One of Us Is Next (One of Us Is Lying #2)

Published January 7th 2020 by Delacorte Press for Young Readers, Hardcover 377 pages

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.

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller everyone is talking about, One of Us Is Lying! There's a new mystery to solve at Bayview High, and there's a whole new set of rules.

User Reviews

Jesse (JesseTheReader)

Rating: really liked it
This was a solid sequel! I really appreciate the work Karen M. McManus does in fleshing out each of her characters. She makes sure we get to know every single one of them & understand them. On top of that, she does a great job of providing a surprising plot. I like the fact that it doesn't just end with the explosive point the story reaches and that we get a bit of cushion at the end to see the aftermath of everything. All in all, I really enjoyed this book.

Karen McManus

Rating: really liked it
ETA: I hope you all enjoy going back to Bayview!

***

We'll get a title and description up here eventually :)

Sabaa Tahir

Rating: really liked it
Guys, I've gotten pretty old and grumpy in my reading. There's just a point at which you've read so much you feel like nothing is surprising anymore. I had just put down a very blah book when I picked up this one, and thank goodness I did pick it up because it was a balm on my wounded, grouchy soul.

My absolute FAVORITE thing about Karen's books is that I know, going in, that I will be in excellent hands. I will be shocked. I will gasp. I will laugh. I will cringe and yell at the characters. I will not be subjected to endless exposition or meaningless conversation. Why? Because Karen is a consistently wonderful writer and ONE OF US IS NEXT is no different. Even when I thought I knew what was going on, I didn't know what was going on. The family relationships in this book are beautifully done, and the suspense is killer (lolol sorry I couldn't resist). I finished the book in a night because I NEEDED to know what would happen.

If you're a fan of Karen's other books, you'll love this. If you've never read her other books, you'll love this. She just knows how to spin a hell of a tale.

megs_bookrack ((is on vacation))

Rating: really liked it
**4.5-stars rounded up**

A year has passed since Simon's tragic death and the twisted events covered in One of Us Is Lying.

The Bayview Four have been cleared of any crimes, and for the most part, they have moved on with their lives. The teens all tried their best to leave that traumatic period where it belongs; in the past.

For the kids remaining at Bayview, however, that infamous event is never far from their minds.

An assortment of gossip apps have popped up since, trying to take Simon's place, but no one has the goods; until now.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a school-wide text message invites the entire student body to play a little game: Truth or Dare.

With players seemingly chosen at random, everyone is nervous about being chosen to play next.

The Truths are harsh, turning family and friends against one another. Due to this, the unlucky players pretty much feel forced to take the Dare, rather than risk becoming a social pariah.

But when the Dares turn deadly, all bets are off.

Some of the kids decide to team up to figure out who the mastermind behind the game is, before it's too late for them all.

This includes Maeve, whose older sister, Bronwyn, was one of the original Bayview Four, as well as recent outcast, Phoebe, and boy next door, Knox.

The intensity of this story builds continuously. I think McManus did an excellent job keeping the narrative fun and compelling.

I was so excited to be back at Bayview High for another mystery. The amateur sleuthing was super entertaining, full of twists and red herrings.

I also loved the gaming element in this one. It was so sinister, perfectly-plotted and right up my alley!

I will continue to pick up anything McManus writes. I cannot wait to see what's next.

Her signature style of characters and pacing works so well for me!

✨ A ✨

Rating: really liked it
10/10 recommend reading this near a window, on a rainy day with a fluffy blanket and a cup of coffee.

description

This is apparently a sequel but it was more like a spin-off. Yes we get little cameos of the previous characters (which I adored) but the plot revolves around a set of different characters and I feel like you can read it as a standalone.

The writing once again, was so great. I became quickly attached to our three main characters. The interactions and friendship between them was fantastic. I think that's what I love most about McManus's books, it's not just about the mystery, but the parts in between, that make her books addictive.

The pacing was perfect and the plot twists (even though I predicted a lot of them) were still well thought out and clever, which to me is more important than it being shocking.

