And We Return To Book Reviews

        One Of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus  5 stars 

                                                           

     Once in a while you'll find yourself buying a new tablet and setting up all your stuff including your Moonreader app. All I intended to do was get the settings adjusted and well I discovered this among a lot of other books I intended to read but never got around to. If you read the blurb it mentions something about The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars but I aside from the initial detention there's nothing here that comes close to the film at all. One Of Us Is Lying is a great piece of fiction that may be intended for a young adult audience but it's engaging enough for readers of all types. A great novel has the abiiity to cross over into areas effortlessly and engage a reader to the point where they forget that this isn't a novel for adults. There are of course moments where it does become apparent, but it doesn't take away from how good this book really is. Once it gets going it pulls you in and you become absorbed in the story. Who killed Simon? It seems as if there are a lot of people who hated the guy and there's also a few clues to lead you to who you think could have done it. Each of these characters had strong motivation, but did one of them actually kill him?

       The plot here moves swittly and each secret that's revealed casts more doubt on the four people involved. Were these sectets worth killing for? While One Of Us Is Lying may not be original it is a compelling read that does keep you guessing. A book doesn't have to be groundbreaking or even original to be good. All you need are characters who are able to push the plot along but most importantly you need a decent plot. McManus does a great job at keeping you guessing. A decent thriller has to keep the reader engaged or else the novel will quickly fall apart. On their own, none of these characters could carry the book, but together you're able to see the story from a variety of different viewpoints. It's that view that allows the story to grow. The only way we get to know SImon is from the posts he puts on his app, but then we begin to see more of him and what kind of person he really was. He's an unlikable character and he's the kind of person you're not sorry to see dead, but the chaos his death leaves behind send shockwaves throughout the lives of those who with him on his last day. 

       If you're looking for a book that keeps you guessing and is written well this is one those books you should pick up. Forger the blurb about The Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars and just read a book that could be one hell of a show on Netflix. This would be bingworthy stuff and in this new climate of social distancing and staying home we need books like this. We need to forget our problems for a bit so why not read a decent book?