It’s a reminder that everyone in high school has secrets, everyone fucks up once in a while along with feeling like four truly real coming of age stories all compiled into one small package that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I’ve been trying to read One of us is lying for the past thirteen weeks. In those thirteen weeks I got a quarter of the way through. When I had my final class, I picked up the book and didn’t put it down. It was that fucking good.
“Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.” –Source.
It’s really the breakfast club meets pretty little liars.
Of course this book had its problems, the beginning was extremely slow however detailed to assist in the plot development and characterisation. Once you get over the part one hump, your set for all nighter town as you’ll be reading NON STOP.
The story centers around five high school student in detention after getting their phones confiscated. Then, one of them begins convulsing, having an allergic reaction, and dies in the classroom with four of his peers around him. Fingers are pointed, lines are drawn and the mystery of what happened to this fifth student runs through the school like a wildfire setting gossip ablaze.
I just enjoy how relatable this novel is while subtly tackling prevalent issues in our society such as substance abuse, homophobia, depression, anxiety, domestic abuse, bullying and a plethora of other issues which are contained in schools.
The characters are another high point of this novel. I didn’t warm to these characters immediately as their guarded personalities were quite one dimensional. It was when I was able to grasp more and more facets of who these characters were that they began to intrigue me and I actually began to care about what happened to them. They broke down their labels and stereotypes and faced the consequences of such.
Each of these characters is fatally flawed with serious ramifications being connotative of their actions, this allows us to truly go along for the ride with them and follow their journeys to the bitter end.
Bronwyn, Cooper, Nate and Addy all have their ideas, motivations and lives challenged by the events that unfold through out this story which forces them to become transparent, not only with the world around them, but themselves.
My favourite of the four would have to be either Cooper or Addy. Cooper because he’s just so damn charming and who doesn’t like a jock! Addy’s change throughout the story is the most significant and meaningful as she is able to break out of the cage she’s been held in. The caged bird can finally sing!
One of us is lying fully explores the vulnerabilities of the main characters along with their deep rooted insecurities and habits which all gets put into a washing machine and turned upside down upon Simon’s death. It is truly a spectacle to watch these characters grow into their true selves as they are able to understand where they fit into the story.
It’s a great whodunnit, but in a fresh way with multiple perspectives adding to the ‘I hope it’s not this one because I really like them’ fun. However, I would have to say that the novel is kind of predictable at some points. Not so much as to ruin all the major plot points, but its not too hard to assume certain things that unfold.
As for a rating, 8/10 seems fair. With a slow start, but great ending, amazing characters and wonderful plot twists, I think it’s fair.
~krisesandchrosses~
krisesandchrosses 