One of us is... reading lots of YA! (And in the same book?)

Oh Readers!!! Hi!
I read a book. It was good too, if very predictable.
I don't really know what to say about it to be perfectly honest. This is going to be a most unsatisfying post. Well, here we go!

I read a book told from multiple character POVs this past week, and it was also a debut novel (Another Twofer because I'm a possible cheater)! I read it in a day, because it was interesting enough and not a challenging read. The book is another from the Surrey Teens Read 2019 List! It wasn't the highest on my list, but it was the one the library had available first! Now, I know the way I seem to be writing about this book conveys a flazéda attitude, but I promise I liked the book...as I was reading it! I sped through it, and really wanted to get to the end to see how it resolves itself. It just seems post-reading, I don't feel as strongly about it as I thought I would. 

So flazéda, am I even awake?

I just realized, I still haven't mentioned the book I read! I could edit this post and include the title earlier, but I'd rather just admit I write these posts on the fly with very little pre-planning and carry on! (This doesn't mean I don't give them my full attention: I try my best to make them entertaining and informative/worth discussing-not saying I always succeed, but I always try!) It's very, highly edited, stream of consciousness. Jass? Get on with the title! Woah! Is that you subconscious?

My brain just giving up

The book was was One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, her first novel, and it was a very successful debut novel at that!

My first impression after finishing the book was that it felt very Thirteen Reasons Why. Not that their plot is similar in the details, but just in general: They both deal with a teen death, and secrets being revealed slowly of those who first appear to be one dimensional characters. They both touch on issues of identity, bullying, pressure, family relations, and the complexities and hierarchies of teenaged/high school life. The key difference is, One of Us is Lying is a murder mystery: Five students walk into detention, but only four walk out. The victim? The creator and publisher of a gossip app, who has made a lot of enemies with the information he spreads. The suspects? The Brain, the Princess, the Athlete, and the Criminal. One of them must have done it, as they are seemingly the only ones with the opportunity, but they all claim they're innocent. 

The book actually references the film and labels the characters appropriately

The premise is very good, and the book works really well as a multiple POV story. We get inside each of the characters' heads and learn how they feel, what they're thinking, and the secrets they are keeping. This book borrows bits from other popular teen franchises, but not in  a way that seems like it was "stolen". For example the app is a (more) mean-spirited Gossip Girl type situation. The plot feels similar to 13 Reasons (as mentioned previously), and of course the direct Breakfast Club reference. There is a little bit of a To All the Boys I've Loved Before taste regarding the main romantic subplot, and a few more samplings that I can't quite remember right now. The thing is, it does all work together, and again, doesn't feel plagiarized or taken from. It's just a solid blend of what has become some genre tropes of certain YA.  The problem is...I predicted the whole thing just a few chapters in: I knew who the murderer was, I knew what the "big and dark" secrets being kept were, and I more or less knew how things would turn out. Luckily the book doesn't try to leave you hanging on the secrets, it tells those fairly quickly, but they were pretty obvious. I imagine if you couldn't predict the book, it would be an amazing read that sticks with you. 

The other reason I find this book lacklustre afterwards is that, some of the characters (even with their secrets revealed and internal life shown) are still pretty standard now. The shock wasn't great, and I actually found myself skimming quickly through two of the characters' POV chapters, because I didn't care about them. I already know these characters and how they function from many times before. 

Why I read this book so fast then? I wanted to see if I was right. That was a main reason, but also the author wrote well. The book felt like teenagers, for the most part, and the way the pieces fall into place were cleverly done. I definitely recommend this book to teenagers, as I think they will find a character or two to relate to. It's also an engaging book, and the kids who have read it, agree. Remember, Surrey Teens Read, are chosen with specific criteria, so no surprise students like them! What is a surprise, is why this hasn't been adapted for film/television yet! (I would prefer television, I think more could be done  with content in multiple episodes than 2 hours straight).

And...

Catch you later!