DNFed at 28%. The book had an interesting premise and had mentioned that it's an adult novel but it read a pre-teen novel kinda way. The plot got sidetracked many times with back stories which too long and uninteresting. Too much swearing as well. Won't recommend to anyone.

I think that this is a really important book, given the high numbers of POC and women who go missing without anyone to fight for them, or police departments to care about them. I appreciated the humor of the sisters and their search to get their sister back. I liked the 90s setting as well.

Is Ruby really Ruthy who disappeared as a 13 year old in 1996? It's 12 years later and her older sister Jessica firmly believes that the Ruby on a reality show is Ruthy and she convinces her sister Nina and her mother Delores of the same. They decide to road trip to Boston from New York, along with Delores' friend Irene, to bring Ruthy home. This unpeels through the povs of each of the women, all of whom hold secrets. Jessica is overwhelmed, just keeping her head up, and wondering about abuse when she was a teen. Nina wanted to go to medical school and how she's working retail and caring for Delores. Then there's Ruthy. These are strong personalities and yes, there is some strong language but the characters come through the page. No spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A very good read.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the copy of this book!

Jessica and Nina think they see their missing sister Ruthy - now going by Ruby - on a reality TV show. Over four POVs, the three sisters and their mom, we get the story of Ruthy's disappearance in the 90s through years later when the family believes they found her again. This story is full of Puerto Rican culture, 90s references, and New York City life.

I was intrigued by the storyline centering around the problem of so many unsolved cases of missing Black and brown girls balanced with humor, but I didn’t feel like that was a super accurate description of this book. I didn’t find it humorous, and the missing person story wasn’t quite as front and center as the general family drama until the very end when they finally went to go see if they could get Ruthy back. Overall, an interesting premise.

Read if you:
- listened to Waterfalls and used to shop at Wet Seal
- love a story with a loud and crazy family
- want Puerto Rican rep in a story
- love an NYC setting

CW: physical abuse, violence, bullying, pedophilia, child abuse, fatphobia, rape, sexual assault

Thank you @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for my digital ARC copy.

Ruthy Ramirez never came home one day after track practice when she was 13. Her parents and sisters searched high and low and urged the police to do their jobs, but ultimately, over a decade later, Ruthy has never been found.

But then, Jessica and Nina (Ruthy’s sisters) spot Ruthy, or someone that looks like her, on a reality TV show. They spend hours watching footage and researching her life. Could it really be Ruthy? Did their sister just run away all those years ago?

As soon as I read this synopsis, I was hooked. I was so excited to read this book. Sadly, I was a bit let down. The book tackles multiple points of view and I don’t think the story benefits from it at all. The premise of the reality TV show is over the top (likely making a statement about reality TV) and the ending was so abrupt it nearly gave me whiplash. It just wasn’t for me which was disappointing.

A powerful story of how a traumatic event can effect an entire family. Told mostly from the point of view of a set of sisters and their mother following the disappearance of the other sister, the reader really sees how this event effected the whole family in different ways. Set on Staten Island in the Puerto Rican community, it is a family that one will not soon forget.

Firstly thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a great story about family, girls of colour, friendship and so much more. It was rich with culture and had many ups and downs. Made for a great read.

This book started off with a bang and I immediately wanted to know more. Ruthy Ramirez went missing in 1993 when she was just 13 years old and her mom and two sisters haven’t received closure. The story is told from multiple POVS. Ruthy herself, her mom and each of her sisters. The family dynamic really had me hooked from the beginning. I really enjoyed how genuine the writing is. It even had me laughing out loud a few times. Towards the middle I found myself skimming pages. I really appreciated the character development but at the same time I think I was expecting more mystery…more “where’s Ruthy?” rather then a look into each family members story. The ending fell a little flat for me because I had soooo many questions left but overall it had such a unique storyline that I would definitely pick up another book from this author in the future.

Thank you #GrandCentralPublishing for this E ARC. What Happened to Ruth Ramirez comes out March 7th
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This is not the type of book that would usually peak my interest, but it was offered to me by the publisher and who am I to turn down free books? It was an interesting look at a culture that is very unfamiliar to me in multiple ways - first of all being focused geographically in a very different area than where I grew up and secondly being focused on characters from a minority group with which I am generally unfamiliar. In that sense, I enjoyed this book. I can't speak to it's accuracy, but based on the author's own background, I'm inclined to believe it's an accurate depiction of the culture it represents.

What fell flat for me was the actual plot of the story. It seemed to be a slice of several weeks out of the characters lives and the events of the novel had little impact on their lives after the fact. Their lives seem to continue as they always had previously. I can definitely understand the choices the author made that caused their lives to be minimally changed. I think the other outcome would've been too easy in a lot of ways, however, I hoped for a bit of character development through the process. The reader discovered aspects of the characters lives, but the characters didn't display growth themselves through the events of the novel.

I absolutely adored this story! The characters were lovable and I felt for them as they brought me into the fold of their lives following Ruthy’s disappearance many years ago. The multi-POV really worked to show their perspectives as they grappled with the possibility of finally finding their Ruthy on a (trashy, let’s be honest) reality show. It had tenderness and snarky comments and a story I was invested in. The ending was beautifully done and I can’t imagine any other conclusion. What a fantastic read this was!

Ruthy Ramirez is 13 years old when she disappears after a track practice at school. Ten years later Jessica, Ruthy's older sister is watching a TV reality show and she sees a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Ruthy.. This book is a deep dive into grief and the relationships between sisters as well as the relationship between mothers and daughters. The ways in which families pull apart and come together. The mystery.was well done and the writing was engaging.. quick read. Thank you to Grand Central publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book

Book will be released March 7

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, I received an advance reader copy of this book in return for my honest review. The book will be released on March 7th.

The Ramirez family hasn’t been the same since 13-year-old Ruthy went missing. Twelve years after she disappeared, while watching trashy reality TV, one of Ruthy’s sisters swears that one of the contestants is her long lost sister. After convincing her younger sister that the contestant is Ruthy, the two sisters hatch a plan to drive to Boston, where the show is being filmed. When their mother catches wind of their plot, she and her best friend demand to be included. Ultimately, the road trip ends up being a very small part of this story. The majority of it is learning more about the Ramirez family. Each chapter is narrated by either the mother or one of the three sisters. They are dysfunctional, but they love each other fiercely.

Ruthy is a teen girl who disappears one day after school. Over a decade later, her sisters see a Ruthy look-alike on a reality tv show, named Ruby, and decide to track her down. 

The story unfolds with four different narrators -- Ruthy's two sisters, her mother, and some chapters from Ruthy herself. Jessica has a young baby and works in a care facility as a med-tech. Nina is the baby of the family and has recently moved back to live with her mother, and is working at a lingerie store. Their mother, Dolores, runs a church group for young mothers. 

Each narrator is so unique and quite likeable. The chapters went quick and always left me excited to get back to the next narrator. I was intrigued the entire time and the book left me guessing and not wanting to put it down. 

I will eagerly read the next book from Claire Jimenez and was so impressed with this as a debut novel! 

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

What Happened To Ruthy Ramirez is a powerful debut about love, grief, and hope. This story is told from the alternating POV of the 4 women in the Ramirez family-Nina, Dolores, Jessica and Ruthy after Ruthy disappears at 13 years old. This book focuses on how Ruthy’s disappearance affects each member of the family and the family dynamics.

This book felt so real and I liked that each character has a very distinct voice in each of their chapters. I enjoyed that the Puerto Rican culture also played a huge role in this book. I didn’t connect with all the characters but it was easy to have empathy for them and care about them. I did really enjoy Dolores’s character and especially enjoyed chapters from her POV. Overall it was a fast absorbing read that made me laugh out loud as well as feel deep sorrow.

This was really impressive for a debut and I am excited to read her next one.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review

Lately books I have read centered around family drama have been repetitive, but this debut really stood out to me for its authentic characters, storyline, humor, & familial themes. Loved how each character was distinct yet familiar. In general the family ties between them was a real strength. I could see some viewing the ending — particularly Ruthy’s part — as a little rushed, but I left feeling mostly satisfied for all that had occurred in the club scene. Can’t wait to read more from Claire Jimenez in the future!

Grateful to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC before it hits beginning of March. Definitely will be recommending it to my bookish circle.

Wow. I needed to walk away before processing the emotions this book brings up. It really hits you out of nowhere. The book starts out like what I would imagine CW’s Veronica Mars show was, then more sinister elements appear but do not necessarily taint the overall YA crime vibe. (Not YA, just the general feel in the beginning.)

I saw another review mention that the amount of expletives used took away from the story. I see their point, yet as I got further into the book the dialogue started to feel authentic and raw to the characters. The ending rips your heart out. Mostly because I fully expected the story to go in another direction. I thought the execution was well thought out and respect the story the author was trying to tell.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a review.

I tried to like this book, but couldn’t get there. The family dynamics were somewhat interesting, but too many scenes seemed superfluous, and didn’t help to move the story along. I especially skimmed through the reality show shenanigans. Okay, you think your missing sister may be one of the characters. Fine. But why did I have to plow through every episode of the dumb show? What was the point?

Sorry. Just wasn’t the book for me. Different strokes and all that.

Ruthy Ramirez never made it home from track practice one day. Told through alternating perspectives of the Ramirez women (including Ruthy), you find out what happened that day and how the family has coped since. 16 years later and Ruthy's sisters think they see her on a reality TV show but is it actually her?
This is not a long book, but Jaminez manages to pack a punch. The sibling relationship between Jessica and Nina is vivid and so real, I think every sister will feel seen. I also loved how Ruthy had her voice throughout the book.

The Ramirez family has never been the same since Ruthy vanished. Sandwiched between her elder sister, Jessica and her younger sister, Nina, Ruthy is just 13 years old when she doesn’t come home after track practice. Their father, Eddie, and mother Dolores are devastated and are her sisters lives will never be the same.
There isn’t even one clue as to what happened and the years pass, leaving their marks on each member of the family. Told in multiple POV’s, Jessica, Nina, and Dolores in the now, and Ruthy in the then.
12 years have passed when a reality TV show,Catfight, contestant looks too much like an older version of Ruthy. Jessica and Nina are determined to find out if their sister ran away and is alive and kicking. Could Ruthy have really just run away from home leaving her family heartbroken?
At times, funny, then quirky, then sad, then 12 years later, full of hope that Ruthiy has been found. I enjoyed getting to know this family, and hoped that Ruthy was indeed, Ruby, even though she would have a lot of explaining to do.
Her family would still be happy after they verbally kicked her butt for putting them through so much pain. No spoilers, but this definitely was not the story that I pictured. It was, however, a look at a quirky family( to me at least being an only child), and what the disappearance of a child can do.

I really, really loved this book.

It's hard to make a story about a missing teenage girl and her grieving family simultaneously funny and sensitive, but Jimenez has pulled it off brilliantly with this wild cast of characters. The Ramirez family has been changed forever by Ruthy's loss, but they are still the same people they were before - they're bickering with each other, and watching dumb tv shows together, and doing their best to live their lives - even if nothing has turned out as planned. Jimenez did a fantastic job capturing those those wide swings between being emotionally destroyed by grief and then five minutes later cracking up with your sister because your mom did something weird and annoying.

The chapters from Ruthy's perspective were so sad and made me furious for her and for the real missing girls of the world, especially the ones the police can't be bothered to look for because they aren't blond and white. The ending made me sob (which sounds like a weird way to end a book that I thought was funny, but there is the rollercoaster).

This was a spectacular debut, and I cannot wait to read whatever Jimenez writes next. Highly recommend!