Released on May 29, 2017, “One Of Us Is Lying” by Karen M. McManus quickly grabbed the attention of young adult readers across the country. Falling under the genre of young adult fiction and mystery, this novel was nominated for Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year and CBC Teen Choice Book Award. Throughout the book, McManus is able to tell a classical “Who Done It?” story based around four stereotypical high school teenagers with readers getting points of view from each suspect.

To begin the story, the point of view starts with Bronwyn Rojas, the brain of the group. She is quick to explain the role of Simon Kelleher, who is the notorious rumor mill of Bayview High School, making everyone’s secrets public. Fast forward into the first chapter, the rest of the crew is introduced in their points of view: Nate Macauley, the criminal, Addy Prentiss, the beauty, and Cooper Clay, the athlete. When all five students “coincidently” end up in detention together, a terrible situation erupts: Simon Kelleher dies from a surprise allergic reaction. From there, the story is filled with twist and turns as the crew, and the police, tries to figure out if Simon’s death was merely an accident, or if it was planned by one, or all four, of the crew.

In my opinion, this book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. As a reader who typically sticks to solely romantic books with a splash of fantasy sprinkled in, reading a mystery was definitely a breath of fresh, yet different, air. A particular aspect of the book that I love the most is the changing points of view. During each chapter, and through the whole story, the reader is able to see into each suspect’s mind: what they are thinking, feeling, etc. This type of writing is truly a pleasure to read because it has the effect of making the audience more connected to each character and for this book, in particular, readers are able to develop their own theories as to who they think did it before it is revealed at the end of the book.

After readers finish this book, a majority of fans, including myself, are eager to know what is next. Luckily, fans are not let down. The book following after “One Of Us Is Lying” is “One Of Us Is Next,” describing the story of Bronwyn’s little sister, Maeve Rojas, and her crew. For this series by McManus, there are only two books so far and these two books do have to be read in order. However, if readers are a McManus fan, fans can check out her other book, “Two Can Keep A Secret,” which is another mystery/fiction.

Along with there being a second book in the series, “One Of Us Is Lying,” is in the makes of having the book made into a TV show. Although there is no set release date, the projected eight-episode series is said to be released sometime in 2021. The new TV series will be exclusively streaming on Peacock.

If a reader is a mystery/fiction fan with a splash of romance and secrets, I would highly recommend reading this book! “One Of Us Is Lying” can be purchased on Amazon, Target, or most typical book stores. Believe me, once a reader picks up this book, they will not be able to put it down once it is finished.