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Introduction:
One of Us is Lying is a mystery and young adult novel by Karen M. McManus. It was published in 2017. This novel is set in Bayview High School. The five students get in the classroom for detention but only four students come out safely. The novel was also made into a TV Series in 2021. It is one of the bestsellers.

Plot:
Bronwyn, the smart Yale-bound girl, Addy, the perfect beauty, Cooper, the all-star athlete, Nate, the criminal for drugs, and Simon, the creator of About That, Bayview’s gossip app went to the detention room. During detention, they find Simon dead after the teacher leaves. The police think one of them killed him to stop him from exposing their secrets on his gossip app. Addy had cheated on her boyfriend Jake. Bronwyn had stolen a chemistry exam. Cooper was secretly gay. And Nate had been selling drugs, which Simon was going to reveal. As the investigation continues, the students work together, with help from Bronwyn’s sister Maeve, to dig into Simon’s past and uncover the truth about his death. They realize Simon wasn’t as innocent as he seemed, and that any of them could have been driven to kill him to protect their secrets. The Bayview Four work together to investigate Simon’s past and figure out what happened. They have to decide whether to keep their secrets hidden or come clean. Even after Simon died, About That had been posting updates of gossip, especially about the Bayview Four, Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, and Nate. Nate and Bronwyn bond together through solving this case which makes them develop feelings for each other. Addy tells her ex, Jake, that she cheated, bullied, and ended their long relationship. Cooper tells his parents he’s gay, and Nate defends Cooper when the school finds out. Now everyone’s secrets are out, and they all want to find Simon’s real killer so they can move on. They try to find Simon’s real killer so they can move on. The police arrest Nate, but Bronwyn gets a lawyer to clear him. The group thinks Jake is Simon’s accomplice. Janae admits she framed Nate to protect Addy and that she had been working with Jake. She also admits that Simon suicided to get attention. When Addy records Jake and Janae talking, he attacks her, but Cooper saves her. Jake gets arrested by the police. In the end, Nate is released, the group is cleared, and Nate and Bronwyn restart their relationship.

Analysis:
The novel goes over the theme of being a teenager. Simon is a good example of a teenager as they all want attention and love from their peers. It’s to the fact that Simon would suicide himself to get what he always wanted. The author also put aspects of hardship living as a teenager and a high schooler because they have so much to put their focus on. The novel also shows the lesson of the world being unfair and unjust. Through the mystery of Simon’s death, the Bayview Four all had a reason to hate Simon and be accused of it even when they didn’t cause any trouble. Rumors and gossip have shown that human relationships are dangerous and feeble when it comes to secrets. The whole book relies on the theme and the strength of secrets. Every human being has at least one secret they want to keep hidden from the rest of the world. However, the book shows Simon as kind of a villain but a protagonist as he had invaded others’ privacy but had just wanted attention. When Simon created his plan to “get attention”, he made it so that the four students would get accused of it. It may be out of stupidity, but why not make it one or two students? So, then the police could be sure who did it. It is also out of stupidity as Simon and Jake put their personal feelings and matters to the plan; to punish those who did wrong to them.

Conclusion:
The novel is a young adult and mystery novel by Karen M. McManus, published in 2017. The novel was also made into a TV Series in 2021. The novel tells the story of the mystery of Simon’s death in detention. The four students who were with him were accused of murdering Simon. They go through numerous events of rumors and gossip to find what was behind all this chaos. The book shows the themes of teenagers, secrets, and relationships. Each character goes through hardships and the Bayview Four come together to find the truth.