One of us is Lying by Karen McManus

Simon runs a gossip app where he reveals every dirty little secret of his fellow high school students. He has no remorse for the way he destroys reputations, relationships or lives, and has the attitude that he is only sharing the truth and if people don’t like it, they shouldn’t do it. But when he collapses during detention and dies from a suspicious allergic reaction, the four other students in the class with him are considered murder suspects.

As the police investigate, they discover that Simon’s next post was focused on the same four students that were with him when he died, ensuing a mass of media coverage.

But Simon’s posts continue after his death, revealing even more devastating secrets, but whose sending them?

This YA novel is fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. The characters are ones that you find yourself rooting for, as they navigate the landmines of regular teenage life, with all its judgements, gossip, and self esteem issues. But as they face the addition trauma of being accused of murder, they grow considerably as characters, form unlikely alliances, and leave you hoping it isn’t any one of them.

A fantastic debut novel by a very talented writer.

Read and reviewed by L. M. Potter