Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Karen McManus One Of Us Is Lying Paperback - 1 June 2017 by Karen M. McManus, Karen M. McManus

172 reviews

azileotulp's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

4.75

I'm gonna say right now that this was soooooo close to being a 5-star read for me. In all honesty, it probably should be because I only had one minor issue that is totally petty and that no one else probably cares about, but I personally can't overlook it. (I'll be discussing that under the spoiler tag later though.)

I do have to say that this was such an engaging mystery. Sadly, I did have part of the ending spoiled for me because one of the reviewers here doesn't know how to use spoiler warnings, but even with that spoiler, I was still able to enjoy it. It was just as much fun to try to figure out why the person responsible did what they did.

I also loved the characters so much. Usually in books with multiple perspectives, there's always that one character's POV that I'm just trying to get through before I can get back to the more interesting characters. This book wasn't like that at all. Even the characters I originally didn't like at first (who I did grow to love throughout the story, by the way) had such compelling perspectives that I was always excited to read them. And I have to say, I am such a Bronwyn and Nate fan...

Which brings me to my only problem with this book. Like I said... it's petty, but I don't even care. Yes, Bronwyn and Nate do end up together in the end, which I'm so happy about, don't get me wrong. But that little period of time at the end when it seemed like they went their separate ways? That hurt. Especially when I started reading the epilogue set 3 months later and saw that Bronwyn was dating Evan??? I actually bursted into tears. That period of uncertainty just went on too long for me, especially after having read another mystery novel where the protagonist and her love interest do actually go their separate ways. I won't say which book that was, but it genuinely made me sick, and I was so scared it was going to happen again. So, like I said, petty reason for not giving the book 5 stars, but amazing author should have thought about that before scaring me like that.

I do also want to talk a bit about my baby boy Cooper.

I had no idea this book had a prominent LGBTQ+ character, but now I'm happy I decided to read it during Pride Month. Y'all, I feel so connected to Cooper and I'm going to be thinking about him for months. We're both southern gays with homophobic fathers, and we have such similar queer experiences. What really got me was that ride home with his father before he came out to his family. When I came out to my mother, I was also fretting over it while in the car with her, and as soon as we parked, I told her. His story just resonated so deeply with me, and I'm so sorry I was hating on him at the beginning for being a cheater. (Yes, he did still cheat, but I favor gay people and his ex seemed to forgive him by the end. Leave me alone.) I love you, Cooper, and I'm sorry I ever doubted your good nature.

All in all, I truly adored this book. I was captivated the entire time I was reading, but especially those last seventy or so pages. I was gasping, shrieking, throwing up (okay, slightly exaggerated on that last one, but I did gag once). I can't recommend it more.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, Death, Bullying, Cursing, and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Cancer, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism

Minor: Medical content, Sexual content, Violence, Car accident, Racial slurs, Confinement, Gun violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Racism

While I didn't add "eating disorder" as a content warning, one character is described multiple times as becoming much skinnier and seems to lose about 10 pounds in a short period of time. This is most likely due to stress rather than body issues.

14silja's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Child death

Minor: Emotional abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Car accident, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Murder, Outing, Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, and Mental illness

noodle521's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I'm mixed on this book. While I absolutely devoured it (the plot moves quickly and I did enjoy the main romance), so much was so disappointing. The solution did not live up to my expectations set by the title. Mental illness, cheating, and homosexuality are represented stereotypically. I kept reading waiting for a complete turn that would surprise me but it never came and I left totally unsatisfied.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Mental illness and Homophobia

imogenbeth's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Outing

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, Alcoholism, and Bullying

Minor: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Self harm, Emotional abuse, and Mass/school shootings

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

It was OK. Typical YA high school book and it felt a little immature at times - using language and sexual references that didn't add to the overall story, or at least I didn't feel like it did.

It had the stereotypical characters and in a stereotypical manner they are thrust together into a situation they have to work through.  I did however find myself playing along with the story and trying to unpick what had happened as the story developed.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Self harm, Suicide, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

kcohrs19's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Outing, Physical abuse, Self harm, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Addiction

cararowen's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Outing

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Classism, Eating disorder, Child death, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Medical trauma, Hate crime, Abandonment, Alcohol, Self harm, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Confinement, Alcoholism, Suicide, Cancer, Ableism, Vomit, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Mental illness

amelia_rose_20's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

6.5/10 | Although 'One of Us is Lying' was an entertaining and fast read, I was a bit disappointed by the ending and the portrayal of depression, which left me genuinely sad. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Infidelity, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Outing, Bullying, Mental illness, and Homophobia

lookingfor's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, and Homophobia

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Self harm

Minor: Bullying

soph22's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.0

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s like teen show meets murder mystery in one book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Chronic illness, Cancer, Suicide, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Car accident, Addiction, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Outing, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit