One of Us is Lying Book Review + I'm Starting a Book Club!
A couple of weeks ago, I took a quick trip home and decided to “read” an audiobook there and back to pass the time. The book I chose to listen to was One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus and I have been dying to write a review of it ever since! So naturally, as I was planning to write this review it got me thinking: What if I started a book club?
Well, I’m excited to announce that’s exactly what I’m doing! The last Friday in every month, Happy Hour will be replaced with a book review. What’s even better is that you guys will be able to choose which book we read next by voting in a monthly Twitter poll! If you want in on the book club (#DMBookClub?) make sure you’re following me on Twitter so you don’t miss the polls! The first poll will be going up on September 1st! Now let’s get into the review of One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus!
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One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
“The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars. One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
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’d 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.”
My First Impressions
First off, I knew I was going to like this book because of the Breakfast Club vibes and the thrill of a murder mystery but I was blown away when I started listening to the audiobook that each character was read by a different person. Not only did this make the book more enjoyable to listen too but it also made it easier to connect with the characters and really brought them to life. Overall, my first impressions were all good from the moment I read the description!
The Characters
If you’re a fan of The Breakfast Club then the typical stereotypes of high school students will not be anything new to you. What I loved about the characters is that they each had their own personality and this was capitalized on by the different readers for the audiobook version. The author did a great job in my opinion of making sure that the characters didn’t remain stagnant and I really enjoyed their personal growth and the way each was portrayed throughout the novel. The other thing that I loved about One of Us is Lying is the inclusion of male characters. One of Us is Lying is perfect for all readers because of the vast diversity of characters and their individual stories.
The Plot
The One of Us is Lying plot is one of those plots that keeps you guessing and engaged throughout the entire story. I really only remember losing concentration once during the entire novel and I was on a 6+ hour drive. This is definitely one of those novels where you think you have all of the answers figured out and then something happens that makes you second guess everything! The plot of One of Us is Lying makes for a quick and engaging read.
What I Loved
I loved how engaging One of Us is Lying was. The characters were intriguing and the plot kept me guessing pretty much the entire way through the book. I’m sure if I had picked up the paperback and read it I would have had the same experience but the experiencing the different voices of the characters through the audiobook format really just brought the characters to life for me. As a 25 year old, I could even relate to their different high school experiences through my own personal experiences in high school as well which is always a bonus for me.
Overall Rating
My honest overall rating for this book is going to be a 4 out of 5 only because I didn’t read the actual book. For the audiobook experience, it definitely gets a 5 out of 5 for me so if you’re into audiobooks I highly recommend checking this one out.
Hopefully this book club will inspire me to read more because I definitely do not make enough time for it. Leave your book suggestions below and let me know if you’re going to be joining in on the book club (also, name/hashtag suggestions welcome)! Have a great weekend!