Teenage protagonists often make for good narrators: they exaggerate their feelings, act without a lot of thought, and do not have the experience to recognize danger. In Missing Clarissa, Cameron passionately pursues “the truth” about a girl who disappeared from their town twenty years ago. Cameron convinces her best friend Blair to partner with her to make a podcast about the disappearance for their journalism class. What could go wrong.
While this reads like a young adult novel (and might be published with that in mind), this book will appeal to fans of Only Murders in the Building whose characters also seem to be without filters. It is a quick read with the suspense and multiple suspects that keep the reader wanting more. Even if it is shelved with young adults, recommend it to your adult readers as well.

Very few YA books are in the thriller/true crime category and this one nailed it. I was invested in this novel from the very beginning and could not put it down. I read this in two days. It was enthralling, engaging, and tenses. There was no shortage of suspects or motives and it was full of intrigue. I definitely think this will be on e of the Springs hottest books for young adults and adults alike!

I saw “Missing Clarissa” on Netgalley and immediately requested it after I saw it was marketed for fans of “A good girl’s guide to murder”. I can see the similarities between them, but, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s not a bad book by any means, I just wished the ending was perhaps more shocking – the plot twist was a bit predictable. But, overall, it’s a great, fast-paced read!

One of the two main characters, Cameron, got on my nerves so much because, for some reason, she was written as such a “not like other girls” character and it got tiring fast. She’s constantly ignoring everyone’s boundaries, even when the person specifically told her not to do something. She never takes anyone’s advice and often gets herself into sticky situations just because she can’t listen. She’s written to be the unique, “manic pixie dream girl”-type of character and god, she pissed me off constantly. Blair was quite a nice character and I liked her arc – she starts off as a scared character, but evolves during the book to a character that fully accepts themselves, which was nice. I also really liked Sophie, she was so down-to-earth. The book also has lesbian rep, if you wish to know.

I did like the story and how to evolved, but I did think the pace was a bit off at times, especially during the middle for a little bit. The beginning of book and the end were super fun and action-packed. The ending was a tiny bit absurd, but it was definitely fun to read – Blair is such a badass. I loved how the author sprinkled clues here and there and it’s definitely one of those mysteries that’s not hard to figure out with the characters. Another thing the book did well was how it handled Cameron’s actions – I truly appreciated how everything had actual consequences and that she does, eventually, learn from her mistakes.

I wished we could’ve had more chapters in podcast form, as those are always very fun. I think only the introduction of the podcast gets a chapter written as a dialogue, but it’s honestly not that big of a deal. The writing was definitely fitting for the book – it reads like a YA mystery and it flows nicely. The author nailed the sarcasm in this one – I found the jokes to be funny, which is rare.

Overall, “Missing Clarissa” was an engaging read that you can finish in one-sitting. I definitely think fans of “A good girl’s guide to murder” might enjoy this one as well if they go in without sky-high expectations. It’s fun and quick to read and it’s got interesting characters. I might check out the author’s future books as well!

Sorry. I dnfed. I wasn't crazy about the writing style. The synopsis signed cool though. Thank you for the chance to read it!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great hit by Ripley Jones. The story was very fast paced, and I am so glad it didn't have the every chapter alternating between the voices of Cam and Blair, I think the story flows much better written the current way.

Beautiful dead cheerleader? Check
High schooler starting amateur podcast for class assignment? Check
Stereotype wildly different bestfriends, partners in crime? Check
Small town drama and politics? Check

This story has all the making of a great YA thriller.

Pub date: 3/7/23
Genre: YA thriller
One sentence summary: Blair and Cameron make it their mission to find out what happened to town golden girl Clarissa twenty years ago - but there's a reason the truth has stayed hidden.

