Member Reviews
This book will have readers up until all hours of the night desperate to learn what happened to Rachel Price.
Bel has grown up being the child of Rachel Price, the wife and mother who went missing 16 years ago. And now, at age 18, Bel is filming a documentary at her father's wishes to recount what life has been like since the disappearance. Bel feels that her life has settled into "normal" until one day, the unthinkable happens. Rachel Price reappears. With this reappearance comes chaos, lies, and blurred lines. Bel must decide who she can trust, which stories she can believe, and what she must do to get back to the normal life she craves so deeply.
Holly Jackson does it again with another riveting and gripping YA novel that makes readers feel like they are a part of the mystery. I felt like I was reading the behind-the-scenes of a real true-crime mystery. There was drama, twists, turns, surprises, and jaw-dropping secrets.
Though parts of this story were predictable, I felt like I was still able to enjoy it because of the way I experienced it through Bel's perspective. Her emotions jumped off the page and allowed the reader to be fully immersed in what was happening.
One flaw I would say this book holds is that it is long. Some scenes could have been a tad shorter and could have allowed this book to be less than the current almost 450 pages. Am I mad that I read almost 450 pages? No, not at all. I just think that it could have still been successful a bit shorter.
I will 100% be recommending this book.
4.5/5
Let me tell you one thing to begin with - Holly Jackson is my queen and I believe in supremacy of her book.
And this one is no exception.
THIS STORY WAS ADDICTING! I was hooked from the beginning to the very end and I can't wait to reread it again!
Bel Price's mom, Rachel, vanished without a trace 16 years ago, leaving behind a cloud of mystery that's hung over their family ever since. But when her dad agrees to be part of a documentary about Rachel's disappearance, Bel reluctantly gets involved. And then, out of nowhere, Bel comes face to face with Rachel herself, alive and well on the side of the road. Talk about a plot twist!
I was totally sucked into Bel's world from the get-go. She's such a relatable protagonist - jaded, cynical, and feeling totally isolated. As she delves deeper into her own trauma and tries to uncover the truth about her family, I was right there with her, hanging on every word.
And let me tell you, the twists and turns in this book? Mind-blowing! Holly Jackson totally nailed it with the plot twists - they were perfectly set up, yet still managed to catch me off guard every time. And the ending? Whew, it had me shook!
But "The Reappearance of Rachel Price" isn't just a mystery - it's also a deep dive into family dynamics, loyalty, and the meaning of justice. It's emotional, thought-provoking, and kept me guessing until the very end.
Seriously, this book was the most fun I've had reading in ages. I was constantly trying to piece together the puzzle, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, Jackson threw in another twist that kept me guessing. It's a wild ride from start to finish, and I loved every minute of it!
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Written By Holly Jackson
Published By Random House Children
Release Date April 02, 2024
Bel Price is living her life without a mother. A mother that disappeared when she was 2 yrs old. Eighteen now, she is told that she is the only witness to what May of happened to her mother but she cannot remember anything at all. The Price family want to find out what happened and why. They are willing to get that information at any cost. So the true crime documentary was born. Bel wants things to get back to normal but what really is normal? Something is about to happen that will change everyones life. Rachel has come back. And she has a story that Bel honestly just cannot fathom. What is Rachel is not telling the truth? What would she be hiding? Is it a good idea to get close to Rachel and have a mother daughter relationship? Or is Rachel dangerous?igure out
This is a great YA thriller and is good for any age. I would say that is probably had a more predictable ending and was very easy to follow along with chapters that flowed perfectly. The characters were well developed and meshed together very well.
I would give this one 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
In a gripping tale by Holly Jackson, Rachel Price vanishes twice, leaving her infant daughter, Bel, as a silent observer. Nearly two decades later, while documenting her disappearance, Bel and her father are stunned when Rachel reappears. With years of deception between them, Bel faces a dilemma: whom to trust? Jackson's storytelling, unfolding in reverse, captivates as Bel navigates uncertainty and seeks truth alongside readers. Jackson's knack for mystery invites comparisons to Nancy Drew, making this novel a standout. Grateful for the advance copy, courtesy of NetGalley and Delacorte Press, I found Jackson's latest work a compelling page-turner.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of The Reappearance of Rachel Price for letting me read an ARC of this novel!
This book was entertaining from start to finish and I loved so many parts of it!
The mystery was great and in my opinion, not too predictable. Although the little romance wasn't necessary, it added a lighter element to the book.
Overall, I had a fun time reading this!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Bel’s mom, Rachel, disappeared 16 years ago and then two-year-old Bel was the only witness. With a documentary being filmed about the disappearance of Rachel Price, Bel and her family are shocked when Rachel reappears after being held hostage for 16 years.
With a hypnotic blend of mystery, true crime, and ya, this book keeps you on the edge as Bel tries to piece together what happened 16 years ago.
Themes: 👩👧🕵🏻♂️👀🔎🔦🔀🌪️
My thoughts: 🤓🥸🫡🤔🤫😁
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4.5 🌟 Rachel Price went missing twice. Leaving her infant daughter, Bel, as a witness yet too young to provide any answers. Eighteen years later, while filming a true-crime documentary about her disappearance, Bel and her father Charlie get the shock of their lifetime - Rachel returns. But with that many years of secrets and lies between them all - what is Bel to believe, and who can she trust?
A true crime mystery? Sign me up! I really enjoyed this latest book from Holly Jackson and was thrilled to have an opportunity to read an ARC. As a reader we work our way from the present to the past as the story unravels in reverse, ultimately leading to the return of Rachel Price and the search for the truth. I really enjoyed figuring this out with Bel, and was able to feel how she felt as she did not know what to believe and who to trust. There's something about the way Holly Jackson writes her mysteries that draws me in and brings out my inner Nancy Drew, and this book is one of my favorites right alongside the Good Girls' Guide series.
Overall another win from Holly Jackson, and I am so grateful to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 stars
Thank you to Holly Jackson and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Holly Jackson is a madwoman. Genuinely I feel like each of her books gets increasingly unhinged but I eat it up every time. Unusually I'm pretty good at predicting the twists in books but I was totally unprepared for just about every plot point in this book. If the premise sounds intriguing to you, the book absolutely follows through on insanity.
We need more mean representation in books like Bel Price!!! Mean protagonists for the win. Y'all are going to love Ash and all of his goofy outfits. I've loved everything Holly Jackson has written so far and The Reappearance of Rachel Price is absolutely up to par!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.
3.5 stars I think
Bel Price is quite the grump to be so young. 18 and full of anger and cynicism. But, really, for good reason. When she was nearly two years old, her mom disappeared. She and Bel were in the car one day, and next thing you know, someone is finding baby Bel (lmao babybel, cheese?? ok anyway) in the backseat of Rachel's car, middle of a snowstorm, doors closed and heat going, and Rachel nowhere to be seen.
Bel has that trauma, especially coupled with the guilt of knowing she knows what happened but not being able to access her little toddler memories, but then she also has had her family be sort of shunned in certain circles because her dad was arrested (then found not guilty) of Rachel's murder not long after Rachel disappeared.
So the story begins with Bel being a part of a documentary that a filmmaker is doing about Rachel's disappearance and the fallout from it. Not long after the story begins, though, do we see the catalyst of the book happen... Rachel just shows back up.
Bel is a character with not a lot going on. She doesn't have friends, she doesn't have hobbies or passions, and she doesn't have a lot of personality other than bitterness. At first I was kind of impressed because I don't feel like we get many characters who are a little... nothing. Like every character has something going on for them and like not all PEOPLE do. I don't always feel like I have a wide emotional range on a daily basis so it was nice to feel a little represented. But then I realized that Holly Jackson like damn near ONLY writes this character. Red from Five Survive felt similar and really Pippa from AGGGTM really wasn't super personable other than her obsessions lol (maybe I'm misremembering, because it's been a while, but I swear this is the case) and I'm like.... I don't know. I like a unique writing style but I also like RANGE and I just don't feel like I felt it.
