One of Us is Lying

One of Us is Lying, Karen M. McManus

Another great teen read for you, this time a murder mystery. Five students are sent to detention: prom queen Addy, jock Cooper, intellectual over-achiever Bronwyn, juvenile delinquent Nate and gossip monger Simon.

Within about ten minutes Simon is dead, but what seems like a simple anaphylactic reaction soon turns into a police investigation for murder. Simon ran the school gossip app releasing personally damaging information, and each of the other four had secrets they needed to hide. Which one of them decided to silence him for good?

Chapters move between different character’s points of view, each time stamped. So you know what’s going on for each of them as the investigation unfolds: their family background, what they are trying to hide, how they felt about Simon’s death, and their friends and relationships at school.

As the story unfolds, there are insightful comments into many aspects of teen life, including how they are treated by the police and legal system, the range of healthy (or not) parent-child relationships, the impact of bullies and technology on school life, and the pressures to succeed academically and in sport. Both heterosexual and homosexual dating relationships are explored, as well as the way kids are treated according their socio-economic status.

That all sounds pretty dry and clinical in summary, but the book is very readable. You get into these kids’ minds and start to understand the nuances of each of their situations. Mr 15 and I both enjoyed it and found the ending both satisfying and believable, but not obvious. Recommended for kids about age 14 and up.