I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is a quick and enjoyable read, even though it deals with difficult subject matter. Thirteen-year-old Ruthy Ramirez is the middle child of a Puerto Rican family living in Staten Island when she disappears one day after school. Her family tries to piece together where she may have gone and carry on with their lives, but they face hardships at every turn.

Told through rotating narrators a chapter at a time, the story unfolds bit by bit, shifting between the time leading up to Ruthy’s disappearance and a time ten years or so later. The author presents us with flawed but sympathetic characters who are doing their best in the face of disappointment and loss. I particularly appreciated the way that a sense of community and culture were integrated into the plot.

Claire Jimenez has written a nuanced and sophisticated debut novel. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

The book title is more statement than question. But after reading the book, the statement becomes question. What indeed happened to Ruthy Ramirez? The answer is not really in these pages, not in the literal sense. It’s more of who is Ruthy Ramirez? And we find out who she is through her two sisters and her mother, Dolores. I’m not sure if Claire Jimenez was aiming for a comedic novel, but that is what she produced. The dialogue and interaction between sisters and mother is funny and lighthearted with a sense of realism. This is a hilarious read although the title would lead you to believe this is a very serious undertaking. And don’t get me wrong, the disappearance of a 13 year-old is consequential, but the novel doesn’t deep dive into the missing Ruthy, we get the effects of missing Ruthy on those she left behind. And those details are told with no shortage of straightforward hilarity that will give you laugh out loud moments. You almost forget that Ruthy is missing, until a reality show, called “Catfight” enters the story and the sisters think they are onto something. And, the feel of the novel takes a heavier turn but the hilarity is still intact. So, that’s a win for readers and a win for debut author Claire Jimenez. Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced DRC. The book will drop on March 7, 2023

A unique book with lots of ups and downs. Intriguing plot with some good humor, but some parts dragged and others were over the top and not quite believable. I really enjoyed some of the pop culture references!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, the debut novel of Claire Jimenez, tells the story of a Puerto Rican-American family: Dolores, and her two adult daughters, Jessica and Nina, who are in search of Ruthy, Jessica and Nina’s rebellious sister, who went missing as a teen. Ruthy’s disappearance has remained unsolved, until one day, Jessica glimpses Ruby, a cast member of the television reality show, Catfight, who is the spitting image of her missing sister. Told from the multiple perspectives of Ruthy’s mother, sister, and Ruthy herself, the novel allows readers to explore the lives of each character, each struggling to define themselves.

There were parts of this story that I really liked, and I'll definitely try more books from this author in the future, but the narrative was a little all over the place and one scene at the end felt a bit too ridiculous for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Ruthy Ramirez is 13 when she goes missing on her way home from track practice. Her disappearance hits her Puerto Rican family – especially her two sisters and mother – hard, as would be expected. Twelve years later, Ruthy’s sisters happen to see someone who fits Ruthy’s appearance (right age, red hair, birthmark under left eye) on a raunchy girls’ reality show called Catfight. Even the young woman’s name – Ruby – is close enough to Ruthy to be suspect. The sisters plan a road trip to Boston, where the show is being filmed, but their mother finds out and demands to be included, along with her best friend. What happens next is a little crazy, but fitting, for this close yet brash family of females.

I enjoyed this read. The various viewpoints through which the story is told all feel authentic as Staten Island Latina residents. There is sadness, as would be expected given a disappearance of a young girl, but there is also plenty of humor and familial love. It’s a well-rounded and well-written book.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access to an e-ARC of this title.

Ruthy is 13 years old when she goes missing. In the wake of her disappearance, she leaves her mother in a depression, her father dead from health issues and her two sisters wondering what happened to Ruthy. Twelve long years later, the sisters think they spot Ruthy on a reality tv series called Catfight. They watch the show over and over trying to pick out characterizations and mannerisms of their missing sister in hopes that they’ve finally found her. Once they’ve concluded it’s Ruthy, they make plans to go to Boston to bring her home. All the while they’re planning this, their mother gets wind of what’s going on and hashes out her own elaborate scheme, unbeknownst to the girls. It’s quite funny and made me laugh several times reading about all the scheming going on. Their trip to Boston and their foray into the nightclub where they tracked Ruthy to is full of mischief and shenanigans. It’s really quite entertaining.

This is a fun book full of laughter, but also serious and full of intrigue. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a little humor injected into the sad story of a missing child. It’s more about family dynamics than anything else. I thought it was great and give it 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

A mystery but ultimately the story of a family trying to fill in the gap left by a missing child and sister - this book was humorous and also moving, and the ending was heartbreaking.

I appreciate NetGalley giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It's about the Ramirez family and the after-effects of their daughter disappearing in middle school. Ruthy just doesn't come home one day and her parents and sisters, Jess and Nina, don't know what happened to her. Years later, after their father has passed away Jess and Nina see their Ruthy on an absurd reality tv show. They try to figure out if it is indeed Ruthy and go to great lengths to solve the "mystery" that is Ruthy Ramirez.

WHAT HAPPENED TO RUTHY RAMIREZ |

Ruthy was 13yo when she disappeared. Instead of coming home on the bus straight after track practice like she always does, she's gone missing. Now many years later, her sisters think she's resurfaced and starring in a reality TV show called Catfight.

Aside from finding out what did happen to Ruthy, this book also explores themes of female friendships, both harmful and helpful. There are the young women that we bond ourselves to, staking out what we think is a relationship stronger than blood only to find out that they not only do not have your back but are willing to stab you in it. Then there are the women you have learned you can lean on, as depicted in the mom's friendship with her church friend, Irene, who will always be there because they've been through it all.

The book also explores hidden stories, betrayals, well kept secrets and the hurt we keep behind closed doors. It was a fun, captivating read but also a bit dark at times.

I was intrigued by this book! Following the disappearance of 13-year-old Ruthy after school one day in Staten Island NY (a place I have been many times) and how it effected everyone in the family was interesting. The idea of seeing possibly grown up Ruthy/Ruby on reality tv show was a fun. I thought there were many places where this book could fail or get silly but it really didn't.

This wasn't my favorite, but I am a picky reader. I think other readers will enjoy it, and this is an obvious addition to the collection.

A great story about a Puerto Rican family who discover their long lost sister while watching a reality television show and decides to bring her home. This was a fast read full of emotions and humor. I highly recommend it.

"The Ramirez women of Staten Island orbit around absence. When thirteen‑year‑old middle child Ruthy disappeared after track practice without a trace, it left the family scarred and scrambling. One night, twelve years later, oldest sister Jessica spots a woman on her TV screen in Catfight, a raunchy reality show. She rushes to tell her younger sister, Nina: This woman's hair is dyed red, and she calls herself Ruby, but the beauty mark under her left eye is instantly recognizable. Could it be Ruthy, after all this time?"

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is, ultimately, less about the titular question and more about how her loss impacted her two sisters and her mom - the ripple effects and reverberations of her loss. (In that sense, it reminded me of Notes On Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach, which also came out this year.) While the "why" of Ruthy's disappearance is relevant (and we do eventually learn her fate), this isn't a mystery - it's more of a quest.

I liked the multiple narrators, though I sometimes felt each character's portrayal got repetitive. (While we never heard from her directly, I found Irene - the mother's best friend - high on the comic relief scale!) My favorite scene was the culmination of the Ramirez family's road trip. I admire how Jimenez managed to capture trauma as well as humor. I wasn't necessarily drawn to this book as I was reading it - I think I might be a bit burned out on family dramas - but Ruthy's lingered in my mind afterwards. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The title caught my attention and the prologue reeled me in. From various perspectives the reader is able to get a glimpse into what each character thinks may have happened to Ruthy and how it has impacted them. The author does a great job immersing the reader into the Ramirez world from the realistic dialogue between mother and daughter to the range of emotion they feel dealing with the realities of life along with the hope of what could be. The possibility of Ruthy being so close creates scenes that are overflowing with tension and even chaos. It would have been great to spend a little more time with the ending, it felt a little rushed. Did the family feel closure? It would have been great to have a little bit more of Ruthy. Overall it was a good read! Definitely enjoyed it.

3.5 stars. I read an ARC of this book. After Ruthy goes missing, it affects all of her family in different ways as they don’t receive closure of knowing what happened to her.
Story told from different point of views. Mystery yet funny at times. At times felt like a young adult read. Unexpected ending. Quick read.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but what I got pleasantly surprised me! I think I thought there would be more mystery, and while there was some, it really wasn’t a mystery novel.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez follows the story of a family, two women and their mother, as they navigate life many years after the disappearance of Ruthy. We get flashbacks to the day of the disappearance and even a few flashbacks to the following days, but this story mainly takes place far into the future when the sisters think they’ve finally found Ruthy and start scheming to get her back.

This is a story filled with grief, among other hard topics (trigger warning: sexual abuse, pedophilia), but I was so thankful for the abundant humor interspersed throughout that made the book a whole lot less depressing than it could’ve been. There were multiple instances where I went from being near tears in one chapter to actually laughing out loud in the next.

POVs switch between all members of the family- each chapter from someone’s perspective. I think this was done really well. I initially thought Dolores, the mom, was a bit of a flat character, but then one of the chapters in her POV really surprised me and added so much more to her character. Don’t underestimate Dolores. She is fierce.

The reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because I was left with a lot of unanswered questions, not necessarily about Ruthy. The story did wrap itself up well, but I was surprised when it ended like that. I felt like a lot of the supporting characters- Yesenia, Irene, Lou, etc - could’ve been more complex.

Also in chapter 3, Jess gets in the car with Lou and turns to the backseat and talks to the baby, then they drive to Dolores’ house to pick up the baby? This should probably be revisited.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: An excellent debut novel! It seems odd to describe a book about a lost daughter/sister as delightful, but that's how I found Jimenez's novel. Ruthy Ramirez disappeared at 13, and years later, her sisters believe they've found her on a particularly sordid reality show. The novel explores the lives of the surviving Ramirez family: Dolores--mother, Jessica--older sister and Nina--youngest sister as they search for Ruthy with resourceful zeal. They're originally from Puerto Rico and have taken different paths in life but remain closely bonded. Nina attended a prestigious college, but is suffering in a demeaning retail job, Jessica has a daughter, lives with her boyfriend and works at a patient care attendant, Dolores is widowed. All of the women have suffered but the tone is overall engaging, humorous and adventuresome, although their very real and pervasive suffering is not discounted: it is explored with depth, power and concern. Jimenez has crafted a lovely novel, with unforgettable characters and a family that feels very real. A pleasure to read and an impressive debut.

I was not a fan of this book. I felt like it didn’t focus enough on the actual mystery aspect, and just included so many unnecessary details of the current day to day life. I had really high hopes for it, and didn’t meet them. Yes, the end wrapped it up. But otherwise I felt little feelings towards the book as a whole.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had me very emotional as a person who grew up in New York. This book follows the family of Ruthy Ramirez. Ruthy disappears after track practice at the age of thirteen. As years pass her disappearance has decimated her family. Her father has died, her mom has health issues, while her sisters struggle to make it; one being a new mother with a job and the other a college graduate but regulated to working retail at a mall.

This book touches on several issues: child sexual abuse, gender discrimination in the workforce, death, and grief. While those subject seem heavy there is also hilarity throughout the book from Jessica, Nina, and Delores. Their interactions keep you engaged in the book and it will have you laughing. While the title will have you thinking the story is about Ruthy it is actually about dealing with grief, working through the grief and family bonding. The ending broke my heart but I pretty much expected what happened.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.