Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

84 reviews

taelights's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I feel like this is the only book I've ever read where the adaptation is better. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cancer, Drug use, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death, Suicide, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Violence and Mass/school shootings

classicpseudonym's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

again, writing this immediately after finishing the book so i don't forget anything so i'm still sort of in shock. i read two can keep a secret by mcmanus a few  years ago so i've had this on my to read ever since (but never particularly wanted to read it until i didn't have time to find another option at the library). but woah that was definitely something.

i feel like i was more hooked than i'm willing to admit because this was a typical ya book about high school and murder (except by peanut oil i guess), but i still wanted to read on even though this doesn't exactly align with my book tastes. and the build-up of everything was pretty well executed, so props to mcmanus on a thrilling debut.

on the other hand, i'm looking back immediately after and i feel like i didn't really get anything out of it? if that makes sense. i wasn't a big fan of the hold that romance and relationships had on the plot and the book overall, but that's just how high school is portrayed in general, and i'm not a big romance person so i'm probably just biased. me saying "i didn't get anything out of it" isn't to say that the psychological themes and the perspectives/narration of each of the characters wasn't interesting, but i just feel like i wouldn't want to read this book again. like the case with two can keep a secret (which i don't remember anything about, then again its been years) i don't think i'd remember anything about the book besides the ending (which will haunt me even though i felt it coming) in a few months.

now that i'm thinking about it, simon's character is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. from the reference to the omniscent narrator at the beginning of the book, to the way he planned on dictating "his story" even from the grave... chilling. god.

so if you want fast paced, thrilling, and haunting in a ya sort of way read, i'd recommend. there are a lot a lot of trigger warnings though, so i'd recommend that people keep that in mind if they read. if you tend to stay away from ya thriller/mystery books like i do, maybe still give it a read if you're bored because i feel like it's decently well done, but it wasn't my favorite book personally and it might not be yours either. then again, i think it's just because i think too much and i gravitate towards books that are really deep and get my mind all jumbled on the issues of society. but that's a me problem. pretty good book overall though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, and Self harm

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Outing, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

taylorsevalia's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Child death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, and Terminal illness

Minor: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, and Vomit

bexthewriter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Death, Violence, Outing, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Cursing

So basically (spoilers ahead like a big one)

Simon, the person dies, commits suicide by triggering his own allergic reaction and then tries to pin it on the four main characters. Nates dad is also an alcoholic and his mom abandoned him bc of drug addiction and she is bipolar as well.

renyoi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

YA fiction that simultaneously does and does not feel like YA fiction. Multiple gasp-out-loud moments and surprising subversions of popular tropes make this book one of the more sophisticated YA titles I’ve ever read. All characters feel well-rounded and representative of real teenagers—who, as the author clearly knows, are agents in their own world and not just victims of or reactions to circumstances. My main complaint? The author doesn’t actually know how Tumblr works. :P

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Homophobia, Outing, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Car accident, Chronic illness, Cancer, Classism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

serendipity421's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Cursing

dariana12's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

 Characters have relatable feelings, could not stop reading & a fast read. Figured out main polt twist but was still kinda shocked. The small plot twist is a little unbelievable but I still love the plot twist and the ending!! I also really liked all the mini little plot twists! Lots of them left me shocked and but the book was an overall amazing read!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Minor: Suicide, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Mass/school shootings

tbs250's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Outing, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Addiction

badvision's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Self harm, Suicide, Death, Murder, Outing, Homophobia, and Infidelity

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, and Infidelity

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Car accident

zoran's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicide, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Cursing

Minor: Homophobia and Outing