I have read all of Karen M McManus’ YA thrillers, so I was delighted to receive a gifted copy of One of Us is Back via Netgalley. Published in July, it is the perfect book for this prompt.

What it’s about?

From Goodreads:

Ever since that day in detention, life hasn’t been easy for the Bayview Crew.

Now Nate is trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with Bronwyn, who is struggling to balance her new life at Yale with her memories of Bayview.

Addy’s about to leave Bayview behind and take a leap into the unknown and Phoebe’s tired of keeping secrets. Everybody’s ready to move on.
Until a mysterious billboard arrives.

Time for a new game, Bayview.

Simon was right about secrets – they all come out in the end.

And when a member of the crew disappears, it’s clear this ‘game’ just got serious – and no-one understands the rules.

Everyone’s a target. And now that someone unexpected has returned to Bayview, things are starting to get deadly.

What I think:

This is the third and final instalment of the Bayview series following One of Us is Lying, and One of Us is Next. In theory, it would work as a standalone as there are some recaps. I found these useful reminders but I think this would work better if you read the whole triology.

This brings together characters from the two previous books to work together to unravel a final mystery and hopefully draw a conclusion to the complex relationships of the Bayview students.

The narrative is told from different perspectives:

Phoebe, who is still recovering from events in the previous book and coming to terms with her younger brother’s involvement in murder.

Nate, who is coping with Browyn being away and building a life of his own.

Addy, who has to confront her past before she can move on.

There are also some flashbacks that help explain the events in this book, but also shed more light on events in the previous books, too.

I have really enjoyed this series, and this was a great ending. I feel like it does tie up some of the loose ends and allows some of the characters to rebuild relationships and finally move on woth their lives.

Fans of the series are going to continue to love Nate and Bronwyn’s relationship. I personally loved Addy’s storyline. There’s a great redemption arc (no spoilers!), and you leave with a greater understanding of the motivations behind Bayview’s love of revenge.

In my opinion, the mystery wasn’t as strong as the first book, which I loved, and it was slow to build up. But the pace really picks up towards the end, and the reader will not be disappointed by the trademark twists and reveals.

Thank you to Netgalley for my gifted digital copy of One of Us is Back, and I will always recommend this series to people who want to read YA.