“I guess we’re almost friends now, or as friendly as you can get when you’re not one hundred percent sure the other person isn’t framing you for murder.”

My sister and I tend to Snapchat pictures of books we’re reading with “I’m bringing this for you to read next time I see you” to one another which has gotten me in the habit of reading books I don’t know the synopsis of going in. One of Us is Lying is one of those books. I worried at first that this was going to be a blatant rip off of The Breakfast Club 

“She’s a princess and you’re a jock,” he says. He thrusts his chin toward Bronwyn, then at Nate. “And you’re a brain. And you’re a criminal. You’re all walking teen-movie stereotypes.”

but then someone was murdered.

Simon, a high school student who ran a gossip site that no one wanted to appear on, dies of anaphylactic shock during detention. His well known peanut allergy and the unpublished dirt he had on the other students in detention that day instantly makes the investigation a public spectacle- especially when the killer begins writing a blog that contains information only someone inside detention should know.

The narrative shifts between Bronwyn, a Yale bound overachiever; Nate, a drug dealer on probation; Addy, former beauty pageant contestant with a controlling boyfriend; and Cooper, a closeted baseball player. The Bayview Four, as they are dubbed, become something akin to friends, despite barely speaking before Simon’s death, as they try to navigate the murder investigation without knowing if they can trust each other.

I don’t want to spoil too much but this is a well done YA whodunit that I couldn’t put down. My only big critique would be the over reliance McManus placed on having idiot police officers who ignore certain red flags so the central four can be the crime solvers. I will say I only saw the twist a few pages before it was fully revealed but I’m not a detective.

I could see this easily translating to the big screen as well. Or a Netflix mini series.