Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

182 reviews

ashley_sapp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t like the ending. It felt rushed or something was missing (if that makes sense). I really like Bronwyn’s and Nate’s character development l-especially at the end. It fit the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting

s3ag0at's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.25

I will start this off by saying I am not the target audience for this book and that is a big reason for my rating. Even though I personally didn't like it, I do see the appeal, especially for younger people. I know this book often gets read in school classes and I understand why.

Now for my personal opinion:
I thought the book was fine, but I was bored for big parts of it. I don't even have really strong opinions about it either way. The characters were interesting but I didn't feel connected to any of them. The story wasn't very captivating, even though it's about secrets being revealed and a murder being solved.

I didn't like that it turned out to not have been a murder at all (even though it was the only thing that makes sense). That Jake was involved too was fine..? I really disliked him from the start and I kind of thought his character felt very exaggerated towards the end. Bronwyn and Nate were cute and it's a trope I will always fall for but like everything else it didn't really capture me.

I love multiple POVs in books but I think for this one it was its downfall. Because off all the different stories and perspectives I was just overwhelmed with all of it and that kept me from caring much either way.

So my final opinion is that the book was fine but not great. I don't think I will read the next books in the series because the story felt finished enough for me and I don't need more.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Outing, Alcohol, and Classism

angelo_vossen's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

Karen M. McManus’ „One of Us Is Lying“ is a mix of mystery and young adult drama, offering a modern take on the classic “whodunit” style. The story revolves around five high school students—Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper, and Simon—who all end up in detention together. However, things take a dark turn when Simon, the creator of a notorious gossip app, suddenly dies during their detention, leaving the remaining four students as prime suspects. Each character has a secret they desperately want to keep hidden, and Simon was about to expose them all.

The novel is told through multiple points of view, which gives readers insight into each character’s mindset and backstory, allowing for an engaging, character-driven plot. McManus does an excellent job of weaving together these different perspectives while maintaining suspense. Each student is a well-rounded character with their own motivations and flaws, which makes it harder to pinpoint who could be responsible for Simon’s death.

At its core, „One of Us Is Lying“ explores themes like high school cliques, social pressures, identity, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their reputations. The writing is accessible and keeps you hooked with its fast pace and twists, although seasoned readers of the genre might find some of the plot points predictable. Nonetheless, the novel keeps its energy high and delivers some genuine surprises along the way.

While the central mystery is the book’s driving force, the character development is what gives it staying power. Each of the suspects undergoes significant growth, and the ending is both satisfying and thought-provoking, offering a commentary on the impact of gossip, rumors, and hidden lives in the digital age.

Overall, „One of Us Is Lying“ is a fun, engaging read for fans of young adult fiction and mystery. It combines the tension of a murder mystery with relatable teen struggles, making it a solid choice for anyone looking for a suspenseful and entertaining story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Outing

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

mikmik2's review against another edition

3.0

that was a nice read! though it was predictable and very ya, I knew what I was in for.

ngl, I assumed the big plot twist was what happened as the story kicked off, so it wasn't really a plot twist anymore. I kinda discarded it in my brain bc it felt too obvious or like low hanging fruit.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Self harm and Suicide attempt

doodleoodz's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed the book as a whole, I'd probably read it again at some point. The only thing is, I guessed a few chapters in that none of the protagonists had killed Simon. That Simon might've pulled some kind of stunt, or what have you. I think the story would have been more interesting to me if one of the points of view were the actual killer's. (I just find different author's different takes on more negative aspects of a person or their actions.)

Still, good light read and will consider resding the other two. My favorite main characters were Cooper & Addy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Homophobia

Minor: Homophobia, Self harm, and Gaslighting

faerynthecat's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

I bought this on a whim to make up the total in an online order so I qualified for a discount, but of all the books I bought it was the one I read first in the end because the premise sounded fun! Breakfast Club murder mystery, what's not to love.

I liked all the characters way more than I expected to, especially Bronwyn, and even though I had an inkling of the ending before it happened I wasn't disappointed that I'd guessed correctly because it was so much fun to read! 

I look forward to reading all the other books in the series! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicide and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ajg022's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

An enjoyable page-turner, with enough variance of character perspectives to keep me hooked. The plot itself is a little predictable, but isn't necessarily the focus of the story as much as the characters and their relations to others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Outing, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Car accident

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Gaslighting

pam_simpson06's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, and Classism

Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

oceanbluetay's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Grief, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail