Thursday, April 30, 2020

One of Us is Next (One of Us is Lying #2) by Karen M. McManus-- The Game Lives On...

One of Us is Next

Simon's legacy lives on....

Everyone at Bayview thought they could move on from the terrible events of last year... but somebody wants to keep the game going.  A new copy-cat app has popped up, and this one includes a game of Truth or Dare to go along with the gossip & secrets.

If you pick Truth-- one of your biggest secrets gets revealed to the whole school.  If you choose Dare, you get to do a fun prank. It seems like a no-brainer, until someone gets killed.

Everyone thought it was funny... until it wasn't anymore.










I liked this book better than the first one, which is rare for me.  First books in a series almost always leave a bigger and better impression on me, but this series is the total opposite.

First, the characters.  They were so much better developed.  I cared so much more about Maeve, Phoebe, Knox, and Emma than I ever did about Bronwyn, Cooper, Nate, and Addison.  The reason is that they were so much better developed in my opinion.  I had FEELINGS about them instead of just wondering if one of them was lying to me about being the bad guy.

I liked that there were cross-over characters and references, but if you didn't read book 1 or didn't remember much, it wouldn't have mattered really.  This is a fully separate book.  I also really enjoyed the pacing-- it was easy to get through this quickly because it never felt slow or boring.

I really can't say too much about the plot except that there is a Truth or Dare game and of course, there is the terrible gossip and deep-dark secret revealing that the first book brought.

One thing there isn't: no creepy twist!!  I mean, there was a reveal (which I knew who it was because it was kinda obvious), but it didn't make me feel icky the way the first book's revelation did.  The only think I didn't like is that the big reveal happens and the book goes on for like 4 chapters afterwards.  The final pay-off in the last pages was not worth 4 chapters of wrap-up.  It needed to end quicker.

OVERALL: I liked this better than the first.  I think the characters were more real and better developed and the reveal less controversial.  I don't even think you need to read the first book to enjoy this, which is a definite plus.  Definitely recommend!!

Date Published: 1/7/2020
How I got this book: Library
Publisher: Delacorte Press/PRH

Add it to your To-Read List!!

My Rating: 4.5/5











Character: Phoebe
Book: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

  • Phoebe reminds me a lot of Mercedes.  I think they both thought they were more in control of their sex lives than they actually were.  I also think they both use sex as a way to escape.








6 comments:

  1. I didn't like this one more, but I liked it a lot. I actually gave it the same rating as you. I did like the way she used some of the original Bayview Four. I especially like Nate in this book. I may have teared up because of him.

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    1. You tear up at everything!! I really liked Nate in this book too. And Knox!! He was adorable.

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  2. Oooh I am glad to hear this! While I did like the first one, I wasn't in a huge hurry to get to this one- I think because like you said, I didn't really care too much about the characters. I definitely am moving this up on my list though, because I think I will like it more too! Great review!

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  3. Dude this book is the bomb! I love everythnig she's writing. And I agree- the way she weaved the Bayview Four in but they didn't take the story over. Was well done.

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  4. I feel like I should re-read the first book before starting the second! I'm happy to see you enjoyed it despite the lengthy ending and obvious twist. :)

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?😷 💬

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