Literature & Fiction
![Karen M. McManus - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B01M4HOSP5.jpg)
One of Us Is Lying
All the secrets of the Bayview Four will be revealed in the TV series now streaming on NBC's Peacock!
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • BUZZFEED • POPCRUSH
“Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club” (Entertainment Weekly) in this addictive mystery about what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive.
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.
And don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling sequel, One of Us is Next!
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • BUZZFEED • POPCRUSH
“Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club” (Entertainment Weekly) in this addictive mystery about what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive.
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.
And don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling sequel, One of Us is Next!
Editorial Reviews
A New York Times Bestseller
An Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of the Year Selection
A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year Selection
A New York Public Library's Best Book for Teens Selection
A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book of the Year Selection
A CBC Teen Choice Book Award Nominee
A Bustle Best Young Adult Book of the Month
A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year Nominee
A YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction Book Nominee
A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
"Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club....so make room for One of Us Is Lying in your bags, because this is one carry-on you won't want to put down." -Entertainment Weekly Online
"You'll tear through this juicy, super-fun (if murder can ever be fun?) thriller."-Bustle
"A whodunit with a Breakfast Club twist...following four unique voices on a chase to find the killer, this one will keep you guessing until the very, very end."-Popcrush
"Twisty plotting, breakneck pacing and intriguing characterisation add up to an exciting, single-sitting thrillerish treat."-The Guardian
"This is no ordinary whodunit…surprising and relevant."-USA Today
"Readers will have a hard time putting this clever page-turner down." -BookPage Online
"An addictive, devour-in-one-sitting thriller with so many twists and turns you'll be wondering until the very end: Who really killed Simon?"-Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners and Little Monsters
★"[As] McManus's intense mystery unfolds...each character becomes more complex and nuanced, adding richness and depth to the suspense." -VOYA, Starred Review
"This fast-paced blend of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and classic John Hughes will leave readers racing to the finish as the try to unravel the mystery on their own."-Kirkus Reviews
"One of Us Is Lying is flat-out addictive...[McManus] weaves an authentic, suspenseful mystery that readers can imagine taking place at their very own high school."-RT Book Reviews
"A smart, twisted, and unpredictable YA mystery that will have readers guessing until the very end."-SLJ
"An engaging, enticing look at the pressures of high school and the things that cause a person to lose control."-Booklist
An Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of the Year Selection
A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year Selection
A New York Public Library's Best Book for Teens Selection
A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book of the Year Selection
A CBC Teen Choice Book Award Nominee
A Bustle Best Young Adult Book of the Month
A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year Nominee
A YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction Book Nominee
A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
"Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club....so make room for One of Us Is Lying in your bags, because this is one carry-on you won't want to put down." -Entertainment Weekly Online
"You'll tear through this juicy, super-fun (if murder can ever be fun?) thriller."-Bustle
"A whodunit with a Breakfast Club twist...following four unique voices on a chase to find the killer, this one will keep you guessing until the very, very end."-Popcrush
"Twisty plotting, breakneck pacing and intriguing characterisation add up to an exciting, single-sitting thrillerish treat."-The Guardian
"This is no ordinary whodunit…surprising and relevant."-USA Today
"Readers will have a hard time putting this clever page-turner down." -BookPage Online
"An addictive, devour-in-one-sitting thriller with so many twists and turns you'll be wondering until the very end: Who really killed Simon?"-Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners and Little Monsters
★"[As] McManus's intense mystery unfolds...each character becomes more complex and nuanced, adding richness and depth to the suspense." -VOYA, Starred Review
"This fast-paced blend of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and classic John Hughes will leave readers racing to the finish as the try to unravel the mystery on their own."-Kirkus Reviews
"One of Us Is Lying is flat-out addictive...[McManus] weaves an authentic, suspenseful mystery that readers can imagine taking place at their very own high school."-RT Book Reviews
"A smart, twisted, and unpredictable YA mystery that will have readers guessing until the very end."-SLJ
"An engaging, enticing look at the pressures of high school and the things that cause a person to lose control."-Booklist
Readers Top Reviews
Tomes with Tea
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. Okay, so everyone had been raving about this book. A great new YA thriller that's a cross between The Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars. I mean come on, your sold on it already aren't you? What I loved about this one is that its only about 360 odd pages but it really packs a punch in that time. So full of twists and turns its really hard to figure out whodunnit! Admittedly though, I did work out who it was just before the reveal, but thats probably due to the sheer amount of thrillers and mystery books I've read over the years. Some of the characters are likeable while some began to grate on me a little, but overall I found them all to be very believable. A great fast-faced YA thriller. Perfect for this time of the year! 5/5 stars.
