One of Us is Next
Karen M McManus
2020
pp. 375
Penguin
In the sequel to One of us is lying, McManus weaves a tale of a set of high school students attempting to carry forward the practice set in place by Simon in the previous book. The game of revealing students’ secrets takes an ugly turn as another student of the school dies in this book. Uncovering crime, discovering secrets, judging each other and finding love and friendship while trying to make sense of family and self is covered through the story. In simple words, it’s adolescents’ take on the world and while it is a bit over the top at times, you do find broken families and difficult circumstances in lives of young people. Many of the characters remind you of what adolescents’ every day struggles, issues and challenges are and how pressured they feel.
The mystery is gripping, evenly paced and will keep you engaged till the end. Enjoy.