Book Review :: One of Us is Next, by Karen M McManus

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
ISBN: 0241376920
Series: One of Us Is Lying #2
on 2020-01-07
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Source: Penguin Books NZ
Find at Penguin Books NZ
Goodreads

Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now.

This time it's not an app, though—it's a game.

Truth or Dare.

Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.

Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules.

Last updated on 28 February 2022

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What is One of Us is Next about?

We’re back in Bayview High, but this time Simon’s not in control of the game plaguing the students. The Bayview Four from the previous book, One of Us is Lying, have moved on from the events that occurred 18 months prior, as best they can, but now there’s a new player in the halls of the gossip-heavy high school.

As an Unknown messenger sends out a mass text to the students, Maeve, Phoebe and Knox are all on the receiving end. Will they choose Truth or Dare? And what will the consciences be?

My Thoughts on One of Us is Next

Once again, Karen McManus tells a brilliant story, complete with intrigue, humour, twists and turns. Much like the first in the One of Us is Lying series (of the same name), I found myself zooming through this book and finished it in just a few sessions over a weekend. The perfect summer read.

While the first book didn’t need a sequel at all – it was a complete stand-alone and could have been left that way – it was fun to go back to Bayview High and see what some of the characters were up to. The main characters in One of Us is Next are mentioned in the last book, and the main characters from One of Us is Lying are also in this book; they’re not main characters but they do make an appearance, some more so than others.

“I don’t understand why the world insists on stuffing kids into boxes we never asked for, and then gets mad when we won’t stay there.”

The plot follows Maeve, Phoebe and Knox, alternating POV chapters, as they try and make it through high school with the Unknown messenger taunting them with Dares and threatening them with revealing their darkest secrets to the rest of the school. Things get out of control when one of the students dies, and suddenly it’s no longer a game.

The twists and turns in this story were once again superbly written, and while I called who was behind the messages and the Truth or Dare game, there were other surprises that I didn’t see coming at all. A credit to Karen McManus’ great writing and unexpected plot turns.

One of Us is Next was a really fun read, and if you liked One of Us is Lying then hopefully this book is on your list already. If not, get reading! The One of Us is Lying series is out now on Netflix!

Have you read One of Us Is Next? What about One Of Us is Lying? What did you think?

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Updated: February 2022