One of Us Is Next: The Sequel to One of Us Is Lying

This is the second book in the series and just like the first it’s a quick page turner! Very engaging my teen loved it she’s already on the 3rd book. Since she was raving about the series I decided to start at and oh my I forgot I even had a bed time just got so invested definitely a great read and great author can’t wait to read more of her books. If you loved Pretty little liars you’ll definitely love this series if you didn’t I’m sure you’ll still enjoy the read!!

Bayview! Oh it is so rare to enjoy returning to such a toxic place, but I am addicted now to this school and the terrible people at fault for its wickedly deadly games. Reading One of Us is Lying was a treat back in 2018, but coming back to this world with One of Us is Next was doubly rewarding. Not only was the story interesting, but I've come to realize that I absolutely adore this cast, both old and new. It made me so happy to visit the fave couple of Nate and Bronwyn and follow through with their relationship, it was great to see Cooper again and witness how well he's doing despite the hurdles he had to go through, and Luis... Well, Luis was just a treat all on his own. Thank you, Karen McManus, for Luis Santos. Our leading three—Maeve, Knox and Phoebe—hold their own stars. They are so different in personality and yet they bond so beautifully, but Knox stole center stage for me. He's sweet, he's so much braver than he thinks, he's smart, and he has a great deal of self-deprecating humor that I think is completely lost on him. One of the things I like about this series—duology?—is that we follow the leads on their own personal struggles and growths alongside the main mystery. And the three portray that so well, their friendship going through hurdles before ultimately coming back together just when things begin to get dicey. I wasn't surprised by who the big reveal behind the whole plot to bring others down with the Truth or Dare game was. At least, at first. Because I was right, in a way. But the huge unveiling of the ultimate culprit during the last chapter, closing in on just a few pages, left me slack-jawed. Despite it being right in front of me the whole time—and Knox even foreshadows it as he remembers bits and pieces while playing the Bounty Wars video game—I still missed it. I'm delighted by that, however, because it means that the novel still managed to surprise me, which, let's face it, is one of the things that I hope for with a good murder mystery. The mystery itself, I will say, was slightly on the slow side as far as build up. Normally, I would find that annoying, and it would make it seem as if the rest of the book were moving at a slower pace. But, again, the cast of this story makes you forget all that. I was so enamored with almost all of the characters, that I had no problem following the progress at whatever momentum it decided to take. Not once did I find myself bored or wanting for things to just get to the point. One of Us is Next is a cozy and delightful book to curl up. It's a comfort read, and I'm almost sorry that I've finished it. I can say with all certainty that I cannot wait to pick up McManus' upcoming book.

When it comes to truth or dare, they say to always choose the dare... Since Simon is no longer around to dish out the juicy gossip, several copycat gossip apps have popped up in place of his. None of them provide the same quality gossip Simon could, until now. This isn't your typical gossip app, this is a game, truth or dare, and the whole school is involved. The rules of the game are simple: Once you've been chosen you have 24 hours to choose between truth or dare. Complete the dare and have proof. Otherwise, your truth will be shared with everyone and some things are better kept unsaid. How far will some people go to keep their truth from coming out? I was unsure of how I'd feel about this book following Maeve (Bronwyn's sister) and her friends, Knox and Phoebe, but I absolutely loved it! I loved how the Bayview four were still discussed and made appearances, but it was a whole new story follow new people. I couldn't wait to see who was going to be chosen for truth or dare next and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if they opted for the dare or waited for their truth to be revealed. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good YA thriller! Along with reading the book, I also listened to the audiobook. I enjoyed listening to the full cast of narrators, giving each main character their own narrator. It helps make it easier to follow along when you aren't reading along and makes it more fun! I've read a few books by Karen M. McManus and I have not been disappointed yet. I will be impatiently awaiting the next and final installment of this series, One of Us Is Back!

The suspense kept you going through the end. This series has been excellent so far. Looking forward to book 3!

