One of Us Is Lying

March 1, 2017
Detention takes a dark turn when the student behind Bayview High's infamous app About That dies from a peanut allergy--and every witness has a different reason for wanting him gone.Although McManus' debut initially feels like a rehashing of The Breakfast Club, with five teens from disparate social circles brought together through detention, there is no bonding through library dance parties or atypical lipstick application. Instead, Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper, and Addy witness Simon collapse and ultimately die after taking a sip of water. When police discover the drink was laced with peanut oil--and that Simon was going to reveal life-ruining secrets about all four students on his gossip app the next day--they go from unfortunate witnesses to top murder suspects. With each teen ("brain," "criminal," "jock," and "princess," respectively; "walking teen-movie stereotypes," as Simon says) narrating alternating chapters, the novel offers insights into common adolescent struggles--from the pressure to succeed to an alcoholic, out-of-work father--as well as an unlikely romance and opportunities for self-reflection as the investigation escalates. Although their suburban San Diego high school is a multicultural place, with the exception of Latina Bronwyn, the principal cast is white. Although the language and plot sometimes border on cliche, this fast-paced blend of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and classic John Hughes will leave readers racing to the finish as the try to unravel the mystery on their own. (Thriller. 14-18)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-A smart, twisted, and unpredictable YA mystery that will have readers guessing until the very end. This debut novel follows four high school students thrown together in detention with the creator of their school's gossip app. All of them come out alive. The creator doesn't. And now they are all suspects in his murder. Each student takes a turn at narrating, and tension builds as secrets are revealed in a way that mirrors the gossip app. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? McManus uses alternating viewpoints to tell the story. Each chapter is short and quick, which makes the plot move at a fast pace and will engage readers. At the beginning, keeping characters straight might be a tough task for some, but it is easy to understand the motives of each character, and they soon become easier to distinguish. This factor makes it hard to know who is guilty and who is innocent. VERDICT A strong selection for teens interested in contemporary YA mysteries and thrillers.-Caitlin Wilson, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 It's a murder mystery, Breakfast Clubstyle: five students from different social spheres walk into detention. Only four walk out. Simon, the outcast at the helm of the high school's brutal (and always true) gossip app has been murdered, and he had dirt on all four students in detention with him. Brainy good-girl Bronwyn knows she didn't kill Simon, and she doesn't think drug-dealing Nate, everyone's favorite suspect, did either. Simon knew something that could ruin homecoming princess Addy's perfect relationship, but Addy's always been so timid. And baseball superstar Cooper has a secret, but it's not what Simon said, and everyone knows Simon was never wrong. Trailed by suspicion, the four team up to clear their namesand find the real killereven as proving their innocence becomes increasingly more difficult. Told in alternating perspectives among the four, this is a fast-paced thriller with twists that might surprise even the most hardened mystery reader. An engaging, enticing look at the pressures of high school and the things that cause a person to lose control.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Murder meets The Breakfast Club. Five students walk out of detention, but only four of them survive, each of which had motive to kill the fifth--Simon, creator of a gossip app. Glimpses into the students' backstories and current relationships help illuminate their characters and reveal varying motivations. The genuinely compelling mystery plot compensates for what could just be a mash-up of the stock characters.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)