Tags
Bullying, Drugs, Dysfunctional Relationships, Mental Illness, Mystery, Social Media, Suspense, YA Fiction
Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: May 30th, 2017
368 Pages
Synopsis: 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 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.
I requested One of Us Is Lying because the mystery was appealing and it sort of reminded me of The Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars. To my surprise though this wildly exceeded my expectations. The story is related from the POVs of the four main characters. While at first Bronwyn, Nate, Addy and Cooper seem to fit the ubiquitous high school stereotypes, they are so, so much more. They all have secrets and issues they’re trying to deal with and they come across relatable and sympathetic. I liked every single one of them, even while it was constantly in the back of my head that one of them may be a murderer. Karen McManus does a fantastic job at capturing what modern-day high school life is like, especially with the use of social media. With this realistic setting and likable characters, I completely got distracted in regards to the actual mystery, so it wasn’t until the last couple of chapters that all the puzzle pieces began coming together for me and I guessed who the person was behind Simon’s death. The ending is perfect, but not in the way where everyone rides off happily into the sunset. While there are some positive moments, there are others where certain people have to face the consequences of their actions and there were some plot lines that were purposely left open. I was fine with all of it, because like the rest of the story, it made everything messily real. There’s just one aspect that prevents me from giving this a perfect rating, and I’m sorry that I have to be vague. I can’t really go into it too much because that would involve unveiling a major spoiler. All I can say is that it involved mental illness and I thought it was glossed over a bit. Otherwise, this book is bound to be a phenomenal hit with teens and adults who enjoy YA fiction. It would also make a terrific movie or even tv series. I honestly can’t wait to see what Karen McManus comes out with next!
James J. Cudney IV said:
Great review!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks James! I just found you in my spam.
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James J. Cudney IV said:
Oh, those playful little ferrets… the spam players love to take our messages!
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JJAzar said:
Great review! I always get a fine impression of what a book is like by your reviews…yet you don’t reveal too much, which I truly appreciate. Great stuff!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
J.J., in case I haven’t mentioned it, you’re the best! You have completely made my day…again!😊😗
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Carrie said:
Reading the synopsis the first thing I started thinking was The Breakfast Club which makes me wonder if it would be original and good if picking it up but reading your review I may have to add this to my someday if I get the chance pile. 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I think you’d really like this Carrie. While the very beginning is reminiscent of The Breakfast Club since they’re all in detention, it quickly segues into something wholly original. And did I mention how much I liked the four teens? 😊
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Felicia Denise said:
Nice review! 👍
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thank you Felicia!😊
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Natasha said:
Sounds like a really good book! Interesting plot, and those characters sound fascinating. Great review as always Kim!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Natasha!😊
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beetleypete said:
Do you get the feeling that some books are being written specifically with a possible film or TV show in mind? Not a bad thing, and this sounds like a good candidate.
Best wishes, Pete.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Definitely Pete. I oftentimes wind up casting the characters while I’m reading.😊
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vinnieh said:
I definitely do that Pete.
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Sarah @betweenthepages said:
I requested this book a few weeks ago (I am DYING to read it) but my netgalley request was denied 😫. Luckily, my library ordered it and so it’ll come right on May 30th!! I’m glad you enjoyed this book, I’m so excited to read it!!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I’m so glad your library has it on order Sarah. I have a feeling you’re going to love this!😊
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faithrivens said:
Keep hearing very good things about this one! I’m excited to read it.
Great review 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Faith. I hope you love it as much as I did.😊
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LairOfBooks said:
Wonderful review Kim! between you & another blogger, you have me convinced to bump this title up on my TBR. As a lover of all things 80’s, I can’t pass up anything that is even remotely channeling the Breakfast Club lol. I also obsessed over PLL for years before quitting the show 1 season before the finale *not a care was given* haha! I love a good Whodunnit in the summer 😉
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Yay! I’d love to know what you think after you read it Lilly!😊
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The Chaos Realm said:
“…you see us how you want to see us…”
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Love that!
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The Chaos Realm said:
I love the Breakfast Club so I will have to check this out sometime! 🙂
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theorangutanlibrarian said:
I really like the sound of this. Sometimes books need to be a little messy to feel real. I also really like that cover. Great review!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I just found you in my spam.😡 Thanks so much. I’d love to know your thoughts if you read this!😊
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theorangutanlibrarian said:
hehe yeah- speak of the devil! You’re welcome! Absolutely!
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ravenblake99 said:
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve seen this book around but I never gave it much thought. It sounds really good. I’ll definitely give this a shot. Great Review! 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Raven. I almost didn’t request it, but for some reason kept circling back to it. I hope you like it.😊
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beckmank said:
This sounds great! Adding it to my list…:) Great review.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks! And yay! I hope you like it.😊
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Lashaan (Bookidote) said:
I see so many glowing reviews for this one! It really sounds awesome, and well adapted to reality. I too thought it reminded me of The Breakfast Club! Glad to see how much you enjoyed this one though. Fantastic review! 😀
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Lashaan! If you have a chance I highly recommend it!
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KrystiYAandWine said:
Seeing lots of great ratings for this one! I’m participating in the blog tour next week, so I’m super excited about that and to see how highly you rated it! I always agree with your ratings. Great review as per usual, my friend!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Krysti! I can’t wait to see what you think of it!😊😙
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KrystiYAandWine said:
Thanks so much, Kim! So good to see you posting so many reviews lately. 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Krysti. I’m trying to keep up when I can.😊
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Didi Oviatt - Author said:
Great review! My first thought was definitely breakfast club (which I love) .. I’m definitely adding it to my list. Sound tricky and intense! 🤔
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Didi. I have a feeling you’ll like this.😊
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Didi Oviatt - Author said:
me too 🙂
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lucindablogs said:
Oooh, this sounds so intriguing! I requested it a while ago and kinda forgot about it – bumping it up the tbr now! Loved your review!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Lucinda. I hope you love it!
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lucindablogs said:
I’ll review it when I’ve read it 😊
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vinnieh said:
A fine review.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Vinnie.😊
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vinnieh said:
You’re too lovely.
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Sophie @ Blame Chocolate said:
The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, that’s exactly what this book’s synopsis reminded me of!
Glad to know it exceeded your expectations 🙂 I’ve read really mixed reviews and am unsure where I’ll stand.
Another lovely review, Kim!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Sophie. Maybe you can get it at the library? It’s a very quick read.
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Sophie @ Blame Chocolate said:
I’m not in a hurry to get it as I have tons of other books to get to first, but I’ll keep it in mind 😉
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