Skip to Main Content

Year 10: One of us is Lying by Karen McManus

resources for year 10 subjects

Thriller Series by Karen M. McManus

                 

Series

Five students go to detention. Only four leave alive...

 

Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule.

Sports star Cooper only knows what he's doing in the baseball diamond.

Bad boy Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime.

Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life.

 

And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won't ever talk about any of them again.

He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it's no accident. All of them are suspects.

 

Everyone has secrets, right?

 

What really matters is how far you'll go to protect them.

Borrow

The Breakfast Club

Karen McManus describes her thriller series as 'like The Breakfast Club, but with murder'.

Characters

Simon Kelleher

A seventeen-year-old student at Bayview High, self-proclaimed “omniscient narrator,” and antagonist of the story. Simon is an outcast who terrorizes other students by exposing their darkest secrets. Simon suffers an allergic reaction while in detention and dies. Though he was largely hated in life, in death he earns the renown he’s always longed for.

Bronwyn Rojas

A student at Bayview High and “the brains” of the Bayview Four. Bronwyn dreams of attending Yale, and she is a gifted pianist and general overachiever. Her family lives in a large Victorian house in the affluent part of town. As the daughter of a Columbian immigrant, Bronwyn is the book’s only multiracial character. 

Nate McAuley

A student at Bayview High and “the criminal” of the Bayview Four. Nate earns a bad reputation for selling drugs and is on probation for selling marijuana and painkillers. Nate has been forced to grow up quickly due to his absent, drug-addicted mother and alcoholic father.

 

Cooper Clay

A seventeen-year-old student at Bayview High and “the jock” of the Bayview Four. Cooper is a star baseball player with a bright future. Originally from Mississippi, Cooper’s southern drawl emerges when he becomes nervous. Cooper is close with his tight-knit, conservative family and is well-liked by the Bayview community, but he feels pressured to hide the fact that he’s gay from almost everyone.

Addy Prentiss

A seventeen-year-old student at Bayview High and “the princess” of the Bayview Four. Addy is popular and has been dating her athlete boyfriend, Jake, since their freshman year. Addy is often perceived as weak, needy, insecure, and superficial, though she ultimately proves that she is strong and independent. 

Jake Riorden

A student at Bayview High and Addy’s boyfriend. Jake is popular and a member of the football team. He is generally well-liked but sometimes exhibits controlling tendences and frightening rage.

Janae

A student at Bayview High and the “goth” girl. Janae is Simon’s only friend.

Mikhail Powers

The host of the Mikhail Powers Investigates news show. His reporting on Simon’s murder and the potential involvement of the Bayview Four suspects garners national attention for the case.

Maeve Rojas

A student at Bayview High and Bronwyn’s younger sister. Maeve had leukemia from ages seven to fourteen and was unable to attend school and interact with her peers. She is smart and skilled with computers.

TJ Forrester

A student at Bayview High and Jake’s friend. TJ is kind to Addy and admires her personality.

Ashton Prentiss

Addy’s twenty-something older sister. Ashton returns home after her marriage dissolves and often serves as a maternal figure to Addy. She is protective of her younger sister and encourages her independence and development.

One of us is Lying by Karen McManus