Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Shawn Cohen has put together quite the detailed outline about a college girl who seemed to vanish in thin air. He recounts the interviews and the media frenzy when this first happened.

I hope that this book will bring the family justice and that someone will speak up about what really happened that fateful night.

Well written true crime case, but with not many revelations or surprises within. If you haven’t heard of it it’d be a good choice. Thanks for the arc

Lauren Spierer 20 was a regular college student from a regular family when she suddenly disappeared in 2011. She was partying and ended up in a house with four guys she barely knew and then just never came home. There was an investigation, the guys from the house, her friends, her boyfriend were all interrogated by the police, but no one knew what happened. Twelve years later the case is still unsolved, someone knows what happened to her, but that someone is not talking.

The case was widely covered back then (something I missed not being American) and the author does acknowledge that Lauren was probably a good example of the missing white woman syndrome, other women who also disappeared back then, didn’t get the same coverage. Acknowledging that bias doesn’t make Lauren’s story not important, and it doesn’t make her family miss her less.

I feel like College girl is a book about several stories, all interesting in their own ways. First it’s the story of reporter and the bond he creates with that family, the reason twelve years later he’s still interested in the story. It’s also the story of parents grieving a daughter now knowing what happened to her. There’s something incredibly cruel in having to grive someone but not actually having a grave to visit and pay respect to. Lauren’s parents are not stupid, they know their daughter is probably dead, but they still want and need to know what happened to her.

The last and probably most important story is a story about the danger of being a woman in our society. Lauren’s friends and family didn’t hide the fact that she had a problem with drinking and taking drugs, the night of a disappearance she ended up not being in control, she put herself in danger not realizing it. That quote says it all :
“You can tell at the bars, there’s a lot of girls that are extremely drunk without really much support or anything like that, and there’s a lot of creepy older dudes at the bars that kind of hang around and are pretty clearly waiting for something like that.” He said young co-eds are also often preyed on by other students, whether it’s in the frats, at off-campus pre-games, or on the streets at the end of a long night."

This reminds me of the French movie (based on a real case) “La nuit du douze”. The problem isn’t a lack of suspects, the problem is that there are too many. A woman in a vulnerable state outside at night? She’s the perfect prey. And if we still don’t know what happened to Lauren, we know that something happened to her. There was also a lot of victim blaming (not from the author), she was a drunk and a drug addict, what did she expect.? What makes Lauren’s story interesting isn’t that she’s a white girl from a good family who is still missing. It’s that her story could be any woman’s story. At some point one of her friends says :

“I’ve gotten too drunk at times and wondered what if I got unlucky and was in the wrong place at the wrong time or hung out with the wrong person. We did all that stupid shit in college, and she drew the short end of the stick in a way that I thought was unimaginable.”

If you’re a woman, that’s something that you always think about.
As far as true crimes books goes, this one really remembers that in every crime story there is a victim involved and that she’s a real person, that makes it a really good book.

"College Girl, Missing" explores the story and history behind the disappearance of Lauren Spierer, a college student who disappeared after a night of partying with friends back in 2011. I was new to the story, and was engaged with Shawn Cohen's narration of the events. Upon further review after the book, many of the details and events are not new, but it was still an engaging read. A quick read for fans of true crime.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

Lauren Spierer, a student at Indiana University, went missing after a night out with friends in 2011. The author, who covered her disappearance when it happened, returns to the still-unsolved case years later, hoping to come up with new information. Cohen also touches on broader themes such as the media’s obsession with missing white women, and what it’s like to see your life reduced to headlines. (Something he learned first-hand when he became embroiled in a NY journalism contretemps.)

The most affecting part of the book may be the reflections of Lauren’s friends — now well into adulthood — on what they wish they’d done differently and how they feel they failed her.

The book might have benefited from a timeline and a cast of characters. The night Lauren disappeared involved multiple friends, multiple locations, conflicting stories and missed phone calls.

Oh, oh, this one is good! I was enthralled with the story. The book was written very well. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow what an absolute gripping book. I got instant chills. This book was so well written & captivated me from the start. Highly recommended and I need a physical copy of this asap!

"College Girl, Missing" is a thrilling and thought-provoking true crime story about a missing girl from Indiana University, where Spierer studied. Cohen does a brilliant job of relating what happened when Lauren Spierer vanished, painting a detailed picture of the case that kept the nation on its toes.

This book differs from other true crime stories in terms of how it addresses the events that followed the disappearance of Lauren. Subsequently, the author sheds light on innocent people abandoned by such cases. Using new evidence, testimonies, and interviews, the author makes the reader doubt the initial finding and suspect a cover-up.

The story moves at a good pace such that the readers never feel bored. Cohen has accumulated a large amount of facts, detailing every step leading to Lauren's disappearance and the police investigation that followed. As they watch witness accounts and clips from security cameras, the audience wonders how a high-profile case can run to a dead end.

Cohen's writing style is simple and precise, rendering the complex details of the case understandable to the readers. The book amiably lies between telling the truth and letting the readers conclude. Thus, Cohen does not engage in sensationalism but presents a complete picture of the events, which the reader can interpret.

The one area that could have been investigated further was an analysis of the possible motives and role of the wealthy, well-connected male students who were in the presence of Lauren on the night she disappeared. While the book suggests a conspiracy, it fails to provide hard evidence or rival hypotheses. Yet, the general effect of the story remains.

In conclusion, in "College Girl, Missing," Cohen demonstrates careful research and gives us a comprehensive picture of the investigation that leaves us with many unanswered questions about the Spierer case. This book is an eye-opener and a must-read for true crime fans and people interested in the intricacies of criminal investigations.

I want to thank SOURCEBOOKS (non-fiction), and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

"College Girl, Missing" is a riveting true crime account that delves into the mysterious disappearance of Lauren Spierer, a young woman at a crucial juncture in her life. Cohen skillfully navigates through the intricacies of a case that captured global attention, drawing in celebrities and major news outlets.

Set against the backdrop of Indiana University, the narrative unfolds with Lauren vanishing in plain sight during a night out with dozens of classmates in an active university town. The perplexity of her disappearance lies in the fact that she was seen by witnesses and captured on security cameras, eventually ending up in a townhouse with well-connected male students. Despite the media attention, the police case went cold, and Lauren's body was never recovered.

Cohen presents readers with a suspenseful exploration, armed with never-before-seen evidence that exposes a cover-up, a flawed investigation, conflicting testimony, and new interviews. The author skillfully guides us through a minute-by-minute recap of the last hours of Lauren's life, leading to the pivotal question: What happened to Lauren Spierer?

What sets "College Girl, Missing" apart is Cohen's dedication to shedding light on the often overlooked aspect of true crime—the innocent and forgotten. With the full cooperation of Lauren's parents, the narrative builds tension and intrigue as it exposes the heart-wrenching aftermath of a tragedy. This book is a compelling and emotionally charged journey that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, seeking answers to a haunting question that lingers long after the final page is turned. As a true crime documentary producer, I could see this as an ID or Netflix limited series or feature documentary.