Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - One of Us Is Back

Kept me guessing all the way through - I was so sure I had figured something major out, almost to the point of giving up on the book, yet I was completely wrong! I still think that some of McManus's stand-alone books are better, but I did enjoy my return to Bayview.

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mmalone's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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bekah1210's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It’s been two years since the original Bayview Four had to prove they were innocent in Simon’s death. Then the next generation had to play their way through a deadly game of truth or dare. Now, everyone is home for the summer and ready to move on with their lives.

But someone else has different ideas. When a strange message shows up on a billboard in Bayview, at first no one thinks anything of it. However, when a member of the Bayview Crew disappears, they realize this is serious. A new game has surfaced. And everyone is a target.

Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advanced copy of One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus to review! I had to round out the trilogy, just to see how McManus ends it. Fans of the first two books will be pleased with this ending, giving everyone a send off in the most Bayview way possible.

You’ll find a lot of the classic Karen McManus elements in this book, with hidden family secrets, a few twists and turns, and of course, high stakes. I did like that as narrators, we got a mix of the original four and some of the characters in the second book. It added a nice variety, and help with the overall mystery of the story.

We also get some flashbacks in this one, which don’t make sense until the end of the book. I don’t think McManus will be returning to this set of characters, but I guess you never know! It did feel more final than the other two stories, though. Plus, McManus built on the character development from the previous two books, and I think that works to her advantage.

Do I think the story in this one was maybe a little far fetched? Perhaps, but I think that’s because this didn’t necessarily need to be a trilogy (but I get why it was). All in all, fans of McManus’s other books will still devour this story, and it acts as a good send off for these characters.

Content Warnings

cover2covertx's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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