In the past, I would have told you that I did not like thrillers. Recently, I’ve started to nuance that statement a bit: “I do not like thrillers…unless they are Young Adult thrillers. Those, I devour.” One of the reasons for that switch is without a doubt One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus.

One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Lying starts out very much like an average day with five students getting detention. This creates some sort of a high school microcosm: Bronwyn is a top student who never breaks any rules; Addy is the typical popular girl; Nate is a drug dealer and a magnet for trouble; Cooper is the baseball star of the school; Simon is an outcast who is notorious for his gossip app that spreads anything any student would like to hide faster than light.

But things take a sinister turn when Simon dies during that detention. An accident? The police doesn’t believe this to be the case as he died right before publishing some more juicy gossip…about the four other students that were in detention with him.

Four suspects with both opportunity and motive. Can you figure out who ended Simon’s life?

A great YA thriller

Like I already mentioned, I really loved this story. It’s full of plot twists and the reader can explore different possibilities. Originally, I suspected part of the truth, but the narrative convinced me to take another view on the matter. I loved that this story kept me guessing until the very end.

I was also very much in the story if you know what I mean. So much so that I screamed out loud when my phone suddenly started ringing next to me and it was my friend Simon calling…lesson learned, put your phone on silent if you are reading thrillers … especially if you have friends with the same name as the main character.

I also liked the diverse set of characters. I was especially fond of Nate. I usually have a harder time connecting to characters in contemporary novels than in fantasy stories, however, Nate is the exception to the rule. I also loved the way in which the narration shifts quickly between the different points-of-view.

Fun detail: each part of the novel is named after a particular teenage game. This nicely fits the story.

I truly appreciated this story and as soon as I finished the novel, I bought part two. Four out of five gemstones:

Age Category: young adult but also suitable for an older audience

Representation: LGBTQ+, depression

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Warnings for bullying, drug abuse, emotional abuse, cheating, forced outing and suicide.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.

Amazon.nl: Hardcover edition

Amazon.nl: Paperback edition

Also sold to this book? Then definitely also check out the TV series. It’s amazing. What I appreciated is that that series helps to get to know Simon better. I was also pleasantly surprised by the changes between the book and the series… I won’t spoil anything, but definitely recommended to watch this too!

Similar to this

If you liked One of Us Is Lying, I have some good news for you. Karen M. McManus has written several other books in the same genre! Most notably the sequel One of Us Is Next. This is my current read 🙂 it takes us back to the same high school, a bit more than a year later. And what did you expect, there’s a Simon-copy-cat on the prowl. This time, students are invited to join a dangerous game of Truth or Dare. This novel can be read as a stand-alone, but should not be read first if you are planning to read the original one as it will spoil it. Update: My review of this novel can now be found here.

If you are into Young Adult thrillers, I would also recommend one of my favourites: Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso. This is the book that convinced me to give the genre a go. It’s spooky, it’s addicting, it’s everything you need to get totally distracted from the real world. Oh, and it made me scream out loud too. I see a recurrent pattern :p My review can be found here.

Last but not least, if you are into thrillers in high schools with a whole bunch of kids making stupid decisions, then check out They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman. It might not be my all-time favourite, but I found it an interesting story nevertheless, especially seeing that it was told from the perspective of the popular kids, which is unusual. My review can be found here.