I really really don't want to say goodbye to Bayview and I hope we might get another spin-off. *fingers crossed*

‹ Thank you to Penguin for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review ›

________
My review for:
Book 1 - One of us is lying

jessica

Rating: really liked it
to me, the thing that make thrillers thrilling is that they give the reader a sense of ‘holy crap. this could happen to anyone.’ thats why they are so exciting to read, because of the realistic vibes that get your adrenaline pumping.

but this novel is so outside any realm of possibility, that it took me completely out of the story. its just too farfetched for me to even become invested. its just a massive eye-roll.

i mean, this has it moments (mainly in the form of nate and knox). and the writing is actually really good and excellently paced. its not a horrible read, by any means. i just couldnt believe the content.

such a shame when a stellar book is followed by a pretty mediocre sequel.

↠ 2.5 stars

Tucker (TuckerTheReader)

Rating: really liked it

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

Holy sh*t. I completely forgot how talented at writing Karen M. McManus is. I mean… It’s been a few days since I finished this book and my mind is still reeling.

So, what’s this book about?

It’s been a year and a half since Simon died and in spite of the many copycat gossip apps, the Bayview four have moved on with their lives.
Cooper is openly gay and happily in love with his boyfriend, Chris.
Bronwyn and Nick are together (most of the time).
And Addie is… I don’t even know. I lost track of her.

But, in One of Us Is Next, we follow Maeve, Phoebe, and Knox.
Now, there is a copycat but they mean business. And their weapon of choice is truth or dare. Either you take a dare or a truth is revealed. Phoebe is the first target and when she doesn’t take the dare, her deepest, darkest secret is revealed.Next comes Maeve, who skips the dare. By the time it comes to Knox, things are starting to become dangerous.

Once things start to get serious. Maeve, along with Knox set out to find out who is behind the mysterious game while Phoebe tries to unravel the evade danger and unravel the secrets around her.

As I said earlier, holy sh*t....
I read One of Us Is Lying a month or two after it came out and every time I think about it, my heart does a little flutter. That book sends me back to such a nostalgic time in my life. It was the calm before the storm that still rages to this day.

So, even though it is mostly because of nostalgia, One of Us Is Lying is one of my favorite YA mysteries. You can imagine how excited I was when I heard it was getting a sequel.

Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what it would be about. I felt like the story had been pretty well wrapped up but I wasn’t about to NOT read it… I mean that would be crazy.

And I am so, so glad I did read this because it was amazing.

Firstly, the mystery itself was amazing! I actually dislike the fact that there are more and more psychological thrillers with no actual whodunnits or clues or red herrings. I missed the good, classic mysteries. This was just so refreshing.

Also, Karen M. McManus can really write characters! I don’t know how she managed to juggle three main characters along with at least five side characters while flushing them ALL out perfectly! Honestly, this woman is talented and I will never not be addicted to her books.

Finally, the plot twist, which I obviously won’t spoil, was amazing. It was the reason this was a 5 star read rather than a 4.5 star read. It was also the reason that this was my first favorite of 2020!! It was one of those rare plot twists that made me gasp aloud. Don’t you just love when that happens?

Overall, this book was beyond perfect! It was even better than its already amazing predecessor and I cannot recommend it enough!

Bottom Line:
➵ 5 stars
➵ Age Rating: [ PG-13 ]
➵ Content Screening (Spoilers)
➵ Educational Value (0/0)
➵ Positive Messages (3/5) - [Love yourself, Moving on from trauma, Forgiveness]
➵ Violence (4/5) - [Character falls through a roof which ends in death, Character gets concussion, Character sexually forces himself on another character, Character is crushed by a forklift (doesn’t actually happen on page but is discussed and referred to.]
➵ Sex (3.5/5) - [Character forces himself upon another character, Kissing, Jokes and teasing about genitalia]
➵ Language (2/5) - [Sh*t, f**k, d*mn]
➵ Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Character drinks to excess and ends up getting alcohol poisoning]
➵ Trigger and Content Warnings - Loss of a loved one, PTSD, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Concussion, Death, Bullying, Luekemia, Relapse, Vomiting, Addiction, Depression
➵ Reps - [Gay, Cancer, Anxiety]
➵ Publication Date - January 7th, 2020
➵ Publisher - Penguin Teen
➵ Genre - Mystery/Young Adult

➵ One of Us Is Lying - ★★★★☆
➵ One of Us Is Next - ★★★★★

*************

[1/15/2020] - HOLY MOTHER FORKING SHIRTBALLS

*************

[1/7/2020] - i'm so f**king excited

*************

[9/10/2019] - JANUARY CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH

*************

i honestly can't wait for more ~~Nick~~ Nate... I knew NIck sounded off and Bronwyn! also Cooper and his bf, whose name i don't remember

*************

HAVE YOU SEEN THE SYNOPSIS????????????

