One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus

Summary: Maeve has been dealing with her new life with her big sister, Bronwyn, away at college. Life at Bayview High has been normal since the media circus surrounding Simon’s death the year before. However, a new dangerous mobile game of Truth or Dare has popped up, and it’s terrorizing the students of Bayview. 

Review: This sequel was SO much better than the first book. I know I’m in the minority about One of Us is Lying, but I just didn’t care for it. Because of that, I was skeptical about this book. I really didn’t want to read just another carbon-copy of the original, which on its own felt like a long-winded, overly dramatic soap opera. This book, however, was so much more enjoyable. I found the characters to be much less stereotypical and more three-dimensional, unlike the original Bayview Four. These characters felt like real people with real problems, not over-done archetypes. I was pleasantly surprised by this. 

With this being said. I did enjoy the inclusion of the Bayview Four, even if I like the new characters significantly more. I was glad they were relegated to being side characters. None of them had a main role in the plot, but their presence was definitely felt. This story felt like a continuation, not just a new entity. 

Speaking more on these new characters, I really enjoyed Phoebe and Knox. They were some great new additions. Phoebe was an empowered, sex-positive woman, and Knox was a relatable dweeb-ish, awkward boy. They were intriguing characters with intricate lives that I enjoyed exploring. Even Maeve became much more likeable (and less annoying) than she was in the first book. I found her cancer storyline to be super interesting, and I became emotionally connected to her through it. Overall, McManus did a great job in developing these newbies!

In addition to the new characters, there was also quite a bit of romance in the story. Surprisingly to myself, I actually found it quite enjoyable! There were three main relationships: Maeve and Luis, Phoebe and Brandon, and Phoebe and Knox. All of them were well-developed, interesting, and fun to read!

I also really liked the Truth or Dare game that McManus introduced. It was a fun new twist to the series! I honestly wanted even more insight into it. I would’ve loved hearing about more of the dares (or even truths) of the other students at Bayview, even in casual passing. The whole idea is intriguing. 

The big reveal was also super exciting. Even better, it wasn’t TOO predictable like many YA mysteries are… but the big BIG reveal at the very end of it being their brother Owen?! THAT was SUPER exciting and it literally came out of nowhere for me. I genuinely was like, “Wow. I’m glad they’re keeping this away from Owen. Great job sisters!” and then BAM! It WAS Owen all along! My jaw literally dropped that the younger brother plotted everything just for fun. CRAZY!

I will say that the explanation of Jared and Emma’s actions were SLIGHTLY hard to follow when being explained. I got the gist of it, but not necessarily all of the finer details. In the end, though, it made enough sense to move on. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Recommended reader: Anyone who likes:

  • Mystery
  • Drama
  • Dangerous games
  • Elements of romance
  • Sibling relationships
  • Social media
  • Stories with multiple POVs

Reviews of Previous Books:

Discussion Questions:

  • Describe the relationship between Phoebe and Emma. What has caused it to be the way that it is? Is one of them more at fault for this than the other? Why? How is their relationship by the end of the book?
  • Why is Maeve reluctant to pursue Luis? What is she afraid of? How do her fears come true (or almost come true) in the story? What ultimately allows her to push past her fears and pursue Luis?
  • What type of person is Knox? How is he different from some of the other high schoolers in the story? How does Knox feel about himself? Why?
  • Describe the relationships that the three protagonists have with their parents. Are they good relationships? Why or why not? Do they improve? If they do, how so? What theme may the author be trying to include about parent-child relationships?
  • What foreshadowing did the author include in the story about Emma’s involvement? What about Owen’s involvement? Who were the other prime suspects towards the end of the story, and why?

Specifics of the book:

  • Genre: Mystery
  • Lexile Level: HL740L
  • Accelerated Reader Level: 5.0 (14)
  • Content Level: 7th
  • Pages: 372
  • Controversial Issues: Mild cussing; sexual content; underage drinking 

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