There were two things about this novel that made it a spectacular and engaging read:
1) The mystery of Clarissa. I had no clue whodunnit until I was told point-blank. And that makes this a first-rate mystery in and of itself. (Granted, my days of binging Snapped are far behind me, so maybe my detective skills are rusty.) I was totally rapt by the mystery of Clarissa for the duration. I stayed up late and woke up early just to read more. I could not get enough!

2) How long has it been since I have read a third-person omniscient narrative? Aside from one instance where the narrator interjected via parenthetical note, the writing of Missing Clarissa is magnificent! Such a clever form of storytelling, jumping from character thoughts and perspectives to create depth and intrigue. It really helps flesh out the characters well and in a believably timely format.

But unfortunately, this is a 3-star review. What drug Missing Clarissa down from being a solid 4 stars is the frequent and objectionable liberal pandering. It's not unbelievable but still shocking to read such fastidious views injected into literature targeted toward the most influenceable of audiences. Yeesh. And I must point out how absolutely hypocritical this entire book is. So much talk about how disgusting it is when people romanticize dead girls, and how unfair it is that dead pretty white girls get all the publicity when so many others are murdered every day--which, yeah, I agree--and yet, what is this whole book about? Missing Clarissa is a fictional story of a pretty white girl who got murdered. Why didn't Cam and Blair find another local dead girl and write about her, try to find her? Wouldn't that have made a stronger point? Did you think of that when you were spewing your feministliberalabolitionist views all over this novel, Ms. Jones?

Politics and political correctness aside, I really enjoyed Missing Clarissa! (Though I probably won't read more by this author in the future.)

A quick read that kind of fell flat for me at the end. I didn’t love the characters and while I know this book is young adult, the girls felt super immature and stuck up which I wasn’t a fan of. If you enjoy young adult and mystery with a podcast thrown in, this is for you!

A story within a story, Ripley Jones’ Missing Clarissa follows the investigative journalism work of two high school students who create a true crime podcast based on an unsolved murder in their hometown.

In the same vein of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Missing Clarissa is a story about how amateur podcasters unravel a cold case mystery that forever altered the town they live in.

What’s different is the mystery itself — in a GGGTM, the big reveal is big, indeed, and the thrill factor worked into a fast-paced plot keeps readers on the edge of their seat. Missing Clarissa doesn’t have the same impact — the plot is too easy to work out early on, and the unmasking of the killer at the end is neither interesting nor is it pulse-pounding.

The personal storylines are well-crafted, even if at times they move very slowly. Plus, protagonists Cam and Blair have an entertaining friendship dynamic. Also, Cam’s relationship with Sophie is a big redeeming factor in the book — and so is Blair’s slowly improving relationship with her self.

Missing Clarissa wraps things up with a light sincerity that is a staple for the book. Although some parts can be played off as predictable, Ripley Jones creates an intriguing and accessible world.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book. This was a really well-written, smart, modern YA mystery/suspense novel. I enjoyed the friendship between the main characters and found their many poor decisions to be explained by their age and well-developed character attributes. It is a quick and fun read but notable in its self-awareness, diversity (race/ethnicity, LGBQT+, neurodiversity).

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones.

This is a YA thriller in which two friends start a true crime podcast for a school project - and there are dangerous consequences that come from it. In the summer of 1999, cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods and is never seen again. Over twenty years later, Blair and Cameron are determined to unravel the truth about what happened to Clarissa. In the process, the secrets of the small town begin unraveling.

I truly love thrillers with the podcast element, so was eager to jump into this one. I liked that we got to see the girls setting up the podcast instead of the book already jumping into it. Some YA books teeter on the edge of adult, but this one is truly YA. As the MCs interview individuals who knew Clarissa well, they begin uncovering secrets that they never had imagined. Love the LGBTQ+ representation in both the teens and adults in this story. This is a quick YA thriller read with a good twist, but found it just being OK for me as the main characters fell a bit flat, I wanted more depth from them, and I sometimes felt myself confused by who was narrating (Not sure if that was a formatting issue or what).

A thrilling and tense mystery inspired by true crime podcasts that will have you glues to the edge of your seat as you guess what happened to Clarissa when she disappeared from the small town of Oreville in 1999. This mystery/thriller, was fast paced and dynamic and will have you guessing till the very last pages.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the copy of Missing Clarissa. Don’t be put off that this is listed as a YA book, because this is a great read! I loved how when we learn what happened to Clarissa’s friends after high school they teach some wise lessons about people not always being who they seem to be. Blair and Cameron are captivating characters and complement each other perfectly. If you’re looking for a fast, engrossing read, try this one. I’m glad I did and will be looking out for more books by Ripley Jones.

An excellent and spellbinding read! I could not put it down. Have you ever read something so compelling you couldn’t rest until it was finished? Missing Clarissa did that for me. It was a little slow at the beginning as Jones unfolded both the mystery and our two protagonists, but by the first few pages, I was hooked. I’ve been recommending it to my colleagues and students. My students will just have to wait until it comes out in March, but it’s on my list to buy for my library! I’m looking forward to more from Ripley Jones.

A solid YA debut! When I saw this compared to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I immediately added it to my TBR list. Missing Clarissa has a fast moving plot and extremely relatable characters. Blair and Cam are two sides of a coin who I think will easily draw in a diverse group of young adult readers. While the market is currently oversaturated with true crime novels, the prose and plot stood out enough to keep me engaged in the story from start to finish. I do have one complaint, which is why this is a 4 star, rather than 5 star read for me. As an MC, Blair seems to be slightly less fleshed out than Cam (how can you compare against her fiery personality though). With Cam you get a sense of who she is, what she wants, while Blair tells us her fears, she doesn’t have the same presence on the page. You’re told rather than shown. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, especially Cam’s growth and learning between beginning and conclusion. If you loved One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this one won’t disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In 1999, the most popular girl in school goes missing, the case quickly became cold, and Clarissa was never found. Flashforward over twenty years later at the same high school, two juniors decide to create a true crime podcast with the hopes of cracking the infamous case in their small town of what really happened to Clarissa.

Much to their surprise, their modest podcast starts gaining popularity as the girls uncover secrets that have been kept well-hidden over the years. As the girls get closer and closer to the truth they must risk it all – including their own safety.

This was a quick, easy and fun YA thriller. It reminded me a little bit of Muderers in the Building and I enjoyed the dynamic between to the two best friends. Overall, I would recommend this if you are looking for a thriller but not wanting something too intense. ⭐️⭐️⭐️! Thank you, @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for for giving me this advanced copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Missing Clarissa will hit shelves March 7, 2023.

I can't wait to read another book from this author! I absolutely thought Missing Clarissa was an exciting and thrilling story. I know that the true crime podcast theme has been done a lot but I especially enjoyed that this book was about friends working on a high school project with podcasting! It provided an unique variation to read about and I was all for it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read this in advance!

In the vein of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Truly Devious, Missing Clarissa is (so far) a stand-alone YA book about a cold case mystery investigation by not one but two teenage girls via podcast (for school of course). Cameron P. Muñoz or Cam is the now-clichéd “I’m super smart in books and math but don’t get people” teenage girl (similar to Pip from AGGGTM series and Stevie from TD series). Blair is her best friend and gets roped into Cam’s impetuous schemes. Blair also has an inferiority complex despite her decent skills as an athlete, writer, and being an overall empathetic and caring person. What starts off as an “easy A and ticket to Harvard “ for their Journalism class turns into a full blown search for Truth and Justice (capitalization for a hint of sarcasm). Maybe I’m just a cynical middle aged lady but the rants on social injustice, racism, colonialism, etc. were a bit too preachy, idealistic, and self-righteous for my taste though all were valid points of course, just their presentation felt insincere and inorganic. I sometimes forget teenagers can be super intense but the characters sometimes lacked the depth or well-roundedness to seem real or believable. Overall I enjoyed the story and devoured it just like I did the entire AGGGTM and TD series. This book felt like it was just missing some element to be as good or compelling as those books. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Missing Clarissa is a gripping debut novel by Ripley Jones that tells the story of the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell, a popular cheerleader who vanished from a party in the woods outside her small town. The story is told through the eyes of Blair and Cameron, two high-school juniors who start a true crime podcast in an effort to unravel the mystery of what happened to Clarissa.

