I was recently invited to read an ARC version of Ripley Jones's upcoming novel "The Other Lola" via her publishing/marketing team as well as through NetGalley. It's the sequel to her novel "Missing Clarissa."

["The sequel to Ripley Jones's unforgettable YA thriller Missing Clarissa , The Other Lola is about what happens when the people you love the most are the people you can trust the least.

In the months after Cam and Blair broke their small hometown’s legendary missing-girl story and catapulted to accidental fame, they vowed never to do it again. No more mysteries, no more podcasts, and no more sticking their heads where they don’t belong.

Until Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their high school, shows up on their doorstep, begging Cam and Blair for help. Mattie's sister Lola disappeared mysteriously five years ago. No trace of her was ever found. Now, she's back--but Mattie is convinced the girl who returned is an impostor. Nobody believes Mattie's wild story--not Mattie's brother, not Mattie's mother, and not even Cam and Blair. But something is definitely wrong in the Brosillard family. And Blair has her own reasons for wanting to know what really happened to Lola while she was gone.

With Cam and Blair still struggling with the aftermath of their first mystery—and with new secrets swirling between them—the stakes are higher than ever in this can’t-miss sequel to Missing Clarissa."]

This mystery took me a while to get through. Partially because it's been a while since I read something where you need to pay 100% attention to. Partially because it was heavy (anxiety, depression, loss, ptsd, and more). Partially because I didn't get hooked until late.

But when I did get hook? Holy. Hell.

The POV went back and forth (like the last book) between Blair and Cam, but it also featured Mattie a few times. And once or twice, Lola/"Lola."
The first Lola/"Lola" POV totally supported Mattie's suspicions, but then it was quickly lost in the story and the drama and all of the evidence that goes against Mattie's theory. Did I know at any point which what I thought, without a doubt, if Lola was Lola or "Lola?" Nope. Not once.
That was, obviously, the main mystery, but all of the side stories and other lies really helped support the magnitude of the situation as well as distract you with other details to pull your attention away from Lola/"Lola." It was a brilliant choice on Ripley's part.

Check out this book when it comes out 12 March 2024!

#theotherlola #missingclaarissa #ripleyjones #netgalley #arc #thriller #yathriller #murdermystery #yamurdermystery #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Although a stand-alone book, this story continues seamlessly as you follow Blair and Cam following their first investigation and podcast for a school project (Missing Clarissa). As teens, they still struggle with their identities and goals, but have the additional strain of the fallout of their experiences during their past project. When Mattie appeals for their help in finding out what really happened to her sister who went missing 5 years ago, their reluctance is understandable. Lola returns 5 years after she went missing, with no explanation of the intervening years; the family should be elated - and publicly they are. But there is an undercurrent of mistrust and threat that has returned to the house with her. Blair excitedly and Cam reluctantly 'take the case' - even though they think they are likely just humoring Mattie. As you delve into the family dynamics, you see that the deepest cuts come from those closest to us. Blair and Cam investigate a missing person case that was never pursued by officials. They unravel a years-old mystery as they tug at every thread they can find. There are many surprises along the way, most notably how Other Lola is portrayed at the end. This was a great followup to Missing Clarissa, a heart-wrenching mystery with an authentic feel.

I was invited to read this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I previously received Missing Clarissa as well, so this book wasn't even on my radar until last week. I don't usually read ARCs out of pub order, this far in advance. The description of this book was so interesting and appealing to me that I couldn't resist. I love the teenage sleuth best friends Cam and Blair in their little town of Oreville, near the Pacific NW coast of WA. They started a podcast for their school journalism class as juniors to search for a cold case answers to what happened to a young woman named Clarissa in the 90s. They got their answers and also a year later, still dealing with the aftermath. Cam has PTSD and Blair is considering a career as a writer. They are definitely never doing a podcast again.

Then a freshman named Mattie comes to Cam with a new case. Their sister Lola went missing 5 years ago and the police never investigated that much because they assumed she was a Runaway at age 15. Lola had an older boyfriend and did drugs. What gets Mattie to ask for help is a young woman bearing resemblance to Lola has showed up at a police station, claiming to be Lola. Their mother Ruth is ecstatic and doesn't push for a DNA test because this Lola is acting much more docile and respecting. Lola's twin brother Luke seems to believe it's his sister. Only Mattie believes this girl is an imposter and asks Cam and Blair to help since they're only 14 and don't have access to a credit card or driver's license. (Also Mattie is non binary)

Cam and Blair go about their investigating a little differently this time. Blair starts dating Luke and Cam is a little fearful with her panic attacks and nightmares from last year. I enjoyed Cam's mother Irene and her boyfriend Brad as well as the way the story concluded. I kind of guessed at what happened with Lola, but it didn't impede my enjoyment of the story. I guess that's why it got 4 out of 5 stars. Nobody seemed bothered that 15 year old Lola had a much older boyfriend, not even Ruth. There should be a trigger warning about discussion of sending Mattie to a conversion camp. There's also a retired police officer who is pretty much a stereotypical MAGA bootlicker. I was actually amused at how Blair handled him.

I hope there is more of Cam and Blair as they go off into adulthood. Really like this author. Release is March 2024. 4/5☆

I initially was not sure how much I was going to like this book, as Cam and Blair's passive aggressive behavior and hiding secrets from each other was somewhat annoying. Thankfully, they eventually divulge their secrets and the reasons for their behavior, and the story can focus more on the mystery they were trying to solve, which was an interesting one. Mattie's sister Lola disappeared five years ago -- runaway? kidnapping? no one was really sure. However, a couple weeks ago, Lola returned with a story about escaping from her kidnappers but not much of an explanation for what had happened in the past five years. Her mother (Ruth) and fraternal twin brother (Luke) are happy to have Lola back; her mother, especially, because the new Lola is a much better version (in Ruth's opinion) than the old Lola. Mattie, on the other hand, is not pleased, as they are convinced that as much as this person looks like Lola, and claims to be Lola, she is an imposter. Being only fourteen and a freshman, their ability to uncover the truth is limited, but they are convinced that Cam and Blair can help, as they solved the mystery of Clarissa's disappearance. Cam does not want to get involved (for many reasons); however, while Blair is skeptical of Mattie's claim, she sees the potential benefits of solving the mystery and convinces a reluctant Cam to at least talk to the people who saw Lola the night she disappeared. Of course, numerous problems will arise, as there are multiple individuals who don't want the truth revealed, which will place Blair, Cam and Mattie at risk. The truth, when it comes out, is somewhat surprising in multiple ways.

One of the best aspects of the book is how protective and caring Blair, Cam, and Irene (once she meets Mattie and learns what her daughter (Cam) and best friend have been up to) are of Mattie, whose nonbinary identity is anathema to Mattie's mother.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I truly devoured this one. I enjoyed the first book in this series and found myself getting sucked into this one as well. I love the characters and duo of Cam and Blair, and it was nice to see their friendship continue to develop and see them working on another mystery. Although I didn’t find the ending realistic (all these families are ok with where these kids are? There’s that many messed up people in this town?), it didn’t ruin it for me. I like the author’s style and character development and cannot help but adore Cam’s mother Irene, and it was so good to see some of my favorite characters back again in book 2. It’s the kind of family dynamic and diversity you want to see in YA books (at least for me), and would not hesitate to grab book 3 should it appear! FYI profanity, talk of dug abuse and sexual situations (usually in a joking manner), mental health issues, etc.i think it’s all handled pretty well for a YA book.

I loved Missing Clarissa so was excited to read the next adventure with Cam and Blair! Although they no longer do podcasts, they are approached by young Mattie, whose sister Lola has been missing for five years and suddenly shows up with no explanation. But even though she LOOKS like Lola, Mattie is convinced this is not her sister and needs help proving it. And so we go down the proverbial rabbit hole with Cam and Blair as they begin to piece together the very odd circumstances surrounding Lola's disappearance and reappearance in the family's life. Twists and turn abound in this tightly-knit mystery, but we are in awe of Cam and Blair's skills as they continue to follow the clues that will reveal dark and sinister motives!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is the sequel I was hoping for. I looked back at my review of the author's other book and I had commented that I couldn't wait to read another book by them! This was also and exciting and thrilling story/mystery. I like that the characters are young and working together to solve injustices. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The sequel to Ripley Jones's Missing Clarissa!

I loved Missing Clarissa and jumped at the chance to see what Cameron and Blair would get up to next. Where we last left them, they had experienced fame but not fortune from their podcast as they received far too many negative emails and messages. Promising each other no more podcasts or mysteries, they start their senior year.

But when Blair is approached by freshman student Mattie Brosillard, she can't say no. Mattie shares that her sister Lola disappeared more than 5 years ago and was never found...until now. The Lola in her house, Mattie claims, is an imposter. Soon the duo are detecting against the wishes of the police, their parents and Mattie's family, while juggling their own secrets from each other. This was a perfect follow up book - the plot, the pace and the emotions (while Y A but not too TOO YA) were believable. It was easy to empathize with the characters in the story and root again for Cam and Blair to pull it off. Best yet, I really couldn't guess where Jones was going with the story until the very end.

If you loved Missing Clarissa, had a best buddy in high school that was your ride or die, or just love a small town missing person mystery, The Other Lola is for you!
#StMartins #TheotherLola #RipleyJones

The Other Lola sparks the mystery lovers interest because it is packed with twists and turns identifying many facets of society's most prominent concerns today while solving a simple mystery with amateur teenage sleuths. It is a quick satisfying afternoon read.

I loved Missing Clarissa, so I was ecstatic to read an advanced copy of its sequel. The Other Lola has many of the elements I loved in the first book: fast-paced dialogue, a strong (and nuanced) friendship, and great side characters. The potential-imposter setup was really well teed-up; it wasn't clear until the very end what happened. (But that's not to say that there weren't plenty of red herrings along the way.)

However, like Missing Clarissa, I feel like The Other Lola has an abrupt ending. There's so much suspense and then a pretty quick (and tidy-ish) resolution. I don't want to spoil any specifics, but I feel like Cam and Blair could have had stronger roles in actually solving the mystery.

All of that said, Ripley Jones continues to be one of my fave YA authors.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the copy of The Other Lola by Ripley Jones. I was excited to read this sequel because Missing Clarissa was one of my top reads of last year. The book started slowly - I wasn’t engaged in the story of Mattie thinking her sister was an imposter. Then Blair and Cam’s story drew me back into the magic of ‘Clarissa’ and I got hooked on their relationship with each other and with Mattie and the story ended up being deeper than I expected. The characters were really well-drawn and realistic and I loved the writing style. Once the story got going I couldn’t stop reading until I knew the truth about Lola. This book recaps a lot of what happened in Clarissa and reintroduces many characters, so I wish I had reread it first. I recommend reading Missing Clarissa first or rereading it. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books this year!

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE OTHER LOLA by Ripley Jones in exchange for my honest review.***

In this follow-up to MISSING CLARISSA teen podcasters Cam and Blair are reluctantly back investigating a disappearance, which they vowed never to repeat. Mattie, a freshman at their school convinces the sleuths to look into the disappearance of her sister Lola, five years ago and the return of what Mattie insists is a fake Lola.

What I liked:

The mystery and what really happened to Lola
The three major characters
Many aspects of the clever writing.

What I didn’t like:

Mattie wanted to be called they which made the writing/reading super confusing. Rather than being able to read through, I constantly had to stop to figure out if Mattie was the *they* or if Cam and Blair or all three girls were the *they*. This made the reading experience more of a chore than pleasurable. Mattie was a great character but I can’t see myself wanting to read another book if she’s the main character because of the re-reading involved. If not for the clunkiness, I’d have rated at least a star higher.

The sequel to Ripley Jones's YA thriller Missing Clarissa , The Other Lola is a quick, enjoyable read with a good amount of suspense. This book was so good. It was difficult to put down. The mystery was pretty well done, so interesting to follow. Would recommend to fans of YA thrillers.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.