One of Us is Next

As this is the sequel to One of Us is Lying, the synopsis and review do contain spoilers for that book.

When I heard that McManus was writing a sequel to One of Us is Lying, I knew I had to have the follow-up to an excellent, refreshing YA murder mystery with hints of The Breakfast Club. Luckily, the lovely Simon Armstrong and Penguin Books sent me the ARC of One of Us is Next and I greedily devoured it in one day. Obviously, there will be no spoilers here, but it does mean that my review will be limited.

Synopsis:

It is a year after the action of One of Us Is Lying, and someone has started playing a game of Truth or Dare.

But this is no ordinary Truth or Dare. This game is lethal. Choosing the truth may reveal your darkest secrets, accepting the dare could be dangerous, even deadly.

The teenagers of Bayview must work together once again to find the culprit, before it’s too late . . .

My Thoughts:

Yet again, McManus has created a brilliantly twisty mystery that left me scrambling for clues and examining every last detail. I’d got a bit of it solved, including that fiendish final twist in the last few pages, but it was such an enjoyable journey that I didn’t mind. That being said, there was one moment that genuinely shocked me and threw my entire experience of the book into a spin. I really like how the plot twists always seem believable, they never require too much stretching of the narrative to fit in. They simply force you to change your perspective on things, as good twists should.

The central four of this book felt so authentic, with their own messy lives and relationships. McManus explores family dynamics so well in this book, particularly sibling relationships. Maeve was my favourite though, with her storyline really hitting home. But don’t fear, the Bayview Four do appear again here. In particular, Cooper’s relationship was so adorable and normalised, which was great to see after the somewhat messy use of his sexuality as a ‘big reveal’ in the previous book.

I really liked how the narrative wove in the Reddit posts in the revenge forum and the future news coverage, effectively weaving together different plot strands and even more. This helped with the pacing, which was a slower build-up of tension and impending doom as the game grows to a exciting mid-point. From that point onwards, the plot moves at a rapid pace, but still allows room for the characters and plot to breathe slightly. McManus includes tiny details and moments without really comprising the speed of the whirlwind that ensues. You can really see how McManus’ craft has grown since writing One of Us is Lying, particularly after the phenomenal Two Can Keep A Secret.

Thank you again to the amazing Simon Armstrong and Penguin Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.