Thank you to NetGalley, author Claire Swinarski, and HarperCollins Children's Books-- Quill Tree Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a hard read at times but a good read. I am so happy for young girls that books like this exist to read in middle school because I know this book will make a great impact on so many readers. I hadn't read a middle grade book specifically focused on sexual harassment before What Happened to Rachel Riley?, and I commend Swinarski for tackling such a monumental topic and doing it with candor and grace. I loved the mixed format storytelling, as the entire book alternated between reading emails, notes, text messages, and regular chapters. I felt having an inside look at some of the secondary characters' private conversations helped to enrich the book and made it feel much more realistic. There are many important themes, including bullying, struggling to fit in, embracing individuality, and more, that are handled beautifully and help to support the main theme and topic of the story. I didn't love at first how single-handedly focused Anna was on making an expose podcast over a girl that she didn't even know because it seemed like a weird way to handle such a situation, but as the story unfolded, it was handled in a bit better way. Anna reminded me a lot of myself in middle school, and I think that young readers of any gender will benefit from this book in many ways. Swinarski never undermines the girls' feelings and makes sure to face difficult issues regarding harassment, such as being scared to speak up and adults not believing young women, head on, which I commend. I ended the book feeling inspired for young women today and renewed in my feelings that the world IS becoming a better place with the coming generations.

I finished this a few days ago, but have been struggling to start the review because the book took my brain in two directions: one, reflecting on the challenges/situations of the characters; two, reflecting on my own middle school experience. Immediately upon finishing, I texted a number of friends to recommend it. We had just had a lengthy discussion about the challenges of middle school and specifically about raising middle schoolers. The thoughts are harder than usual to put into words.

As you've likely read, the book is in an epistolary form, with a number of formats - letters, emails, texts - exchanged by a variety of people. The book touches on themes of peer pressure, self esteem, friendship, harassment, puberty and other everyday concerns of a middle schooler. The fact that it takes place among a group of middle schoolers does not mean it is light or easy. The peer pressure and feelings are very real, yet are around topics that are extremely appropriate for upper elementary and middle school. The book very much allows for discussion with young readers: How would you react? What would you do? What do you think about _____'s behavior?

I was in middle school in the 80's. I don't recall hearing the term "sexual harassment" until 1991 (Clarence Thomas trial). It is interesting to reflect back on all of the things that happened to girls in middle school that - hopefully - would be considered unacceptable now. And yet, I also hear of much worse sexual harassing behavior happening now. So despite this being a middle grade book, it leaves me swirling with as many thoughts and reflections as any nonfiction book geared toward adults, and maybe more.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. This does not affect my review.

Handles some big topics quite deftly - not only sexual harassment, but feeling alone or insufficient, finding your voice, and general growing up. The mix of epistolary format and narration worked well, and Anna's point of view was strong while also sometimes being realistically overwhelmed. I did think that there was a bit of a jump right at the end where I would have appreciated more of an in-depth view of the reporting process and the discussion forum rather than it being recollected after the fact, and it did sometimes feel like the choice to only have one side of the email conversations was sometimes lacking, but overall I appreciated the story, especially the focus on how girls can perpetuate harassment culture out of fear or discomfort. Slots neatly along other perspectives on the topic for this age group such as Horne's Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One and Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You.

A new girl arrives at a middle school in 8th grade and quickly observes that there is an 8th grade girl who is being ostracized by everyone else. She begins to investigate to try to figure out why. The story is told through emails, newspaper articles, text messages, and podcast interviews and the multi-format is probably the strength and appeal of the book. But overall, this book was a mess for me. As a middle school teacher and someone who grew up on the east side of Madison, this book should not have been set there. There was no mention of race except for some last names that could be assumed to be Indian and Japanese. The middle school where this was set would be very diverse and kids would definitely recognize and talk about race. There was also no talk of gender identity. This book is very clearly a "boys against girls" book. It is set in 2021. There was no mention of pronouns or gender fluidity which would definitely be a thing in the neighborhood where this book was set. Plus the main premise of the book probably wouldn't have gotten very far (boys sexually harassing girls) because in 2021 girls would not put up with it. Finally, there were a lot of things that were wrong with describing Madison itself. The main character wouldn't walk past Atwood Avenue on her way home but also walk by Trader Joe's and be able to walk to the big houses on Lake Mendota. Setting the book in a fictional place would have helped this book tremendously. (I will forgive the Ella's Deli references even though it has been closed for several years because I am okay with imagining that it's still open.)

What Happened by Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski is a must read for all middle schoolers!

Anna Hunt is the new student at East Middle School. She wants to figure out why Rachel Riley went from being one of popular girls to a social outcast. Anna decides to use her investigation as a project for school and one to record to submit as a podcast camp application. Anna uncovers a harassment problem, an offensive website, a barn fire, and much more. The story switches between texts, notes, podcast interviews, emails and several other formats. I just couldn’t put this book down. I had to know what happened to Rachel!

I really enjoyed both of the other books by Claire Swinarski – THE KATE IN BETWEEN and WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Both explore relationships between girls and show a lot of the complexity and the way relationships change in middle school. I love that about both those books.

And I love it about WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY? as well. What begins as Anna’s curiosity and perhaps a well-meaning attempt to understand why a girl has been ostracized unearths a whole mess of events that it’s clear her new classmates would rather keep quiet. She pieces events together, and then has to decide what to do about the painful truths she’s learned.

The emotional journey that Anna takes feels very real and genuine. She’s not always right. She struggles. Sometimes she missteps. But her experiences and responses to them made sense and drew me deeper into the story. I needed to know what would happen.

This is definitely the kind of book I wish I’d had in seventh grade, and one I wish my daughter had had, too. I think it’s a great resource for middle school classrooms and libraries. Readers who enjoyed UPSTANDER by James Preller or CHIRP by Kate Messner will not want to miss this one.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

This review will post to my blog on 1/11/23.

At East Middle School, the principal announces the day’s birthdays over the loud speaker at lunch. Of course, the popular kids cheer for the popular kids. But even Anna, the new girl who doesn’t know anybody, gets a few claps. But when the principal says it’s Rachel Riley’s birthday, no one claps or cheers. The cafeteria goes eerily silent while Rachel Riley sits alone, munching an apple.

In a fun mystery with touches of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Only Murders in the Building, Anna sets out to discover what caused Rachel Riley to go from being one of the most popular girls in school to the class pariah. She records her findings on her phone, making a podcast called “What Happened to Rachel Riley” that she hopes will earn her a spot in a prestigious journalistic summer camp for aspiring podcasters.

I love stories that use non-traditional structures, so I really enjoyed the collection of voice recordings, text messages, podcast interviews, notes passed between friends in class, passive-aggressive emails (particularly involving parents and the “princi-PAL”) and other ephemera used to tell this story.

I also was pleasantly surprised that Anna interviewed Rachel herself, as well as her former friends, even though that isn’t the best way for Anna to make friends and her subjects initially reveal little. The twisty plot turns darker as Anna uncovers what really led to Rachel’s ostracism—and who was involved.

The story realistically highlights sexual harassment at school—boys slapping girls’ butts and snapping bra straps—and the pressure, even today, to minimize and excuse such behavior. The characters display nuanced strengths and flaws, and I particularly enjoyed Anna’s older sister, who lends her tech skills and emotional support to help Anna solve the mystery.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I only post about books I finished and enjoyed.

#WhatHappenedtoRachelRiley #NetGalley Wonderful children's book! I would recommend to anyone. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

As an 8th grade teacher, this book is very important. As what started as a look into a social issue at a middle school, bullying, turns into a gripping story of arson, sexual harassment, herd mentality, slight stalking, and other important themes tackled at an age appropriate level.

This book had me on the edge— what happened to one of the most popular girl in the school to be such an outcast? Why will no one talk about it in the grade? Why are these adults not stepping up?

I loved it. Anna is a hero to root for — I laughed with her, I cried with her. So many important quotes I highlighted throughout that will have me thinking about all the students I have. I have a Rachel, Anna, Blake, Cody, Jordan, Bee, and Kaylee. And I will do my part to not fail them.

Bravo, 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Excellent lit circle book to pair with Barbara Dee’s Maybe He Just Likes You! I would definitely include in a lit circle! Important messaging!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This one really wowed me. Not only is it timely, relevant, and all too close to home for me, a mother of two girls, the older one having just started middle school, this story is told in such a creative way. I could not put it down.

The book starts when Anna, who is a new 8th grader at East Middle School, realizes that Rachel Riley is a social pariah. And that she didn't used to be. In fact, Rachel used to be one of the most popular kids in school last year. Anna, who loves podcasting and is trying to get into a podcasting summer camp, decides to investigate "what happened to Rachel Riley"? Because no one is talking about the events that happened last year, that led to her fall from the social hierarchy.

The book switches between texts, handwritten notes, Anna's podcast interviews, Anna's emails to her grandmother, and an array of other formats.

It all comes together in a very compelling way.

A must read for middle schoolers!

What Happened to Rachel Riley?
by Claire Swinarski
Pub Date 10 Jan 2023
HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade | Mystery & Thrillers


I am reviewing a copy of What Happened to Rachel Riley through HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books and Netgalley:



Anna Hunt is the new girl at East Middle School but she can already tell there's something off about her eighth grade class.


Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why.



As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her head: What happened to Rachel Riley?



Anna dives headfirst into the evidence despite the entire eighth grade class working against her. With each new clue the mystery widens, painting an even more complex story than Anna could have anticipated. But there’s one thing she’s certain of: If you’re going to ask a complicated question, you better be prepared for the fallout that may come with the answer. 



I give What Happened to Rachel Riley five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Anyone who's been reading my reviews long knows that I lean old-fashioned in my reading. Give me the historicals, the old-fashioned fantasies, the "timeless" contemporary stories, and I'm in book heaven. Today I'm reviewing something totally different from my usual taste in books—but I have to mention all that because it speaks to how dang good this book is.

What Happened to Rachel Riley? is thoroughly, decidedly contemporary. The story is told through transcripts of a podcast recording, emails, and texts. Any reader who has ever complained, "Why don't the kids have cell phones? Everyone has cell phones now!" will find herself totally satisfied here. As you might guess from the previous paragraph, I am not one of those readers. But Claire Swinarski pulled me into her story so masterfully that I didn't care. I enjoyed the novelty of the unique style without ever finding it gimmicky. I felt I knew each and every character, and the sense of place was clear and vivid—and considering the style, I found this particularly impressive.

Here's another thing about me: I'm generally unenthusiastic about "issue" books. I find that poorly developed plots often hide behind the issue being discussed, weakening both the story and the message itself. Again, I'm saying this because that's not the case here. What Happened to Rachel Riley? is a story about sexual harassment—but first and foremost it's a story. If you think about it, lots of great books are issue books, but we forget about that because they're just telling the character's story. In this case, Anna's journey as a character and her drive to solve the mystery will keep you totally engrossed throughout.

I'd like to note that while this book is advertised for ages 8 and up, I think I'd generally wait until readers are the age of the protagonist or so (12-13). I was very comfortable handing it to my young teens, but parents will know best what is appropriate for their child—it's worth a pre-read because 1) you'll love it, and 2) it's such a perfect book for creating meaningful and important conversations that you might as well make a parent-child book club out of it, like I did with my daughters.

Anna Hunt moves from Chicago to Madison when her mom is hired to teach law at the University of Wisconsin and joins the eighth grade class at East Middle School. In early September during the daily birthday announcements, Anna notices that not one student claps for Rachel Riley when her name is called. After seeing Rachel front and center in the dance team photo in the trophy case and a little stalking on Instagram, where tons of photos of a smiling Rachel with various friends are uncovered, Anna must know what happened to Rachel and makes it her project for a podcast competition. What Anna uncovers is a story of broken friendships, secrets, a wiped out website and a game that makes some students smirk and others cry alone behind closed doors.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Dee’s Maybe He Just Likes You, this book will teach students to stand up for themselves and work to eliminate the mentality of “boys will be boys” when it comes to harassment of female students in particular. Highly recommended for both middle and high school libraries.

ARC received from NetGalley.

Swinarski's book has a very authentic middle school voice and characters. While the book was predictable in many ways, it did grab your attention and keep it throughout.

What a powerful, thought-provoking book! A must read. I loved the format of a new girl trying to uncover a tight-lipped story; peel back layers and uncover what REALLY happened. Perfect for segueing into important conversations about sexual harassment.

Would most middle grade students have noticed that when the birthday announcements were read over the loud-speaker at school, that no one applauded for Rachel Riley? Perhaps it was because Anna was the new girl that this weird thing stood out so much.

And so begins the podcast/un-essay that Anna starts on. As the new girl, she doesn't’ know what caused the hatred, or indifference to Rachel, but it baffles her, because when she starts to research Rachel on social media, she finds that up until last year, she was the queen bee, and was super popular. What happened?

And so, bit by bit, she is able to peice together the story of how Rachel went from hero to zero. There are red herrings, as there have to be, but everything is totally logical, with a little sleuthing help from Anna’s sister.

Story kept me engaged, and I really wanted to know what happened. And when it looked as though she had cracked it, you could tell there was more. As Nik, Anna’s sister says, Middle School is brutal, and from this books point of view, I very much agree.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

What Happened to Rachel Riley is about a girl named Anna who moves to new school for 8th grade and learns that a girl named Rachel Riley, who was popular last year, has become a social outcast. Anna, who is obsessed with podcasts, decides to make a podcast as a project to investigate what happened to make everyone turn on Rachel. The book is written is written in a traditional narrative interspersed with interviews, flyers, and emails. This works well for the story and helps avoid it feeling too repetitive. While the book maintains a more lighthearted tone most of the time, sexual harassment and social alienation are major themes. Good pick for middle schoolers who like realistic fiction or mysteries.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Some books are powerful. This is one of those books.

Anna, newly arrived from Chicago, is a keen observer of the human condition. When her social issues teacher assigns a year long "un-essay" project, to research a major question that you have about a social issue, Anna decides to ask a question that she obaerved-how did Rachel Riley, who all indications show had been popular the year before, become an outcast...and why?

Answering this question leads Anna on a twisty road to discovering some major social issues close to home, and, hopefully a way to make a difference in the world.

As I stated at the beginning, this is powerful book. Powerful because the issues addressed are important. But also powerful in that it empowers young people to ask questions, push for answers...and actually manage to make changes. And that's a lesson everyone needs.

I was going to write a formal, formulaic review for this one, but it left me so floored that I don't know if I can get my thoughts together into that kind of structure. This. Book. This is the exact book I needed in middle school. Because the EXACT same sexual harassment that occurs to the girls in this book happened to me in sixth grade. And I knew it was wrong, and it made me feel horrible and ashamed, but I didn't know it was harassment and I didn't feel like I could tell anyone (the book explores students' perceptions that teachers won't do anything if they report inappropriate behavior, even things that are literally illegal, and that sums up my middle-school experience as well as anything possibly can.) And I didn't know that I had the right to speak up and keep it from happening again. I can't wait to put this book in the hands of my tween readers and give them the knowledge and empowerment that I so badly needed fifteen years ago.

There are also so many moments of transcendent wisdom that hit home with me: (I'm paraphrasing, but) the idea that there's a difference between knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it, or the argument that if you don't face hard things sometimes as a kid you'll never be able to face hard things as an adult.

I really believe that readers are going to glean so much fruit from this book and will feel seen reading it (I know I did) by an author who gets what it means to be them.

Swinarski's best yet. Five stars. For fans of Maybe He Just Likes You, Dress Coded, and The Prettiest.