Drama is something that unfolds like a raging wildfire. When a major outcast, severely allergic to peanuts gets an allergic reaction from a cup of water, word travels rapidly that someone purposely placed peanut oil in it. One of Us is Lying showcases various perspectives of the four main characters, Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper, and Addy. They’ve been suspected for murdering a Bayview student, Simon, for being in the same detention room as him during the incident. Karen McManus switches between multiple points of view with an intention to reveal different details about each character and their involvement in the murder crime.

First of all, this form of writing exposes different pieces of information that other roles didn’t consider or witness. In page 42, Addy mentioned, “When Officer Budapest talked about how Simon died, Bronwyn looked...I don’t know. Not sad.” (McManus) This quote implies for Bronwyn to likely be the culpable criminal considering that she conceivably despised Simon. No other suspect realized that Bronwyn acted this way besides Addy, proving that a significant piece of evidence would have remained hidden if it wasn’t for McManus’ excellent use of numerous perspectives. Everyone has a different way of regarding and interpreting things, making this an ideal way to obtain a distinguished judgment from each individual in the story.

The third person omniscient of this story deliberately misleads us in this detective story to make sure that we don’t unravel the mystery in the beginning. In page 19, Addy states, “My mother thinks Jake’s too good for me.” (McManus) Addy also later states on page 45, “I’m beyond lucky to have a boyfriend who cares enough to plan every last detail.” (McManus) The author used Addy’s point of view in these pieces of information to convince us that Jake is actually an honorable man for her. In spite of that, other perspectives later showed us that Jake was actually seeking vengeance on Addy. The contrasting viewpoints allow readers to get more emotionally attached and decide who’s worth trusting.

Finally, the multiple aspects open up a wider view to us readers by revealing the main characters from an outer perspective. This shows us what other characters conclude about them and their true personality besides what the author tells us. For example, page 74 is told from Nate’s point of view, and states, “Listening to her play the piano had a strange effect on me. It almost felt...peaceful.” (McManus) When Nate visited Bronwyn for the first time, he claimed that he actually felt relaxed for once. Bronwyn never breaks a rule, and she thinks that no one will accept her for her. However, Nate sees Bronwyn as an affectionate, original girl who will attentively listen to him at any moment.

In conclusion, McManus’ skilled use of several points of view has been very beneficial in this mystery novel because it leaks distinct points that weren’t stated previously by other characters. This writing arrangement is extremely helpful considering that this allows us to meet each role or suspect to a greater extent. Karen McManus did a wise decision to use this kind of writing for her entertaining and fascinating story.