This ended up being like The Breakfast Club married Veronica Mars and had a baby, which is to say, I loved it. I was hooked on this book after just a few pages, and I ended up staying up until 1:00AM on the second night I had it to finish it. I just couldn't put it down. I want others to read it so we can talk about it. 
 In the beginning of the book, I was nervous that the four narrators would become interchangeable. But while the writing style does not change dramatically from character to character, each of the four's motivations and interests were so different that it was easy to keep track of whose perspective I was reading. 
 The concept of the story is that each student has secrets, and it can be challenging to maintain intrigue while not having the characters be overly shifty when writing through first person. Somehow, McManus nails it. Each of the four would hint at what the readers did not know about them without ever stating it outright. It was enough to let us know that they weren't ignorant of their secrets while still keeping us wondering about what exactly was going to happen. 
 Speaking of not knowing what was going to happen, I had a pretty good idea of who committed the crime after just a few chapters. However, as it turns out, I had no idea how complex the way everything played out truly was. The fact that I was able to solve most of the premise early on yet still stay engaged speaks to the attachment I felt to these characters. 
 Each of our four protagonists was quirky and relatable in their own way. Nate made me want a giant lizard, which is actually one of my least favorite animals in the entire world. The main romance in this novel squeezed my heart and felt reasonable; both characters involved in it expressed qualms and things moved neither too quickly or at a drawn-out pace. There was some sneaky diversity in this novel; I loved how Bronwyn was trying to figure out how to deal with her father's fear of his family being perceived as a stereotype. I even like the idea that we have this character who is known for dealing drugs, yet the other three have to put aside the boxes they put him in and understand his motivations for doing so. Though it isn't perfect, it definitely attempts to display some of the less obvious effects of poverty. 
 A small detail I loved was the different relationships between the two pairs of sisters. Bronwyn and Maeve were tight to the point of best friends. On the other hand, Addy and Ashton are actively working to become more supportive of each other. Both of these relationships are depicted as valid; neither is shown to be better than the other. Oftentimes in YA novels, sisters are either best friends or worst enemies-- I liked seeing Addy and Ashton because it showed that relationships take work, even with family. 
 This YA novel does fall into the trope of absent parents. While all of the parents are mentioned, none of them are really around all that often. In some cases, that makes sense-- they are depicted as shitty parents (Addy's mother was a version of this trope that I had not seen before). On the other hand, we didn't really see Cooper's or Bronwyn's mothers, which I thought was kind of weird seeing as their children were being investigated for murder. 
 There were definitely some parts of this book that we may look back on and find problematic, particularly regarding mental health. Those things are worth larger conversations and inspection. But for now, I'm okay with it. 
 I can't wait to get a kid to read this book because I think they will devour it just as I did. And yes-- I actually think that this book has enough to offer for it to even be a literature circle. The plot is intricate enough that students could stop and make predictions and note patterns throughout as well as learning more about writing from multiple perspectives. There are references to sex and drugs, but nothing ever gets more graphic than kissing, and even our drug dealer character is never seen under the influence. 
 I am super excited that this is McManus's first novel. In a way, One of Us is Lying reminds me of Seven Ways We Lie, and not because the titles are similar but because of the writing style and plot structure. I liked Redgate's second novel, Noteworthy, even more than the first, and I anticipate that McManus's follow-up will be even stronger than her debut.