I found this to be a sobering read. Ruthy vanished at a bus stop when she was 13 and it forever altered her family. Years later her sisters think they’ve spotted her on a reality show and are determined to prove their hunch.
The one humorous scene is the brawl toward the end, but for most of the book it’s quite sad, I thought.
I was hoping for a different ending, but Ruthy is found, and tells what happened that day, in her own way.

Based on the description, I was originally expecting something a little more soap-y and sensational, but instead, I found WHAT HAPPENED TO RUTHY RAMIREZ to be a tender, character-driven novel. In the story, you follow the remaining women of Ruthy's family as they deal with the grief and the aftermath of their daughter/sister going missing. Interestingly, we're not looking so much at the immediate aftermath, but at the aftermath about 10 years later. Ruthy still hasn't been found, dead or alive, and her absence remains a daily source of grief and pain. Each member of Ruthy's family can trace the way her disappearance marked them and irrevocably changed their life's path. Then one night, Ruthy's grown sisters think they spot her on a reality TV show. From there, they try to track her down and find out if the woman they're watching on TV is actually Ruthy or not.

The author has written a collection of short stories before, and while this is not a short story, I definitely get some short-story vibes here: the artistry, the way the ending wraps up, the proverbial open spaces that aren't filled in for you. No spoilers, but I will confirm that you do actually find out what happens to Ruthy, so while there is some open-endedness to the story, don't worry about that piece being left hanging.

In my rating, I must admit I'm struggling a little in balancing how to rate enjoyment vs artistry. I think there is a high level of artistry displayed here (as reflected in my rating), but because it's a difficult subject matter, because the grief is so raw, and the family relationships so fraught, it was hard to "enjoy," if you know what I mean. All that to say, I don't think RUTHY RAMIREZ is an anytime book, but a book for when you're in the right mood. Pick it up when you're ready to handle some grief and hardships and ready to reckon with how our culture and law enforcement handles missing Black and brown girls, and *not* when you're looking for a juicy mystery.

(Will also be sharing on Instagram @fromsarahsbooknook closer to the publish date).

This book was a darkly funny, raw book about a mother and her two adult daughters dealing with the loss of a missing sister/daughter. It is 95% dark humor as they see their missing Ruthy in a stranger and chase after her. This one effort unites them and pulls them from their bleak lives. As a family they learn things about each other and give a lot of love to Julie, the baby but there is a lot of frustration and tiredness.

The last chapter is Ruthy’s and it is unexpectedly somber. So somber that it doesn’t even seem like the same book. I feel like it tried to be hopeful but it wasn’t.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Amazing debut, loved this story and felt very emotional responses for the family and their situation.

A wonderfully written book with very relatable characters and a gripping storyline. I would have given it 5 stars but felt it went "a little off the rails" at the end.

I cannot believe that this novel is Jimenez’s debut. Her writing’s ability to evoke strong emotions is comparable to veteran authors. What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is a character-driven book that focuses on a mother and her three daughters. One of the daughters, Ruthy, went missing twelve years ago and the family has not forgotten her. When one of her sisters spots Ruthy’s lookalike on a reality tv show, the women are determined to bring their sister back home. While this is a more serious book, there are some moments of humor thrown in. Readers who appreciate strong female leads and family drama will enjoy this one.

What Happened to Ruth’s Ramirez, is an alluring title which along with the description led me to jump on the chance to read a prepublication copy of the book. Supposedly humorous, I found the premise very very serious. No chuckles for me. In the mid 1990s, thirteen year old Ruthy fails to return home after track practice. Her devoted Puerto Rican family waits for her return to no avail. . Her father dies. Her mom, Delores, becomes unwell. Her two sisters Jessica and Nina miss her terribly.
Fast forward twelve years. The remaining Ramirez women still live together on Staten Island in New York City. Jessica is the single mother of a young child, working hard to make a livable wage as a hospital aide. Jessica has finished college with great hope of becoming a doctor only to find rejection after rejection from medical schools. Dolores continues to be broken hearted. Then one day while watching a sleazy reality tv show, Cat Fight, Jessica spots a contestant, Ruby, who is a ringer for a grown up Ruthy. After some discussion and a lot of planning, the Ramirez women decide to embark on a car trip to meet Ruby/ Ruthy and bring her home.
The positives of this book are the characters who are well defined and very likable, a heartwarming portrayal of Puerto Rican culture in a loving home , and a premise ( so many missing and lost children) with a great deal of possibility. What made this just an average read instead of an exceptional one was the focus put on the workings, trials and tribulations of the remaining family instead of on Ruthy. There was very little time or story concerning Ruthy herself. Her disappearance doesn’t come full center until the very end which left me disappointed and longing for more information.
This was a good read. - just not a great read. I think the author has a creative mind and a lot of promise and I will will look forward to her next book. Three stars and a thank you to NetGalley and grand Central Publishing for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the early pub copy of WHAT HAPPENED TO RUTHY RAMIREZ by Claire Jimenez, out March 7, 2023.

This one... it's about true crime, but what happens after the crime and the family that's left behind. How is their life as a family changed, what are the lasting impacts, and what happens when someone who was never found might just be alive.

This was a very clever, heartbreaking, yet enjoyable debut novel. The nostalgia evoked from the early 2000's details was thoroughly enjoyable for a millennial like myself. The novel starts with a disappearance of a family member, Ruthy Ramirez, and cuts to years down the road, where we see her sisters grappling with her absence and then seeking answers after a late-night TV viewing. Upon beginning the novel, it seems like a story told from Nina’s POV, the youngest of the Ramirez sisters. The story unfolds into poignant accounts from each of the Ramirez women. The voices felt real, not contrived, likely because I found it to be relatable, hilarious, and equally heartwarming. The true center of the story isn't Ruthy/Ruby, but the development of the sisters and the poignant detailing of their lives. Parts of this book were quite frankly heartbreaking, namely the sections about Yesenia and Jessica’s revelations. Also, during Ruthy’s narrated sections, I enjoyed how her voice made it clear that she never made it past that day (references and tone were juvenile). Thank you to Claire Jimenez, Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez follows Nina and Jessica. Their sister went missing 12 years ago, but they’ve never given up hope that she may be alive. They’ve always believed that she might have run away, and that one day she might return. One day while watching a reality show they see a woman who looks exactly like Ruthy. They and their mother Dolores decide to drive to the place the show is being filmed and bring Ruthy back home.

None of the characters in this book are likable, but they’re my very favorite part of the story. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Dolores, Jessica, Nina, and Ruthy. I enjoyed getting to know every one of them and seeing their relationships with each other through their eyes. This isn’t a plot focused book, and I was content spending my time just learning about the characters. There is a sense of bitterness and anger that runs through each of these women, both towards each other, and towards the rest of the world. I know some people won’t want to read through that because I’ve seen quite a few people on bookstagram say that they get tired of reading from the perspectives of angry characters. But I liked it. I wish I could expand on this a little more without spoiling the book, but I will say that I loved the last chapter.

Like I said, I don’t believe that this book was ever intended to be plot focused. I think the characters were always supposed to be the main point of interest in the story. But I also think the plot should have been more interesting than it was. It felt a little rushed, and with a topic this heavy I’d like there to have been some more time spent on developing the plot.

I do recommend trying What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez out because it’s a quick read and it’s pretty good. But it’s not a book I’ll be actively recommending to people all the time.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is a hard book to peg. Is it a book about a disappearance? About family loss? Is it a book about a mother’s grief? About sisters? Is it telling a deeper story about race and colonialism? Or is it telling a story about a long lost sister who might have suddenly reappeared on a trashy reality tv show? Really it’s all of these things.

This book centers on a mom, Delores, and two sisters, Jessica and Nina, who live on Staten Island. A decade or so ago, a third daughter, Ruthy, disappeared after track practice at age 13. Ruthy was never found, at least partly because the police never looked that hard for her, assuming she was a runaway. One night Jessica was flipping through the channels and was sure that she glimpsed a grown-up Ruthy on the reality show Catfight. The sisters make a plan to go find Ruthy and mom gets wind of it and insists on coming with them.

I really like that this book covers a lot of ground, but sometimes the tone felt a little all over the place. It was told from multiple perspectives, which added to that impression. Despite that, I liked this book overall and appreciated this unpredictable story.

Entertaining read - a missing girl turns up on a reality show years later, and her family tries to reunite with her. Very fast-paced and interesting, with a surprising twist.

Strained family relationships endure as a family with three daughters loses teenaged Ruthy one day, out of the blue. Did she leave of her own volition - another young runaway? Was she taken against her will? Years later, Ruthy's sisters catch a woman with incredible resemblances to Ruthy on a trashy reality show called Catfight (under the name "Ruby"), and set their minds on reuniting and bringing her home.

Well-paced, this kept me wondering what would happen when finally seeing Ruthy in person (and when she, in turn, would lay eyes back on them), especially when mom gets involved. The relationships between the sisters left behind, as well as with their mother, felt accurate but not incredibly engaging to make this short novel a real win for me. The premise excited me much more than the execution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy.