The characters in Missing Clarissa are brilliantly drawn - they feel like people you may have known in high school. Blair and Cameron are relatable and sympathetic, and the other characters in the book are well-developed and intriguing. The plot is well-paced and suspenseful, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened to Clarissa. The writing is a unique mix of dark, funny, and grit. Fully engrossing novel. I read this novel in a state of intense, breathless excitement and I NEVER SAW THE ENDING COMING. Which is rare. Extremely rare for me. There is outstanding LGBTQ+ representation in both the teenagers and the adults. There is neurodivergent representation (at least I think?). The twists were great.

I will be the first one to say that I think true crime podcasts are overdone in thrillers/suspense novels lately, but this one was done extremely well in a smart and sophisticated way.

I don't read a lot of YA novels. I told myself ''I'll just start this one and go to sleep. 8 hours later, it's 5 am, I haven't slept, I am absolutely dazzled.

Why am I not giving it 5 stars? I felt like the main characters were not given the same depth. Cameron was beautifully rendered, but Blair seemed like an afterthought. There wasn't the same progression of her character's traits or a satisfying conclusion for her and I really wish there was.

In sum, Missing Clarissa is a fantastic debut novel that won't let go of its readers until they reach the final page.
If you like suspenseful books, I think you'll really like this one.

Read this if you liked :
- One of Us is Lying
- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
- Pretty Little Liars if the representation of Emily didn't suck
- Podcast My Favourite Murder / Crime Junkie

Quick and easy true crime type read. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because the main characters are young high school and I could not relate to them as much as a woman in my late 30s. HOWEVER, the mystery aspect and the arm chair detective aspects of this book were great. It was a compelling story with believability and a good twist ending.

Missing Clarissa is compared to Sadie and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, two of my all-time favorite books, so I was very excited when I got my hands on it.

Blair was sweet and I couldn't help, but root for her. It's always great to watch someone overcome their insecurities and lose their fear of judgement from others. She's definitely going to be fan favorite. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Cam. It was very hard to connect with her, especially the way she treated people. I had no sympathy for her, but I did enjoy her banter with her mother.

Which leads me to the second problem; I couldn't get into this book. It wasn't the pacing, which was steady or the mystery because everyone loves a nice who-dun-it. I think it was the lack of stakes for me. I didn't understand why the podcast about Clarissa was so important to Blair and Cam, why they wanted to solve the crime. Sure, it was for school and justice but there were no personal stakes.

3⭐️. Although I would Listen to Missing Clarissa, if it were a real podcast. I would not even pay the MC's, Cam and Blair, to find my missing sock.

Missing Clarissa is about two teenage girls, who for their journalism project, decide to make a podcast about the disappearance of the local, pretty white blond girl in their town and find the answers many others couldn't.

I really liked the blurb of this book. However many aspects of this book are not new/fresh nor challenged enough. Cam and Blair were a bit flat and I disliked how we got a ending recording from Blair but not Cam. There was also more emphasis on one suspect than the actual killer which was weird to me.


The characters kept bringing up white supremacy and the fact that people in their town only cared about Clarissa because she was a "dead pretty [white] girl." This fact isn't challenged in the book only brought up, a lot. I feel like the author should have made Clarissa nonwhite then. It is one thing to state the obvious, the status quo, it is another to challenge it. The novel to me lacked depth. The characters kept saying things that were correct in my eyes, in regards to capitalism, white supremacy and prison abolition, but yet again the story did absolutely nothing to challenge that. The style of the writing was too simplistic for such statements. The author never went into depth on what such statements/beliefs would mean/look like for the characters. For example, a character talks about "what good will the police be?" And that "marginalized people" go to prison but the killer And the main suspect were white. Also the MC's called and used the police All the time. They didn't do things only by themselves they used the police and police resources, so the police did them a lot of good.

I did like how we got to see the girls set up the podcast instead of the book starting off with it already put together. The MC kept saying that they didn't see Clarissa as a person and that can ring true in real life. Often, because of the true crime boom, the victims of horrible crimes are seen/used as characters for entertainment. There was a good amount of self awareness from the MC's that I liked but that too was not challenged enough in the novel. I know the spotlight in this book is on Clarissa but I felt that the MC's could be padded more. I did like Cam and Blair's relationship but that too felt shallow. There was no declaration, no "I'm in this with you b/c I love you and you're my best friend" type of declaration, even when Cam was in danger. To me Cam and Blair didn't have a deep enough connection.

