One Of Us Is Lying (Novel)

The Book Cover

***One of Us Is Lying*** is an award-winning young adult, mystery/suspense (mild romance) novel by author Karen M. McManus. The book is her debut novel, originally published in the US by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on the 30 May 2017.

The book uses multiperspectivity to show the points-of-view of all four student suspects. It has received several accolades including a 79-week run on the *New York Times* best-seller list.

## Plot

The story begins when the five major characters — Bronwyn, Simon, Nate (Nathaniel), Cooper, and Addy (Adelaide) — attend detention with teacher Mr. Avery after he found phones in each of their school bags, against the high school's no-phone policy. During their detention they hear the sounds of a collision coming from the school parking lot, and while the students investigate through the window, Mr. Avery leaves to see if he can help. Simon — creator of the 'About That' gossip app in which the personal lives of students at their fictional American high school, Bayview High, are posted for the rest of the school to see — begins a speech about the stereotypical personalities of the other four students and how he, through the medium of his app, is the omniscient narrator. He then drinks water from a plastic cup, announces that it tastes bad, then suffers a fatal allergic reaction.

Initially the incident is considered an accident, but after a tumblr post is shared claiming that Simon's death was planned and the killer watched him die, the police begin to investigate and find an unpublished post by Simon that features the secrets of each of the other four students from detention. Each of the secrets would affect the character's future: Bronwyn's cheating on a test could impact her college applications; Nate's repeated misdemeanor could send him to jail; Addy's infidelity might end her relationship; and the accusation of steroid-use could halt Cooper's potential baseball career. The four are initially suspicious of one another, wondering which of them is the guilty culprit, but they begin to appreciate each other's company due to their shared situation as the uncomfortable weeks at school pass.

As the story progresses, the investigation receives media attention, with news teams and reporters turning up at the students' houses, the school, and other locations frequented by the 'Bayview four' — the nickname used by the media for the suspects. Fearing the reporters outside, Bronwyn accepts Nate's proposal to leave with him through the woods at the back of the school. This triggers a romance between the two.

After Simon's funeral, the initial post is leaked and the rest of the school learn the four's secrets, triggering the consequences of each of their secrets: Bronwyn's parents are disappointed; Nate's house is searched; Addy's relationship ends; and Cooper's performance is investigated. This prompts Maeve, Bronwyn's younger sister, to begin investigating Simon's online activity, which brings to light the encrypted original post about Cooper, and Simon's activity on massacre-worship forums, on which he mentions a similar desire but with a 'twist'.

As Addy begins to find out who she is without Jake, she befriends Janae, Simon's friend, who begins to eat lunch with her at school and asks to 'hang out' at Addy's. After a conversation with Jake, Addy realises how he controlled their relationship and leaves his home. After another backdoor escape from school and development of their romance, Bronwyn and Nate return to his home in order to avoid the media and the disapproval of Bronwyn's parents, and find his mother outside, whom he claimed was dead. She claims to now be sober, and wishes to reconcile with her son and help during the investigation. Nate later explains everything to Bronwyn and the two begin dating in secret to avoid any suspicion regarding the case.

The encrypted file regarding Cooper is eventually opened by the police, outing him as gay and posing him as the new prime suspect, which had previously been Nate due to his previous conviction. This causes a rift between Cooper and his father, who is suggested to be homophobic. When Cooper is bullied verbally as he enters the cafeteria after this news is leaked, Nate defends him, and afterwards the group all sit together, demonstrating their new solidarity and unexpected friendship. Shortly after, evidence is found in Nate's school locker and home tying him to the murder and he is arrested. This prompts Bronwyn to contact Eli Kleinfelter, a lawyer who she saw on television defending the 'Bayview four', asking him to help with the case against Nate.

She also suggests a meeting between the remaining three, and allies to their plight — Maeve, Addy's sister Ashton, and Cooper's newly acknowledged boyfriend Kris. As they discuss all that they know, Kris suggests that Simon may have committed suicide and framed the others for his death, and that Janae is the person most likely to know more. Addy, having befriended Janae, goes to her house under the half-pretence of checking on her, though she has come to care for her, and Janae confesses Simon's plan and her and Jake's involvement. Shortly afterwards, however, Jake arrives at the house, and as Addy and Janae try to trick him into a taped confession, Addy's phone alerts Jake to her presence, who then chases Addy down and attempts to strangle her. Addy is saved just in time by Cooper, who accompanied her to the house and stayed outside, saw Jake's arrival and followed them.

Jake is taken into custody and Nate is released, but is shaken from his time in the juvenile detention centre, rejecting Bronwyn's concern and breaking off their burgeoning relationship. Addy begins to heal in hospital after the ordeal, and once she is released Ashton takes her to the apartment she has just rented and asks Addy to live with her, which Addy happily accepts. Cooper's college and drafting options begin to reappear and his relationship with his father starts to improve again after the tension from being outed. Bronwyn applies to Yale, having received a tweet from the university acknowledging her admission of guilt over cheating and welcoming her application. She begins dating Evan Neiman, a student and fellow mathlete, though she does not consider it serious, and does not invite him to her piano recital. As she is leaving the recital, she finds Nate waiting for her, wanting to apologise and ask if she would consider being at least friends if not more. The story ends as she accepts his offer to a movie as friends, but with a potential for more.