7/10

Had I stopped reading this book 50 pages before the ending, I would’ve given it a 6 out of 10 rating. The end, however, is so remarkably good, it upped my entire perception of the novel.

Ruthy Ramirez vanished one day after school and was never seen again. Until about a decade later when she suddenly appears on a reality show.

Her sisters and mother are determined to track her down.

Throughout the journey we are drawn into the life of the Latinx culture from the eyes of three sisters and a mother - their struggles, their bond and the different ways they live their lives in the United States.

For a large portion of the book, I was unimpressed. The characters were good but there was nothing happening. We learned about the personalities of each sister, and read about their childhoods, but none of it seemed to relate to the primary storyline of how Ruthy suddenly reappeared. Even more, the story of the Latinas was not very different than the culture has been depicted in a number of other books, movies and TV over the past decades.

Though each chapter painted a more robust picture of their lives, you can delete a whole series of chapters without impacting the overall story.

Then came the ending.
It’s a good one.

Do I recommend you read it? I’m not sure.
This is the authors debut novel and my gut is that she has better ones up her sleeve. Though I wasn’t blown away by this book, it’s clear there is talent amongst the words.

#netgalley

Having recently finished “What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez” by Claire Jimenez, I am happy to have had the chance for the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing!

This story was a new voice for me. The voices were of the passionate Ramirez women struggling with the loss of Ruthy. Even though I will only ever know West Brighton: Staten Island from the pages of a book, I felt like I was there as this drama unfolded. At times it seemed odd to find so much humor scattered throughout the tragic circumstances, but Ms. Jimenez filled these pages with the truth of everyday life continuing for those left behind to wonder… what happened??

“Sometimes it feels like the three of us are still stuck in that car. Shouting out Ruthy’s name into the unanswering dark.”

i loved this story it was so much more than and nothing like what I expected. anticipated a mystery and you are kept wondering what happened to ruthy but learning about what it did to her disappearance did to her family. i loved the 00's nostalgia of the early days of reality tv and the way it left me holding my breath in the last chapter. ruthy will stay with me for a long long time

This interesting first novel tells the story of two generations of women: a mother (Dolores) and her two grown daughters (Jessica and Nina), whose lives seem profoundly marked by the mysterious disappearance of the Ruthy of the title, a third daughter who has been missing since she was 13 years old. Together, the mother and the daughters hatch a plan to rescue Ruthy, when they think they see her on a reality show. The story is driven by characterization and dialogue. The three main characters are well drawn and each one has an interesting story to tell. The dialogue is funny and true to life. The scenes are dramatic and suspenseful. And the reader gets a sense of the challenging life of these three women in a patriarchal culture, that some might call a rape culture. On the down side, while the dialogue is snappy and the characters are well drawn, their voices are sometimes too alike.

Man this book really leads you in one direction and then just slams your body into the other one. WHTRR is a family-driven story of 3 sisters and their mother and the fallout, even years later, of what happened after one of the sisters goes missing. That's all you really need to know!

I really enjoyed the voice in which the story was written. It rotated between the sisters' and their mother's perspectives, and their voices felt so real. Like it was actually a transcript of their inner mind rather than just a story about them.

Then yeah, the ending. Phew. For a book of roughly 200 pages, it packs a big punch.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the e-ARC!

What Happened to Ruth’s Ramirez

Author: Claire Jiménez
Publisher: @grandcentralpub
Release date: 3/7/23

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is this author’s debut novel. It focuses on the Ramirez family, a Puerto Rican family on Staten Island, a mom and three girls. When Ruthy, the middle daughter goes missing at age 13, the family never fully recovers. Then they see a girl who looks like Ruthy on a trashy reality show - same red hair, same birthmark, etc. and they come together to try and find her.

In general, I thought this was a well-written debut. I didn’t feel that I was able to connect with the characters in the novel for their stories, but I also genuinely wanted to know what happened to Ruthy. I felt like I wanted it to be a thriller, which it was not, nor was it intended to be - so that’s on me. I appreciate the focus on the shared trauma experience and how it has affected the family unit as a whole. Overall, a solid debut!

*I was provided a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review - thank you @netgalley

I really wanted to like this book as it had an interesting premise with a sister going missing when she was very young and someone who looks very much like her shows up on a reality show. However the the characters were not likeable and the story wasn't enticing enough to keep my interest. I ended up not finishing the book.