One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Lying is a young adult, mystery/suspense novel by American author Karen M. McManus. The book is her debut novel, originally published in the US by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on 30 May 2017.
The book uses multiperspectivity(where more than one point of view is used) to show the points-of-view of all four student suspects. It has received several accolades including a 166-week run on the "New York Times" best-seller list. A television series adaptation is currently in production.
Plot.
At Bayview High, Bronwyn, Simon, Nate, Cooper, and Addy, attend detention with teacher Mr. Avery after he found mobile phones in each of their school bags, against the high school's no-phone policy. However, each of the students claims that the phones are not theirs and that someone played a prank on them. They hear a collision in the school parking lot, and Mr. Avery leaves to investigate. Simon — creator of the 'About That' gossip app in which the personal lives of students at Bayview High are posted for the rest of the school to see — begins a speech about the stereotypical personalities of the other four students and how he, through his app, is the omniscient narrator. He drinks water from a plastic cup and suffers a fatal allergic reaction due to his peanut allergy. The others attempt to help, but it is too late and Simon dies in the hospital.
Initially, the incident is considered an accident, but after a Tumblr post is shared, claiming that Simon's death was planned and the killer watched him die, the police begin to investigate and find an unpublished post by Simon that features the secrets of the other four students. Each of the secrets would affect the student's future: Bronwyn's cheating on a test could impact her college applications; Nate's repeated misdemeanor could send him to jail; Addy's infidelity might end her relationship; and the accusation of steroid-use could halt Cooper's potential baseball career. The four are initially suspicious of one another but begin to appreciate each other due to their shared situation.
The investigation receives media attention and the four are dubbed the 'Bayview four.' After Simon's funeral, his post is leaked and the rest of the school learns the four's secrets, triggering the consequences: Bronwyn's parents are disappointed; Nate's house is searched; Addy's relationship ends, and Cooper's performance is investigated. This prompts Maeve, Bronwyn's younger sister, to investigate Simon's online activity, which brings to light the encrypted original post about Cooper, and Simon's activity on massacre-worship forums, on which he mentions a similar desire.
Addy befriends Janae, Simon's friend. Bronwyn and Nate return to his home to avoid the media and find his mother, who he claimed was dead. She claims to now be sober and wishes to reconcile with her son and help. The encrypted file regarding Cooper is opened by the police, outing him as gay. This causes a rift between Cooper and his father, who is homophobic. When Cooper is bullied verbally in the cafeteria after this news is leaked, Nate defends him, and the group sit together, demonstrating their new solidarity and friendship. Evidence is found tying Nate to the murder and he is arrested. Bronwyn contacts Eli Kleinfelter, a lawyer she saw on television defending the 'Bayview four' on the crime show 'Mikhail Powers Investigates', asking him to help.
Bronwyn believes the fender bender in the school parking lot that distracted the group was set up, so she asks Cooper to see if a friend of his can help find the red Camaro involved. When he does, Bronwyn confronts the driver, who admits he and a friend were paid to stage the accident by Simon. She suggests a meeting between the remaining three, and allies to their plight — Maeve, and Addy's sister Ashton. Cooper's partner, Kris, suggests that Simon may have committed suicide and framed the others for his death, and that Janae may know more.
Janae hasn't been seen in school for a week so Addy goes to her home, where Janae confesses that Simon had been frustrated and angry for years that he wasn't more important in high school, so he rigged the Junior prom to become King. Jake heard him bragging about the plan and Simon was afraid he would be exposed, so he told Jake about Addy infidelity with TJ. Simon then enlisted Jake's help with his suicide plan, telling Jake he could get even by framing Addy as Simon's murderer. Janae was supposed to plant the evidence on Addy, but when she couldn't bring herself to do it, she planted it on Nate instead. Jake has been harassing Janae for ruining the plan, and he arrives while Addy is still there. Addy attempts to record the conversation, but Jake realizes she's there. Addy runs into the woods but Jake follows, trying to strangle her and hit her head with a rock. Addy is saved by Cooper, who had accompanied her to the house and saw Jake arrive.
Jake is taken into custody and Nate is released, but is shaken from his time in the juvenile detention center, rejecting Bronwyn's concern and breaking off their relationship. Addy heals in the hospital and after, Ashton asks Addy to live with her, which Addy happily accepts. Cooper's college options begin to reappear and his relationship with his father starts to improve. Bronwyn applies to Yale and begins dating Evan Neiman, another student, though she does not consider it serious. She later finds Nate waiting for her after a major piano recital when he apologizes for dismissing her. The story ends as she accepts his offer to a movie as friends.
Reception.
Reception of "One of Us Is Lying" has been mostly positive, receiving multiple awards and nominations, primarily within the Young Adult category. Reviewer Mary Cosola of Common Sense Media comments that the plot "raises lots of ethical questions" and "provides good discussion topics", receiving an overall rating of four-stars, with an age-rating of 14+. Nivea Serrao of "Entertainment Weekly" praises the author for the nuanced characters and their development, and for challenging the initial stereotypes, but notes that the slow reveal of the secrets leaves the reader with less time to engage with the ending's more fully developed characters. "Kirkus Reviews" acknowledges the "insights into common adolescent struggles" and "opportunities for self-reflection" for young readers, also rating the book for readers between 14-18, however criticizes that author's use of language and the plot, which they suggest "border on cliché". It also mentions how, although Bronwyn, Maeve, and their father's side of the family are Colombian, the cast is predominantly white.
A review from Medium also references the development of the originally stereotypical main characters and how the topics raise thought-provoking discussions, and goes on to praise the inclusion of LGBTQIA characters, but comments on how, although depression and psychological issues are depicted within the story, they are not fully explored. It has been described on several occasions as a cross between "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty Little Liars".
Awards and recognition.
Nominations:
Television adaptation.
A television series based on the novel was originally in development from E! in September 2017. However, the project was moved to NBCUniversal, who gave it a pilot order in August 2019 for Peacock. After the pilot was filmed in November 2019, the project was given a series order in August 2020 for a total of eight episodes. The remaining seven episodes will begin production in New Zealand in May 2021.