The actual, like, mystery of the story is obviously WTF happened to Rachel in the 16+ years she was gone. She has one story and Bel does not believe it for a second. She is used to her life with her dad and she feels Rachel has fully upended it, and she just doesn't mesh well with this change so her best bet is to actively fight against it. The mystery answer is TOTALLY juicy but it is a little silly and glossed over by the end just because it's kind of like people stop caring about certain things as soon as it's convenient idk but don't get me wrong I stayed up LATE to finish this regardless
There's a little side romance that doesn't really add much to the story or take away from it. Just like in AGGGTM, the male love interest is far more interesting than the MC, and I just wish I could read from his POV lol
It's definitely on the good side of fine butttt I think that my Holly Jackson anticipation era may be over. :/
An intriguing young adult mystery perfect for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller. The main character is relatable and draws you in despite the fact that she’s not perfect. While some parts of the mystery I saw coming, there were others that surprised me up to the end.
This story is about Bel, an 18-year-old girl whose mother, Rachel, disappeared when she was a baby. A documentary is being filmed about the case when Rachel suddenly appears after 16 years. There are a lot of unanswered questions and secrets being kept about what really happened, and Bel needs to figure out the truth.
I could not put this book down once I got a few chapters into it! It felt like I was watching a movie in my head the whole time. I am a big fan of the AGGGTM series, so I was hoping this book would live up to those ones, and it definitely did. Holly Jackson really knows how to write a twist-filled, exciting mystery.
I was worried that Bel would feel too much like Pip when I first started reading this, but these characters felt very distinct from the ones from AGGGTM.
One thing that kind of bothered me was phrases/wording that sounds very British being said by American characters. The setting is in New Hampshire, so some of the ways characters said things just didn’t sound right.
As I was reading, I was thinking this was going to be 4 stars for me, but then the last third of the book changed that to a 5. I just really enjoyed the plot and the characters so much! I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!
Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this copy to review, all thoughts are my own.
I love a good YA murder mystery and I feel like Holly Jackson set the bar really high with her Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. I was super excited when she started writing some standalone mysteries but was somewhat let down by Five Survive. So I went into The Reappearance of Rachel Price with lowered expectations. I am pleased to say that this one definitely lives up to the GGGTM legacy!
The Reappearance of Rachel Price is the story of eighteen year old Bel Price, whose mother disappeared under very suspicious circumstances when she was only 2 years old. This disappearance has haunted Bel her whole life and affected her in ways she doesn’t even realize. Then a true crime documentary producer wants to tell Rachel’s story and figure out what happened to her. Naturally that brings up all sorts of unresolved things for Bel and her family. And then, surprise! Rachel reappears!
I won’t say more beyond that because it all becomes spoiler territory but needless to say, the pacing was great, the misdirection and the twists (which just kept coming) all happened at the right time and I was racing to finish! I did end up guessing the main twist early on (though I did not suspect it would be to the level that it was) but it didn’t diminish my surprise and excitement over it.
The only thing that prevented me from giving this a full 5 stars was the way that Bel treated Ash. I get that Bel is meant to be an unlikable character, she has been hurt badly and pushes people away out of self-preservation. And some of her one liners were hilarious (loved the horse f*cker bit) but her treatment of Ash felt more like bullying than just sarcasm and dry humor. I think that could have been written in an away that still preserved Bel’s wariness and unlikeable-ness but didn’t shift over into out right bullying territory.
Overall this was a great YA mystery and I know fans of Holly’s GGGTM series will love this book too!
4.75*
I will NEVER get enough of Holly Jackson! I have read every book by her and she has amazed me every single time. This book was just as thrilling, suspenseful, and fun as all her other works!
We follow our main character Bel, who's mother has been missing for the last sixteen years. A documentary has started filming about the disappearance of Rachel Price. But surprise! Rachel reappears out of nowhere in the middle of the film production. Bel, however, is very skeptical as to if Rachel was even missing in the first place. Rachel's story seems to have inconsistencies and family drama is being uncovered. Bel then goes on her own investigation (Pip style ;) ) to try to solve the weird mystery surrounding her mother.
