One of Us Is Lying
One of Us Is Lying is a young adult mystery/thriller novel by Karen M. McManus, published in 2017. The story centers on five high school students who enter detention, but only four make it out alive after one dies under suspicious circumstances. The four survivors—Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper—each become suspects as it's revealed the deceased student, Simon, planned to expose their deepest secrets on his infamous gossip app. The narrative unfolds from multiple perspectives as the students navigate the murder investigation, burgeoning relationships, and their individual hidden truths, all while trying to uncover the real killer. Aimed at a teen audience, the book explores themes of secrets, lies, social pressures, and self-discovery. The content includes mature themes such as violence, drug use, sexual content, and profanity, making it generally appropriate for readers aged 14 and up.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
HighThe book features a significant LGBTQ storyline involving a main character. Cooper Clay, a prominent athlete, is revealed to be gay midway through the story. His sexual orientation is used as a plot point, and his outing causes familial conflict, although ultimately leading to self-acceptance. The TV series adaptation also introduces a non-binary lesbian character, Janae Matthews.
Cooper Clay's secret, that he is gay and in a relationship with a college-aged boy named Kris, is revealed publicly against his will by the police, leading to a rift with his homophobic father. Cooper and Kris are depicted kissing passionately and later holding hands openly after Cooper's relationship becomes public. The book is noted to include 'Homomisia & homomisia slurs' as a trigger warning.
Violence
HighThe narrative is centered around the death of a student, Simon Kelleher, due to an allergic reaction that is later revealed to be a planned suicide. Additionally, the book contains instances of physical violence, including an attempted murder and depicted injuries.
Simon Kelleher dies from anaphylactic shock during detention, a central event that drives the plot. It is later revealed he planned his own suicide. Jake, a character, violently attacks Addy in the woods, tripping her, beating her, and attempting to strangle her, before being stopped by Cooper. Jake also punches holes in a wall, depicting his blood, and another character, TJ, sports a black eye and swollen nose after a confrontation with Jake.
Romance and Sexual Content
HighThe book includes multiple instances of romantic and sexual content, ranging from implied sexual activity and discussions about sex to infidelity and casual sexual encounters. There are also mentions of dubious consent and nonconsensual voyeurism.
Addy's mother advises her to keep a man 'sexually satisfied.' Addy and her boyfriend Jake make out, with an implication of intent for sexual activity, and Addy later gets drunk and has sex with another boy, having lost her virginity to Jake at 14. Nate engages in 'casual sexual encounters with girls whom he meets at parties.' Simon's gossip app, 'About That,' reports on 'sex tapes, pregnancy scares and cheating scandals.' Trigger warnings explicitly include 'Dubious consent scenario*' where 'Characters under the influence of alcohol recount having sex, and a protagonist recounts coerced 'consent' to sex with her boyfriend,' and 'Nonconsensual voyeurism mentioned.'
Profanity
HighThe book features frequent use of strong language and curse words, with sources indicating 'extreme profanity' used moderately often. This includes explicit expletives and derogatory terms, as well as the casual use of divine names.
Profanity in the book includes the 'f-word, s—, a–, b–ch, whore, slut, fag and douchbag.' The names of Jesus and God are used in exclamations, such as 'Jesus' alone, 'Jesus Christ,' 'd—n,' 'oh God,' 'thank God,' and 'my God.'
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe content involves a murder mystery, suicide, and instances of intense physical violence, including an attempted strangulation. The psychological suspense and the life-threatening situations faced by the characters contribute to a high level of intensity throughout the narrative.
The central plot begins with the sudden, suspicious death of Simon Kelleher during detention. It is later revealed that Simon planned his own suicide, a dark and intense theme. A particularly intense scene involves Jake pursuing Addy, beating her, and attempting to strangle her in the woods. Trigger warnings include 'Death from anaphylaxis,' 'Death of a classmate, on-page,' 'Murder & attempted murder,' 'Strangulation,' 'Suicide & attempted suicide,' and 'Self harm.'
Substance Use
MediumThe book prominently features drug dealing and alcohol consumption, with characters engaging in both. Nate sells drugs and his father is an alcoholic. Alcohol use is also linked to a sexual encounter.
Nate Macauley is a drug dealer who sells drugs to help his family with bills. He stops after Simon's death but was known to have used and sold drugs. Nate's father is described as an 'alcoholic.' Addy 'got drunk' prior to having sex with another boy. Trigger warnings for 'Alcoholism mentioned,' 'Alcohol consumption & abuse,' 'Recreational drug use,' and 'Drug dealing' are also noted.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe book features significant themes of disrespect and rebellion among its teenage characters. This is evident in their defiance of school rules, engagement in illegal activities like drug dealing, and instances of backtalk or challenging parental authority. Profane language also contributes to a disrespectful tone.
Nate Macauley is a known drug dealer and is on probation, demonstrating a rebellious disregard for laws and authority. Addy initially conforms to her mother's questionable advice about relationships but later begins to question and ultimately defy it. The frequent use of 'extreme profanity' and derogatory terms like 'bitch' or 'douchbag' in dialogue contributes to a tone of disrespect. Parental neglect/abandonment is also listed as a trigger.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowNo instances of witchcraft, sorcery, occult practices, magic rituals, demons, spells, or explicit supernatural themes were found in the content analysis for "One of Us Is Lying." The book is categorized as a mystery/thriller without spiritual or occult elements.
The book is noted as having 'No Spiritual Content.'
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThere are no explicit anti-Christian themes found within "One of Us Is Lying." The book primarily focuses on secular high school drama and mystery. While some characters mention attending Catholic school or use divine names as exclamations, this is not presented as an attack on Christian faith.
The book states 'No Spiritual Content.' Bronwyn and Nate are mentioned to have attended Catholic school as children, indicating a background reference rather than active religious content. Instances of using God's name as an exclamation, such as 'God d—n,' 'oh God,' 'thank God,' and 'my God,' are present.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
14 and up. The reading level and thematic maturity, including a murder mystery, drug use, sexual content, and profanity, align with high school-aged readers (grades 9-12). While some younger readers may comprehend the text, the intense subject matter may be unsuitable.
Additional Notes
The book is part of a series, with sequels 'One of Us Is Next' (2020) and 'One of Us Is Back' (2023). Later installments continue the mystery and raise the stakes, bringing back characters from previous books and introducing new dangers, including an escaped character from prison. The TV series adaptation includes additional LGBTQ representation, such as a non-binary lesbian character (Janae Matthews) not explicitly detailed in the first book.
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