Addy Prentiss

Adelaide "Addy" Prentiss is one of the four students at Bayview High suspected of murdering Simon Kelleher. She is a senior at Bayview who is known for her good looks and her relationship with Jake Riordan.

## Biography

In the early stages of the novel, Addy is not very ambitious and Nate describes her as not having a thought in her head other than her boyfriend. She is in a so-called "perfect" relationship with her controlling boyfriend. However, she cheats on her boyfriend, Jake Riordan, with one of his friends, TJ Forrester. The secret is revealed after Simon's death on his website, and her life basically falls apart. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, all her friends except Cooper leave her. She also becomes close friends with Nate, Bronwyn, and Janae. By the end of the book, Addy is opinionated and not afraid to say what's on her mind.

## Physical Appearance

Addy's first appearance was in chapter 1 when Bronwyn describes her in detention. She had long, "shampoo ad" blonde hair which many people, including herself, believe was her best feature. After she breaks up with her boyfriend, Addy suddenly decides she needs a change and cuts off most of her hair. She later dyed it purple because she couldn't keep up with the maintenance requirements of short hair. Addy is stated to have delicate, pixie like features with a heart shaped face.

## Personality and Character Development

Addy's character undergoes significant development throughout the novel. Initially depicted as a typical high school "queen bee," Addy's vulnerability and complexity are gradually revealed as the story unfolds. Her struggles with societal expectations, peer pressure, and maintaining a façade become evident as she faces the repercussions of Simon's death. Readers witness Addy's transformation from a seemingly superficial character to a more resilient and self-aware individual.

## Character Analysis

The “princess” of the Bayview Four, Addy is a popular and beautiful Bayview student who has been dating her equally popular and beautiful boyfriend, Jake, since their freshman year. Addy has been raised by a mother who values the physical above all else—Ms. Calloway has instilled in Addy and her sister Ashton the belief that their sole purpose in life should be to attract men who will hopefully support them financially throughout their lives. Addy has internalized this information deeply and has allowed her relationship with Jake to veer into abusive territory—Jake controls what Addy wears, where she goes, and who she’s friends with, but she barely even notices this problematic behavior until almost halfway through the novel. Once the About This blog releases information about Addy having cheated on Jake over the summer, Addy finds her social life crumbling to the ground. At first, she’s miserable, but soon realizes that she has been liberated from a life of entrapment and careful social graces. She takes advantage of her new lease on life and begins investigating Simon’s death with the other members of the Bayview Four, chopping off all of her hair and making friends with better, more interesting people than her shallow friends. It is Addy who eventually uncovers the horrible truth about Simon’s death—that he orchestrated the entire ordeal as a way of committing suicide while taking four of his most-hated classmates down with him. Addy is almost killed for finding out this information, but survives an attack from Jake, her ex-boyfriend, and goes on to move into a San Diego apartment with her older sister, away from her mother’s poisonous rhetoric and towards a new life lived on her own terms.

## Relationships

Addy's romantic involvement with TJ Forrester, despite being in a relationship with Jake, is a significant plot point. The consequences of this choice impact Addy's personal life, friendships, and reputation. The novel explores the challenges Addy faces as she grapples with the fallout from her decisions and the complexities of teenage relationships.

In "One of Us is Back," it is revealed that Addy develops feelings for her friend Keely Moore. This revelation adds depth to Addy's character, showcasing her evolving understanding of her own emotions and relationships.

## Themes

Addy's character is instrumental in exploring various themes prevalent in "One of Us is Lying," including the consequences of societal expectations, the impact of secrets on personal relationships, and the complexities of identity in adolescence. Her journey serves as a lens through which the novel examines the challenges faced by young individuals in a high-pressure environment.