City News

One of Us is Next, by Karen M. McManus, is the second book of a trilogy, following One of Us is Lying and preceding Two Can Keep a Secret. One of Us is Next is a fictional teen mystery that takes place in a Californian city called Bayview in present times. The novel revolves around three main characters: Maeve Rojas, Knox Myers, and Phoebe Lawton.

In One of Us is Lying, the first book of the trilogy, readers are introduced to the Bayview Four: Bronwyn Rojas (Maeve’s sister), Nate Macauley, Cooper Clay, and Addy Prentiss. The four are accused of murdering Simon Kelleher, their classmate and the founder of “About That”, a gossip website that is known throughout Bayview High School to reveal the students’ deepest, darkest secrets. When the mystery of Simon’s death is revealed, all seems to be well in Bayview, until the next year.

In One of Us is Next, Bayview High has become infested with Simon Kelleher copycats, all trying to achieve the notoriety that “About That” gave Simon. However, none of these websites tend to last more than a few weeks. That is, until a website called “Truth or Dare” pops up. When the owner of the game asks you the simple “truth or dare” question, you have twenty-four hours to choose your pick and follow through, or else one of your deepest, darkest secrets will be revealed to the entire school. The game soon turns lethal when a student at Bayview High falls to his death at a construction site that the high schoolers usually find themselves trespassing. The three victims of the game (Maeve, Knox, and Phoebe) must take it into their own hands to find the person running the game and save any more lives that could be harmed in the meantime.

“Holding on to resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

The story of One of Us is Next portrays the importance of forgiving others even if they have wronged you. Even though the main characters of the story, Maeve, Knox, and Phoebe  were wronged, they learned how to forgive. In the end, forgiveness allowed the bunch to move on and enjoy their lives.

One of Us is Next is definitely recommended for those who have read the first book of the series. The answer to the mystery was shocking, as it was much more concealed throughout the story and there were hardly any foreshadowing clues to hint who the culprit was. This is great because it allows readers to piece together the given clues for themselves and ultimately find out the answer at the same time as the other characters. The book was also great because the runner of “Truth or Dare” wasn’t obvious, but it also wasn’t someone random who no one could expect. In addition, the presence of gossip and high school-level maturity allows some lightheartedness and less dramatic conflict to make way into the plot. Overall, this book was an exciting page turner that checked nearly all of the marks of a great mystery and teen drama. If you enjoy cracking the code or witnessing the teenage life unfold, this book is perfect for you.

Check out One of Us is Next from the Newport Beach Public Library!