Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
One of us is lying
Karen M. McManus
One of us is lying
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Karen M. McManus
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes. Its HootRating code, IE, means intense content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
What if five students walk into detention, but only four walk out? Imagine secrets so big they could change everything, and a mystery that needs to be solved. Who can you trust when one of them is gone and the truth is hiding in the shadows?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a mystery novel centered around five high school students who face secrets, suspicion, and a sudden death during detention. While written at a grade 2 reading level, the themes involve murder and complex social dynamics typical of older readers, so parents should be aware that the content may be intense or inappropriate for younger children despite the reading level. The story explores themes of trust, secrets, and consequences within a high school setting.
Why we rated One of us is lying IE (Intense)
One of us is lying is written at a Level 2 reading level across 44 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate One of us is lying as IE (Intense, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, social complexity, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Murder, Suspicious Death, High School Drama.
Thematically, One of us is lying explores mystery, friendship, high school, secrets, and trust — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, friendship, high school.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 13 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic reading-level-vs-content mismatch.
For Parents
Content Intensity
IE · Intense · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Heavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781524756901
- Pages
- 44
- Publisher
- Delacorte Press
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction