Review | One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

A year after the death of Simon Kelleher and the scandal of Bayview Four, the students are trying to move on with their lives. But it’s difficult when there are copycat gossip apps popping up and pulling their attention. When a new app emerges though, the situation changes. Instead of a gossip forum, the creator is playing a Truth or Dare game. And everyone must play, whether they want to or not. Or the consequences will be disastrous – even fatal.

I don’t understand why the world insists on stuffing kids into boxes we never asked for, and then gets mad when we won’t stay there.

I find it a little hard to rate this! Like the first book One of Us Is Lying, I enjoyed the writing and the teenage drama is delicious. I thought the book gets teenage relationships spot on. It focuses on the weight of peer pressure and loss of social status can feel like the end of the world.

But while the first book has a tight main cast of the Bayview Four, this has a large cast of characters. While the main characters are Phoebe, Maeve, and Knox, there are mentions of the original characters and new supporting characters. It‘s hard to keep track and sadly I just didn’t feel connected to them. I was more invested in Nate and Bronwyn’s love story from the first book as it continues here. While there is a character death, we never got to know the person so I didn’t feel as affected as I should.

I found the main mystery unfocused and farfetched as it ultimately involves plots outside of the school. The truth-or-dare game is only part of the entire mystery, and there are many external factors leading to an outlandish climax. I wish the story is contained between the students inside the school as I think it would have been entertaining enough. I did like the twist at the end though, it bumps up the rating for me.

Overall, it’s still a fun read and I would recommend this if you’re looking for a suspenseful YA mystery.

About the author: Karen M. McManus

Photo by Christian Wiediger