One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus: A Review

My rating: 3.75/5 stars.

Five high school students end up in detention together under strange circumstances. When one of them is killed, the lives of the other four are sent into turmoil as police try to discover the truth.

Overall, this was a solid mystery/thriller. I loved seeing the story unfold from each of the four students’ perspectives, and while some of it was a bit cliche, I definitely did not figure out the ending. However, the resolution did not totally come out of left field either, which I appreciate!

My big complaint that stops me from giving this book a solid 4 star rating is that the voices of all four characters read the same. There were times where I had to flip back to see whose perspective I was reading when enough context was not given. My other complaint is that I can’t really get over the fact that the whole situation of the kids being extensively covered by the media, despite not having been charged or arrested AND being minors, probably would never have happened in real life. However, if you suspend your disbelief, it really is quite a good story.

All in all, this book was what I expected it to be. If you are in the mood for a YA mystery, I highly encourage you to pick this up!