Member Reviews
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This is a gripping mystery thriller about Bel, an 18-year-old girl whose mother reappears after years of being presumed dead. With unexpected twists and a search for the truth, Holly Jackson delivers a mind-blowing masterpiece that keeps you hooked until the end! Yes, I stayed up way too late finishing this book. The Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy will always be my favorite of her books.
Holly Jackson does it again with "The Reappearance of Rachel Price,” showcasing her mastery of suspense. This thriller captivates readers with its unpredictable plot twists and exploration of intricate family dynamics.
I couldn’t wait to start reading this book, and I finished it almost immediately, pulling me from a months long reading slump. It was so fast paced and the different plot twists kept me enthralled the entire time. I would read Holly Jackson’s grocery lists so I knew I would love this one. If you also adore her previous books, I would recommend this one every time!!
4.5 Stars rounded up.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for proving an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I’m still sitting with my thoughts on this one because my toxic trait is comparing every book holly jackson writes to AGGGTM - and that’s super unfair (also, I’m still a little salty about that conclusion iykyk 🫠)
this was a great young adult thriller, however!! it was fast paced and full of unlikable characters, and I had to keep reminding myself that these characters were not real because I was getting so heated 😶
the plot twists, while exciting, were not as shocking as I was anticipating - in fact, based on my past thriller experience, I guessed every single twist, including the ending 🫣 but that’s a me problem
it was definitely an enjoyable read, but it wasn’t one of my ultimate favorites. I would loved to see more POVs and less of bel’s bias on the situation! and the way it all wrapped up so neatly felt disjointed based on the gravity of the situation
thank you to netgalley and delacorte press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend
Holly Jackson does it again. I loved this story and these characters. I was along for the ride and second guessing my instincts at every turn. This is a GREAT BOOK!
4.5/5 ⭐️
This book got me out of my partial reading slump. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m acting surprise, this author seriously is amazing at writing YA thrillers. I was on the edge of my seat. I felt everything so viscerally. Like I was nauseous with nerves and anger. And the plot twists! You know it’s good when you have to walk it off. I also really loved Ash and Bel’s dynamic and bantering.
It was a little strange to read a book referencing Covid. I also was momentarily taken out of the story in one scene where she starts listing all these books in grandfathers house and they were predominately contemporary YA. Like surely their neighbor whose bookstore he got them from was questioning after a while. I also did not love the ending. It was good. It wrapped things up nicely. However, I sort of wanted it to end a tad differently.
But overall, excellent read. It solidified this author as an insta-buy for me. Highly recommend checking it out if you love thrillers and true crime (I really enjoyed how the story had hints and essences of other real cases that had me pulling them from the recesses of my mind).
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.
Holly Jackson does not miss! This book had me hooked from the very first page and I flew through it because I HAD to know how everything was going to worm out. Just when I think I knew what was going on….nope, I had NO clue. I couldn’t have guessed the reveal in a million years. Highly recommend if you’re a fan of thrillers!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review.
This book was fun but just a little predictable. You could really tell when the author was trying to throw you off but overall it was fun!
I'll start with the good:
-strong female character
-family dynamics
-very compelling plot
-unpredictable
The not so good:
-redundant
-wrapped up too nicely
-some of the characters' decisions were so glossed over and unbelievable
-cheesy
I still liked this book, and I give it 4 stars. Once we get to the climax, though, it all goes downhill. I wanted to skip so much of it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price is the first book I've read since the Girls Guide to Murder trilogy wrapped up. I've been hesitant to read anything that Jackson has written since because the last book in the trilogy was just so bad. However, the Reappearance of Rachel Price is a return to form....kinda.
The story centers around Bel Price whose mother disappeared 16 years ago after going to the local mall with Bel. The kidnapper was nice enough to leave Bel behind in the car, but because she was all of two years old, she has no memories of that day or what happened to her mother. Fast forward to the present when a documentary is being filmed about Rachel's disappearance and Rachel suddenly reappears. Bel begins to doubt her story of what happened and the rest of the story is what you would expect with lots of "Oooo" moment/reveals.
Overall, I thought it was a decent story with some clever reveals. I thought it was a little slow to start with some repetitiveness of events and commentary until Rachel shows up which is when the story really kicks in. Generally speaking it was an entertaining read and it left me open to reading more by the author.
I love Holly Jackson's writing so I was very excited to read her best book. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
Bel's mom went missing 16 years ago, he dad went in trial (found not guilty) and now there is a documentary happening. After only a few days of filming her mom mysteriously reappears. Bel doesn't trust her mom, she keeps messing up details and she decides to investigate with the help of a camera assistant from the documentary.
What concludes is more than I could have ever imagined. Granted, there was one detail I totally called, it was still a good twist.
I substitute in a middle school and will always recommend her books to the older students. She is a great writer and I can't wait to read her future books.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
any book holly writes is automatically on my TBR. i don't know how she writes YA that ropes me in this much! i felt like bel was a little harsh and saw a few twists coming, but this book was so good from the first to the last page! i had high hopes after how much i loved her other books and this one will go right up at the top of my recommendations as well!
I really enjoyed this book, almost more than I did with her first series. I always can predict the endings of mystery books, but there is something about Holly Jackson and her writing that is so unpredictable and shocking once it is revealed. I thought I knew what happened, and I was proven wrong, in the best way. The truth was something I could have never imagined, this book is so intricate with all it's details connecting what happened that I could not stop reading. It was thrilling and had me jumping up from my seat several times. I absolutely adore Bel and her story is one of my favorites and I can't wait to recommend this to everyone once it comes out.
(4.5 stars) Excellent plot, characters, and twists; never knew who to trust; kept me hooked entirely and wanting to know what was going to happen next; addicting; amazing how all the intricate pieces came together in a satisfying ending although there was just one huge plot hole at the end that is driving me nuts.
A fantastic YA mystery/thriller.
Special thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press and Netgalley for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was so so good Holly Jackson has done it again! I read the second half in one sitting I was absolutely hooked, the mystery is so great and I loved the characters
Bel Price was left alone on a cold winter day when she was an infant. For 16 years she had no idea what truly happened, and believed her mother had died. Until one day when Bel was walking home she ran into her mother. Once Bel tells her father to come home, this begins the craziness of this story! Holly Jackson takes you on a ride with the twist and turns throughout this book. My guesses were wrong about what happened to Rachel Price, so hold on for a wild ride.
As a huge Holly Jackson fan, The Reappearance of Rachel Price did not disappoint! Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this before publication!
Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children's for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Reappearance of Rachel Price on April 2, 2024.
Holly Jackson does it again. This book sucked me in from the get-go, and I LOVED the premise of it. Your mom disappears and reappears 16 years later while you're in the middle of filming a true crime documentary about her being missing? Iconic. The tension and character relationships were SO well-written, which is a shock to absolutely no one who's read Holly's books before.
I like how Bel felt different from Holly's previous characters (and from most YA FMCs in general). She's a bit prickly and has to grow on you, but it's also understandable given her background and upbringing. She's so used to everyone leaving her that she beats them to it first, which is why the relationships she DID form in this book were so much harder hitting emotionally.
The ending did throw me for a curve, but I like that it wasn't completely out of left field. I was honestly more shocked by the way the characters reacted to the ending than the reveal itself, and I can't wait to hear more people's thoughts on how everything plays out.
For any thriller/mystery/true crime girlies -- THIS IS YOUR BOOK!
3.5
This is my first Holly Jackson book, and I enjoyed it enough to add her A Good Girl's Guide to Murder to my TBR.
While I found the concept of this mystery thriller intriguing, and it had enough twists or unknowns to keep me engaged, I wasn't hooked and desperate to know how things were going to end until about the 70% mark (which I know is common for most mystery thrillers).
While I enjoyed Rachel as a character, I found Bel hard to like even though she had so many traits I think worked and were necessary for her character. Her cynicism, urge to push people away due to fear of abandonment, and ultimately her manipulation tactics, but I think it may have fallen flat for me due to her age - meaning the intended younger audience will most likely relate perfectly to her and her family dynamics.
I think you will really enjoy this if you a love a good murder mystery (with family drama) where you will have major gut instincts...and in the end, most of them end up being completely incorrect.
It's always been Bel and her Dad, Charlie. Bel barely remembers her Mom, Rachel, who disappeared when Bel was two years old, vanishing without a trace. The pain of her Mom being gone is softened because they are a close family: Bel, Charlie, Grandpa Pat, Uncle Jeff (Charlie's brother), his wife, Sherry, and their daughter Carter.
In order to pay for Grandpa Pat's long-term care, Charlie agrees to film a documentary about Rachel's disappearance sixteen years ago and why it's still unsolved. As the film crew follows their every move, documenting the days leading up to Rachel's disappearance, Bel grows tired of talking about her Mom. To her, Rachel is long gone; Bel is convinced she's been dead for a long time. Until the day Rachel returns.
This is a suspenseful, twisty tale. Bel, Carter, and the filmmaking crew are engaging characters, especially Ash. As you follow their stories and memories, it gets harder to stop reading because you just have to find out the truth.
Thank you to Holly Jackson, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press Publishing, and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.
Bel and Rachel Price’s story, while requiring some suspension of belief, was addicting!
Bel’s mom, Rachel, disappeared without a trace sixteen years ago after being taken from her car - with a toddler Bel in the back in her car seat. In present day, Bel’s father, Charlie, agrees to be part of a true crime documentary about Rachel’s disappearance. It’s not until a reluctant Bel agrees to participate in the documentary that she finds herself face to face with Rachel, and with more questions than answers.
As addicting as the plot was, and as complex as a protagonist that Bel was, I didn’t enjoy the latter as a character at all. Sure, she’s jaded and cynical and doesn’t know who or what to believe, but I never found myself truly connecting with her. Instead, the pages turned because I, along with the characters, was trying to unravel the reappearance of Rachel Price.
Similar to most thrillers, especially Holly Jackson’s (with the exception of GGGTM 3, which was just WAY too unbelievable even for a thriller), you have to suspend some belief of reality. However, with the combination of that and the family dynamics, the suspension wasn’t as frustrating as it could have been. I think a lot of young readers will be able to relate to these family dynamics and to Bel as a character.