“One of Us is Lying” Review : Why I Disliked It

Hi everyone!

Today I’m sharing with you my first negative review about a book, that also corresponds to a very unpopular opinion (please don’t kill me).

This book was recommended to me by a few friends of mine, so my expectation were undoubtedly high. Also, I’ve seen it all over bookstagram, which made me think I’d love this book.

However, the opposite happened, and I kinda hated it.

Without further due, let me give you my reasons!

TW/CW: Death, suicide, topic of school shootings, public outing of a characters sexuality, homophobia, cheating, self harm, depression/ harmful depiction of mental illness, topic of drug addiction, abusive relationship, assisted suicide, slut shaming

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The Basics

The Short

The Long

“Things’ll get worse before they get better.” 

Before starting, I’d like to say that everyone is allowed to have their own opinion, even if it’s not a popular one, which is the case. I know lots of people love this book, I just didn’t.

I saw this book all over bookstagram, so I was really curious about it. A few friends of mine also recommended it to me, so naturally my expectations were really high.

Its premise was gripping: On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. The catch is, one never makes it out of that classroom.

Seemed like I was about to read an amazing thriller.

Even though it was insanely hard for me to finish this book, not everything was terrible, so let’s start with some of its positive aspects 🙂

THE GOOD

“I know what it’s like to tell yourself a lie so often that it becomes the truth.”

• The Romantic Plot

The romance between Bronwyn and Nate was, honestly, the only thing that kept me throughout the whole book. I was rooting for them to be together and I really enjoyed their dynamic, even though it was a little bit cliché (bad boy meets nerdy girl). Their interactions were quite enjoyable and I found myself focusing on their story way more than on the main plot.

• Nate

Nate was by far my favorite character. Perhaps, the only character I really connected to. His personality and life story were interesting enough to make me want to know more.

• The Action is Fast-Paced

One thing that I also enjoyed was the fast paced action, which really helped me to get through this book. So I kind of understand how so many people felt like they were hooked to the story.

THE BAD

“Unless one of us is lying. Which is always a possibility.”

Now, let’s get into the problematic aspects of the book, which are, unfortunately, a lot.

• The Characters

Before I say something about this, let me introduce you to the most cliché characters possible:

A. The Nerd, Bronwyn 

B. The Popular Girl, Addy

C. The Athlete, Cooper

D. The Bad Boy, Nate.

Apart from Nate, all of them were really boring, uninteresting and stereotypical, which made me feel like they didn’t offer nothing new to the narrative. It’s really difficult to enjoy a book, if you kinda hate all the characters :/

• The Double Standards

One thing that really got on my nerves, were the obvious double standards perpetuated in this narrative. Without giving any spoilers, there’s this girl who cheats on her boyfriend once, while drunk, which results in an intense slut shaming. The same thing occurs with a male character, who cheats on his girlfriend several times. No one seems to be bothered with the second situation.

Even though this shows the reality, that doesn’t mean it should be normalized, and I’m afraid that’s exactly what the author did.

• Bad Representation of Mental Illness

Simon, the boy who died in the detention room, has depression. This is seen as an excuse for him to be a mean person, who would mock others for his own satisfaction. It is not. In a young adult book, I would expect that themes like this would be covered in a more educated way.

• The Mystery Resolution Was So Predictable

One of the things that most disappointed me was how predictable the mystery is. At the middle of the book, I already knew who killed Simon, which made the story way less interesting.

And…That’s It!!

Have you read this book yet? What did you think of it?

Let me know in the comment section down below 🙂

Stay safe,