SuitabookOne of Us Is Lying
Karen M. McManus
- Reading
- Read a few chapters at a time and pause when the narrator changes: compare what each student knows, believes and chooses to hide. This can help keep the viewpoints and mystery clues distinct.
- Themes
- Four viewpoints, one investigation: The mystery is told in alternating first-person chapters by Bronwyn, Nate, Addy and Cooper; each perspective gives insight into what a character sees and conceals. The shifting viewpoints make the investigation depend on comparing the characters’ accounts, rather than following a single observer.
- Stereotypes and first impressions: The students initially fit familiar school archetypes, while the story follows them beyond those labels as their secrets and choices emerge. The initial labels shape how the characters are seen, but the story also presents them as more complicated than those roles suggest.
- Worth knowing
- The plot includes a classmate’s death, murder suspicion, verbal, physical and online bullying, detailed make-out scenes, drinking and drug offers at parties, and occasional swearing.