One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Lying was is just outright one of the most addictive books I’ve read all year, if not longer. From the moment I picked it up and started reading I found it incredibly hard to put down; I read on my way to and from work, on my lunch hour, after dinner and right up until I could keep my eyes open no longer! One of Us Is Lying tells the story of five high school seniors; Gossip Girl-esque Simon who runs a gossip blog, popular baseball player Cooper, serious and studious Bronwyn, loveable drug dealer Nate and pretty girl Addy. Each one finds themselves suddenly in detention after having a cell phone mysteriously placed in each of their bags. Whilst trying to convince the supervising teacher that none of the phones belong to them and that someone must be pulling a prank, they all suddenly hear the sound of a crash outside. Whilst the teacher and four of the students rush to the window to see what is going on, one student, Simon, hangs back and when they all return to their seats Simon begins to choke. As Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper and Addy all try to get help for Simon, unfortunately, it arrives to late and he is pronounced dead at the hospital – from anaphylactic due to a peanut allergy. So who killed Simon? Well here is the tricky part. No one knows, but there are plenty of people who would want to. Simon has a lot of enemies due to his gossip blog that he runs, filled with the rumours and secrets of just about everyone in the school. But since he was in the room with just the others in detention, they quickly become the focus of the police investigation into Simon’s death and the ensuing media circus that threatens all of their reputations and futures. Each character bears the brunt of everyone’s judgement from both family and friends, is pressured to turn on the others and most importantly, has one last secret about themselves revealed on a tumblr blog which continues to post following Simon’s death. Who killed Simon? Who is still posting their secrets? Who wants them all to be destroyed? Who is lying? One of Us Is Lying takes you on a rollercoaster ride of some serious character development, highs and lows of emotion and an all-important final twist. It gave me a classic who-done-it scenario, all the of drama you would expect from a high school filled with rampant hormones, a newly budding romance, a secret romance and an incredibly satisfying finale. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced, addictive read, not to mention this is now set to become a tv series after being picked up by E!

A very engaging, readable YA novel. When I pre-ordered this book, I didn't realize it was Young Adult but once I started reading I couldn't put it down. SYNOPSIS Overachiever Bronwyn, star athlete and overall good guy Cooper, beautiful homecoming / prom princess Addy, mysterious bad boy Nate and gossip monger Simon all end up in detention together one day after school. Sound a little like '80's hit movie Breakfast Club? Five stereotypes who have very little to say to each and really nothing in common until... the unimaginable happens and Simon goes into anaphylactic shock. He has a well-known, severe peanut allergy, yet his epi-pen isn't in his backpack and no one can find any in the nurses office. By the time the ambulance arrives, it's too late. What really happened to Simon? Was this an elaborate plan to get rid of the school's biggest gossip? Did he have something on one of the people in the room big enough for murder? All four swear they had nothing to do with Simon's death. Who is lying? Are they all lying? Can they trust each other? Can they trust anyone? As the remaining four deal with the fall out of Simon's death, they begin to see each other for who they are beyond the surface, they realize who their friends really are, they deal with the possibility of losing everything and each one is forced to reach within themselves for the strength to survive. WHAT I LOVED Very well-written book. It's been a long time since I was in high school, but I thought Karen McManus captured the essence of the experience. The angst, the social divisions and the fear everyone had of stepping out of line and ending up being banished. The tides turn so quickly and so randomly that with one wrong move, even the most popular can find themselves completely friendless. Although I guessed a couple of the key plot lines/ twists, I did not see the final twist coming. The final puzzle piece was not who I expected. Great twist. I loved how all the characters ended up being more 3 dimensional than expected. Each having unseen challenges, pressures and secrets. WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE Not much to not love. A couple parts were fairly predictable but still a great book. OVERALL Great read for both teenagers and adults. I would probably say it's more for 14/ 15 and above. There are some mature themes/ references (language, drugs, depression, mental illness, alcohol, sex and homosexuality), none of it gratuitous, no over blown descriptions but it is in there.

Muito bom o livro

This is my 2nd book by Kare. McManus. I have enjoyed both books. They are obviously young adult. That is not a negative of you want a fun twisty who-done-it. I recommend this for adult and teens alike.

Set in high school with a heavily clichéd outline of a plot and much of the answer can be guessed early on. But... I loved the characters and cared about the outcome, and Karen has something to say about life on the Internet too. Also the character arc where she comes out of a toxic relationship is a lovely, refreshing read. I loved it, I think it lives up to the hype.

It was a fun read

Absolutely superb. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. Five kids enter detention and only four walk back out... and one of them is lying. This is a who-dun-it with a touch of romance, and even though you don’t know who to trust as secret after secret comes out, I was fascinated by the characters and sat up late to keep turning the pages to finally find out the truth. A fantastic story, highly recommend.