Gripping and Fast Pacing
Ayesha Syed could not put the book down and finished it in a single day, finding it to be an engaging mental puzzle where readers constantly try to deduce the liar.
Reviewed
Updated
Read Time
9 min read
Our age bandAges 14+ · Young adult
Reader rating
4.5 · 48,829 Amazon ratings
reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks scoreShare This Review
Our review
One of Us Is Lying
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus Review: A Gripping YA Whodunit Debut
Karen M. McManus's debut YA mystery-suspense novel One of Us Is Lying—originally published by Delacorte Press in 2017 and a #1 New York Times bestseller—drops five high schoolers into Saturday detention, from which only four walk out alive, and builds its whodunit from the rotating perspectives of each surviving suspect. Praised by reviewers as "Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club," the novel earned an extraordinary sweep of year-end honors and has since launched a two-sequel series and a television adaptation.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Teenagers aged 14 and up who enjoy ensemble social drama, sustained suspicion across multiple character perspectives, and whodunits where every suspect has something genuinely at stake — particularly reluctant readers who need a propulsive, accessible premise to stay hooked across 400-plus pages.
Worth it if
You're drawn to mysteries that keep the question of guilt genuinely open by cycling through each suspect's own interior world, and you don't mind a high-school social architecture of archetypes that the novel then deliberately complicates.
Skip if
You prefer tight single-narrator suspense that escalates without interruption, or you find yourself impatient with fiction that leans into YA genre conventions — cliques, archetypes, reputation — before working past them.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews, whose own page is in the retrieved list, described the book as "a fast-paced blend of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and classic John Hughes" that keeps "readers racing to the finish," and named it a Best Young Adult Book of the Century — while also noting its initial resemblance to The Breakfast Club. Penguin Random House's catalogue page confirms the novel reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and accumulated an exceptional sweep of year-end honours from Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, the New York Public Library, YALSA, and Goodreads, among others.
Sources: Kirkus Reviews, Penguin Random House, Bookshop.org, Boswell Books, lukeharkness.com, momoftwolittlegirls.com, devontrevarrowflaherty.com, laurieisreading.com, bossybookworm.com, Palo Alto City Library4.5from 48,829 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Ayesha Syed reviews One of Us Is Lying
Ayesha Syed shares a spoiler-free review of Karen M. McManus's mystery novel One of Us Is Lying.
A BookTube review by Ayesha Syed, 2021 · 6.1K views · 3.7K subscribers · Watch on YouTube ·
Their views, not ours. The points are our AI summary of what they say, each playing from where they say it.
Seamless Multiple Perspectives
The book rotates through four distinct viewpoints, which Ayesha Syed felt flowed together effortlessly and provided great insight into each person's side of events.
Minor Story and Character Criticisms
While Ayesha Syed generally loved the novel, they had small issues with parts of the story and certain character portrayals.
Unpredictable Mystery and Satisfying Ending
The plot revelations remained unpredictable until they occurred, and Ayesha Syed appreciated how neatly the author tied together all story threads by the finish.
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One of Us Is Lying is Karen M. McManus's debut YA mystery-suspense novel in which five high schoolers enter Saturday detention and only four walk out — instantly making each survivor a suspect in the death of Simon Kelleher, the school's gossip-app creator. McManus cycles through the perspectives of all four surviving suspects — Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper, and Addy — keeping the whodunit genuinely open across its 416 pages, earning comparisons to Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club and a #1 New York Times bestseller debut. It's the ideal pick for teens who love social drama and ensemble mystery, though readers who prefer a single-narrator, tightly coiled thriller may find the rotating viewpoints occasionally diffuse rather than escalate tension.
- Is it worth reading?
- One of Us Is Lying earned an exceptional sweep of year-end honors — including a #1 New York Times bestseller ranking, Best YA Book of the Year from Buzzfeed, a Best Books for Teens selection from the New York Public Library, a Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century citation, and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers designation — marking it as one of the most widely recognized YA debuts of its era. The multiperspective structure genuinely sustains the central mystery, and the YALSA reluctant-reader credential signals that the pacing and premise work for a wide range of teen readers, not just committed fiction enthusiasts. The chief caveat is structural: readers who prefer single-narrator, tightly wound mysteries may find the four rotating viewpoints occasionally diffuse tension rather than build it, and those seeking fiction that moves quickly past YA genre conventions may find the opening chapters lean into familiar archetypes before complicating them.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to One of Us Is Lying will find natural companions in several directions. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes offers a similarly puzzle-driven YA mystery with an ensemble cast and layered secrets, and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a frequently cited peer — a stylistically distinctive YA novel centered on a privileged social circle, buried secrets, and a slow-burn reveal. The review itself invokes Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard as a direct touchstone for the sustained social suspicion and secrets-among-teens dynamic, while And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a clear ancestor for the isolated-group-and-a-death structure. For readers who want to continue in McManus's own world, One of Us Is Next and Two Can Keep a Secret (both by McManus) extend the Bayview High universe.
- Who should read this?
- One of Us Is Lying is aimed at readers aged 14 and up, with a recommended grade range of 9–12, and works particularly well for teenagers drawn to social drama, ensemble casts, and mystery plots where every character has something to hide. The YALSA Quick Pick designation for Reluctant Young Adult Readers means it's also a strong recommendation for teens who don't typically gravitate toward fiction — the pacing and premise are built for accessibility. Educators, librarians, and parents should know it is the first in a series, giving engaged readers a full world to return to after the debut.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 14 and up, with a recommended grade range of 9–12. The novel centers on the death of a student, sustained suspicion among teenage peers, and themes of secrets, gossip, and the pressures of adolescent social life — content suited to high-school readers and older rather than middle grade. Its YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers designation confirms the pacing is designed to be broadly accessible within that age range.
- Tell me about the adaptation
- One of Us Is Lying was adapted into a television series, extending the novel's reach beyond the page. The review notes the adaptation as part of the novel's broader cultural footprint alongside its bestseller status and award recognition, reflecting the story's crossover appeal for both readers and viewers. Fans of the book who want to continue with the Bayview world also have two sequels — One of Us Is Next (2020) and One of Us Is Back (2023) — to explore after watching.
- Where should I start with McManus?
- One of Us Is Lying is the natural starting point — it is Karen M. McManus's debut and the foundation of her reputation as a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. It also opens the three-book Bayview High series, so beginning here means readers can follow the full arc through One of Us Is Next (2020) and One of Us Is Back (2023). Readers who want a standalone McManus mystery can also turn to Two Can Keep a Secret, which is set outside the Bayview world.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What age is it for?
Tell me about the adaptation
Where should I start with McManus?
Summarize this book
Five students — Bronwyn Rojas, Nate Macauley, Cooper Clay, Addy Prentiss, and Simon Kelleher — are sent to Saturday detention together; Simon, the creator of the school's gossip app, dies before the period ends, and the four survivors instantly become suspects. Each of them had something Simon was about to expose, and McManus rotates among their four first-person perspectives to unravel who, if anyone, is responsible. The novel is often described as Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club — blending sustained social-ensemble drama with a genuine whodunit structure that keeps the central question open until the end. It is the first book in a series set at Bayview High, followed by One of Us Is Next (2020) and One of Us Is Back (2023).
One of Us Is Next: The Sequel to One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
4.5
/ 5
One of Us Is Next is a mystery thriller novel by Karen M. McManus, set a year after the events of One of Us Is Lying, in which a new anonymous tormentor targets students at Bayview High with a deadly game of truth or dare. Originally published on January 7, 2020, and available in a Delacorte Press reprint edition, the novel received generally positive reviews from outlets including The Guardian and Kirkus Reviews, and went on to serve as the basis for the second season of the Peacock series One of Us Is Lying. This review covers the book's content, structure, and reception from published sources.
View on LuvemBooks →
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
4.5
/ 5
Karen M. McManus's debut YA mystery-suspense novel One of Us Is Lying—originally published by Delacorte Press in 2017 and a #1 New York Times bestseller—drops five high schoolers into Saturday detention, from which only four walk out alive, and builds its whodunit from the rotating perspectives of each surviving suspect. Praised by reviewers as "Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club," the novel earned an extraordinary sweep of year-end honors and has since launched a two-sequel series and a television adaptation.
View on LuvemBooks →
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Tell me more about the four suspects
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
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Our Review
This review covers the content and published reception of One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus; it is not based on a hands-on read.
What the Book Is and What Happens
One of Us Is Lying is a young adult mystery-suspense novel — Karen M. McManus's debut — originally published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on May 30, 2017. (The edition most widely available now is a Delacorte Press reprint.)
