One of Us is Lying VS. One of Us is Next: Which One is Better?

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Today, I will be briefly analyzing both One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus. Which one is a better book? I love both of them, and I love McManus's novels, so this ought to be difficult.

I thought to myself: How can I go about doing this? Should I ask other people? Should I scour the Internet? That's when it hit me. I should do what I do best! Use my harsh opinions to rate the books based on my criteria.

1. Setting

2. Plot

3. Writing Style

4. Character

Here are the "statistics."

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Description Credit: https://ppld.org/book-reviews/one-us-lying-1

One of Us is Lying follows the gripping story of Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper as suspects in the murder of Simon Kelleher. Each of the high school students have secrets that they would do anything to protect, so how far would they go to make sure they’re kept out of the spotlight?

Rating: TBD

ARP Points: 14

One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

Description Credit: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-m-mcmanus/one-of-us-is-next/

A dangerous texting game comes to Bayview High in this sequel to One of Us Is Lying (2017). Last year in a San Diego suburb, a gossip app led to a death and inspired weak copycats. Now an anonymous person is sending Truth or Dare messages to the students of Bayview High, and this time no one is safe. If you choose truth (or don’t respond), one of your secrets is revealed. Complete a dare and you’ve passed.

Rating: TBD

ARP Points: 14

Before I dive in, here is an image of the box set that I own! If you want to read them, feel free to borrow.

Image Credit: https://www.bestbookstore.ca/products/karen-m-mcmanus-2-book-box-set-one-of-us-is-lying-and-one-of-us-is-next-hardcover-by-karen-m-mcmanus

1. Setting

One of Us is Lying: 5/10

One of Us is Next: 6/10

I can't really judge either differently because they are in the same universe, so I am simply going to combine them.

Both books are set in the town of Bayview, which is a stereotypical town; not too big but not too small. There are local Bayview spots, including Cafe Contigo, where Knox, Maeve, and Phoebe (Characters from One of Us is Next) spend most of their time. As well, the mall shortcut in the second book makes the setting more intriguing than in the first book.

However, there is nothing special about this setting compared to others. Present day, average town; that's pretty much it.

2. Plot

One of Us is Lying: 7/10

This first novel has a great plot, however; it is predictable. But, although readers may know the gist of the ending, they will not know what truly lies in store until they finish reading.

One of Us is Next: 9.5/10

I believe that the plot of One of Us is Next is significantly better and more intricate than that of its predecessor. The details wrap up better in comparison to the first. You won't know the whole mystery until the VERY last chapter.

3. Writing Style

One of Us is Lying: 8.5/10

One of Us is Next: 8/10

Since the novels literally have the same author, there is not much difference. However, I have to give One of Us is Lying half a point extra because McManus is writing from 4 different perspectives, not just 3. Overall, Karen M. McManus's writing is engaging, easy to follow, and wildly entertaining.

4. Character

One of Us is Lying: 8/10

These characters are the perfect embodiments of high school stereotypes. Addy is the Beauty. Bronwyn is the Brain. Nate is the Criminal. Cooper is the Athlete. But when you read this, you discover that they are so much more than their one word roles. They all have in-depth personalities and hidden secrets that make them relatable and real. Everyone has secrets, right?

One of Us is Next: 5/10

To be honest, these characters did not resonate with me as much as the first book's did. I don't particularly like Knox or Phoebe, only Maeve. Alas, I cannot connect with even Maeve, who is a cancer survivor and computer genius, which is far from my experience.

Drumroll, please!

The winner is.....

WAIT!

It's a tie. Both books received exactly 28.5/40! I swear I didn't plan this. (In truth, I personally prefer the sequel.) Neither novel is perfect, but both are amazing. However, I hope this post still helped you see the pros and cons of One of Us is Lying AND One of Us is Next.

Thank you so much for reading this post of IRAB. It means a lot to me. As always, feel free to contact me on Instagram @lara_murakami, in the comments section below, or in any other way!

Love, Lara