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!

As a big fan of #AGoodGirlsGuidetoMurder, I couldn’t wait to read this #YAdebut from Ripley Jones, also featuring a true crime podcast! I love the basis of this mystery being set 20 years ago! So excited to see what more is to come from Jones!

Thank you, Ripley Jones, @Wednesday Books, St Martins Press & Netgalley for my advance copy! All opinions are my own!

I really enjoyed this book, the story and the way it was written was pretty cool. The author did an awesome job at keeping the suspense till the end. I was soo into this book. I just wanted to keep readying. There was so much backstory and hidden things. Lots of twists and turns. It was an interesting read and it was a fun one also. If you like mysteries and suspense. This one is for you.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress , @wednesdaybooks for giving the chance to read and review this book.

So, I’ve come to realize lately that I just don’t really enjoy too many books from the YA genre anymore. However, this one did surprise me! The first 50% was a little slow for me, but I also feel like it was mostly necessary to build the story. The last half had me on the edge. It kept me guessing about who may have killed Clarissa. Cam did get on my nerves sometimes, as did Blair BUT they’re teenagers and that’s typical! Overall, I ended up truly enjoying the mystery of the story! The books also touched on a lot of heavy topics for teens and I feel like it was nicely done.

Cam and Blair, high school students are as different as could be. Cam is a socially awkward straight A student. Blair, an aspiring writer thinks she will never amount to anything. She is constantly battling her needy boyfriend, James and her best friend, Cam. Cam and Blair are in a journalism class, and for their senior project they decide to make a podcast about a local legend, Clarissa Campbell, a local girl who went missing 20 years before. They have no idea what they are doing and start ruffling feathers by asking questions. They talk to all the old players and rip open all the old wounds. There are a lot of layers to the mystery and multiple things are learned during their podcast.

There were some frustrating parts, in Cam's impetuous nature, leaping without thinking and not considering the impact on anyone, but maybe that is just the teenage years. Overall, I really liked the story. I liked the characters, Blair's increase in self esteem as the book progressed, and the ending had a nice twist. If you are a fan of Girls Guide to Murder, then this is absolutely a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 Stars. Fantastic debut. Really enjoyed this YA read. Cameron and Blair are great characters. As are some of the supporting characters, like Sophie and Mr. Park. The mystery abotu Clarissa's disappearance is well done; the sleuthing of Blair and Cameron is well done. I enjoyed the podcast/true crime aspect of this novel.

"In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.

Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…

But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?"

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This book is great for fans of a “Good Girls Guide To Murder”. For a school project, friends Cameron and Blair decide to do a podcast on Clarissa Campbell, who disappeared in August 1999. This story was thrilling and intense, kept me entertained until the end. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟💫 3.5/5 stars

Missing Clarissa is a fun, entertaining YA thriller with a podcast element and true crime vibes. The story follows best friends, Blair and Cameron, as they start a podcast documenting their attempt to solve their hometown cold case.

Missing Clarissa is a lighter version of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It definitely appeals to the younger side of YA, but I enjoyed the characters and the story. I always love a podcast element and this book definitely capitalizes on it. I can see this being excellent audio.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was okay. I found the side plot where one of the characters accepts her sexuality to be much more interesting than the main plot trying to solve the mystery of Clarissa. It was good but not great.

What is it with small towns and missing girls???

I had no idea what to expect when going into this book and I can all say is that I LOVED IT.

The mystery surrounding a missing girl from over 20 years ago continues to plague a small town. Now declared a cold case, Clarissa’s ghost continues to haunt the people of this small town who never truly got over the idea that this popular cheerleader could go missing in a town that was considered “safe”.

Fast forward to the current time and two girls decide to create a podcast trying to solve this case that many people just wanted to sweep under the rug. When they start to discover more than they bargained for and more than one person emanates red flags.. these two girls have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into.

When the danger creeps closer and closer as these two girls get scarily close to discovering what truly happened to Clarissa, they may just end up solving this cold case but stop more than one psychopath in their tracks.

Missing Clarissa is YA thriller about a cheerleader who went missing in 1999 and was never found. 2o years later, two high school friends start investigating through a crime podcast. As they look into Clarissa's past, they also discover things things about themselves. The book started off slowly for me but gained momentum as I progressed further in the novel. Some of the decisions of the main characters were not always the most thought out but since this is geared toward young adults I did not mind it much. While the mystery was not a huge surprise, it was fun, light mystery/thriller and easy to get through.