I recommend this novel for mystery/thriller fans who want a quick YA murder mystery read with surface level revolutionary comments.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid, fast-paced mystery that felt like it belonged on the younger endd of the age spectrum (aside from two uses of the C word) - the characters are messy teens who make silly mistakes and bad decisions and at times Cam felt annoyingly young or immature but I enjoyed the book and it was a quick and easy read. I especially loved that Cam is queer! Mysteries so rarely feature queer characters!

Twenty years ago, the school’s most beloved girl disappeared from a party in the woods. Since then, Clarissa’s case has gone cold. Today, two students, Blair and Cam, decide to start a podcast as a project for their journalism class. Their investigation quickly goes from casual curiosity to an ambitious search for justice as they discover a complex web of secrets that never made it to light.

This is a really enjoyable mystery to partake in. I enjoyed the girls' journey and their relentlessness in finding the truth. Their podcast turned investigation becomes a harrowing adventure. The chapters are fittingly structured as podcast episodes while the girls complete each one. As they continue to find new information, the layers and suspicions build the tension into an epic conclusion.

We get to see Blair and Cam grow and learn more about themselves along the way. It’s a story full of teenage angst, coming-of-age drama between friends and family, bravely coming out, and a fight for the truth. I enjoyed journeying with them through the highs and lows of high school and seeing them take on something that is very adult in nature where everyone else has seemingly failed.

The tone and style of the narrator’s voice is perfectly appropriate for the girls, letting their unique and polar opposite personalities shine through. The writing really puts the reader into their perspectives. This was a fun, fast-paced story and I recommend it to any young adult readers. If you are looking for something easy, exciting, and emotional, this is a great story for you.

I'm not quite sure how to write this review as I'm teetering between this novel being really great and profound, to it's a story that's too similar to other books out there. There's a lot going on in Missing Clarissa, but I'll do my best in writing my thoughts on this story.

Missing Clarissa is a true whodunit kind of story with main characters who are on a compelling drive to find the truth of a missing victim, who may or may not be dead. There are decent supportive characters and the plot itself is pretty straightforward - there's an open case of a murdered teen years ago and 20 years later best friends Blair and Cameron decides to take on this murder mystery for a Journalism class project.
The book was pretty easy to read and the crime itself was your typical "murdered victim still missing" kind of plot. The main characters Blair and Cameron are your typical teenagers in high school still trying to find their identities and not too sure on why the missing teenager saga has practically taken over their current lives.

There are lots of minute details in the story that eventually led up to solving the mystery and the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell brings out some well hidden secrets from the past. However, where I got a bit confused were the "confessions" or thoughts of some of the "suspects" that the writer put in the story itself. All of a sudden, in the middle of the story there are several long paragraphs from some of the characters as if the writer was trying to tell you their thoughts. It just didn't make sense the way it was presented and almost felt unnecessary. If the writer was trying to share the innermost thoughts of the characters, then their thoughts should have been presented in a separate section or more meshed into the story.

And now comes my irritation for some of the mini plots in this story - and some minor spoilers here:
You can clearly tell that the writer was trying to insert some kind of social justification for Cameron who was borderline lesbian and trying to discover herself. There were also some descriptions of "white" that felt odd the way it was presented in the story. There were also obvious notations of racial issues, sexual orientations, social injustices, and gender discrimination. I mean, all of these topics are important and crucial in everyday life, but in this story, it just felt disjointed and placed into the story at odd and unfitting places.

Other than some of the ill-placed injustices (and mind you, I get that the author was trying to call these out), it just wasn't very smoothly placed into the story. But aside from what I pointed out in this review, the story itself was a good read. I liked both Blair and Cam, Cam's mom, Sophie, and even James, Blair's clueless jock boyfriend.
Overall, I do recommend this book to read as it's a pretty straightforward whodunit story. The main characters are easy to like and aside from a few dull areas, the author did a pretty decent job of getting to the grit of the story and ending the story in a justified way.

This was incredible and everything I want from a thriller. I loved the characters and the way they were written, they were like the opposites of each other, but they made for such a good duo. The plot was fantastic, but I won't spoil anything about that. I'll be reading more from this author for sure.