EVERYBODY LOVES A DEAD GIRL.
Let me just start by saying that I love smart teens, crime, podcasts and parents who have no idea what their kids are doing. MISSING CLARISSA by Ripley Jones provided oodles and oodles of all the above.
Blair and Cam decide to produce a podcast as a journalism project in their Oreville, Washington high school to investigate the disappearance of a popular cheerleader years ago from a party in the woods. As they start asking questions, they learn more about Clarissa and some of those people at the party. They also stir up a hornet’s nest of possible suspects and begin making some people very nervous. And what starts as a school project begins to get a lot of hits on social media, only egging the girls on when they get closer to the truth. I really thought that I had it all figured out but Cam certainly made a fool of me! She correctly got it, which led to her being in a very dangerous position.
I loved this one. This is my first Ripley Jones book but I will certainly be looking for more. Bravo!

Thank goodness it subverts the genre.
Set in Washington state, Missing Clarissa features two teenagers, high school students and besties, Blair and Cameron (what used to be male names), who do a podcast as their journalism class project. Twenty years prior, Clarissa Campbell, a beautiful and popular cheerleader and budding artist, went missing at a high school party in the woods bordering the rural town of Oreville, Washington. The police regarded her boyfriend, Brad, as the main suspect, but he was never charged as a body was never found. Despite this, Oreville residents judged him the culprit without a court case or evidence.

In their podcast, Blair and Cam decide to open up the events leading to and surrounding Clarissa's disappearance, with the aim being that someone might recall something pertinent that reveals the reason and Clarissa's whereabouts.

Blair and Cam interview all those near and dear, and those not so near including her then teacher and classmates/ school mates about their recollections of the days surrounding Clarissa's disappearance. The novel also explores Clarissa's personality, and whether she did something that led to her possible death. Was she really such a talented artist and very kind, or is this people in Oreville being respectful of the dead? There are a few dodgy characters, some secrets within Blair's and Cam's wider family and some red herrings thrown in.

Though at first Blair and Cam do the podcast for journalistic learning and experience, they end up wanting justice for Clarissa, and closure for her grieving parents and then-boyfriend. They forget what we readers of crime know that in unsolved cases, the amateur investigators might become the culprit's next victim. This is potentially edge-of-your-seat stuff. However, was a bit glossed over in this book.

Personality-wise, Blair and Cam could not be more different. Blair is tactful, discerning and a good observer of people. She is dating the school heart-throb. Meanwhile Cam is discovering her sexuality. Cam is extremely intelligent and on some neurodivergent spectrum so she blurts out what she is feeling with no idea of the consequences. This, with her impulsiveness, gets her into constant strife. Though Blair criticises her parents in favour of Cam's solo Mexican mother, they seem normal, caring parents.

Some cons. This complaint of her parents, and Blair's constantly-expressed neuroses about her looks, her good-looking boyfriend and whether she can be a writer, sets up a theme of teenage angst and dissonance that is not really conducive to the story. It alienates the reader somewhat, as it sounds like an inauthentic teenage voice from an adult author.

Another con is that most characters are described as white. If not describing different races, I don't think there is much point in pointing out the ethnicity of those in the majority. Other than Cam's Mom, the other non-white people are of mixed ethnic origins, of which one race is white. Not as diverse as Ripley Jones would have us believe. The author states as a reason for visiting the characters' race is that the nationwide press had objectified Clarissa as a missing white girl, when more young black men are murdered in the USA than any other ethnic group.

Pros. Thank goodness this YA crime mystery subverts the genre in that isn't told in two timeframes, one in the present and the other revisiting Clarissa's last days and hours. I hate that; and was very glad for Ripley Jones's choice not to. The second pro: (mild spoiler) the second half of the book isn’t spent with one or both protagonists locked in a dungeon. Yay! Third and major pro is that the pacing was good and enough red herrings were in the melting pot. I'd like to read more Ripley Jones' books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review also appears in Netgalley.com, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5098866958 and https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2022/11/missing-clarissa-ripley-jones-4.html.

Well this was just not it for me. It was a huge struggle to finish and I honestly only didn’t DNF because doing so wreaks havoc on my anxiety disorder.

