One of Us is Lying is a fictional mystery book published in 2017. The book follows four narrators—Bronwyn Rojas, Nate Macauley, Addy Prentiss, and Cooper Clay—in the two months after their classmates Simon Kelleher’s death by peanut allergy.
After the four narrators are sentenced to detention, Simon dies, and they are all suspected of murder. Simon, the creator of a social media app About That, was about to reveal their darkest secrets. They all had motives to kill him. As the title of the novel implies, someone is lying, but who was it? The book ultimately reveals that Simon actually committed suicide, and in the tradition of school shooters, hoped to bring his classmates down with him. After his death, his accomplice, Addie's ex-boyfriend Jake Riordan, continued his dark work.
One of Us Is Lying has been a New York Times bestseller, New York Public Library Best Books for Teens selection, and winner of other awards because of its timely, relevant topics. It explores the extremes of what bullying, gossiping, and rumors can do to every party involved. The lives of the four main characters are all hurt by Simon and his app, and when they are under the eyes of the criminal justice system, structural bias and stereotypes risk their wrongful imprisonment. However, the book is also hopeful, showing how four students with different backgrounds can come together to battle injustice.
