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A review by sallysimply
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Oh my goodness, I loved this book so much! I could not stop reading it.
I love The Breakfast Club, it's one of my favorite movies, so the comparison to that and PLL or Gossip Girl was an interesting one. (I hate-watched PLL and did not at all care for Gossip Girl.) The scene in detention aggravated me a bit because it felt a little too on the nose. I started to worry that my initial sense I'd like this book was off the mark.
I was completely wrong, of course, and quite happy about it!
The characters in this story are great, and even the villains are so fun to hate. As the relationships grew and deepened, I found myself increasingly anxious about finding out who did it because I didn't want any of them to be guilty. The pacing was fantastic! I never felt that the story lulled and nothing felt rushed either, which is such an important balance to strike in a mystery or thriller. I also loved the writing, which felt very cinematic to me - I could picture everything so clearly in my mind's eye, and if this isn't made into a TV series or movie, I will be shocked.
And of course, that climax! Oh man. I can't even. So fucking worth it!
I spent the entire morning devouring this book, eager to finish it. I even told my boyfriend that he wasn't allowed to talk to me when I got home because I was nearly done and couldn't stop. This is such a strong debut novel. Stellar work, girl!
This story is engaging, the resolution is fantastic, and it's just such a fun read! Fantastic!
I love The Breakfast Club, it's one of my favorite movies, so the comparison to that and PLL or Gossip Girl was an interesting one. (I hate-watched PLL and did not at all care for Gossip Girl.) The scene in detention aggravated me a bit because it felt a little too on the nose. I started to worry that my initial sense I'd like this book was off the mark.
I was completely wrong, of course, and quite happy about it!
The characters in this story are great, and even the villains are so fun to hate. As the relationships grew and deepened, I found myself increasingly anxious about finding out who did it because I didn't want any of them to be guilty. The pacing was fantastic! I never felt that the story lulled and nothing felt rushed either, which is such an important balance to strike in a mystery or thriller. I also loved the writing, which felt very cinematic to me - I could picture everything so clearly in my mind's eye, and if this isn't made into a TV series or movie, I will be shocked.
And of course, that climax! Oh man. I can't even. So fucking worth it!
I spent the entire morning devouring this book, eager to finish it. I even told my boyfriend that he wasn't allowed to talk to me when I got home because I was nearly done and couldn't stop. This is such a strong debut novel. Stellar work, girl!
This story is engaging, the resolution is fantastic, and it's just such a fun read! Fantastic!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
Minor: Mass/school shootings