Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

63 reviews

fiona_reads_books's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Outing, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Homophobia, Self harm, Alcohol, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, and Sexual content

rainydayswithbooks's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

Less dramatic and exciting than expected, but still with interesting twists and characters! The development of the protagonists is nice to follow and you really immerse yourself in their lives. What felt like a 5-star book in the middle became more of a 4.5☆ book towards the end. There was too much focus on the love affair and the resolution of the case was a bit abrupt and strange - yet hardly predictable. A good story to keep you guessing and flying through the pages!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Death, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

vickeyreads's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I LOVED this book!!! You would not be able to guess twist in this story! I loved every character in the book (hated a few however). 
I loved reading each of the varied perspectives. The beginning reminded me of The Breakfast Club which I enjoyed. As both relate to  people from different cliches coming together. That is all I have to say about the book that is spoiler free. If you haven’t read it I 100% recommend that you should read it (even if you do get spoiled but I recommend staying away from spoilers still).

SPOILERS BELOW:

one criticism I had was when Addy cheated on Jake and reflects about it I wish they depict her to show more remorse and moral guilt about her actions I feel as tho, that those character moments of agony are crucial to making her a more well rounded character. Instead her cheating was brushed off because of Jake’s rage and his actions. That he almost kills her and freaks out on her when she admits to him. 
Another criticism I had was Mr. Avery wasn’t questioned enough or suspected enough for Simon’s murder imo. Being the only teacher in the room at the time of Simon’s Death, wouldn’t that make him more suspicious. Though I do not feel as strongly about this criticism.

I will point out another part of the book I did not enjoy was the epilogue because I felt it was very boring and didn’t really add much to the story. 
The book is overall very well done and compelling for anyone to read. Those are my thoughts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Grief, Outing, Suicide, Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Minor: Car accident, Infidelity, and Mass/school shootings

Other Warnings Spoilers below mentions of suicide are quite graphic in the book

hafsa08's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Car accident

classicpseudonym's review

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.

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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

graceev's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, and Gun violence

daphneereads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Outing, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Drug use and Cancer

Minor: Mass/school shootings

dhutton1997's review against another edition

dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Outing, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Bullying, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Classism, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

laheath's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book which others have compared to a dark twist on The Breakfast Club (I'm of that generation that can relate to and appreciate that reference). When a strict teacher sends 5 students to detention and 1 of them dies shortly after it begins, all are suspects. The characters represent several issues that teens are actually facing, some better than others. The story is somewhat predictable, but still enjoyable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Outing, Bullying, Sexual content, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

dtierra's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.25

If you’re a non-white person who cares about reading accurate portrayals of people of color…skip this book. There is one woman of color in this book and it is DEEPLY uncomfortably written. There was clearly no research done besides maybe google translate and one google search. Bronwyn is effectively written as a white character who has 3 lines of spanish in the book with a Colombian father who she says won’t want a drug dealing hs’er (another main character) around bc he’s hyperconscious of the Colombian drug dealer stereotype. Yeah. The Author is a white woman. The only gay character in the book is closeted for most of the book and experiences intense homophobia. Diversity win! Outside of Karen McManus’ atrocious attempt at diverse characters, the book isn’t completely awful. However the book is meant to be high stakes and often fails to deliver.

maybe the point of Simon’s death and the Bayview four’s offenses is that it’s so small in the grand scheme of things. I’m not sure. In high school, everything feels bigger than it is. That said, most of the rumors in About That about the Bayview 4 were largely inconsequential. Maybe this is a testament to Simon’s deteriorating mental state. That said, it brings the believability into question

The book is fast paced, I got through it in about a day. It does keep you guessing and some of the plot twists were solid. Others were a bit predictable. I honestly think this book could have been miles better with a few well compensated sensitivity writers and a few drafts of edits. Would not recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Suicide, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse