At a glance
Pages416
First published2017
SettingContemporary American high school, Bayview High
AudienceYA (12-18)
ISBN1524714755
About the Author
Karen M. McManus1 book reviewed
One of Us Is Lying
by Karen M. McManus
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.
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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 of a three-book 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 three-part series set at Bayview High, followed by One of Us Is Next (2020) and One of Us Is Back (2023).
Follow up
Is this a series? Do I need to read them in order?
Where and when is it set?
Tell me more about the four suspects
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 12–18
Reading level
Young adult
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.
Editorial Review
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.…
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