This book is billed for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and there are plenty of similarities. Two friends working on a podcast, a small town filled with secrets, kids and adults acting very shady, etc. I enjoyed this book, but it didn't wow me. Some of it was the characters - Cameron was pretty insufferable, and I hated how she treated Blair at some points in the book. Some of it was the pacing - it felt like it took forever to get any info, and then things happened all at once. I guessed some of the plot points, but not others, so I did get to enjoy those surprises.

Overall, this book will satisfy a YA thriller craving, and I can see teens enjoying it! It just didn't capture the magic of AGGGTM for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Missing Clarissa is a very broad idea about how true crime can sometimes be viewed by the general population and how it can go wrong very quickly. Blair and Cameron find this out the hard way. I think this was a decent thriller, but I think that it took a bit to really get into the thick of it. While I enjoyed it and it was a satisfying ending, I think the build up was a bit too slow for me. I liked that real actions had real consequences. I loved the lessons that were taught to mainly Cameron, but Blair as well. I did think that the twist at the end was well done and I liked the little clues sprinkled throughout.

I think the way that so much about how they're going about the podcast, them realizing that this was a real person, who's disappearance affected so many people was a great theme that I think we (as true crime consumers) should take a note from. We often forget that these are real people and real crimes that affected so many. I also loved how Sophie was so realistic about how true crime views things through a white lens and that statistics about POC/Indigenous murders were included. While the voice was confusing at times, I did enjoy the writing style and after the initial slowness, it was pretty fast paced. Overall, a nice read.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5

“Everyone loves a dead girl.”

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones is a Young Adult thriller about two best friends who created a podcast to try and solve a cold case from their hometown twenty years ago. Driven by their goal of achieving an “A” in journalism class, the duo combines forces to interview those who knew Clarissa in hopes of uncovering the truth. Little did they know this would get them into trouble along the way. This who-done-it/Nancy-Drew-style story is predictable but would be an enjoyable read for young adults.

The story overall was pretty good, but the amount of build up to only deflate towards the end kind of burned me on it. Definitely a good YA story though, and I can see so many teenagers really
Enjoying the story.

I truly wanted to like this book as it talked about a podcast and solving a murder. Like, let's get this show on the road. Yeah, umm, I was just over it by the middle of the book, but I wanted to keep going. Our main character Cameron just about drove me nuts. As well as, there were way too many crushes and romances going on for my liking in a murder mystery solving book. Yes, they did When Cameron and Blair decide to take on the topic in journalism class of solving the murder of Clarissa, you would think they would hit nothing but dead ends. Yet, what they uncover is way more than that. I couldn't understand why when told by others, 'you sound muffled are you recording in a bathroom' why Cameron or Blair never fixed this. It was mentioned several times. I did like the surprise of knowing who was behind the murder as that was one person I was not expecting. I liked how there were consequences when not having the correct information, and it was not just swept under the rug.

Solid 3.5 stars. A fun fast paced whodunit. I wish the girls actually had some interest in podcasts as I found the beginning of the story to be clunky. I’ll be honest, I definitely disliked Cam and her brazen immaturity, but the story itself and her mom, Irene, made up for it.

Also, now seeing the cover, it seems a bit too on the nose given the conclusion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two teenagers start a podcast for a school project, looking into the disappearance of a pretty, popular cheerleader from their school 20 years earlier. I was anticipating loving this, but it was just all right for me. The mystery was okay, but the characterization was off-putting. Both girls were aggravating and hard to get behind, particularly Cam. Perhaps that's true to life and many teenagers are little sh*ts who need to grow up and learn how to behave appropriately and/or grow a backbone (depending on which of the girls we are talking about), but that doesn't mean I want to read a book about them. Also, it seems unlikely that adults are going to spill their guts to two teenager girls digging into highly personal stuff.

Great concept for a book! What starts as a class assignment becomes so much more to Cam and Blair. A teenager goes missing in a time before these girls were even born; the disappearance becomes the great unsolved mystery and legend of Oreville. Everyone has a theory, but there are not enough facts to lead the case in any direction. When the teens take on the assignment, they begin to shake things up in their little town as they interview people present at the time of the disappearance. So many lives were changed by the disappearance; even more lives are changing with the girls' podcast as they finally bring to light what was happening in the last months of Clarissa's life. Both girls develop their journalistic skills while dealing with the insecurities of youth. Great use of the highs and lows of high school: the arrogance, the feeling that now is the most important time of your life, the mood swings. I would have like a few more details about what actually happened, but this is more realistic. A truly captivating story from beginning to end!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this title ahead of publication.

Interesting concept! Unique characters, even the ones I wanted to strangle. The pacing was something of a struggle. This was a perfectly fine read.

After binging the INHERITANCE GAMES series this was the perfect galley to pick up. It totally scratched that teen murder mystery vibe I was going for.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones publishing date march 2023. What happens when two high school friends decide to do a podcast for their journalism class. They are trying to solve the mystery of a disappearance twenty years ago. When a beautiful high school cheerleader disappears at a post graduation party in the Washington woods. What secrets are the people of this small town hiding. This is a great book. I highly recommend

Two high school students decide to investigate the mystery of a local girl who went missing twenty years earlier for a school project, giving this book a fresh take on the slew of podcast-themed novels to hit the market lately. The diverse cast of quirky and endearing characters shed light on small town politics and secrets while providing readers with a variety of potential suspects and motives.

This fast-paced thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for the girls as I raced to read the suspenseful conclusion of a tale that is sure to appeal to both YA and adult audiences!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOWWWWW. This novel was so intense! Very suspenseful and mysterious. The writing style was fantastic and the storyline was one that really made you think and gave you a shock at the end. Excellent!!

A solid 3.5⭐ but I've rounded down to a 3 for a few reasons.

Blair and Cam are best friends. Blair is kind and empathetic. She has dreams of being a writer, but her insecurities have kept her from sharing this dream with anyone, even Cam. Cam is brash and arrogant. We are told that she is highly intelligent but we do not directly see this in the writing. She is impulsive and judgmental. The characters mention that while Cam isnt a nice person she is a good person which is hopeful for her character. She does seem to grow and mellow out a little when she begins to date.

The girls have a project for their Journalism class. They have decided, or well Cam decided, that their project would be a podcast about a local girl who went missing twenty years ago. Clarissa was the popular cheerleader who had a wild streak. Everyone who knew her said she was a kind person, a great artist. The night she disappeared she had been fighting with her boyfriend, Brad, which made him suspect number one to the authorities. There were also rumors swirling about a teacher who was too close to some of the girls, Clarissa included. Clarissa was at a party in the woods, did I mention that this novel is set in the PNW with all the gloomy forests and winding roads? I digress, the party in the woods, a place where the kids still party twenty years later, was well attended. She was seen by a great number of people and then she wasn't. All of a sudden she disappeared right in front of everyone's eyes.

Cam and Blair, twenty years after Clarissa's disappearance, embark on their podcast. At first for a grade, but as they get deeper they begin to want to find Clarissa for justice, to help heal those affected most by her disappearance. Sticking their noses into the lives of the people left isn't the safest endeavor the girls find.

I like the plot, it's engaging and kept me engaged through all 500+ pages (!) in the Next Galley app. I did feel that the descriptions were long winded and could have been cut short, which would help with the length a little. Cam's character is very abrasive. I'm not sure if that was intended but she's much more likable towards the end of the novel. I also wish that the podcast scenes were more fleshed out. Half the time I don't even realize that the girls are recording a podcast episode until they've put it up. I just feel like high school seniors doing a project would be taking this more seriously. They put the same thought into their podcast episodes that I put into an IG story post and less than I put into my book reviews.

I would recommend this to thriller lovers and those that enjoy the PNW setting.

A huge thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's / Wednesday Books and of course the author for providing an e-ARC for my review purposes. This did not influence my review in any way.