Cassie
As a 29 year old reading a YA novel, I was pretty confident that I'd be able to figure out who killed Simon. I was very wrong! The main characters are all teenagers, and like teenagers, they can be pretty cringy. There were plenty of parts that made me go "Oh god, start thinking with your brains, not your hormones!" You'd think that would be a bad thing, but I loved it, because these characters were very realistic. I'm tired of reading YA books where the main characters are wise old souls in 16 year old bodies. What teenager isn't a little annoying? I can't wait for this to become the next big book sensation! I would not be surprised if it becomes a tv series.
NerdNarration
"You see us as you want to see us—in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions.” Brian had it right when he wrote those words in the adored and highly quotable letter at the end of The Breakfast Club. The passage continues on to say: “But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal. Does that answer your question?" *Inserts fist pump into the air while fighting the urge to blast “Don’t You Forget About Me” throughout the living room.* Nostalgia aside, I bring this up because the idea of labels and what lies underneath them is not only the plight of seemingly every high school movie, book, and experience, but also the core of the readability of One of Us is Lying. The book’s murder mystery hook – aided by the Pretty Little Liars/Gossip Girl comparisons – probably lured you in along with the rest of us, but the characters and their development are what keep you invested. And it’s a good thing too because I correctly identified the killer during the opening scene. And if solving the murder was the only thing this book had going for it, I would have been extremely disappointed. But for me, the question was never who, but rather why? Why did Simon have to die? Why – and how – were the Bayview Four involved? Of course I can’t tell you the answers, but trust me when I say that McManus is able to keep you intrigued while you simultaneously fall for the brain, the athlete, the princess, and the criminal who all had motives and additional secrets to hide. Narrated and told via alternating points of view, One of Us is Lying is full of intricate characterizations and sometimes predictable twists on the classic tropes. I often found myself highlighting one-liners from this debut author that accurately nailed and effectively portrayed the personalities of the “Murder Club” members. From the sensible brainiac, Bronwyn, (“Mostly I thought Evan and I had potential to be a solid couple until graduation, at which point we'd break up amicably and head to our different colleges.”) to the dealer from the bad part of town, Nate, ("Rigging detention sounds like work, and everything about Nate -- from his messy dark hair to his ratty leather jacket -- screams Can't be bothered. Or yawns it, maybe.") you’ll find yourself relating to or remembering people that fit these molds. Ultimately that’s what I enjoyed so much – getting beneath the surface. We all have people in high school that we knew on a superficial level that were probably remembered via their clique. One word descriptions. Nothing more. Nothing less. This book is yet another reminder of what can happen when you choose to dig a little deeper and stop caring what your friends think. If you’re looking for an entertaining and quick read for the be...
Mary Ward
Netflix? Get on this right now! Bronwyn, a brainy girl set on going to Yale, is given detention for having her phone in class. The thing is, it was not her phone but the teacher does not believe her. He also doesn’t believe Cooper, the star athlete, Addy, the beauty, and Nate, I guess you would call the classic delinquent. And then there is Simon. Simon runs a gossip app called About That. He spreads the high school gossip around like butter. When Simon has an allergic attack and things go horribly wrong, the four kids are all suspected of murder. Who is lying and who is telling the truth? I loved these kids so much. As much as I loved the mystery and the twists, my favorite part was watching all four grow into the people they were meant to be. They throw aside the petty high school cliques and become real friends. Of course, in the back of your mind you are wondering if one of them is the murderer and I am not going to spoil that. I had a feeling that ended up being right, pat myself on the back, but there are a few things that were surprising. The other characters are so thought out as well, the sisters especially. I loved Maeve’s chutzpah. I had a silly smile on my face at the end. I am sure you will too. This is such a wonderful debut novel and I cannot wait to see what comes next from Ms. McManus!
