This was a good YA mystery/thriller that captured my attention for the duration of the story. The last 1/4 of the book moved really quickly and wrapped things up, and although I wish a few things had been answered, I was satisfied with the way Jones ended it. Although Cam was a bit over the top as the protagonist, it was quite clear to who she was as a character and the book was well written overall.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book!

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this one. It feels like it was meant to be compared to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, but it wasn’t executed nearly as well. It seemed like the author was trying to tackle too many issues in a short amount of time and it made the book feel cluttered and unfocused. This was also exacerbated by the constant switching of perspectives between the two main characters with no indication that it was happening.

The central mystery, itself, was interesting, but it was hard to believe that these two girls were going to solve this decades old cold case that took the nation by storm and had forums of armchair detectives stumped. It was a short, entertaining YA mystery, but it was also totally unbelievable.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, and Ripley Jones for an e-arc of Missing Clarissa in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this story. Two high schoolers deciding to create a podcast to solve a cold case of a missing teen from the 1990s gave me A Good Girl's Guide to Murder vibes in the best way! And the plot was so fun! The twists and turns were excellent and kept me intrigued throughout the entire story. I also loved how the book included clips from their podcast episodes mixed into the story. The last "episode" of their podcast was heartbreaking and inspiring! I enjoyed that the story followed both Blair and Cam, but it was sometimes hard to tell who the chapter was focusing on, which made the story hard to follow at times. Overall, it was a fun story and an intriguing mystery!

An intensely good and compelling thriller! One of those exciting and well-written stories that draws you in and makes it so that you can’t stop reading until you know what’s happened.

Best friends, Cam and Blair, are making a podcast about the twenty-year-old cold case of Clarissa Campbell, who’s been missing since the night of a senior graduation party in the local woods of Oreville, Washington in 1999. Clarissa was a popular cheerleader dating a popular football player and her life seemed perfect to outsiders. Mr. Park, journalism teacher, has assigned a project to his students and that’s why Cam came up with the cold case podcast idea. Blair and Cam are dealing with their own personal struggles but become devoted to figuring out Clarissa’s story. They soon realize they’re in over their heads and that they’re in danger themselves.
5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: The story is so interesting that I didn’t want to put the book down. Overly political statements are a bit confusing when Cam’s friend Sophie blurts them out. I enjoyed the character development throughout the story.
Mature Content: PG-13 for mention of sexual assault on a high school student by the teacher, off page sex, nondescript brief kissing, underage drinking and underage drinking and driving undescribed.
Language: R for 51 swears and 4 f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody gunshot wound, and purposely run off the road by another vehicle.
Ethnicity: mixed and includes Black, Mexican American, Korean American, white, and Filipino

This was my first time reading this author and it was quite fun and very interesting. At first I wasn’t that into it. It was somewhat hard to get into and wasn’t really catching my attention. However, I’d say about 30%-35% into the book is about where things really started to turn around and after that, the book had me.

This story was intriguing and told in such an interesting way. I also had the chance to listen to the audio of this book (that was not gifted by the publisher or author) and that made the book even better. I had my suspicions of who might have done it but in the end I was completely wrong with who I thought it was.

I do have to say that Cameron got on my nerves so much, especially in the beginning. I honestly wanted to strangle her at some points, but thankfully, Blair was able to even things out and make it much more enjoyable.

For this being YA book, I thought it was a pretty decent read! Did I think the overall plot was unrealistic? Absolutely, but that’s why I love reading, because it can be realistic or not.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a great thriller. I love me some YA thrillers and this book gave me everything I could want!!

I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. My honest review is that it's 3.75⭐ for me.

Can and Blair are making a podcast about a girl named Clarissa that went missing in their town over 20 years ago. Obviously right up my alley true crime, podcast I'm in.

First, I almost put it down for the blatant race descriptions. The way it was done just kind of our me of "a white man", I dunno that just seems like an easy way out in regards to describing them. White comes in many shades, so do all the others. I dunno for some reason this rubbed me the wrong way but eventually it stopped.

Second, Cam is annoying and kinda unlovable as a character. I know she's supposed to be headstrong and possibly on the spectrum but she makes so many bad choices and NEVER learns from them at all, literally no character growth.

Other than that, the plot is okay a little predictable. It's decent enough but would probably never warrant a re-read.

