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A review by roxanne_blythe
One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
This book had a really strong start like I really was Seok-jin from the beginning. The truth or dare game was fascinating. It kept me engaged with the book.
And then, when it gets to the part one Brandon dies and it’s kind of alluded that it is a dare, it starts to become a different book. The truth, or dare game kind of just stops at that point and we’re left with trying to figure out who killed Brandon and who’s the person who was conducting the games and are these people connected?
Do you answer that question yes, all of those people were the same person. But I think that I did not enjoy was the fact that the person who was responsible wasn’t even a character we were familiar with it came as a surprise 80% of the way through the book. We didn’t know their name we know if they were a student. We didn’t know anything about this person and we just had to unfold the theory as we read, it wasn’t like a whodunit.
I think that part irritates me. I read the book, and I even said to myself that I really don’t have any suspects because there weren’t any suspects that I was familiar with it was just revealed to me, I didn’t like that.
Another thing is that he rushed like I did figure out Emma was behind it because her drinking was weird but I thought the reason for her drinking and her involvement was completely differently. I did not think that Brandon was responsible for her dad‘s death. I thought Brandon did something to her and him dying kind of triggered her again. And then, even then, like it didn’t make sense for me to have another suspect because again, I didn’t make any sense.
Look, if I read the book over again, I feel like I would feel the same way. Like there weren’t enough hints that Jared was a real person that we should be looking out for. Also his motivations for even like conducting this game were very weird like you have a well-paying job you’re out of high school like why would you get involved with this game? Like why would you take on each other’s engines instead of doing your own? Like that part also, didn’t make any sense to me like why this dude was so obsessed with Siman in the first place.
And then towards the end, because Emma claims that she stopped talking to Jared, but Jared says that she was still talking to him. It’s reveal that. Owen, their little brother was involved??? Motivations were murky to because is it because he found out about his dad? Was he protecting your sisters? We don’t know because it literally just ends with the girls protecting their brother and then that’s it.
I have really high hopes for this book and I was entertained up until like the last 20% of the book and then I was fucking pissed because literally nothing made sense to me. Also, Jared was weird because you wanna get back at Eli so you bomb his reception dinner??? Like I didn’t make any sense why can’t he bombed his office or you know not even bomb him like you know stock him and then shoot him in the face like I didn’t get to the Y he needed to use a bomb and kill a bunch of people. It was so absurd listening to the whole I’m covering of the bomb and how like they rescued a bunch of people and like OK at this point this book has clearly lost the plot.
I feel like if the book focused on the truth or dare game and it knocks had a dare and more people are dares and then I uncover it that way would’ve been interesting. Maybe Karen didn’t want to have two books be too similar, but I would’ve just said make one of the characters in the book, the clear suspect not some Rando.
All right, I’m reading a based off of how entertained it was. Like since it was only like a small portion of the book that pissed me off I’m only gonna take one star off because it was still a good book.
And then, when it gets to the part one Brandon dies and it’s kind of alluded that it is a dare, it starts to become a different book. The truth, or dare game kind of just stops at that point and we’re left with trying to figure out who killed Brandon and who’s the person who was conducting the games and are these people connected?
Do you answer that question yes, all of those people were the same person. But I think that I did not enjoy was the fact that the person who was responsible wasn’t even a character we were familiar with it came as a surprise 80% of the way through the book. We didn’t know their name we know if they were a student. We didn’t know anything about this person and we just had to unfold the theory as we read, it wasn’t like a whodunit.
I think that part irritates me. I read the book, and I even said to myself that I really don’t have any suspects because there weren’t any suspects that I was familiar with it was just revealed to me, I didn’t like that.
Another thing is that he rushed like I did figure out Emma was behind it because her drinking was weird but I thought the reason for her drinking and her involvement was completely differently. I did not think that Brandon was responsible for her dad‘s death. I thought Brandon did something to her and him dying kind of triggered her again. And then, even then, like it didn’t make sense for me to have another suspect because again, I didn’t make any sense.
Look, if I read the book over again, I feel like I would feel the same way. Like there weren’t enough hints that Jared was a real person that we should be looking out for. Also his motivations for even like conducting this game were very weird like you have a well-paying job you’re out of high school like why would you get involved with this game? Like why would you take on each other’s engines instead of doing your own? Like that part also, didn’t make any sense to me like why this dude was so obsessed with Siman in the first place.
And then towards the end, because Emma claims that she stopped talking to Jared, but Jared says that she was still talking to him. It’s reveal that. Owen, their little brother was involved??? Motivations were murky to because is it because he found out about his dad? Was he protecting your sisters? We don’t know because it literally just ends with the girls protecting their brother and then that’s it.
I have really high hopes for this book and I was entertained up until like the last 20% of the book and then I was fucking pissed because literally nothing made sense to me. Also, Jared was weird because you wanna get back at Eli so you bomb his reception dinner??? Like I didn’t make any sense why can’t he bombed his office or you know not even bomb him like you know stock him and then shoot him in the face like I didn’t get to the Y he needed to use a bomb and kill a bunch of people. It was so absurd listening to the whole I’m covering of the bomb and how like they rescued a bunch of people and like OK at this point this book has clearly lost the plot.
I feel like if the book focused on the truth or dare game and it knocks had a dare and more people are dares and then I uncover it that way would’ve been interesting. Maybe Karen didn’t want to have two books be too similar, but I would’ve just said make one of the characters in the book, the clear suspect not some Rando.
All right, I’m reading a based off of how entertained it was. Like since it was only like a small portion of the book that pissed me off I’m only gonna take one star off because it was still a good book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Cancer