CYo
Let me preface by saying that I'm a 7-12th grade teacher and I plan to make this book part of my curriculum because the themes are so abundant. I know others have already said it, but there is a liking to The Breakfast Club, as the premise of the story happens during detention at a high school. There is so much depth to this story. This story is very appropriate to read with Junior High students. The bad language is kept to a bare minimum and the adult themes are implied more than stated. This book talks about many different family dynamics and how the children are affected. Without saying too much, it's important for high school students (and adults) to remember that our actions do affect others. The judicial system is another great talking point in this book, as well as unlikely friendships. I can't say enough good things and I'm excited to read it with my Junior High students. I did guess who was lying fairly early on, but I wasn't able to figure out the whole story until it was explained to me, so the book kept my interest the entire time!!!!!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
Bronwyn
Monday, September 24, 2:55 p.m.
A sex tape. A pregnancy scare. Two cheating scandals. And that's just this week's update. If all you knew of Bayview High was Simon Kelleher's gossip app, you'd wonder how anyone found time to go to class.
"Old news, Bronwyn," says a voice over my shoulder. "Wait till you see tomorrow's post."
Damn. I hate getting caught reading About That, especially by its creator. I lower my phone and slam my locker shut. "Whose lives are you ruining next, Simon?"
Simon falls into step beside me as I move against the flow of students heading for the exit. "It's a public service," he says with a dismissive wave. "You tutor Reggie Crawley, don't you? Wouldn't you rather know he has a camera in his bedroom?"
I don't bother answering. Me getting anywhere near the bedroom of perpetual stoner Reggie Crawley is about as likely as Simon growing a conscience.
"Anyway, they bring it on themselves. If people didn't lie and cheat, I'd be out of business." Simon's cold blue eyes take in my lengthening strides. "Where are you rushing off to? Covering yourself in extracurricular glory?"
I wish. As if to taunt me, an alert crosses my phone: Mathlete practice, 3 p.m., Epoch Coffee. Followed by a text from one of my teammates: Evan's here.
Of course he is. The cute Mathlete--less of an oxymoron than you might think--seems to only ever show up when I can't.
"Not exactly," I say. As a general rule, and especially lately, I try to give Simon as little information as possible. We push through green metal doors to the back stairwell, a dividing line between the dinginess of the original Bayview High and its bright, airy new wing. Every year more wealthy families get priced out of San Diego and come fifteen miles east to Bayview, expecting that their tax dollars will buy them a nicer school experience than popcorn ceilings and scarred linoleum.
Simon's still on my heels when I reach Mr. Avery's lab on the third floor, and I half turn with my arms crossed. "Don't you have someplace to be?"
"Yeah. Detention," Simon says, and waits for me to keep walking. When I grasp the knob instead, he bursts out laughing. "You're kidding me. You too? What's your crime?"
"I'm wrongfully accused," I mutter, and yank the door open. Three other students are already seated, and I pause to take them in. Not the group I would have predicted. Except one.
Nate Macauley tips his chair back and smirks at me. "You make a wrong turn? This is detention, not student council."
He should know. Nate's been in trouble since fifth grade, which is right around the time we last spoke. The gossip mill tells me he's on probation with Bayview's finest for . . . something. It might be a DUI; it might be drug dealing. He's a notorious supplier, but my knowledge is purely theoretical.
"Save the commentary." Mr. Avery checks something off on a clipboard and closes the door behind Simon. High arched windows lining the back wall send triangles of afternoon sun splashing across the floor, and faint sounds of football practice float from the field behind the parking lot below.
I take a seat as Cooper Clay, who's palming a crumpled piece of paper like a baseball, whispers "Heads up, Addy" and tosses it toward the girl across from him. Addy Prentiss blinks, smiles uncertainly, and lets the ball drop to the floor.
The classroom clock inches toward three, and I follow its progress with a helpless feeling of injustice. I shouldn't even be here. I should be at Epoch Coffee, flirting awkwardly with Evan Neiman over differential equations.
Mr. Avery is a give-detention-first, ask-questions-never kind of guy, but maybe there's still time to change his mind. I clear my throat and start to raise my hand until I notice Nate's smirk broadening. "Mr. Avery, that wasn't my phone you found. I don't know how it got into my bag. This is mine," I say, brandishing my iPhone in its melon-striped case.
Honestly, you'd have to be clueless to bring a phone to Mr. Avery's lab. He has a strict no-phone policy and spends the first ten minutes of every class rooting through backpacks like he's head of airline security and we're all on the watch list. My phone was in my locker, like always.
"You too?" Addy turns to me so quickly, her blond shampoo-ad hair swirls around her shoulders. She must have been surgically removed from her boyfriend in order to show up alone. "That wasn't my phone either."
"Me three," Cooper chimes in. His...
Bronwyn
Monday, September 24, 2:55 p.m.
A sex tape. A pregnancy scare. Two cheating scandals. And that's just this week's update. If all you knew of Bayview High was Simon Kelleher's gossip app, you'd wonder how anyone found time to go to class.
"Old news, Bronwyn," says a voice over my shoulder. "Wait till you see tomorrow's post."
Damn. I hate getting caught reading About That, especially by its creator. I lower my phone and slam my locker shut. "Whose lives are you ruining next, Simon?"
Simon falls into step beside me as I move against the flow of students heading for the exit. "It's a public service," he says with a dismissive wave. "You tutor Reggie Crawley, don't you? Wouldn't you rather know he has a camera in his bedroom?"
I don't bother answering. Me getting anywhere near the bedroom of perpetual stoner Reggie Crawley is about as likely as Simon growing a conscience.
"Anyway, they bring it on themselves. If people didn't lie and cheat, I'd be out of business." Simon's cold blue eyes take in my lengthening strides. "Where are you rushing off to? Covering yourself in extracurricular glory?"
I wish. As if to taunt me, an alert crosses my phone: Mathlete practice, 3 p.m., Epoch Coffee. Followed by a text from one of my teammates: Evan's here.
Of course he is. The cute Mathlete--less of an oxymoron than you might think--seems to only ever show up when I can't.
"Not exactly," I say. As a general rule, and especially lately, I try to give Simon as little information as possible. We push through green metal doors to the back stairwell, a dividing line between the dinginess of the original Bayview High and its bright, airy new wing. Every year more wealthy families get priced out of San Diego and come fifteen miles east to Bayview, expecting that their tax dollars will buy them a nicer school experience than popcorn ceilings and scarred linoleum.
Simon's still on my heels when I reach Mr. Avery's lab on the third floor, and I half turn with my arms crossed. "Don't you have someplace to be?"
"Yeah. Detention," Simon says, and waits for me to keep walking. When I grasp the knob instead, he bursts out laughing. "You're kidding me. You too? What's your crime?"
"I'm wrongfully accused," I mutter, and yank the door open. Three other students are already seated, and I pause to take them in. Not the group I would have predicted. Except one.
Nate Macauley tips his chair back and smirks at me. "You make a wrong turn? This is detention, not student council."
He should know. Nate's been in trouble since fifth grade, which is right around the time we last spoke. The gossip mill tells me he's on probation with Bayview's finest for . . . something. It might be a DUI; it might be drug dealing. He's a notorious supplier, but my knowledge is purely theoretical.
"Save the commentary." Mr. Avery checks something off on a clipboard and closes the door behind Simon. High arched windows lining the back wall send triangles of afternoon sun splashing across the floor, and faint sounds of football practice float from the field behind the parking lot below.
I take a seat as Cooper Clay, who's palming a crumpled piece of paper like a baseball, whispers "Heads up, Addy" and tosses it toward the girl across from him. Addy Prentiss blinks, smiles uncertainly, and lets the ball drop to the floor.
The classroom clock inches toward three, and I follow its progress with a helpless feeling of injustice. I shouldn't even be here. I should be at Epoch Coffee, flirting awkwardly with Evan Neiman over differential equations.
Mr. Avery is a give-detention-first, ask-questions-never kind of guy, but maybe there's still time to change his mind. I clear my throat and start to raise my hand until I notice Nate's smirk broadening. "Mr. Avery, that wasn't my phone you found. I don't know how it got into my bag. This is mine," I say, brandishing my iPhone in its melon-striped case.
Honestly, you'd have to be clueless to bring a phone to Mr. Avery's lab. He has a strict no-phone policy and spends the first ten minutes of every class rooting through backpacks like he's head of airline security and we're all on the watch list. My phone was in my locker, like always.
"You too?" Addy turns to me so quickly, her blond shampoo-ad hair swirls around her shoulders. She must have been surgically removed from her boyfriend in order to show up alone. "That wasn't my phone either."
"Me three," Cooper chimes in. His...