This is just like any other Jackson book, filled with twists, turns, and suspense. She continues to be my favorite author and I will absolutely eat up any book she releases!
I love Holly Jackson's style of writing and I have wanted something to live up to "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder", and this is up there. While I did find Bel annoying at times, I loved how it all came together.
Thank you, NetGalley for the digital arc of this book. I will read anything Holly Jackson writes and this is no exception. Rachel Price has been missing for 16 years and is believed to be dead. When she returns to her family everyone is shocked, including the camera crew filming a documentary about her disappearance. Bel has a hard time believing her mother who left her in the car as a toddler when she disappeared. The twists in this book were so good. The ending was intense and everything about this book was perfect. I can't wait to buy a copy and share it with more of my students.
HOOOOOOOOLYYYYYYY FUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!! Holly Jackson has just become an instant buy author for me! The Reappearance of Rachel Price had everything a good thriller should! It had phenomenal characters, the most incredible plot and a twist that will leave you throwing your book at the wall! When Holly Jackson said that this was her favorite book that she’s written, I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND NOW! A must read for every thriller fan!
I had the chance to read an ARC of The Reappearance of Rachel Price and didn’t want it to end. It has the immediacy of Five Survive and the bigger scope of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
The story follows Bel Price, eighteen years old and forever changed by an event that she has no memory of. Her mother vanished sixteen years ago, leaving Bel in the backseat of a car with a juicebox and only gibberish to say when found. Bel deals with this abandonment by trying to drive others away first.
The quiet life that Bel lives with her remaining family, avoiding the Rachel Price mystery, is rocked by a film crew’s interest. Then it is completely overturned when Rachel shows up on her doorstep. If this is really Rachel, someone has kept her hostage for most of Bel’s life. It’s no easier to go back to normal than it is to unravel the lies of what really happened. Not to mention, the annoying junior cameraman on the film crew likes her attempts to piss him off.
Sometimes when a book is good, you don’t want it to end. This one is very, very good. It has a lot of meat for a YA novel, and the ending takes up a lot of space. But with all the tangled layers in this story, like the whole drama being filmed, it’s satisfying.
Showing this through Bel’s point-of-view, so impacted and so in-the-dark, is brilliantly done. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this advance read.
Holly Jackson never fails to write an amazing story. I was captured by this book from the first page. It goes to show you never know what your family or people close to you are hiding…such a great read! I’ve throughly enjoyed all of Holly Jackson’s books so far!
I absolutely loved this book more than any other Holly Jackson book I've read thus far. I COULD NOT put it down because the mystery was SO good. I also did not see the ending coming at all and that's refreshing to not have solved anything too early. Well done, Holly Jackson.
"The Reappearance of Rachel Price" begins with a film crew looking to explore the 16 year old mystery of Rachel Price's disappearance. Rachel is last seen on camera at a coffee shop in the mall, with her baby Bel, when she suddenly steps into a blind spot and is never seen again. Yet, somehow, Rachel's car is found abandoned on a back road miles from the mall, with baby Bel, alive, well, and unharmed in the back spot. But Rachel is nowhere to be found.
Until 16 years later. When, during the filming of the documentary, Rachel suddenly appears at the family's doorstep, bloodied and still wearing the same clothes she disappeared in.
Immediately, a now-teen Bel, is suspicious of her mother's reappearance and it simply feels like nothing is what it seems.
The book is well-paced and packed with constant mystery. I did not feel like there were any slow spots. I could have honestly done without the bit of romance but Ash is adorable so I'll let it slide.
I think the ending, borders on being far-fetched, but then isn't at the same time so I'm good with it, too.
I am beyond stoked to meet Holly Jackson at an author's book talk in April and to hear her talk about this one!!
Thank YOU Netgalley, Delacorte Press, and Holly Jackson for this Advanced Reader's Copy. I already have two people attending the book talk with me and several others who are ready to buy this one on the day it releases. So happy for Holly Jackson!!