A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Riverdale in this must read mystery!! From page one you are drawn in by Iris and her determination to find out what happened to her sister. Stella’s disappearance is still a mystery to Iris, but the town, as well as the police are quick to write her off as a runaway. Iris and her team, Imani and Sammy are your modern day Mystery Incorporated, but how will they handle Stella’s disappearance and Heather Nasato? Heather not only hosts the local podcast covering Stella’s cass, “How To Find A Missing Girl”, but is also Iris’ ex girlfriend.

As someone who LOVED AGGGTM I was searching for something that would suck me in like that since. I loved all of the characters and how they interacted with one another, and most importantly the twist at the end! A twist that Iris herself didn’t even see coming!! For all of my mystery lovers this is a must read!!

You’ll love this is you love:
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
- Riverdale
- LGBTQIA+ themes
- Murder mystery
- Enemies to lovers
- Friends to lovers
- Unexpected twists

Another sapphic read for me! I’m really loving these new finds, and that wouldn’t have been possible without NetGalley! So excited to continue to read more.

I absolutely loved the AGGGTM series, so when I saw it was recommended for fans of that series, I had to request this title!

Im so glad I did! I really enjoyed this book. I’m really enjoying these kind of mystery books. I always have so many theories, and I feel so proud when I get something right.

I love books that really make you think, and have you questioning everything and everyone.

If you enjoyed AGGGTM series, then please give this book a chance! It’s great!

This book genuinely had me sitting on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last. It's an intense, addictive ride full of twists that I can't recommend enough!

A fast-paced and thrilling debut! I loved the voice and all of the characters, and always appreciate a great twist that I didn't see coming - and How to Find a Missing Girl definitely delivered!

(This review is based on an uncorrected e-galley of this novel)

How to Find a Missing Girl piggybacks off of the success of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. It's very much a YA/NA novel, but I found it enjoyable overall and despite the plot holes and repetitive language, I can tell that this young author has a lot of growth ahead of them and that their writing will improve over time.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for an e-ARC of this novel.

I love YA thrillers and Sapphic books, so a Sapphic YA thriller is right up my alley!

Iris is the girl whose sister disappeared a year ago, and she started an amateur detective agency to cope. When Iris's ex-girlfriend disappears too, Iris and her friends are on the case.

This was such a good, twisty read! I loved Iris's friends so much. There's non-binary, lesbian, pan, and bi rep. This is one of those stories where the main character's aha moments are on page. Though I guessed most of the twist, I was still surprised by the reveal. Definitely would read another by this author!

🌟🌟🌟
A high school detective agency…the host of an investigative podcast suddenly disappearing…another girl’s disappearance connecting it all together…for fans of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”, this is a book that should definitely be on your TBR list.

This was a fairly fast-paced read, and I loved the detective agency’s friendships. There’s quite a bit of LGBTQ+ representation as well, both through the main character and supporting cast.

This book had a lot of strengths (including the podcast transcripts that are spaced out between chapters), but ultimately I didn’t feel like it fully stuck the landing. Sometimes the characters’ dialogue sounded inauthentic for their age—similar to an adult actor pretending to be a teenager in a CW show. I’m also a verified hater of villain monologues, so the ending didn’t feel as satisfying as I had hoped.

Ultimately, this is still a fun read—and it scratches the same itch that Holly Jackson left with her own series. If “How to Find a Missing Girl” sounds like something you might enjoy, then good news: it releases tomorrow! 🥳

(And on that note, thanks to @netgalley & @littlebrownyoungreaders for this advanced copy!)

Thank you to Victoria Wlosok, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, I want to say I love the cover, it instantly drew me in. Second, I liked this book. It is a fast-paced YA thriller, that keeps you guessing.

I like Iris and I felt for her in some aspects. She did make some reckless decisions but she redeemed herself. I even liked the side characters.

There were twists and turns that you don't see coming. It is definitely worth the read!

A fantastic debut with a great, diverse cast of characters. The twists kept me guessing and I will definitely be recommending to fans of thrillers and queer YA. Really, to everyone. Great book!

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok was an amazing YA thriller debut!
Victoria Wlosok crafted a compelling story. An immersive page-turner that I couldn’t put down.
The characters are all well-drawn and relatable, they were very interesting the way they were portrayed, the mystery was well crafted, and the pacing was quick and exciting.
This is one of those books that keeps your interest throughout -- never a dull moment.
An adrenaline-pumping thriller that had me gripped, teetering on the edge of my seat throughout. I found immense satisfaction in reading this one.
I enjoy YA thrillers and this one definitely put me in the mood for more.
I’m excited to see what Victoria writes next!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for Young Readers for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

How to Find a Missing Girl
Written By Victoria Wlosok
Release Date September 19 2023
Publisher Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre YA Thriller


How to find a missing girl is one hell of a debut by Wlosok. It is full of twists, Turns and a complex novel with characters that are well developed and believable. The story is about the disappearance of two girls and the three sleuths that will stop at nothing to find them. Stella Blackhorn, who was a beloved cheerleader and sister went missing without a trace. Her sister Iris started searching for her and started her own “PI” business with a few friends from school, but unfortunately it caused harm to the police’s investigation and then after being told to stop what she was doing, she really felt as though the police were trying to stop her.. Then a year later another young lady turns up missing. Yet again it hits home as it is Iris’s ex girlfriend Heather., and just after the podcast about Iris’s sister Stella last episode. This time nothing will stop Iris from trying to find both girls. Can Iris find out what happened to them before it happens again? Why did this happen to start with and who do they really want?

A gripping, captivating and full of suspense this is one YA book that can be enjoyed by any age. Also, the ending was not predictable, which for me is always a great thing because I feel that too often authors try to leave bread crumbs in order to get the reader to guess who the culprit is. Not this time…… yet it will entertain you for the length of your read. I certainly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a book that contains a podcast and twists that keep coming.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Tautly plotted, deeply characterized, suffused with Pride, very, very edgy, twisty, and complex, it's especially amazing that HOW TO FIND A MISSING GIRL is a Debut novel, and especially that the author is still a University student! I'm so excited at the prospect of her future novels; Victoria Wlosok is a must-read author!

Some aspects here may perturb sensitive readers; but these are tastefully handled and not gory or overdone. The characters and their evolution (and for some, devolution) are magnificently delineated. The more I consider this LGBTQ+ YA psychological thriller, the more impressed I am.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
How to Find a Missing Girl releases September 19, 2023

2.5

This is a multiple missing person story set in Louisiana, and is told from the perspective of one of the missing girl’s younger sister, Iris, who is 1/3 of a group of amateur sleuths.
Alongside the prose is mixed media in the form of excerpts from a true crime podcast, created by Heather, who happens to be the mayor’s daughter, Iris’s ex-girlfriend, and the second girl from Hillwood High to go missing.

What happened to Heather and Iris’s sister, and are they connected? Will Iris and her detective agency friends be able to find the answers before the police do?

This book had one of those instances where there was so much diversity from every angle that it came across forced:
- Iris: pansexual
- Sammy: lesbian
- Imani: non-binary
- Heather: bisexual
- Lea: bisexual and has a hand with six fingers (which was mentioned once, maybe twice in passing) and her parents are sapphic.

There was speculation from the people in the town that Iris’s sister ran away because of parental abuse, which is such a strong assumption to publicly make…

I had a hard time getting invested. The ending didn’t satisfy me and I got so tired of continuously reading “my ex-girlfriend” or “my ex-best-friend” when their given name would have sufficed, and especially since Iris and Lea were hanging out nearly every day it felt counterintuitive.

Additionally, I don’t really get what the cover of a spilled drink has to do with the story? Like, Heather’s diary with the USBs, and maybe some cheerleading pom-poms and a police file would’ve been cool.

cw: doxxing, cheating, murder, overdose/alcohol poisoning, teacher/student relationship + more

This is a sapphic YA thriller that includes two missing girls, a true-crime podcast with episodes embedded within the text, a pansexual main character and LGBTQ+ side-characters (lesbian, bisexual, non-binary lesbian, and queer), a teenage detective agency, and a fall setting. Content warnings are as follows: graphic, on-page depictions of blood, a car accident, grief, cursing, and death; moderate on-page mentions of medical content, alcohol, infidelity, an adult/minor relationship (challenged), cancer, the death of a parent, mental illness, and murder; and brief allusions to or minor depictions of gore, drug use, stalking, vomit, emotional abuse, suicide, panic attacks/disorders, gun violence, homophobia (challenged), a terminal illness, and violence.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

“How to Find a Missing Girl” was a stellar debut and a YA thriller to remember! I was instantly hooked from page one. The pacing is wonderful with twists and turns that left me gasping every chapter. The story never felt slow and there was always something happening– which is perfect for a thriller novel. This book follows a sapphic detective agency, and it was so nice to see them take the lead and get to tell their own story. I really enjoyed that this book focuses on bringing justice to the girls in this town who have gone missing, and I think it's such an excellent story. Iris reminds me a lot of Veronica Mars.The side characters also made this story so much more incredible. I adored Sammy and Imani so much, and when Lea joined their group I loved their scenes even more. The history behind Lea and Iris was so interesting and fun to read, and I was constantly craving their scenes together. I love how each and every character is written. Whether we’re supposed to hate them or love them, they have depth, they have a backstory, they fit into the story perfectly. I felt like I was right there alongside Iris trying to figure out the mystery. I adored the podcast aspect and how evidence was brought in that way, and how we also didn't have all the information upfront as Iris hadn't actually listened to them. If you liked “Good Girls Guide to Murder”, you will definitely like this! I hope that we get more of Iris, Lea, Sammy and Imani in more books. I think that this would make a great series. Victoria Wlosok is an author to watch and I can’t wait to read her next book! It's definitely a book I'd recommend to others, and I'm hopeful to read more sapphic thrillers by Victoria Wlosok. Thank you very much to NetGalley, Victoria Wlosok and Little Brown for the access to this ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

I was pleasantly surprised by this!

I’m always skeptical of tiktok books, but this one was really good. the mystery was super interesting, the characters were fun, i did kinda guess who the actual suspect was in the middle of the book, but i was still shocked at the reveal.

my only complaint is that the terms “ex-best-friend” and “ex-girlfriend” were used WAY too much. it really had me rolling my eyes every time i saw it.

overall i’d reccomend :)

LOVED THIS BOOK
LGBTQ rep
Pansexual main character
Useless detectives.

SIGN ME UP

What was really special about this book is that the characters felt honest. It wasn't written about teens by a 40+ something year old but rather a young voice who was reflected in the characters so everything just felt honest and real.
I am adding Victoria on my list of authors to watch out for and to read more from them when it comes out!

A remarkable debut from Victoria! Un-put-downable and endlessly engaging, quick witted and twisting--the list goes on. I'm so excited for this book to hit shelves next month. It's the perfect next read for mystery and thriller fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tori's publicist, Hannah Klein, for sending me an ARC of HTFAMG in exchange of a review.

Okay y'all. The first thing you need to know about this book is that I FOUGHT to get my hands on it (literally. I fought. Hard). Because the SECOND I heard about it, I knew I needed to read it. I read AGGGTM earlier this year and it instantly became one of my favourite reads; so I just had to get my hands on HTFAMG. Also, who doesn't love thrillers?

I think it's not a surprise when I say this book reached my expectations. I was right in wanting to read it, because this book is simply and purely THAT good. Tori should be incredibly proud of herself for writing a debut that's so gripping and captivating that you struggle to put it down (but my beauty sleep won, I'm sorry). The writing style was simple and beautiful, and I absolutely adored the multi-media format! It's part of the reason why I loved AGGGTM so much; it never misses, and in this case, it delivered. The podcast was such a welcome addition, and it served its purpose very well, giving us clues, plot devices, and some characters' backgrounds and motivations.

The characters were also very alive and flawed and beautiful and you couldn't not root for them. Iris' motivations for everything she does are abundantly clear, and I honestly think I would do the same (sometimes), were I in her situation. The secondary characters had all their own personalities and were also flawed, and that's what made them so good.

Although the twist wasn't that surprising (but maybe I've read and watched too many thrillers? Who knows), I still was captivated every second. Tori uses today's society and its problems as a means to tell her story in a way I didn't necessarily expect; the message behind some dialogues, characters, and scene settings is very clear: the dissociation and dichotomy of living in a town split between the rich and the poor and what it does to a person, and, of course, the power teachers can have over students, all real, important subjects that need to be talked about, and Tori does that wonderfully.

And obviously, I have to mention the sapphics. I think one of the first things I learned about this book - other than it was similar to AGGGTM - was that it was sapphic. I don't think we have many sapphic trillers out there - we do, but not like this one where the sapphic characters (which DO end up in a wlw relationship) are at the centre of the investigation because they're leading it, and it was just so refreshing to read a book where the problems weren't related to homophobia and queerphobia. I think we need more of these.

I compare this book to AGGGTM a lot, I know. But I don't think you can't not compare them (I think AGGGTM was a comp for HTFAMG?). The premises are similar in some ways (there's a murder/disappearance and the MC tries to solve it) but other than that, they're two different books. Pip and Iris are completely different characters with different motivations, each book has its own story, and the resolutions make sense in both stories without, again, being similar. If you love AGGGTM and Holy Jackson, you should definitely pick up HTFAMG when it comes out (September 19th!) because you will LOVE it.

I kept meaning to get others things done, but I kept going "I'll just read one more chapter." How to Find a Missing Girl has interesting mysteries that I really wanted to know the answers to. I really liked the characters, who were very diverse. The agency is a sapphic detective agency and Imani uses they/them pronouns. The lead character, Iris, is pansexual. I really loved Lea, Iris' former best friend, who seemed like the person who most had their stuff together. Iris is kind of a mess, but it absolutely makes sense why she is having trouble and I was rooting for her the entire time.

The only real issue I had was the pacing was kind of off. Heather goes missing on a Saturday (they were in school classes on Saturday and they have a regular club meeting during school hours, which was weird) and even though everyone knows the first 48 hours are the most important in a case, one of the agency members had to work on a school play (working on costumes for a play that won't open for another month at least), so they largely just pushed their investigation to the next day. The real time pressure is supposed to be Iris turning 18 and being liable as an adult if she gets caught impeding an investigation or doing something illegal, but because that was almost a full month after Heather went missing, there ended up being points where it felt like too much time.

Overall though, I couldn't stop reading and I found the mystery satisfying. I was able to pick up a few clues, but didn't put everything together until the end, so I really enjoyed the ride!