Quick and easy read. Nothing really new or surprising here. I was interested enough to read the whole thing, but I definitely don’t think it compares to other titles in this genre as a standout.

I found the characters to be rather forgettable, although also irritating. I did not like the excessive description of race. It felt jarring, and wasn’t necessary to the story. The writing didn’t always flow well in other ways - perhaps the alternating perspectives wasn’t as seamless as it could have been.

Overall, 2,5-3 stars.

I absolutely loved this! There’s just something about a murder mystery podcast that just does it for me! I liked how it went back and forth between the girls looking for information and then clips from their actual podcast. I had my suspicions on who might have had something to do with Clarissa’s disappearance but I was definitely surprised a bit at who it actually was. I can’t wait to get a finished copy!

When juniors Blair and Cameron start a podcast to solve the 20-year-old mystery of a high school cheerleader gone missing, they have no idea the can of worms they are about to open. The school project quickly gains national attention both for the cold case and the girls covering it. But it's the attention of a potential murderer that puts Blair and Cameron in danger, and there is more than one suspect they have to watch out for.

MISSING CLARISSA by Ripley Jones is a fast-paced thriller with an intriguing premise. An enjoyable and quick read, though there wasn't quite that high-level of connection to the characters to make me feel as invested in their story as I wanted to be.

A thrilling whodunnit that I devoured in one sitting. Two friends figuring themselves out while delving into an unsolved case for the sake of a podcast. It starts out as a journalist project with a hook, but all too soon they realize that at the heart of this story is real people - and not all of them want the story told.

Just because a character is smart doesn't mean she isn't impulsive, misguided, and chaotic, and that comes through in Cameron, while Blair takes her time to figure things out. These besties were a little hard to seperate at the beginning because the writing jumps between their perspectives, but by the end I knew who they were and what they'd do to find justice.

Great book! I was pretty surprised by the ending! It was thrilling and fun.

I received this copy free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

I love a YA mystery/thriller. Always a quick read, I can never guess who the killer is (that’s literally me with all mystery/thrillers - I am continuously surprised), this had pretty high stakes near the end which I wasn’t expecting.

Two teenagers are making a podcast for a class project about a girl who disappeared in their town before they were even born. What started as them not entirely taking the case seriously, suddenly taking a turn when they start to interview people in Clarissa’s life who have kept silent for too long.

I thought the pacing of this novel was good, though the ending was a little rushed once we found out who the killer was. Also, I kept getting super annoyed by Cam. This girl was trying to be a journalist and just walking into interviews starting off asking if they’d killed Clarissa 😂😂 like girl you can’t just go around accusing people of murder 😂😂. But then I had to remind myself she was 16 and had no filter and people still continued to talk to her on the record, so I guess 😂😂.

I really loved Blair, she had sort of a parallel to Clarissa and I wondered at one point if her storyline would take the same route.

I would have liked more of Sophie woven in. I was think she was an underutilized side character.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I finished it pretty quickly because I wanted to know who did it 😂, and I was, as always, surprised when I learned who it was. I’d recommend this one if you love young adult mystery/thrillers.

Missing Clarissa is one of those books that I thought I would like, and then read it and didn't really like it.

My gripes with this book:
- Cam's character: She continually betrays Blair's trust then gets instantly forgiven just because she says sorry (toxic friendship much?) She also hates Blair's boyfriend for apparently no reason - I thought the book was going to turn into BlairCam endgame considering how weirdly possessive of Blair Cam was, but thankfully, it didn't. Cam was also very stupid and had no grasp on the consequences of her actions.
- The writing: Seemed very juvenile? Which is okay in some circumstances but this book did deal with heavy topics such as (view spoiler) where the writing felt inconsistent with the tone.
- The plot progression: The fact that literally every person Blair and Cam talked to was willing to tell them everything - even things they didn't tell the police was so bizarre.

My likes:
- The story: Pretty compelling with some mild twists
- The exposition(??): Lots of important context and discussion on how the media handles missing person cases.
- Sophie: Sophie.

Overall, not a bad book, but not something I see myself reading again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press gifting me “Missing Clarissa” in exchange for an honest review.

Missing Clarissa is a young adult mystery about a pair of high school girls that use a school project to try to solve a missing person case from their small town in Washington state.

Best friends Blair and Cameron decide to use the cold case of missing teen Clarissa Campbell as the subject of their podcast for journalism class. In 1999 Clarissa walked away from a party in the woods and was never seen again. It is a case that’s haunted their small town and captured the attention of a nation. But now twenty-three years later two teenagers with no experience in podcasts or solving crimes are taking a second look at the case. Blair is the more thoughtful and cautious of the two with a jock boyfriend and traditional family whereas Cam is impetuous, likes girls and calls her widowed mother by her first name. But with their combined smarts and efforts they are able to create a podcast that’s an immediate hit with true crime fans and chase down a series of leads that can finally bring some closure to Clarissa’s disappearance. But the closer they come to the answers the more they put their own lives in jeopardy.

Like other popular young adult novels headed up by plucky teenage amateur detectives Missing Clarissa follows a lot of the same beats. But the unique characters in Cam and Blair (plus Cam’s unforgettable mama bear Irene) and the tight storyline that doesn’t include a lot of unlikely scenarios and red herrings make it a standout among the recent young adult mystery releases.

I highly recommend Missing Clarissa (especially the stellar audiobook) to young adult mystery fans and look forward to reading more by Ripley Jones.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This short, fast-paced young adult thriller about best friends who start a true-crime podcast for their journalism project grabbed my attention from the start. Twenty years earlier, head cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears without a trace. Fast-forward to present day, and you have two quirky amateur sleuths – Cam and Blair – digging into the past and finding more than they bargained for. Their podcast starts getting traction as they find signs of a cover-up.

This is a perfect read for fans of Holly Jackson’s Good Girls Guide to Murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Ripley Jones for an early copy of the book.

Best friends Blair and Cameron are an odd couple, very different yet sharing a strong bond. The intrepid pair choose to do a true crime podcast for their senior journalism assignment, In August of 1999, popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell vanished without a trace following a keg party in the woods of rural Washington state. Intense investigation at the time came up with no leads and no traces of the teen and it became an urban legend. The girls' new interviews uncover some ugly secrets and a few small town gods may have feet of clay. When their car is ran off the road one dark and rainy night it becomes clear someone wants their podcast to cease. Although a YA novel the tension is intense and the mystery well developed enough to appeal to anyone who enjoys a solid crime thriller. Another strength of the narrative are the likeable fully fleshed characters. Socially awkward, quirky Cam balanced by popular, cheerful logically Blair make an engaging team. The cold case of the missing teenager could be the topic of any current podcast or true crime news journal giving it wide appeal. I was unfamiliar with this author but will be on the lookout for more of their work in the future.

I really enjoyed this! It was face paced and reminded me a bit of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Blair was a fun character, as were Sophia and Irene. Cam, at times, was a bit frustrating. I did see the twist coming from very early on, but still found myself going through the rest of the book rather quickly. Overall, an entertaining read!

A young adult thriller with elements of true crime and podcasting? SOLD! That was easy.

MISSING CLARISSA is a story of two best friends assigned a project in class and decide to revisit a cold case of a missing girl 20+ years before from their town. They choose a podcast as their medium which starts off slow but then they start getting more and more listeners as it seems the local townspeople (and the country) are very much interested in seeing if the truth can be unearthed after all this time. But they say that everyone's interested in a dead white girl. There are stats and callouts for non-white girls who are kidnapped and the lack of efforts put into their cases and how so many are just shrugged off by law enforcement and the media.

Former boyfriends, friends, classmates, teachers, and even the parents are involved in interviews... and someone (or multiple someones) know more than what is provided at first. It's a race to see if the girl is missing or actually dead.

Quite a bit of representation here (POC, LGBTQ+, etc) and I think it's all handled in a truthful way.

Pick this one up if you're a Holly Jackson/Good Girls Guide to Murder fan for sure! But I think there's something in this one for everyone to latch onto and enjoy.

Friends, Blair and Cam, start with a high school journalism project and end up with something completely different.

A whirlwind of a story will keep you guessing as you follow leads and talk to towns people with the girls.

An enjoyable story and must read if you love YA mystery/suspense books.

I went into this one not knowing anything about it. I assumed it was about a missing girl named Clarissa but that’s it.
I was pleasantly surprised when I found out about the podcast in the story. If you follow my reviews then you’ll know I am obsessed.

I have both the physical and audio book. I ended up listening to the audiobook because of the podcast.

Missing Clarissa is a story about two high school girls who set out to do a podcast as part of a journalism project. The podcast is about a girl named Clarissa who went missing in 1999.

What is it about teens solving crimes that I find so fascinating?!
I loved both of the girls. They were the complete opposite of each other but it made for a fun story. Cam was the impulsive teenager that I was sure was gonna get them killed. Blair was the calm and collected one. Both characters were great and the author still gave us real life moments with them. It wasn’t all solving crimes.

Overall this was an amazing debut! I highly recommend it.

A riveting tale of two high school friends who set out to solve a murder. Well, sort of. They actually set out to do a podcast as part of a journalism project. But things quickly get out of hand when they start uncovering some very interesting information about a cold case involving the disappearance of local girl. And the resulting "Missing Clarissa" podcast is making several someones very uncomfortable.

An urban mystery, right-on-target teen (and adult) characters, and a charmingly believable telling of what life is like in a small town that never forgives or forgets. If you love a light mystery, you'll love this teen & YA tale.

Don't miss "Missing Clarissa". It's a refreshingly honest unraveling of a small town's memories, mysteries, and the effects one's actions may have on other people.

In 1999, gorgeous head cheerleader Clarissa Campbell, girlfriend of football team captain Brad Bennett, disappears.

Twenty years later, teens Cameron Munoz and Blair Johnson start a true-crime podcast with Clarissa's story. They find signs of a cover-up and their podcast starts to get real attention.

They get into all kinds of trouble before they find answers. Missing Clarissa is an excellent mystery with a strong depth of characterization.

Missing Clarissa was a quick read with characters who reflected 100% who my friends and I would have been if podcasts were a thing when we were teens. The main characters, best friends Clair and Sam felt like genuine, honest people. They made dumb, teenager mistakes that as an adult I could both shake my head at and appreciate.

One thing that I truly loved was how the book touched on / opened a conversation about the injustices and unbalanced distribution of resources when it comes to missing persons of color. The country turns up for missing white people, especially beautiful young women, but statistically this is not the same for PoC. This is a conversation that needs to happen more often, and a situation that needs to be rectified, and I really liked how Ripley Jones brought that up in the story.

While I don't think this was a book 100% for me, as a woman nearing her 40s, it's a book that I will recommend to teen patrons looking for a fun mystery with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

With the announcement of a class project, Blair and Cameron set out to create a podcast based on a tragic event that happened in their town. I really enjoyed the set up of the story in the form of the podcast and in the multiple points of view. Each uniquely added details to round out the story more. The fast paced mystery; both in the past and present, kept me reading and grasping all of the details to find out how it would play out! I loved being transported into the story! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

If you loved A Good Girls Guide to Murder, I highly
recommend this book. The audiobook was amazing
and it sounded exactly like a podcast. So if you're also
a podcast listener, I recommend the audiobook. The
characters were lovable and realistic and it was an
overall amazing book.

I love a good podcast mystery and this one fits the bill! Two teens decide to start a podcast to investigate the local mystery of a popular high school student who went missing in the 90's.

Cameron and Blair quickly dig up dirt on several locals who may have something to hide. The investigation is dangerous and the naiveté and inexperience of the girls lead to some big problems.

Perfect for fans of AGGGTM fans!