In recent times, literary sagas have gained as much weight as film or television ones. This is due, in part, to the fact that it is the books themselves that inspire the fictions that occupy the top positions of the most viewed on the platforms. On the other hand, it seems that the new generations read more than the previous ones did, also because they have communities, as is the case of ‘Booktok’, the literary section that is triumphing on TikTok and that has become the new library of Generation Z.
In the case of Karen McManus (1969, Boston), his saga ‘Someone is lying’, complied with all the conditions indicated above. It was in 2017 when the first book with the same title as her most famous trilogy saw the light. Then came ‘Someone’s Next’ (2019) and ‘Someone’s Back’ (2019), thus completing the story that follows the investigation into the murder of Simon Kelleger. The Bayview High School student is found dead after sharing his classmates’ most intimate secrets through an app. There are four suspects but who was it? This is the mystery that this thriller solves, which also arrived on Netflix in 2022 (a year before the Peacock platform) due to the high number of followers that the saga attracted.
We have sat down with the author so that, on this occasion, she does not reveal to us who the murderer was, but rather the secrets you still didn’t know about ‘Someone is lying’.
ALFAGUARA Someone is lying (No limits)
You have recently been in Spain, at the Crush Festival that was held last March in Barcelona.
Yeah! I had been to Barcelona before, but as a student, so this was my first time as an author. It was a wonderful moment, since I was able to talk to many of the readers of my books.
What did you feel when you finished writing the last part of ‘Someone’s Lying’?
It was bittersweet to finish the saga, but I am happy with its ending. I will miss the characters though! What’s more, I cried when I finished writing ‘Someone’s Back’, something that had never happened to me before.
Someone is back (Someone is lying 3) (No limits)
What do you remember that inspired you when you started writing the saga?
I was driving to work and the main theme from the soundtrack of the movie ‘The Breakfast Club’ came on the radio. I thought about how its central plot is enduring: when people who seem to have nothing in common are forced to interact, and often discover that deep down they are not so different. It occurred to me that it might be fun to write an updated version of this concept, but with a dark twist.
Did you imagine it would be so successful?
I did know that I had written the best book I could have written. After editing it, I remember saying to my sister: ”I really think I have something good here.” I felt it very special. But many wonderful books don’t find a wide audience, so I didn’t expect it to succeed. Its success was, and continues to be, a pleasant surprise to me.
If you could change something about the saga, like a chapter or a plot, what would it be?
If I had known from the beginning that it was going to be adapted for television, I would have made it easier for myself by leaving certain plots more open. But overall I’m happy with how things turned out and wouldn’t make any big changes.
Do you remember any anecdotes that happened to you during the time you were writing the trilogy?
Well, when I shared the first chapters with my fellow critics, almost all of them said the same thing: that four narrators were too many and that I should just choose one. I tried, but it didn’t work. So I decided to focus on what I thought was the real problem behind that criticism: the voices were too similar and I worked hard to make them different. This taught me that while feedback is priceless (my partners were right that the POV structure didn’t work), my job as an author is to figure out how to integrate that feedback into my vision.
They compare your novels a lot with ‘Gossip Girl’. Have you read Cecily Von Ziegesar’s books or seen the series?
I haven’t read the books, but I loved the show and of course it was an inspiration to me while I was writing ‘Someone’s Lying.’ So was ‘The Breakfast Club’, ‘Pretty Little Liars’ and Agatha Christie’s classic mystery books.
What is the first book or story you remember writing?
When I was eight years old. My teacher gave us the assignment to write a story and I did it about a witch named Grizelda who couldn’t cast spells. There I decided that I wanted to become a writer.
Do you read works by Spanish authors?
I have really enjoyed the books by Gabriel García Márquez and Elvira Navarro.
And what book is your absolute recommendation?
Now I’m reading the new one by Mai Corland, but I reread ‘The Secret’ by Donna Tartt every year.
What’s next for you after the ‘Someone’s Lying’ era?
I will be releasing my next book in July 2024: ‘Such Charming Liars’.
Nerea Panicello is an expert in music, series and social networks. There is no pop song that hasn’t played through the headphones he always wears, a Grammy Awards or MTV VMA’s that he hasn’t covered live, or a festival that he hasn’t wanted to go to. Nor fiction (series or movie) from Netflix or HBO Max that does not obsess over the cast and search for all the fan theories. No Instagram reel or viral TikTok video that hasn’t received the ‘iike’ from her. Her IG saves folder is full of ideas for creating content.
His favorite moment of the work day is when he sits in front of the artist or performer on duty to ask him or her questions or one of COSMOPOLITAN’s video challenges. She has interviewed singers such as Lola Índigo, Rauw Alejandro, Camilo or the Morat band. He also actresses like Claudia Jessie (‘Bridgerton’), Kristen Stewart and Maisie Williams. Although he will always remember his five minutes of glory with the Jonas Brothers.
Nerea graduated in Journalism from the Rey Juan Carlos University in 2018. Before putting on her cap, she interned during 2017 at the Ana Rosa Quintana Magazine. She has been part of Cosmopolitan since 2018. She is currently finishing a Master’s Degree in Digital Journalism and New Profiles at the Rey Juan Carlos University. In her free time, she receives musical language and drum classes to continue showing what is not seen in the songs.
He has six years of experience, in which he has developed themes for its ‘print’ versions, daily in digital and served as Community Manager on numerous occasions.