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.

DO I SMELL SOME PARANORMAL WITH MY MYSTERY??

*********

SH*T THIS COVER

*********

Sh*t this title...

| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram

MischaS_

Rating: really liked it
[ -Maeve being a badass
-A wedding 👰
-Bayview High still gossipy af
-A sister relationship that is VERY COMPLICATED
-and oh yeah you find out what's up with Nate &

Nilufer Ozmekik

Rating: really liked it
As a devoted fan of Brat Pack movies and anything has 80’s vibes including Stranger Things, I adore this series. I loved the first installment and I had quite amazing time during my reading, consuming more popcorn covered in parmesan cheese and gallons red wine! (My husband went on strike, stopped cooking for me but secretly he cooked himself and ate everything under the blanket not to get caught red handed!)

I know I enjoyed the first book more because of its amazing Breakfast Club meets modern teen dramas (better than Riverdale and closer to Pretty Big Liars)
In this new book we have three POVS including dear Maeve, recently saved our quartet’s asses with her brilliant investigation skills, Bronwyn’s sister (brain member of quartet, cheated on her exam at the first book), survivor of leukemia. She and Knox were my favorite characters. (Knox is totally sweet pie, geek meets boy next door, has a potential to turn into her heartbreaker if he doesn’t have golden heart and live under the roof with perfectionist dad and 4 different sisters whose names are also starting with “K” letter)

I couldn’t connect so much with third narrator Phoebe, who is having real hard time to put back the pieces of her dysfunctional and traumatized family after her father’s death because of a construction accident and so far we know her family hasn’t been paid enough by the insurance coverage and Phoebe drifts apart with her sister Emma and her highly intelligent little brother Owen gets chirpier to get her family members’ attention. But we terribly need this character because of the building of mystery. ( I have to stop here not to give any clues about the cliffhangers and surprising revelations!)

THINGS I LIKED:

-As I mentioned before Maeve and Knox are truly likable characters and I enjoyed their back stories and relationship dynamics with their family and their detective skills to solve the mystery behind the death of one of their classmates (Nope, I’m not gonna tell you who he is! Okay, I already told the gender! Slapping my forehead!)

- TRUTH OR DARE play concept is great premise and the author impeccably used it to raise the tension and confuse our minds. If you don’t accept dare, one of your ugly secrets spills out and you may turn into a gossip tool by the meanest high school environment! Phoebe didn’t accept the dare and see what happened to her?

-Seeing the first book’s protagonists as supporting characters was enjoyable experiment. And I actually root for Bronwyn (I hope I spelled right! What a challenging name!) and Nate from the beginning so I liked to see how their a little angsty romantic relationship improved. And of course I liked to see Cooper again!

-The story’s mathematic and the reason behind the evil master’s game planning may be better than the first book’s plot line and I liked the shocking conclusion. (Some parts are predictable but a final knife twist into your gut was brilliantly great move and I adored it!)

The things I didn’t like: Yes, I didn’t enjoy reading Phoebe’s parts as much as Maeve and Knox’s stories. And there are too many characters in this book. There are three narrators and their families, friends and first book’s characters are also having important parts at the progression of the story-line as well which makes you confused and hurts your brain cells. Concentrating on the characters and their back stories made me lose my attention to the main plot. So I cut one of my stars.

Overall: I still enjoyed this series, its tribute to Brat Pack movies and teen thriller series. This is one of fastest reads and one of my most anticipated YA thriller books of the year I highly recommend it. I’m looking forward the next book of the author and going back to my kitchen to find something nutritional to eat to wash it down with my last Cabernet bottle!

Emma☀️

Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
I enjoyed One of Us is Lying and when I heard there was a sequel coming out, I JUMPED at the chance to get a copy! Friends, I am disappointed. I went into the book with extremely high expectations, so I have no one but myself to blame.

For a mystery book centered around a game of Truth or Dare, the game was hardly mentioned at all. The mystery element was overshadowed by the other drama and messy storylines.
The pacing was so slow. Nothing really happens until the last couple of pages. Thrillers, in general, are supposed to be fast-paced and gripping but I found myself trudging through the pages, hoping something interesting will happen. And to add, I was not impressed by the ending - it was unrealistic and underwhelming.

I found the new characters to be likable enough but nothing really stood out for me. They were bland and I found it hard to connect with them. The multiple POVs did not help either, because that confused me even more. Each POV did not have an individual “voice”. I was constantly mixing up the characters and paging back to check who was who.

I did appreciate the other issues addressed, such as dealing with leukemia and family issues. Those aspects were handled well.

Overall, the premise was interesting but could have been executed better.

Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥

Rating: really liked it
I’m on BookTube now! =)

”Phoebe Lawton, you’re up first! Text back your choice: Should I reveal a Truth, or will you take a Dare?”

Guess after “One of Us Is Lying” we all know that you better take the dare, right? Well, if you want to find out what Phoebe did you’ve to read the book, because this review is going to be spoiler free. ;-P
So this out of the way, what is “One of Us Is Next” about? It basically plays one year after Simon’s death and the events that followed. This time around there are three different POVs though. One of them is Maeve Rojas (Bronwyn’s sister that already was a side-character in book one) and the other two are Knox Mayers (Maeve’s best friend) and Phoebe Lawton. In this second instalment the plot is all about Truth or Dare. There is a mysterious person named Unknown who threatens to expose a secret of the chosen people if they don’t take the dare. So you either take the dare or your secret gets spilled and everybody and their grandma will talk about it.

”And then I remember why About That was so popular for so long. Because even though I hate Unknown, and it freaks me out that they revealed a secret I thought would never get out, and the idea of another Simon Kelleher prowling around Bayview High is straight-up nauseating – I can’t help being curious.
What’s going to happen now?”

Well, and that’s basically the concept on which this book is built. Who is going to be next and will they choose truth or dare? I’ve to admit this was an intriguing concept and that I really liked the characters. I already loved Maeve in “One of Us Is Lying” and Knox and Phoebe were two really likable voices as well. I loved that Phoebe was a very unapologetic and straight forward character and that she challenged the narrow-minded perception of people. She’s actually a feminist and I loved that about her. XD

”Really? Let me see if I have this straight. If I do what you want, I’m a slut. If I don’t do what you want, I’m a tease. What I want doesn’t count, but you’re the big man at Bayview no matter what. Does that about sum it up?”

Another thing that made me happy was to see more of the Bayview Four and how they did after all the events that happened in the first book. It was so wholesome to see where they are standing now and that despite everything that happened they were all doing good and leading a happy life. =) Also Bronwyn and Nate!!! AHHHH! (view spoiler) I kinda wish I would have reread the first book before this one though, because I couldn’t really remember Luis and had a tough time to place him in the events of “One of Us Is Lying”. But that’s just personal preference and doesn’t take away any of the enjoyment. ;-)

”I was thinking about this stupid game last night, and how it has everybody dancing like puppets on a string. Whoever’s behind Truth or Dare is on a massive power trip. And the thing is, we’re giving them that power. By caring. Reacting. Spending all our time worrying about who’s next and what’s true. We’re feeding the beast and I, for one, am done.”

All told this book was great and entertaining. What made me like it slightly less than its predecessor was the mystery element, though. While I could guess and rack my brain in the first book I didn’t really get a chance to do that in here. I was able to unfold about 50% of the mystery but I would have never been able to discover the other 50%. There just wasn’t enough information to reveal everything properly and this was kind of a letdown. Still, “One of Us Is Next” was a nice book to read in between and I don’t regret it. I just wish I would have gotten a chance to wrack my brain a little more. *lol*

__________________________

This time around I only guessed 50% right but quite honestly it was kinda impossible to find out the other 50%. *lol*
But ohhh this was good and lots of fun!
Also I loved to see more of the Bayview Four. <3

Full RTC soon! Stay tuned. ;-)
_________________________

So we went from "Liar Liar Pants On Fire" right to "Truth Or Dare"?
Lovely!
I'm all in! ;-P

This said: I need a change of scenery so a murder mystery it is. XD

Maddie

Rating: really liked it
I've read the back of shampoo bottles that had a better plot than this book.

Charlotte May

Rating: really liked it
So pleased I enjoyed this!

