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betweentheshelves's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It’s been two years since the original Bayview Four had to prove they were innocent in Simon’s death. Then the next generation had to play their way through a deadly game of truth or dare. Now, everyone is home for the summer and ready to move on with their lives.
But someone else has different ideas. When a strange message shows up on a billboard in Bayview, at first no one thinks anything of it. However, when a member of the Bayview Crew disappears, they realize this is serious. A new game has surfaced. And everyone is a target.
Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advanced copy of One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus to review! I had to round out the trilogy, just to see how McManus ends it. Fans of the first two books will be pleased with this ending, giving everyone a send off in the most Bayview way possible.
You’ll find a lot of the classic Karen McManus elements in this book, with hidden family secrets, a few twists and turns, and of course, high stakes. I did like that as narrators, we got a mix of the original four and some of the characters in the second book. It added a nice variety, and help with the overall mystery of the story.
We also get some flashbacks in this one, which don’t make sense until the end of the book. I don’t think McManus will be returning to this set of characters, but I guess you never know! It did feel more final than the other two stories, though. Plus, McManus built on the character development from the previous two books, and I think that works to her advantage.
Do I think the story in this one was maybe a little far fetched? Perhaps, but I think that’s because this didn’t necessarily need to be a trilogy (but I get why it was). All in all, fans of McManus’s other books will still devour this story, and it acts as a good send off for these characters.
But someone else has different ideas. When a strange message shows up on a billboard in Bayview, at first no one thinks anything of it. However, when a member of the Bayview Crew disappears, they realize this is serious. A new game has surfaced. And everyone is a target.
Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advanced copy of One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus to review! I had to round out the trilogy, just to see how McManus ends it. Fans of the first two books will be pleased with this ending, giving everyone a send off in the most Bayview way possible.
You’ll find a lot of the classic Karen McManus elements in this book, with hidden family secrets, a few twists and turns, and of course, high stakes. I did like that as narrators, we got a mix of the original four and some of the characters in the second book. It added a nice variety, and help with the overall mystery of the story.
We also get some flashbacks in this one, which don’t make sense until the end of the book. I don’t think McManus will be returning to this set of characters, but I guess you never know! It did feel more final than the other two stories, though. Plus, McManus built on the character development from the previous two books, and I think that works to her advantage.
Do I think the story in this one was maybe a little far fetched? Perhaps, but I think that’s because this didn’t necessarily need to be a trilogy (but I get why it was). All in all, fans of McManus’s other books will still devour this story, and it acts as a good send off for these characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Minor: Cancer, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
cover2covertx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Stalking, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, and Grief
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