## Characters

* **Bronwyn Rojas:** One of the four point-of-view characters; the 'brain'. Is an overachiever and Yale-hopeful from a well-to-do family who are also Ivy League graduates. She is a member, and often founder, of several after-school clubs. She has a good relationship with her younger sister, Maeve, and is protective of her. Her primary secret is she cheated on her chemistry test is order to maintain her straight-A status, which she fears will impact her college dreams. It is later revealed that she left a threatening message to Simon after he posted about her sister.
* **Nate Macauley:** Full name Nathaniel, one of the four point-of-view characters; the 'criminal'. Is a 'bad boy' who is on probation for selling drugs. He lives with his alcoholic father after his unpredictable, drug-addicted mother left and supposedly died several years ago. Their primary source of income is from a disability allowance after his father's work injury, and is the reason Nate sells drugs. His primary secret is that he has been continuing to sell drugs. It is also later revealed that his mother is still alive. Nate has a lizard named Stan.
* **Addy Prentiss:** Also known as Adelaide, one of the four point-of-view characters; the 'princess'. Is one of the popular students at the school. She is besotted with her boyfriend, Jake, but her secret is that she cheated on him with another boy within their friendship group. She eventually confesses to Jake, who breaks up with her. She is comforted by her older sister, Ashton, who helps her through the break-up and with her self-discovery.
* **Cooper Clay:** One of the four point-of-view characters; the 'jock'. He is a promising baseball star who is accused of steroid use by Simon's post. It is later revealed that the original post was edited, and his secret removed, but it eventually comes to light that he is gay.
* **Simon Kelleher:** Self-proclaimed omniscient narrator and creator of About That, the gossip app revolving around the students of the fictional American high school, Bayview High. He is noted to suffer from depression. His death acts as a catalyst for the events of the story, and the rumours and secrets told in his app are what implicate the others in detention as suspects for his murder.
* **Maeve Rojas:** Bronwyn's younger sister. She takes a proactive role alongside Bronwyn in trying to solve the murder. She has also been featured in a post by Simon.
* **Jake Riordan:** Addy's boyfriend and old friend of Simon's. He has a controlling nature, and when Addy's secret comes to light, he breaks up with her.
* **Ashton Prentiss:** Addy's older sister. She has a rocky relationship with her husband Charlie, so spends a lot of time at the family home. She dislikes Jake and the way he treats Addy.
* **Janae:** Janae is Simon's best friend. She plays a crucial role in the climax. She becomes friends with Addy. She is insecure.
* **Eli Kleinfelter:** Lawyer who works for the television news program, Until Proven. Bronwyn reaches out to him to defend Nate because he has no lawyer.
* **Kris:** He is Cooper's secret boyfriend and he's German. He helps to decode the mystery.

## Reception

Reception of *One of Us Is Lying* has been mostly positive, receiving multiple awards and nominations, primarily within the Young Adult category.

* Reviewer Mary Cosola of Common-Sense Media comments that the plot "raises lots of ethical questions" and "provides good discussion topics", receiving an overall rating of four-stars, with an age-rating of 14+.
* Nivea Serrao of *Entertainment Weekly* praises the author for the nuanced characters and their development, and for challenging the initial stereotypes, but notes that the slow reveal of the secrets leaves the reader with less time to engage with the ending's more fully developed characters.
* *Kirkus Reviews* acknowledges the "insights into common adolescent struggles" and "opportunities for self-reflection" for young readers, also rating the book for readers between 14-18, however criticizes that author's use of language and the plot, which they suggest "border on cliché". It also mentions how, although Bronwyn, Maeve, and their father's side of the family are Colombian, the cast is predominantly white.
* A review from *Medium* also references the development of the originally stereotypical main characters and how the topics raise thought-provoking discussions and goes on to praise the inclusion of LGBTQIA characters, but comments on how, although depression and psychological issues are depicted within the story, they are not fully explored.
* It has been described on several occasions as a cross between *The Breakfast Club* and *Pretty Little Liars*.

### Awards and Recognition

* *New York Times* bestseller for 79 weeks.
* ABA IndieBound bestseller.
* *USA Today* bestseller.
* A New York Public Library's Best Book for Teens selection.
* A YALSA 2018 Teens’ Top Ten selection.
* A YALSA 2018 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
* An Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of the Year selection.
* A PopCrush Best Young Adult Book of the Year selection.
* A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year selection.
* Teen Reader's Choice Award for Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education.

### Nominations

* A YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction Book nominee.
* A CBC Teen Choice Book Award nominee.
* A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year nominee.

## Adaptations

An anticipated television series was in development in association with Universal Cable Productions, E!, and production company 5 More Minutes. On August 12, 2020, it was announced that the production had been given a series order and will premiere on Peacock.

## References

1. ↑ The Breakfast Club Review - 'Common Sense Media'
2. ↑ The Breakfast Club Review - 'Entertainment Weekly'
3. ↑ The Breakfast Club Review - 'Kirkus Reviews'
4. ↑ Breakfast Club Review - 'Medium'
5. ↑ ‘One Of Us Is Lying’: Peacock Orders Young-Adult Mystery Drama To Series; Darío Madrona To Showrun