At Bayview High, Bronwyn, Simon, Nate, Cooper, and Addy attend detention with teacher Mrs. Avery after she found mobile phones in each of their school bags, against her strict no-phone policy. The students were thought to have been framed because all of the students claims that the phones are not theirs and that someone has planted them there to get them in trouble. They hear a collision and some loud arguments in the school parking lot, and Mrs. Avery leaves to investigate. Simon—creator of 'About That', an app that reveals secrets nobody knows about you in which the personal lives of students at Bayview High are posted for the rest of the school to see—begins a speech about the other four students and how he, through his app, is the omniscient narrator. He drinks tap-water from a plastic cup and suffers a fatal allergic reaction due to his peanut allergy. The others attempt to help, but it is too late and Simon dies in the hospital.
Initially, the incident is considered an accident, but after a Tumblr post claiming that Simon's death was planned and the killer watched him die is shared, the police begin to investigate and find an unpublished post by Simon that features the secrets of the other four students. Each of the secrets would affect the students' future: Bronwyn's cheating in chemistry class could impact her college applications; Nate's repeated misdemeanor could send him to jail; Addy's infidelity might end her relationship with Jake; and the accusation of steroid use could halt Cooper's potential baseball career. The four are initially suspicious of one another but begin to grow closer due to their shared situation.
The investigation receives media attention and the four are dubbed the 'Bayview Four.' After Simon's funeral, his post is leaked and the rest of the school learns the four's secrets, triggering the consequences: Bronwyn's parents are disappointed, Nate's house is searched for drugs, Addy's relationship ends, and Cooper's performance is investigated. This prompts Maeve, Bronwyn's younger sister, to investigate Simon's online activity, which brings to light an encrypted original post about Cooper, and Simon's activity on massacre-worship forums, where he mentions a similar desire.
Addy befriends Janae, Simon's friend. Bronwyn and Nate return to the latter's home to avoid the media and find his mother, whom he claimed was dead, but whom had in fact suffered from bipolar disorder and drug addiction and subsequently moved to Oregon, leaving Nate and his father behind. She claims to now be sober and wishes to reconcile with her son and help. The encrypted file regarding Cooper is opened by the police, revealing that the steroid accusations are false and that Cooper is actually gay. This in turn outs him, causing a rift between Cooper and his father, who is homophobic. When Cooper is bullied verbally in the cafeteria after this news is leaked, Nate defends him, and the group sits together, demonstrating their new solidarity and friendship. Evidence is found tying Nate to the murder and he is arrested. Bronwyn contacts Eli Kleinfelter, a lawyer she saw on television defending the 'Bayview Four' on the crime show 'Mikhail Powers Investigates', asking him to help.
Janae hasn't been at school for a week and isn't responding to texts, so Addy goes to her home, where Janae confesses that Simon had been frustrated and angry for years that he wasn't more important in high school, and so he rigged the Junior prom to become King. Jake heard him bragging about the plan and Simon was afraid he would be exposed, so he told Jake about Addy's infidelity with TJ. Simon then enlisted Jake's help with his suicide plan, telling Jake he could get even by framing Addy as Simon's murderer. Janae was supposed to plant the evidence on Addy, but when she couldn't bring herself to do it, she planted it on Nate instead. Jake has been harassing Janae for ruining the plan, and he arrives while Addy is still there. Addy attempts to record the conversation, but her phone rings, drawing Jake's attention. Addy runs into the woods but Jake follows, trying to strangle her and hit her over the head with a rock. Addy is saved by Cooper, who had accompanied her to the house and saw Jake arrive.
Jake is taken into custody, Janae accepts a plea bargain for her involvement, and Nate is released but is shaken from his time in the juvenile detention center, rejecting Bronwyn's concern and breaking off their relationship. Addy heals in the hospital and after, Ashton asks Addy to live with her, which Addy happily accepts. Cooper's college options begin to reappear and his relationship with his father starts to improve. Bronwyn applies to Yale and begins dating Evan Neiman, another student, though she does not consider it serious. She later finds Nate waiting for her after a major piano recital when he apologizes for dismissing her. The story ends as she accepts his offer to a movie.
Characters
Main characters
Bronwyn Rojas: One of the four point-of-view characters; the 'brain'. Is an overachiever and Yale-hopeful from a well-to-do family who are also Ivy League graduates. She is a member, and often founder, of several after-school clubs. Her mother is white, a 4th generation Irish, and her father is Colombian, making Bronwyn half Irish and Hispanic. She has a good relationship with her younger sister, Maeve, and is protective of her. Her primary secret is she cheated on her chemistry test in order to maintain her straight-A status, which she fears will impact her college dreams. It is later revealed that she left a threatening message to Simon after he posted an "About That" post about her sister.
Nathaniel "Nate" Macauley: One of the four point-of-view characters; the 'criminal'. Is a 'bad boy' who is on probation for selling drugs. He lives with his alcoholic father after his bipolar, drug-addicted mother left and supposedly died several years ago. Their primary source of income is from a disability allowance after his father's work injury and is the reason Nate sells drugs. He eventually falls in love with Bronwyn and they date. His primary secret is that he has been continuing to sell drugs. It is also later revealed that his mother is still alive. Nate has a lizard named Stan.
Adelaide "Addy" Prentiss: One of the four point-of-view characters; the 'princess'. Is one of the popular students at the school. She is besotted with her boyfriend, Jake, but her secret is that she cheated on him with TJ, another boy within their friendship group. She eventually confesses to Jake, who breaks up with her. She is comforted by her older sister, Ashton, who helps her through the break-up and with her self-discovery.
Cooper Clay: One of the four point-of-view characters; the 'jock'. He is a promising baseball star who is accused of steroid use by Simon's post. It is later revealed that the original post was edited and his secret removed, but it eventually comes to light that he is gay. He plays a crucial role in the climax of the book.
Other characters
Simon Kelleher: Self-proclaimed omniscient narrator and creator of About That, the gossip app revolving around the students of the fictional American high school, Bayview High. He is noted to suffer from depression. His death acts as a catalyst for the events of the story, and the rumors and secrets told in his app are what implicate the others in detention as suspects for his murder.
Maeve Rojas: Bronwyn's younger sister. She is an intellect and takes a proactive role alongside Bronwyn in trying to solve the murder. She has also been featured in a post by Simon. She suffered from leukemia at the age of seven.
Jake Riordan: Addy's boyfriend and old friend of Simon's. "who is a complete control freak", and when Addy's secret comes to light, he breaks up with her.
Ashton Prentiss: Addy's older sister. She has a rocky relationship with her husband Charlie, so spends a lot of time at the family home. She dislikes Jake and the way he treats Addy.
Janae Vargas: Simon's best friend. She plays a crucial role in the climax. She becomes friends with Addy. She is insecure.
Eli Kleinfelter: Lawyer who works for the pro bono legal group Until Proven. Bronwyn reaches out to him to defend Nate because he has no lawyer.
Kris Becker: He is Cooper's secret boyfriend. He helps to decode the mystery.
TJ Forrester: A student of Bayview High, whom Addy cheated on Jake with.
Mikhail Powers: A reporter who takes an interest in Simon's case.
Mr. Avery: A strict teacher in Bayview High.
Vanessa: Addy's enemy who relentlessly mocks her after her secret comes out.
Luis Santos: Cooper's best friend and one of the only people to stand by his side after his secret comes out.
Ellen Macauley: Nate's mother, a bipolar addict who abandoned him and later rejoined his family after she found out nate was being investigated for murder
Keely Soria: Cooper's ex-girlfriend, who he pretended to like so he wouldn't be found out for being gay.
Evan Nieuman: Bronwyn's ex-boyfriend after Nate thought that they weren't compatible.
Amber: Nate's fling before he met Bronwyn.
Reception
Reception of One of Us Is Lying has been mostly positive, receiving multiple awards and nominations, primarily within the Young Adult category. Reviewer Mary Cosola of Common Sense Media comments that the plot "raises lots of ethical questions" and "provides good discussion topics", receiving an overall rating of four-stars, with an age rating of 14+.[4] Nivea Serrao of Entertainment Weekly praises the author for the nuanced characters and their development, and for challenging the initial stereotypes, but notes that the slow reveal of the secrets leaves the reader with less time to engage with the ending's more fully developed characters.[5]Kirkus Reviews acknowledges the "insights into common adolescent struggles" and "opportunities for self-reflection" for young readers, also rating the book for readers between 14 and 18, however criticizes that author's use of language and the plot, which they suggest "border on cliché". It also mentions how, although Bronwyn, Maeve, and their father's side of the family are Colombian, the cast is predominantly white.[6]
A sequel, One of Us Is Next, was published by Delacorte Press on January 7, 2020.[21] Set 18 months later, the novel follows the residents of Bayview as someone starts playing a sinister game of truth or dare.[22] A second and final sequel, One of Us Is Back, was published by Delacorte Press on July 23, 2023.[23]
A television series based on the novel was originally in development from E! in September 2017. However, the project was moved to NBCUniversal, who gave it a pilot order in August 2019 for Peacock.[24][25] After the pilot was filmed in November 2019,[26] the project was given a series order in August 2020 for a total of eight episodes.[27] The remaining seven episodes were filmed in New Zealand.[28] The series premiered on October 7, 2021.[29] The show's second season preimired on October 20, 2022.[30] The series made its linear premiere on E!, the network it originally was pitched for, on October 22, 2022.[31]
