I really enjoyed Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones. This was a quick, fun YA thriller with interesting characters. I ended up listening to the audiobook which added another layer to the story. The characters Blair and Cameron are creating a podcast for a class project about a missing local girl. The audio provided additional voices for the podcast and a different audio sound. The characters were well developed with interesting and distinct personalities. While the mystery itself was fairly predictable, that didn't take away from my ability to enjoy the story. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys YA, thrillers, or just needs a fun quick read.

I received this book as an ARC a while ago and didn't get to it. I put it on my list for Arctober and finished it in 2 days. Because it has been out awhile, I was able to listen to a bit of the audiobook so I can tell you that both the book and the audiobook are awesome. So, actually, it helped you. See, so really I did it for y'all! I did it for the review. 🤣🤣 Anyway, the narrator did a great job! IMO, she added to the story. This book reminded me of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. If you liked that book, I'd check it out!

Blair and Cam were typical high school best friends. They were 17 year old girls. Keep in mind this is a YA novel and won't be a complex who-dun-it thriller. I enjoyed the storyline and hearing the music for the podcast in the audiobook. That was pretty neat. I wasn't a fan of Blair calling her mom my her first name (Irene). I must have missed why she did this rather than calling her mom.

I liked that they were doing this research for a class, not just because they were nosey kids. It gave the story depth.

Read This Book If:
You like YA books
You want a book for spooky season but don't want to have to sleep with the lights on.
You need a good audiobook

This was a fun to read YA thriller. I enjoyed the podcast theme with the Nancy Drew feel of the story. Highly recommend to all ages.

I love a good thriller, and I especially love a good thriller that has a mixed media element of some sort. So, Missing Clarissa was already shaping up to be an exciting book for me. I read it in less than 24 hours and loved how each chapter ended with a clip from Blair and Cameron’s podcast assignment. By the end of the book though, I felt as though the whole disappearance/murder was figured out too easily - the person behind everything was too obvious. As soon as this person was introduced to the book, I thought to myself: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it.” And I was right. There was some important social commentary sprinkled throughout the book that added to its depth, but the storyline led up to a predictable twist that I guessed from a mile away, which was sort of a bummer and affected my overall feelings on the plot and characters in this young adult thriller.

CW for disappearance, murder, cheating, loss of loved one.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones.

This was an okay read for me. I went in expecting A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and while Missing Clarissa definitely has some similar vibes to that, it didn’t quite meet the mark.

One of our MCs, Cam, felt immature, and I had trouble following her thoughts on occasion. The suspense element was fine, but I felt it could have been a bit more fleshed out. Basically, the premise was great and executed fine, but I wanted a bit more.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

DNF @ 20%

I have tried to get into this book both in the physical copy as well as audio and I just could not. The main character was just too juvenile and I could not get in to the story.

This was a YA thriller with a missing girl, a podcast and two intrepid teens. It definitely hit the tropes of this genre. I will read the second in the series but I would have liked to see a little bit more from this book.

In their high school journalism class project, two teenage girls embark on a podcast creation journey. Their chosen subject: a mysterious missing person’s case that has remained unsolved for two decades.

The enigmatic disappearance revolves around the story of Clarissa Campbell, a beautiful high school student who vanished without a trace in 1999 after attending a local party in their quaint town. Despite years passing, her body was never discovered, and no one was ever brought to justice.

These two young amateur sleuths conduct a series of interviews, speaking with both the suspects linked to the case and individuals who were intimately connected to Clarissa, including their own mothers who shared a personal connection with the missing girl.

The book unfolds in a unique format, structured like a series of podcast episodes, with each chapter dedicated to investigating a different suspect. This storytelling approach makes for a swift and highly engaging read, drawing readers into the compelling mystery at the heart of the narrative.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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. She's a cheerleader, she's white, and she's beautiful.

Years later, our weird, eccentric, silly, loud, obnoxious, but super cool and would be my best friend too, Cam, comes up with an idea to do a school project on the case in Podcast form with her BFF Blair. Blair, is the total opposite of Cam. She's more subdued, has a boyfriend, and basically levels Cam's crazy ass out. Blair definitely isn't crazy about this idea of a Podcast on the case and isn't sure she wants all of the negative attention it'll bring, but she eventually agrees and they dive right in.

The girls soon discover there is so much more to this mystery than they first though. Some people, like Cam's mom and Clarissa's old boyfriend think she's still alive out there somewhere, others are sure she's been long gone. The thing is...there was never a body. So it could be either option. With their follower count quickly escalating and the threats getting stronger, Cam makes it her sole mission to figure this case out.

This book was fast-paced and just so good. The relationship between Cam and Blair was so real and how high school friendships really are. Cam was internally struggling with Blair having a boyfriend since she didn't have Blair all to herself anymore and Blair was sick of all the crap Cam gave her boyfriend. But in the end, the two were always there for one another.

I know I got to this book late, but now number two is coming out and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

So much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing fantastic Digital ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions. Now, GO READ THIS BOOK!

3.5

Missing Clarissa is about two best friends in present day solving a cold case from 1999 for a school project. They don't expect to get far; their podcast is more about the search, but, of course, the two teens manage what law enforcement and journalists haven't been able to do for decades.

This was a solid YA mystery with a well-thought out plot and dynamic characters and relationships. I think this could have been lengthened just a bit to deepen the crime-hunting storyline, but knowing this is for a YA audience, I think it makes sense where it's at. I would also say the red herring, which is fairly obvious in my mind, is probably actually perfect for this age range of readers.

What I enjoyed most about this book was more the coming-of-age aspect. The main characters are best friends. One of them is confident and sure of her future with a supportive mom. The other is floundering with a disconnected family and an emotionally manipulative boyfriend. Her story of growth throughout this book; finding out what she enjoys and believing in herself as a writer and storyteller was done so well. I loved it. The support between the two best friends was also lovely and their relationship was so relatable, especially the jealousy over partners and the worry about fighting and never being friends again.

I would recommend to those that love light mystery or works that are true-crime adjacent.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

The plot is interesting and well-paced, although the subplots are underdeveloped. The writing itself feels juvenile, which detracts from the story. The character of Sophie feels like an afterthought, shoehorned in to demonstrate

When looking for a subject for their journalism class project, there’s only one junior Cameron Muñoz can imagine doing, dragging her best friend, Blair, along for the ride: a podcast about Clarissa Campbell, the pretty, popular cheerleader who seemingly vanished into thin air 20 years ago after a party in the woods. Everyone blamed her boyfriend, but without a shred of evidence, no one was ever arrested, and her body was never found. Cam thinks they can solve the case once and for all. But it turns out everyone who knew Clarissa was hiding something. And the girls have to be careful not to end up becoming the next girls to wind up missing.

I don’t know why I resisted this book for so long. It was really good and complex for what’s considered a “YA” thriller/mystery. It had rear characters with complex stories and backgrounds, red herrings, twists, and an ending that really hits. I loved it. It was like a classic Agatha Christie; you had to work out the who, what and where, and they did!

And their friendship was adorable. I loved seeing them interact and support each other. It felt genuine, rather than someone imagining what a teenage girl friendship would look like.

There were some, um, issues with the journalism (even the parts not directly addressed as problematic in the story, lol) but authors rarely get that correct anyway, so I’ve learned I have to let that slide. It’s just part of the gig.

I’m glad to see this author has a sequel coming out soon, bringing these teen mystery solvers! I’ll definitely be reading it! So look out for that review when it closer to its release time (in January, I think). I highly encourage everyone to read this book in the meantime!

In 1999, Clarissa, the prettiest and most popular girl in school, disappears. 20 years later, Cam talks her best friend Blair into making a podcast about the cold case of Clarissa's disappearance. Blair and Cam have their own personal struggles, but they are dedicated to solving the mystery. However, they soon realize they’re in over their heads and possibly in danger themselves.

The dynamic between Cam and Blair is the best part of this story. Cam is quirky and oblivious, and she's balanced out by Blair, who is thoughtful and grounded.

This is such a fantastic mystery, and with bonus points for LGBTQ+ representation - a wonderful book!

Missing Clarissa is a new mystery that features two small town high schoolers who are working on a podcast for their journalism class that covers the unsolved disappearance from their parents' high school years. I love the podcast trope in mystery./thrillers as of late and this one is one of my favorites. The main characters aren't true crime experts and they aren't even skilled at podcast making (or have a clue what they're doing - making it believable for a school project). Essentially, they're just winging it.

There are so many possibilities for Missing Clarissa and twists that you don't see coming and so many characters to suspect throughout. I really enjoyed this one - and anyone who loves A Good Girl's Guide to Murder fans will adore Missing Clarissa.

This book was fine, I was able to get halfway through before giving up. The writing felt like it was struggling to copy other similar genres of teens trying to figure out whodunit.

The death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world- Edgar Allen Poe

“ Do you think the case would have gotten so big if she had been somebody else? Somebody less pretty.”

In the Summer of 1999 in the small town of Oreville, Washington a popular young cheerleader disappears into thin air. The residents are left baffled as to what could’ve happened to such a promising young woman. The news of her disappearance goes nationwide as the case grows cold. Until 20 years later, when two high school girls, Cam and Blair, decide to do a podcast about her disappearance as a school project. Missing Clarissa, named after the missing girl, initially was a lighthearted project by the two girls, but quickly spirals into a dangerous situation. Will the girls find out what happened to beautiful Clarissa?

I picked up Missing Clarissa as a fan of true crime podcasts and I’ve see the magic they can do. The premise of the book was great and I was pleased that the book was everything I hoped it would be. Secrets are unearthed and exposed on Cam and Blair’s journey.

I enjoyed watching the two main characters come into their own. Cam is intelligent, but not street smart, and asks the hard questions during interviews which pairs nicely with Blair’s excellent journalism and writing skills. Skills that Blair had been too afraid to share with the world, afraid of rejection and humiliation, but in turn brought in thousands of people to listen to Missing Clarissa. The pair does their research and interviews the key people involved in Clarissas life around the time she went missing leading to them discovering much more than they thought they ever would.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews talking about how unbelievable Cams characters actions are and how they disliked her character. I loved Cams quirky nature. And as for unbelievable, has anybody else ever had a teenage daughter who acts before they think? It’s not too far out of the realm of possibilities for a young girl to be a dingus, especially a teen who is the product of two rebellious parents as described in the book. And come on you guys it’s a fiction novel… It’s supposed to be fiction. If you get what I’m saying.

This is the debut novel for Ripley Jones and it was fantastic. Jones nailed it. The book was engaging. It kept me reading to the end. Everything was tied up in a neat little bow in the end which I appreciate. The twist was a tad bit obvious to me but there were still a lot of surprises along the way. Jones sprinkled some awesome humor here and there and made her characters super inclusive. I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read the next one. Thank you.

My profuse thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Wednesday books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm putting Missing Clarissa firmly in my why-did-I-wait-so-long-to-read-this category. Wow! Although I started by reading the text version, which is fantastic, I switched over to the audio version while traveling, and Missing Clarissa is made for audio. Told in a part podcast and part narrative style, it's completely addictive. Blair and Cameron are snarky, funny, and determined as they not only try to pass their journalism class, but also solve the mystery of what happened to Clarissa. This is YA at its absolute best, and I can't wait for the second book in the series.

“Everyone loves a dead girl with pretty hair.”

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I highly recommend the audiobook. The added sound effects for the podcast were a delightful perk.

As the book said, I was captivated by the allure of a tragedy happening to a beautiful woman. I imagine a lot of us are victims to sensationalization. I wanted to know what happened to Clarissa.

Blair and Cam were great characters and detectives. They reminds me a lot of Pippa in AGGGTM. Their relationship was great although the fast pace made their little rift near the end feel inauthentic. I also would’ve gotten rid of the potential love story between Cam and Sophie since, in my opinion, it didn’t serve a purpose cause Sophie was barely a character.

The voice acting for Irene was the absolute best. She was a powerhouse.

You best believe I want to read the sequel when it’s out.

I could not have loved this book more and I'm so sad it's over. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. 5 stars!!!! Can't wait to read more by Ripley Jones!