There are a ton of pod cast books out lately. I have some questions for you, the last housewife, and this one. Clarissa is in its own category of those because it’s a YA take on the podcast. Two teens decide to explore a decades old case of Clarissa, beautiful and popular, going missing. The teens explore the case all while learning about themselves, their friendship, their sexuality. The book gripped me in the beginning and my interest waned a tad toward the middle but there was a lot of good stuff here. If you’re into ya thrillers this is a good one to add to you list. It was also fun on audio which I also listened to. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

A good young adult mystery!

Best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast for their high school journalism class project. They decide their podcast will focus on the 1999 disappearance of popular cheerleader, Clarissa Campbell. Clarissa had attended a party in the woods with her fellow students. No one has seen her since that night over twenty years ago. A huge investigation was launched but Clarissa was never found and the case went cold.

Blair and Cam's podcast may bring new light to the cold case but it may also put them in great danger.

After reading the description for this book, I was intrigued and I knew I had to check it out. There's plenty of books about podcasts but I'm not sick of the theme yet!

I thought this was a well written quick read. It held my attention and though I guessed one of the twists it didn't change my enjoyment of this novel.
This book is being compared to Sadie and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and I think it's a good comparison.

I read a lot of adult thriller/mystery novels and to compare this to those doesn't seem fair. I liked the fact that it wasn't extremely violent. It definitely deals with violent issues but it was handled gently. I wouldn't have any problems letting my young adult read this book.

All in all I thought this was an entertaining read. The story deals with many important issues. There were a couple of things I thought were a bit unlikely but honestly that's usual for most books. If it was too realistic many readers would likely be bored.

great book and such great characters. I enjoyed the mystery and some romance. I also enjoyed the journey of the characters. I didn't know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it .

In the small town of Oreville, Washington, a teenager named Clarissa went missing in 1999 caused a media frenzy. Everybody loves a dead girl, right? Now, 20 years later two high schoolers are out to tell her story in the format of a true crime podcast for their journalism class. Cam is the genius who is seriously lacking in normal social skills while her best friend Blaire wrestles with a lot of self-doubt about her own worth. Can these two misfits solve the mystery of Missing Clarissa?

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fun ride from the beginning, and I read it in one sitting. It is definitely suited more towards a YA audience, but that is fine with me. I felt like the story was entertaining, dealt with some themes that are appropriate for the YA reader, and had good pacing. The writing wasn't anything fantastic, sometimes confusing with multiple narrators/POV, but it was just a good fun book. I enjoyed myself while reading it and loved the idea of the two main characters doing a podcast because it feels very on brand for kids these days. Ultimately, I enjoyed myself while reading, and will recommend this book for people who want a fun mystery book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

In this gripping debut novel, two best friends start a true crime podcast for their school journalism project based on the true events of the 1999 disappearance of Clarrisa Campbell. A popular girl from their hometown went missing and was never found, dead or alive. They aim to finally solve the case but in the end, they might just help the killer walk free instead.

I enjoyed this. I thought it was a solid mystery and on par with your typical YA thriller. I liked the pacing and how the podcast element helped drive the story forward with each chapter based on an episode. I have two major complaints that kept this one from being great for me.

1- I guessed the killer pretty quickly. It was just pretty obvious for me and that was kind of a downer. For a little bit there I thought I might be wrong but I ended up being right. This is definitely thrilled "light". I understand it's for a YA audience but there was room for it to be a little twistier and more interesting. It just felt very typical and predictable for me most of the time.

2 - One of the main characters, Cam displays reckless, irresponsible, and frankly stupid decision-making skills that I just can't support. She's a very empowered young woman who knows what she wants and she's not afraid to do anything to get including putting herself and others in harm's way. She's very much in her own way the majority of the time. Characters like this in adult novels irk me but I think it's irresponsible of the author to put someone like Cam on a pedestal among impressionable youth. It sets a bad example and I just don't think that a YA audience should have the opportunity to look up to someone that makes such dangerous decisions without a whole lot of consequence. I understand "teens will be teens" but we shouldn't be glamorizing reckless behavior for the sake of entertainment.

Overall, solid debut. Enjoyed the story. Wouldn't have minded going a little deeper with it and needed a bit more "self-awareness and empathy" from the main character.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

To think, I almost dnfed Missing Clarissa. It's another case of mood reading. Get it? Case. Missing. Nancy Drew? No??? Alrighty, then.

Seriously, though, I always like to mention that I've found many favorite reads by picking stories up again when I'm in a different mood. Missing Clarissa is a great example. My second attempt at reading was via audiobook and I absolutely loved and devoured it. Especially with the podcast format. It gave the story a more realistic experience. It was like watching an episode of Nancy Drew (the CW version). Only with less supernatural elements. Cam and Blair are a mixture of Nancy and Bess.