The premise is deceptively simple: five students — Bronwyn Rojas, Nate Macauley, Cooper Clay, Addy Prentiss, and Simon Kelleher — are sent to detention together. Simon, the creator of the school's gossip app, dies before the period ends, and the four survivors instantly become suspects.
Each of them had something Simon was about to expose, and the novel rotates among their four points of view to unravel who — if anyone — among them is responsible.
LitCharts's study guide identifies the book's central thematic preoccupations as stereotypes and unlikely connections, gossip, secrets and lies, and what it frames as the particular pressures of adolescent life. The four protagonists — the brain, the criminal, the jock, and the beauty — begin the story as high-school archetypes and are pushed by the investigation into something more complicated than their labels suggest.
Reception and Cultural Footprint
Few debut YA novels have landed with the breadth of recognition that One of Us Is Lying accumulated. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was named one of the ten best books of the year by critics.
Among its many additional honors: a Best YA Book of the Year selection from Buzzfeed, a Best Books for Teens selection from the New York Public Library, a YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction Book nomination, a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers designation, a Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century citation, a Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year nomination, and a CBC Teen Choice Book Award nomination. The novel's reach extended beyond the page when it was adapted into a television series.
McManus has since become, by Penguin Random House's description, a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author — with this debut as the foundation of that reputation.
Structural Strengths: Multiperspectivity and the Ensemble Cast
One of the novel's most discussed design choices is its use of multiperspectivity. Rather than anchoring the reader with a single narrator, McManus cycles through the points of view of all four student suspects — Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper, and Addy — giving each their own interiority and secrets.
This structure serves the mystery mechanics directly: because readers see the investigation from inside each suspect's head, the question of guilt remains genuinely open even as information accumulates. Entertainment Weekly's comparison to Pretty Little Liars and The Breakfast Club — surfaced by Penguin Random House's own marketing — captures the dual appeal: the social-ensemble dynamics of the latter and the sustained suspicion of the former.
McManus, who holds an MA in journalism from Northeastern University, brings a reported craft to the book's construction of false headlines and gossip-media texture that grounds the high school setting in recognizable contemporary detail.
Genuine Limitations and Who May Be Frustrated
The same structural choice that powers the novel's suspense can create unevenness for some readers. With four distinct first-person perspectives cycling across a single plot, the novel must do substantial work to differentiate four voices while keeping each chapter's revelations proportionally weighted.
Some readers accustomed to tighter, single-narrator mysteries may find the rotating format diffuses tension at certain junctures rather than building it. Additionally, the book's high-school social architecture — cliques, archetypes, reputation — is very deliberately deployed, and readers who prefer their fiction to move quickly past genre scaffolding into murkier psychological territory may find the setup leaning into familiar YA conventions before complicating them.
These are structural trade-offs inherent to the design, not failures of execution, but they are real factors in whether a given reader connects with the book.
Who This Book Is For
One of Us Is Lying is aimed at readers aged 14 and up, with a recommended grade range of 9–12, and it works particularly well for teenagers drawn to social drama, ensemble casts, and mystery plots where every character has something to hide. The designation as a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers signals that the novel's pacing and premise are accessible enough to engage readers who don't typically seek out fiction — a meaningful credential for a whodunit with 416 pages.
For educators, librarians, and parents, the book is the first in a series; it was followed by One of Us Is Next (2020) and One of Us Is Back (2023), meaning readers who connect with Bayview High have more to return to. It stands, however, as a complete mystery in its own right.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
penguinrandomhouse.com
- 3
writersdigest.com
- Further reading
- 4
en.wikipedia.org
- 5
devontrevarrowflaherty.com
- 6
lukeharkness.com
- 7
alltruereviewsbymk.com
- 8
- 9
library.cityofpaloalto.org
- 10
- 11
karenmcmanus.com
- 12
Kirkus Reviews
- 13
Bookshop.org
- 14
Boswell Books
- 15
momoftwolittlegirls.com
- 16
laurieisreading.com
- 17
bossybookworm.com
Age & Reading Level
Our age band
Ages 14+
Reading level
Young adult
Amazon listing
Ages 14+ (set by customers) · Grade 9–12
Our age band groups books for browsing; it isn't an age a review gave.
2 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
student death as central plot event
teenage secrets and social coercion
Best for: Ages 14+ (grades 9–12) — the story's complexity, multi-perspective structure, and themes of death, secrets, and adolescent social pressure suit high-school readers and up.
Skip if you prefer a single-narrator, tightly coiled thriller where tension escalates without shifting viewpoints.
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