One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus Book Review

Gossip and lies can damage a person’s reputation within a fraction of time. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus follows the engrossing story of Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, and Nate, four students who are suspects in the murder of a fellow student, Simon Kelleher. Simon runs a popular gossip blog referred to as “About This”. Each suspect holds their own secrets, which turn into gossip and lies during the investigation. McManus critiques gossip as it can erode trust and proves that truth and transparency are much stronger.

Simon created the app knowing that because of the social complex of the school, students will always lie to position themselves in higher regard. Simon mentions, “If people didn’t lie and cheat, I’d be out of business” (McManus 1). He creates a toxic environment where people attach themselves to gossip but do not want to be the topic of discussion. Simon, through his rumors, can damage relationships and altogether change the social atmosphere of the school. Similarly, in the real world, gossip spreads like a wildfire from one person to another, spewed with lies and misinformation.

All four protagonists fall under Simon’s plan and have their secrets leaked. Simon reveals Bronwyn’s secret of cheating in chemistry class. Nonetheless, Bronwyn admits to her wrongdoing and because of her honesty, she receives a Twitter message from Yale who expresses their excitement for her application. Cooper’s secret of being gay gets publicized, which leads his father to be disappointed. Despite that, he receives more offers from top baseball schools and also gets to date Kris. Addy reveals that she cheated on her boyfriend, Jake. However, after their breakup, she realizes he was exceedingly controlling. Nate, who was on probation for selling marijuana but continued to sell anyway, seeks the motivation to stop as he wants to improve his morals to impress Bronwyn. The importance of the truth compared to a lie is significant for individuals and society. For individuals, the truth helps a person grow and mature from their mistakes. As a society, it helps create bonds while lying caused by gossip ultimately breaks bonds.

At the end of the novel, the exposition of their secrets hastily becomes an agonizing ordeal for the protagonists. However, accepting the truth makes each individual stronger and portrays firsthand to the school the harmful effects of gossip. McManus illustrates the bigger picture of how powerful truths are compared to lies.