Not only was this very much geared to high school students with the MCs and their next-level nonsense, but it was entirely unrealistic! I get it, it’s fiction, but c’mon now. You can realistically write a fictional story. Authors do it all the time.

Clearly I’m not the target audience and that’s fine. But shoo. This is a big ole nope from me.

⭐️⭐️ since I reserve singular stars for DNF.

Thanks NetGalley for the ebook!

4.5 ⭐️

This was an excellent mystery story with podcast elements that was done so well! I loved the writing and the characters but the overall conclusion I could see coming but it was still so entertaining to read. Blair and Cam were an excellent duo to read about. Definitely can understand the comparison to Sadie (Definitely reccomend that book as well)

Thankyou to Netgalley for allowing me access of a copy in exchange of an honest review

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I couldn’t get enough of this book and absolutely devoured it in days. The mystery was pretty solid (I was kind of annoyed I didn’t guess who dunnit), and the characters were likable. The main character is flawed enough to make her interesting but not so flawed I didn’t like her. I did find some parts a little unrealistic, but it didn’t ruin it for me. It just had me take down a star. The style was good for YA readers and adults alike, and it would definitely appeal to the true crime lovers of Chichester there are many these days (I’m not one of them but liked it anyways.) can’t wait to recommend this one to the students I work with when it’s published. FYI profanity and some scary murder elements

I was thoroughly entertained and read it in two short sittings. I was suprised at how easily people told them information and was kind of annoyed at how bad they were at podcasting. They never really tried to get better. I can see how they were able to solve the case but in that way I wish it was more of an investigative journalism piece done just by Blair. Cam was a cool character but didn't add much to the podcast, only the investigation. I tried to look past it and just enjoy the story because it was fun. I didn't like that once again a teen thriller book had the trope about the teacher though - as a former teacher it's a bad stereotype and negatively affects other teachers.

Missing Clarissa was an enjoyable quick mystery. Although a little predictable, the author kept the story line moving. Two teenage girls trying to solve a decades old mystery in a small town with corruption and cover ups. While trying to navigate high school life and relationships. Overall I would give this book 3.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy to review

nothing really happened in this book until the end and the chapters should of been shorter but I did still enjoy this book and I read it in a day

I think that teens who are fans of thrillers and true crime will find a lot to love in Missing Clarissa, but for me it fell a little flat. The concept is interesting, but the characters felt a little cliche--Cam, the brazen and rather clueless genius, and Blair, the ingenue who doesn't realize how special she is. The ultimate reveal of the killer was pretty predictable, in an always-the-one-you-least-suspect kind of way. There was also a lot of weird, shoehorned-in description of characters in racial terms, which I think was an attempt to put together a diverse cast, but ended up feeling forced because the characters all felt the same, they were just described as being different races. None of the side characters really felt 3 dimensional at all. Finally, there were some side plots that I would have liked to explore more.

Overall, Missing Clarissa felt like it was written by a skilled teenager, rather than a professional writer. That being said, I'm giving it 3 stars because it did hold my interest until the end, and I do think readers in the target demographic will enjoy it more than I did.

Wow. Thank you NetGalley, Ripley Jones & Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

The book was long but I didn’t want to put it down. If you enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson then I highly recommend this book.

Can and Blair. I’m glad Cam came out to her true self and Blair proved she does have a backbone. I don’t want to speak too much and give anything away. But please read this book!

Two unlikely childhood friends, Blair and Cam, decide to start a podcast for their high school journalism class about the disappearance of a cheerleader from their own hometown two decades ago. True crime is all the rage right? Clarissa Campbell disappeared without a trace from a party in the woods - never found, no one has ever been arrested. Will Blair and Cam be able to solve this cold case? As they begin asking questions in their small town of Oreville, Washington they realize that Clarissa was not what she seemed and that their town is hiding many secrets. With many suspects and growing suspicions, the teens find themselves entwined in a dangerous hunt for a killer.

Suspenseful and believable, Jones has crafted an amazing YA murder mystery. I absolutely adored the character of Cam and found myself laughing out loud at her antics. Blair was a little harder for me - I understood what Jones was trying to do (highlight the insecurities of teenage girls) but it felt like she was trying a little too hard. Overall, well done and very enjoyable - impossible to put down!