Ok, so I adored One of Us is Lying. It was everything I wanted in a YA mystery, when I saw it was getting a sequel I didn’t think it would work.

But I was pleasantly surprised!

Although the characters and events from book 1 are referenced and included, the storyline and new set of character is what powers this book and I was so glad for it!

We have Maeve, Bronwyn’s younger sister, her best friend Knox and their class mate Phoebe. They provide the basis for this story. When someone creates a texting version of truth or dare where people’s darkest secrets are revealed, everyone can’t help but remember the gossip blog Simon ran previously.

Who is behind the game? And when someone dies during a dare, the whole thing becomes a lot more dangerous.

I enjoyed the plot, lots of twists and turns. (view spoiler)

Overall, an entertaining high school read which will get you hooked and keep you guessing.

*******************

Ready to pick up from the library.
I loved One Of Us is Lying so much - I’m not sure how well a sequel will go down....

Arini ~ Miss Casually Reading

Rating: really liked it
3.75 Stars

I came here looking for some Nate Macauley breadcrumbs but, ultimately, I stayed for all the juicy teenage deceit, malicious revenge plot, and thrilling murder mystery. While this book is not without its drawbacks, One of Us Is Next is actually pretty genius in its own right.

“Here’s a little advice for the next time we play: Always take the Dare.”

Plot Summary:

The story picks up eighteen months or so later since the showdown with Simon Kelleher in One of Us Is Lying. Still shaken up by the event, Maeve Rojas, Knox Myers, and Phoebe Lawton are soon caught up in a new wave of complicated and unpleasant situation when an anonymous sadist instigates a deadly game of truth or dare via text targeting them and other students of Bayview High.

My Thoughts:

The book maintains a steady pace while impassively drops some revealing clues here and there. By the time you hit the 70% mark, you can fairly guess who the culprit is and how the conflicts are all connected. The few moments that lead up to the big reveal in the last 30% of the book are so adrenaline pumping and goosebumps inducing. The plot twist in the last two pages was what threw me off the loop.

Although the book is cleverly written with lots of witty dialogues, the alternating first person inner monologues among the three narrators are relatively indistinguishable. The book also features cameo appearances from characters of the previous book. They are not directly involved with the plot of this book. Thus, making this installment more of a spin off rather than a sequel.

I relished in getting to know the main characters of this book. While I might not like how disjointed the perpetrator’s real motive was from the main characters and that they lacked direct interactions due to the nature of crime being cyberbullying or virtual offense, I appreciate how the characters dealt with the fallout in their friendship and family. I might also not agree with the ending, but it was shocking and honestly quite brilliant.

I have to admit that a big part of why I liked the book so much was because of Nate. Compare to the other members of Bayview Four (the stars of the previous book), I’m extremely elated that he’s being referenced a fair amount of time and tagged along in some of the scenes. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have rated this like I did. Yeah, I know, I’m totally biased and hopelessly besotted with some cliche and fictional teenage bad boy. #SorryNotSorry

Bottom Line:

This is easily an enjoyable read. While the realness of the story is questionable—one that is submersed with cliches and stereotypes, and one reluctant villain, the author does a good job in distorting them so that her characters are rooted for by her readers and not completely irredeemable. Fans of One of Us Is Lying, be sure to pick this up. You might like it or you might not. Either way, it’s worth the shot. Others can also read it as a standalone.

Baba

Rating: really liked it
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, is very well applied to this sequel to One of Us is Lying with the very same ingredients
- very diverse (although no African Americans) cast
- strong messaging on how women/girls should be treated
- 90210 style everyone's beautiful cast, even the outliers
- each main protagonists point of view is featured in their own chapters
- (very well done) story set in a mix of the real and digital worlds
- drama, gossip, tears and mob behaviours
- a wonderful detailed and intricate mystery to get us readers into (although nowhere as good as the first book)
- twists and turns
All in all I gotta say, that I kind of really enjoy this strangely bubblegum light young adult mystery that manages to deal with some serious 21st century issues in a an intelligent way, yet also very light-touchy overall!

These books are what they are, and they don't pretend to be anything else - they tick all the books; they're relevant; and most of all they are very entertaining (despite the bore-off romances)! Looking for a fun, engrossing read, that takes you to dark places, but won't give you nightmares? Come, join me, and read this! 8 out of 12.

Detail