Disclaimer: I bought this book! Support your authors! Book: One Of Us Is Next Author: Karen M. McManus Book Series: One Of Us Is Lying Book 2 Rating: 5/5 Diversity: Gay couples, different races featured prominently throughout the book Publication Date: January 7, 2020 Genre: YA Mystery Recommended Age: 16+ (some mature scenes, violence, slight gore, death) Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers Pages: 377 Amazon Link 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. Review: I love Karen McManus’ books. They’re full of mystery and they really keep you guessing from beginning to end. I thought the characters were developed well and the tension carried from the start to the finish. The book also isn’t reliant on your knowledge of the first book, so it can be read without reading the first one. Although, there are spoilers for the first book if you do that route. The mystery is also very intriguing and will keep readers from beginning to finish. The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like there wasn’t as many hints to the end mystery as there were in the other two books. A big part of a mystery is figuring out whodunit for yourself. Verdict: A well done mystery!

**𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑩𝑳𝑬 𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑺** I read "One Of Us Is Lying" and liked it well enough to purchase this book. Like the first one, the story moved at a quick pace and I finished it in a day. While I liked that someone was continuing Simon's legacy, I felt like the story didn't focus on the game as much as the book prior did. I also felt like Phoebe sleeping with Emma's ex-boyfriend was reminiscent of Addy sleeping with TJ after she slept with Jake. Maeve's secret wasn't earth shattering either. I think the fact that people figured the game out quick and realized they should take the dare was kind of lame. Jule's "dare" was finding someone to kiss which of course, she chose Nate and Brandon had to jump down that embankment at the construction site which, based on Knox's point of view, people did all the time. I also didn't really understand why the previous characters were in the second book and why there was a lot of focus on Bronwyn and Nate's relationship. I was also a bit confused as to why Emma didn't say something to Phoebe when she found out she slept with Derik. She instead reached out to some rando on Simon's old blog/website and conspired this game to try and hurt her? Then she discovers Brandon was the cause of her father's tragic accident and wants him "taken care of", but then she changes her mind because it wouldn't just be him being harmed? That's around the time she turned into a raging alcoholic after Brandon died and then she almost dies from alcohol poisoning and almost pulling a Jimmy Hendrix. And let's talk about the guy who she was talking to about doing this game for the sole purpose of her getting revenge on Brandon and him getting revenge on Eli just because his brother got put in jail. So what does he do? Makes a device to explode during the rehearsal dinner which would not only take out Eli, but everyone who's there. Of course, Knox and Maeve were trailing the guy and found the device and saved the day which is how everything that Emma did came out, though the police thought it was Phoebe because Emma used her name. What a peach of a sister! And the ending was just... meh. I truly don't understand why Owen would have then pretended to be Phoebe after Emma told the guy she didn't want to play the game any more because Brandon was going to die. What was his end game? And then the way the book ended? It was just that: it ended in a way where it felt like the author didn't know ℎ𝑜𝑤 to end it. Overall, I did enjoy the book and found it entertaining. I have bought the third one.

I really enjoyed Karen McManus’ first novel, One of Us is Lying, so when I realised there was a sequel, I knew I had to buy it. It gripped me from the get-go and was an extremely easy read. The characters are all well-built, and the fact it only switches between four voices helps keep the consistency and flow of the story. The author does a fine job of building suspense, and includes some sub-plots to keep you invested in each character. I figured out the twist very early on, but it was such a readable book that it didn’t matter. I smugly read right to the end when the author socked me in the jaw with a second twist. I did NOT see that one coming. A sequel would be equal parts wonderful and worrisome - can this good thing be overdone? Certainly. Do I also want to know What Happened Next? You bet. A great novel - one I may revisit. Rare, these days!!

I was locking the whole time! A great mystery that fully flows with the first one! Loved it! She is becoming one of my favorite authors for this unique writing style.

Mi é piaciuto molto il primo libro, questo era un pó meno accattivante ma mi sono affezzionata ai personaggi e ci sono molti plot-twist e colpi di scena che non mi aspettavo.

I liked it so far

Good price

I enjoyed this sequel, although with all the different characters it was sometimes a bit hard go remember who is who (also because it's been a while since I read the first book) Nice plot, nice twists.

Enjoyed book one and equally enjoyed this one! Love a story where the mystery is possible to solve yourself!