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones is an interesting take on a mystery story. Clarissa is a teenager that vanished in 1999 from a party. The story made national news and there are many theories on what happened to Clarissa. Blair and Cameron live in Oreville, the town where Clarissa disappeared. When their journalism class gives them a project, they decide to investigate the disappearance and turn it into a podcast. Blair and Cameron find themselves in danger after they start digging up information. They also start to realize truths about themselves as well.
This story reads as a typical YA mystery with the twist of the podcast. There is teenage drama and friendship issues. I liked the character development and the comparisons between the Blair's life and Clarissa's life.
I enjoyed reading this but it was easily forgotten after I finished. I think anyone who likes YA mysteries will enjoy reading Missing Clarissa.
Thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Could not put it down! I don’t know what I was more enthralled with, the mystery or the hard hitting, honest and authentic portrayals of the lead characters. Was able to explore issues of racism, LGBTQ, exceptionalities and self esteem without feel cliche.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for sending “Missing Clarissa” for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Besties Cameron and Blair decide to do their high school journalism project about a 20-year-old missing persons case in their small town. Clarissa had disappeared from a party in the woods a month after she graduated from high school. As Cam and Blair navigate their own complicated lives, they realize their project has the power to hurt…or heal those Clarissa left behind.

I love a fast-paced mystery and “Missing Clarissa” definitely fills the bill. I had a hard time putting it down. The dialog is snappy, rarely getting bogged down in either Clarissa’s disappearance or Cam and Blair’s life outside of the journalism project. Characters are quirky and flawed, but so very likable. Forays into questions about the meaning of justice, lack of confidence in young women, and the challenges of growing up in a small town shine a light on tough topics and draw connections between Cam and Blair and those who came before them.

This is a great book for mystery lovers of all ages, those who like strong and reflective female characters, those who like stories set in small towns where everybody knows who you are. I’ll be getting a hard copy of this book for my classroom library.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this ebook to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Missing Clarissa is a fun, quick read that fans of ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ will like. I’ll be honest, I was just a tad apprehensive going into this because there are SO many books that use true crime podcasts as a plot to their novels. However I do think this one was really well done for not making the podcast the main way of telling the story and giving facts to the reader. I think it was done in the perfect minimal amount.

Cam is such a fun character! Brilliant, confident, headstrong, eccentric.. I could go on. I love her character. I think she’s well developed and easy to root for. Blair on the other hand.. I had a hard time with her. She’s so insecure - to an annoying extent- and for what reason? She’s an athlete she has the most popular boy in school as her boyfriend, she gets good (but not perfect) grades..I get it - teenagers have insecurities but I feel like there just wasn’t enough given about Blair to show us who she is..her POV with her thoughts that she was insecure but none of her actions really showed this and honestly there wasn’t much character development throughout. It seemed like the author maybe started with cam with all the time in the world, wrote a good character, got to Blair and realized they ran out of time and just quickly gave her a story.

I didn’t see the ending coming at first, it took me a little while although I think it was pretty transparent to make Blair a perfect shooter in the beginning of the novel..I was just waiting for the moment she’d pick up a gun again and save the day.

3.5 stars rounded up. It is a YA novel and a quick read.

Perfect for fans of Good Girls Guide to Murder. A super quick fast paced Murder mystery set in podcast form. I read this in 2 hours of one sitting. Really enjoyed this quick mystery.

Missing Clarissa, by Ripley Jones
3.5-4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TRIGGER WARNINGS-
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Murder, death, sexual assault, kidnapping

I'd give this book a 3.5-4/5 stars

Twenty years ago a high school senior was out in the woods at a party with nearly 100 other people and vanished without a trace. No one knew where she went or what might have have happened to her, no one could find her at all. Now 20 years later two high school journalist students are set on figuring out what happened to her. So they decide to do a podcast about her disappearance as their journalist class project.

I read this book in one sitting. I found this book to be very thought provoking and intriguing, it pulls you right in. I love that it had progressive characters who had very valid points about the way the justice system and jail operates. It also made you think about various cultures and it had gay characters and different racial characters. It's nice to see that many teens now-a-days are getting to see themselves represented in books.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/ Wednesday Books for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this a lot- pacing was quick, characters were well developed and it kept me guessing. I enjoyed the podcast concept and think it could easily be a series.