I did guess the plot twist early on. But it was a wild ride getting to climax of the mystery. I would definitely pick Missing Clarissa up for a reread in the future and will keep an eye out for the author's future work. I will be requesting Missing Clarissa for my library.

I found myself absorbed in this book's writing. It's beautiful and riveting writing until it comes to the main characters: Blair and Cameron. Blair is bland, and Cameron is brilliant but completely insensitve. Cameron seems to have no realization of the situations she puts herself in --whether it's a dangerous one or an unethical one. She proposes the podcast because she thinks it would be cool to solve a cold case, yet she gives no thought into what that means. As the book goes on, she says that she's investigating because she really cares, but I find it completely unconvincing. She doesn't seem to learn anything from her mistakes and constantly makes choices with no regard for what those choices really mean.

What the story needs is two different main characters that you can either symphathize or empathise with.

A really excellent YA mystery that I'd be happy to hand to young adults and grown people alike. A solid plot that incorporates important issues around true crime, podcasting and journalism and ethics, and about whose stories get told. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I'm a big fan of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, so this book sounded right up my alley... and I really liked it! It did take me a little bit to get into the story and the audacity these girls had to just start a podcast with no recording equipment or any idea how podcasts work :) But then I got into it and really started to care about Cam and Blair and Clarissa. I also really liked the inclusivity, especially the context into abolitionism. The format of having each chapter be a bit longer and for each episode was different and I liked it.

One of the things I’m really curious about with this book is why the cover design doesn’t feature the face of Clarissa Campbell, the missing girl. Since the story became largely focused on understanding her and her life, I guess I wondered why her face wasn’t on the cover.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book going in. The cover didn’t give me a lot to go on, but the writing immediately pulled me into the story.

So, the book has an interesting style. It’s primarily from Blair and Cam’s points of view, but in a head-hoppy way. Like, one sentence might be from inside one girl’s head and the next might be inside the other’s. There are a couple brief scenes or paragraphs from other characters’ points of view, too.

It took me a little bit to get used to that style, but I actually enjoyed it once I got a feel for it. I liked both girls. They’re both really different and the kinds of different that makes them a great team.

In terms of the mystery elements, I felt like the story was very well organized. The mystery surrounding Clarissa’s disappearance felt to me like a long thread that Cam and Blair kept pulling and chasing down as it unraveled. It was easy to see their thought processes and how one clue led them to another, but I didn’t find the revelations to be obvious, either, if that makes sense?

All in all, I liked this book a lot. I found the characters compelling, and the mystery captivating. I can totally see fans of SADIE by Courtney Summers or THE AGATHAS by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson loving this one.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

In a small town where nothing notable ever happens a pretty, blonde high school cheerleader literally disappears without a trace. The town searched for months without turning up a clue so they eventually tossed her up to a runaway. Her parents and friends were devastated especially the boyfriend who the police thought he had to have killed Clarissa a but there was never a shred of evidence found to arrest him for a crime they couldn't prove had taken place.

Twenty years later two junior girls in high school decide to make a podcast for their journalism class about "Missing Clarissa" not realizing how many people in town will be affected by this cold case including their own families. The girls plow ahead with investigating all the people who were in Clarissa's life at the time of her disappearance when they start to uncover many dirty little secrets about members of the town which will bring about severe consequences and then, when they finally realize someone is following them it will be too late to stop their investigation but at what cost. How could an innocent podcast by two young teenagers turn into a possible prescription for murder?

What an entertaining and well-written story by "Ripley Jones". My attention was captured from the first page and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what these girls would uncover. The wit that was thrown in with one of the girls who was socially awkward was just spot on and gave the book just the right kind of flair while tackling some otherwise serious topics. Although this was a Young Adult story at times it most definitely is suited as an adult book with a great storyline. This was my first book by this author but I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future. The book was perfectly paced and had many likeable characters while keeping the intrigue and mystery always in the forefront but not giving away what really happened to Clarissa until the end of the story.

I want to thank the publisher " St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly recommend this interesting and witty book and given a rating of 4 CAPTIVATING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

Everyone loves a dead girl! This tagline is genius, I knew as soon as I read that I would love this book. This book follows a missing girl names clarissa campbell, she disappeared in 1999 when she was 17 years old. Cameron and Blair are then assigned in their class and they decide to create a podcast documenting their own investigation. The story will keep you engaged and if this was a real podcast I would be obessed!