Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

27 reviews

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This book is very slow for the first 60%. There is a lot of focus on drama unrelated to the underlying mystery and characters that don't matter past the initial burst of drama. There is somehow not enough focus on any of these characters to pull off a red herring maneuver. You can basically figure out the plot by the 70% mark aside from a few details that were mishandled, in my opinion. There is also a romance between a 17 year old and someone who is old enough to have graduated college.

There is a character blatantly introduced at the 90% mark. He is mentioned two to four times throughout the book but only in passing as the "intense guy." To no one's surprise he is one of the three culprits and not at all a red herring. There are three culprits: Emma, Owen, Jared Jackson. Jared Jackson made a deal with Emma in a revenge board. Emma did this through the use of her sister's phone as she had conveniently lost hers. Emma admits this all from the hospital bed where she is suffering from the effects of alcohol poisoning. When Emma backs out by ghosting on Jared, Owen (the little brother) steps in, steals the pseudonym, and pursues revenge against Brandon for the death of his father. Emma and Phoebe agree to act like Jared fabricated Owen's messages to protect him.

The reveal right at the end of the book is a very cheap gimmick and though it was executed properly, it feels unrealistic to how someone of that age demographic would respond to the info they'd acquired.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Murder, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, and Cancer

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Child death, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Homophobia, and Racism

There is a subplot of a bomb but only one person is injured and they survive but will have scars. There was also a subplot of a corrupt police officer who framed and blackmailed someone for drugs.

literallyliterature's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, and Cancer

Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit and Homophobia

laheath's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This was a great sequel, providing familiarity without being repetitive. The storyline revisits the high school and siblings from the first book with a twist on the social media "game". That's where the similarities end though. The plot has several twists, with the side stories and relationships all playing a part, making the book a fast-paced, page-turner that keeps the reader guessing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content

shiroofficial's review against another edition

5.0

Loved the book! Kept me captivated the whole time, it was amazing reading it! Really thrilling and i had great laughs from the book too! Loved the twists in the story. Awesome book, enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Hate crime, Medical content, Stalking, Child death, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

msradiosilence's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

Tldr; the plot was heavy on the character study and light on the murder mystery, which made it overall pretty boring. A disappointing sequel to a great first book.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/one-of-us-is-next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Homophobia

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

Not bad, better than the first in certain ways. I wish the characters (old and new) were a bit more fleshed out. I wanted to know more about them as people outside of the story. I was also hoping for more character development. I’ll definitely be reading the 3rd when it comes out in hopes of more development but I’m not betting on it.

I didn’t see the ending coming though, which was nice (crazy) surprise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Blood, Murder, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Grief, Bullying, Self harm, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Violence, Sexism, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, and Addiction

libraryofcam's review against another edition

challenging 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Murder, and Cancer

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Minor: Car accident

readwithde's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.25

I absolutely tore through this book, and as much as I loved the main characters, I didn't like the mystery, or, to be fair, several mysteries that happened to be connected.

There was the Truth or Dare game,

the Intense Guy, the threats for Eli, and then the personal problems (Knox's family life and love life, Maeve's leukemia possibly returning, Phoebe's dad's death).

When you add in the other people at school, the cameos of the Bayside Four, and all the other side characters, it was quite overwhelming. 

I feel like the answer to the mysteries was a bit convoluted and trite. The fact that the ending was a bit vague and cut off makes it even worse; there are no answers about what happens next, what happens to their lives, which for me was a big plus in the first book.

Overall, worth reading for the amazing characters and world, but not for the actual mystery.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Medical content, Alcoholism, and Stalking

Minor: Cancer, Violence, Murder, and Sexual content

bibliophilemama's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Cursing and Murder

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual assault

ishouldbereading's review against another edition

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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Death, Alcoholism, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual content