One of Us Is Next is the exciting sequel to the first novel One of Us Is Lying. It was a thrilling read I’m sure many would agree. Here is the summary and a separate Ending Explained section to answer any questions readers may still have about the novel. Feel free to also check out the ending of the first book linked above. Enjoy!

Summary

After Simon’s death, many have tried to re-create the legendary gossip app but none have gotten very far. That is, until a dangerous game pops up hosted by an anonymous person who seems to be out to get someone. This anonymous person texts the students of Bayview one by one threatening to reveal their darkest secret if they do not complete a dare. This leads to many students choosing the dare option for fear of revealing their secrets. The story follows Phoebe, Maeve (Bronwyn’s younger sister), and Knox and they are targeted by this new app. However, as the dares become more challenging, the game takes more twisted turns and a student is fatally injured. But the game does not end there, it appears there may be more than one person involved with differing agendas and different targets. The teens have to race against time to find and stop the culprit before anyone else gets hurt…and find out who else was involved.

And now for more information about the ending…

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Ending explained

The person who created this new game app is Jared, a guy who wanted to get revenge on Eli Kleinfelter (the lawyer) for ensuring that his criminal brother went behind bars. He went on the Simon’s old online forum and found a like-minded person who wanted revenge. They agreed to help each other get revenge on the people who had hurt them. This other person turned out to be Phoebe’s sister Emma who wanted revenge on Brandon (a arrogant student at the school) as he was the one operating the machinery which led to her father’s death. He was the boss’s son and was never prosecuted. Brandon is the one who ended up dying from a dare in the game involving him jumping off a roof unto a platform that had been tampered with by Jared. Emma was used as she knew a lot of information about the Bayview students to blackmail them with. In return, Jared expected Emma to help with his revenge on Eli but she backed out when she realised how far Jared wanted to take it. However, Phoebe’s little brother Owen then picks up from where the conversation left off with Jared (he used Emma’s pseudonym) as he also wanted revenge on Brandon and had been listening in on conversations. Phoebe and Emma realise this when they see a spelling mistake their brother had made recently by misspelling bizarre as bazaar. The messages reveal that Owen backed out of helping Jared after Brandon’s death. The sisters remain quiet when questioned by the police to protect their brother. Jared is prosecuted.

What were your thoughts on the novel? Do you think it lived up to the expectations of One of Us Is Lying? Let me know in the comments!