's a success story if I ever heard one.

A very interesting concept by turning The Breakfast Club into a murder mystery!
Definitely a page-turner. I highly recommend it!

2.5 stars?

I am all over books like this. I'm a huge fan of a whodunnit and coupled with this synopsis and a sort of nod to The Breakfast Club, I was excited to start it. Sadly, I spent most of the book bored.

There are 4 MCs and they all take turns getting a POV. While it is helpful to find out everyone's side, all of their inner monologues sounded the same. I did like Bronwyn and Nate. They were the strongest characters and most of the reason I kept reading.

There are a lot of background characters, yet instead of creating a pool of suspects, it was just noise. I never got that layer of tension and suspense I was expecting. The pacing is slow without a build up or explosion and the few reveals fizzled.

Overall, it was a promising idea, but this just wasn't for me.

**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

The synopsis made me curious and I saw lot 5 star rating on Goodreads so I read this with high expectation.
So, Simon, Bronwyn, Addy, Nate and Cooper got detention then Simon died at the end of detention. By Monday, we find out that Simon has dark secret about Bronwnyn,Addy,Nate and Cooper that can ruin their high school life, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder.
Who is/are the murderer/s?

The story told by 4 narrators: Bronwyn, Addy, Nate and Cooper.

The writing is good and the mystery and clue that revealed one by one made me wonder who is/are the unreliable narrator/narrators (depend how many the murderer is/are, whether if it is one person or group). But the title is one of us is lying, so I kinda guess there is only one. But let's see..I won't tell you whether my guess is right/wrong. It is better to read and find out yourself. Hehee

I praise the author for make Bronwyn and Addy's voice distintive enough that made me easy to recognize them. Unfortunately that not the case with Nate and Cooper's voice/perspective. Their voice do not distinctive enough to make me know that it is them who talking. I had to go back several time to check who is the narrator.

The twist quite shocking and I did not see that coming!
But I did not like the ending. I feel it is lacking something that I don't even know.
So 3 star

I really enjoyed this book. I love that it took on the concept of the breakfast club and turned it into a murder mystery. Throughout the whole book I was trying so hard to figure out the murderer before the cops could and I was having so much trouble (although I must admit, I don’t think the cops were doing a very good job of it themselves.) I swear at one point I probably thought every single one of the main characters was a suspect.

I read this book in one sitting because I just had to know who was the real murderer.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Will update with links to where I posted my review online closer to the release date. (Final review might change slightly but will have the same basic message).

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them

My thoughts:
4.5
First off if you like the movie The Breakfast Club then you might like this , because in some ways it kind of does remind the reader alittle bit of that movie, which is why I requested it from NetGalley in the first place​ and I want to see how much was like the movie. And while there is a little reminder it's total different . The Breakfast Club:
1: athlete
2:beauty/ princess
3:criminal
4:brain
5:outcast
Now for the differences and the reminders
Reminders
1:And just like the movie they end up in detention and of course the teacher that's o watch over the detention hall leaves the room
Differences
The brainy
Outcast
LQTB character

The same:
Reble/ criminal
beauty/ princess
athlete
Plus this story has a lot of twist and turns and secrets that have a way of coming out, with that said I would like to say thinks to NetGalley for giving me the chance at reading this in change for my honest opinion, on that note to see and find out what the secrets are, as well as who is the LQTB character , who's dating who and what happened to Simon and what he was going to tell everyone at school ,well you're​going to have to read this for yourself.

Wow. Well this book was a pleasant surprise, more than I hoped and a fantastic edge of my seat read. I didn't figure it all out before the end and I loved discovering new things around every corner just like the characters. This is a story that starts off quickly and grabs the reader. Five kids are serving a detention for having cell phones in class (those darn phones!) and they are upset because the phones aren't there phones. While in detention, one of the characters dies and the story that continues is full of mystery, intrigue and lies. The story is told from all four perspectives of the kids who are still alive. Bronwyn the outstanding student, Nate the drug dealer with a single alcoholic father, Cooper the baseball star and Addy, the perfect popular girlfriend. No one know who is responsible for the death of the other student, Simon, who has created a gossip app that has caused (and continues to cause) a lot of damage to his peers.
Through the story, each of the characters is developed with great care and their secrets come to light, changing the way that they are viewed by others and the way they view themselves. There are friendships and relationships that are tested, as well as family dynamics that add to the tension and drama of the story. I couldn't put this book down and I loved reading it. I know my high school students will love this book too!

Excellent! Giving ups to social media and high school life. This book has something for every person who is dealing with or trying to deal with teens and their willingness to let social media lead their lives. I like how the author let you make your own assumption through out the story, only leaking small bits about the "Who Dunit" aspect of the story. This is also one of the few books that would work well as a young adult group read. .

This book is incredibly addictive and fun! I thought I would be able to solve the mystery before the end but the twists and turns kept me off track. The characters are all very dynamic and realistic. Such a fun read, it's no wonder everyone keeps talking about this book prior to its release! I received a free copy through NetGalley but will definitely order for my library and recommend to my students.

Intriguing, and kept me on edge from start to finish!