Bishhal Paull’s debut The Liar Among Us blends boarding school drama, paranormal suspense, and Himalayan folklore. A Diwali 2025 YA must-read from Bloomsbury.
The Liar Among Us
This Diwali, bookstores are preparing for a title that is already being touted by trade as the book of the year for young adults. Published by Bloomsbury, Bishhal Paull’s The Liar Among Us has been generating immense buzz among young readers for a debut.
Described by early readers as “India’s answer to Stranger Things,” the novel delivers a blend of elite boarding-school drama, paranormal suspense, and Himalayan folklore. It’s rare for a first book to combine literary craft with binge-worthy readability, but Paull manages both, and that’s where the excitement lies.
The Story Behind The Story
The novel is set at Valorhouse International, a top-tier residential school perched high in the Sikkim valley. When a student disappears under mysterious circumstances, campus gossip collides with something far more sinister: coded symbols, secret societies, and rumours of an ancient pact binding the valley.
Unlike most school thrillers, The Liar Among Us doesn’t stop at whispers in the hallway. The mystery bleeds into the supernatural, introducing creatures and guardians inspired by Northeast Indian folklore-spirits in the fog, shifting forms, and entities that seem to know more about the students’ lives than the students themselves. The effect is atmospheric, unsettling, and tailor-made for teens who crave page-turning stakes.
The Author Steps Forward
Paull, adds the book grew out of his childhood lullabies and tales from the region he grew up in. “I wanted a story where Northeast folklore wasn’t just background. It was the engine of the plot. And I want readers to experience it themselves,” he notes.
Industry Buzz
For Bloomsbury, which has a track record of launching prodigies with debut authors, the book marks a significant push into India’s YA market. With creator campaigns, school activations, and indie bookstore partnerships lined up both in India and select international markets, the release is expected to soon become a global phenomena.
Verdict
Even in a crowded Diwali season of celebrity memoirs and festival-themed fiction, The Liar Among Us stands apart. It is fresh, fast, and culturally rooted. And most crucially, it speaks to young readers in their own idiom. Whether you read it for the paranormal intrigue, the folklore, or the sheer thrill of a boarding-school mystery done right, this debut has all the makings of a YA phenomenon.
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