I didn’t have a good time listening to this audiobook… I felt like the narrator was monotonous, and I kept losing focus because everything was kind of said on the same tone all the time.
The case was very interesting, but I also feel like the book didn’t bring anything new to light? Maybe it’s just the fact I kept getting lost in thoughts because I felt bored :/
Thank you again for the ARC!

I enjoyed learning more about Lauren in this book. Her case has always baffled me, and certainly not me alone. Shawn did a great job investigating and remaining respectful to Lauren and her family. I hope we find out what happened one day.

News reporter Shawn Cohen returns many years later to one of the stories he covered years ago that stuck with him. In this book, he provides background information, and some new updates in the search for Lauren Spierer. Ms. Spierer vanished from plain sight about 20 years ago from Indiana University. A body was never found, but Lauren's family has never given up hope. After reading this book I have my own thoughts about what may have occurred, and I pray that Lauren and her family can find justice and peace.

The audio narrator did a good job, and I was very engaged.

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who was an IU student living in Bloomington when this happened, I feel like this book still leaves a lot on the table. The author says they've uncovered new information, but it didn't seem like anything new when it came time for the big reveal. I followed this case from the beginning, and this book didn't cover anything that wasn't already covered in the news. Yes, you got to hear specifically from Spierer's friends, but again, they didn't provide any new information. I also question the objectivity of this book, the author seemed too close to this, and seemed especially close to her parents. He does question whether her parents should have done more about her partying, drinking and drug use, but he doesn't dive into that and breezes past it. Therefore, I was disappointed in this story and don't think it tells anything new.

The narrator was great, His voice was easy to listen to and really added to the story. Overall, the book was a powerful insight to the life and death of a poor woman. The facts and details were eye opening. I thought I knew all about the case, but this book took my knowledge to a whole new level. I wanted to give it five stars, but the personal additions from the author's life broke some of the flow the story had. Thank you Netgalley for my ARC opportunity.

"College Girl Missing" is a taut, suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a college student, unraveling the complex web of relationships, secrets, and lies that surround her life. What I appreciated most was the exploration of themes like friendship, betrayal, and the pressures of college life. The twists are unpredictable but the conclusion is not satisfying as we don't find out whodunit.

I enjoyed the investigation around this case but found a lot wrong with the actual presentation of it. The authors sense of self importance really takes away from the importance of the case and it felt like he was patting himself on the back the whole time and distracting from the plot by telling us about how hard he worked to get this case. There were a lot of parallels drawn to other cases that I also found to be a but unnecessary. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This serves itself up as a tale of warning: Lauren Spierer went missing in 2011 and has never since been seen. Lauren has a fairly typical night out on a college campus- alcohol, drugs, questionable choices. Things that many young adults are guilty of. But unfortunately for Lauren and her family, she paid the ultimate price and never came home.

This story has no ending, which is heartbreaking. The information has all been synthesized here and a few theories are put forward, but unfortunately very little additional information is available. This book seems to be a passion project of the author. However he touts his own importance and personal relationships quite a lot in a book that should be about Lauren.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my copy of this audiobook

Being from Indiana, I felt like I already knew a lot about this case. However, I still feel like this book brought to light a new perspective that I appreciated.

When I requested this I didn’t realize it was a true story about the case surrounding Lauren Spierer. Until listening to this I also hadn’t heard about this case. I do love true crime so was excited to read this once I learned that. Far too many bad things happening to people that go unsolved. It really is a roller coaster of emotion. I feel for her family having to go through such a tragic time and never getting closure. At the same time this girl was definitely in need of help with how much she was partying and doing drugs. Plus the disregard for her heart condition. Not that anyone deserves this fate.

There was one quote in the book that said something about a person being nervous when they were questioned by police. Although I feel the boys that last saw her are hiding something, stories change and don’t align and being uncooperative. With all of that if I was interviewed by police after I was one of the last people to see someone, even if I had nothing to do with it, you can bet I would still be nervous! People are wrongfully accused all the time and I would fear the finger would be pointed at me. That being said I would do everything in my power to help and cooperate!

This was a short, interesting true crime story told from the perspective of a journalist trying to help a family through the loss of their daughter when she went missing. This case is still open, as the subject is still missing, but listening to what the family has gone through from the initial missing person report until now was both interesting and sickening. I couldn’t imagine being in their position and I hope I never am. I also hope that their daughter is found, as at this point they have stated it would just be nice to have her remains and to know for sure that she has been found. I can only imagine the heartbreak that statement causes.

College Girl, Missing
The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight
by Shawn Cohen
Narrated by Kyle Snyder

College Girl, Missing is the true story of Shawn Cohen's investigation into the disappearance of Lauren Spierer, a student at Indiana University. This story kept me listening intently, though I wish we had more answers! I'm pretty amazed and disgusted with some of the key players that were able to just not answer questions and the police that didn't seem, at least from the authors story, to really do their job to the best of their abilities. I feel that a lot of tings were left un-asked and unanswered. Someone knows what happened to Lauen. This was an interesting listen about a case that had passed me by. It really sounds like Indiana University wants to keep Lauens disappearance in the shadows.

The narration was performed well. Kyle Snyder was believable as the narrator of this first person account. Overall, a really good book that sucked me in until the very end!

Thanks so NetGalley, the author, and HighBridge Audio for the chance to listen to and review this ARC!

I appreciate that journalism like this can help keep attention and resources on older cold cases, but unfortunately this didn't seem to do a whole lot to dredge up any new information. The narration of the audiobook was good but the content was lacking. A lot of the information felt repetitive because there was really nothing new. This case is terrifying as it truly feels like it could happen to any of us. One minute she was there, and due to intoxication and a lack of initiative of her friends to escort her home safely, she seemingly disappeared. Most of the suspects seem at least partially if not fully culpable, but unless her remains /DNA are found then there is absolutely no motivation for anyone to come forward. I likely would not have read this if I had known the author was employed by the Daily Mail, and I did find some of his tactics to be lacking journalistic integrity. I feel for Lauren and her family, and I hope they eventually get some sort of closure or justice.

Thank you to Net Galley for an audio ARC

3 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I was not familiar with the story of Lauren Spierer. This was a gripping story, and while I had hopes that it would earn more than 3 stars, I found myself a bit turned off because the author was focusing too much on himself throughout the story.

A gripping true crime book about a college girl who disappeared in plain sight When Lauren Spierer―a gregarious young woman at a crossroads in her life―vanished from Indiana University , her story drew global attention from celebrities and news outlets such as People magazine, CNN, and USA Today.
Despite the media frenzy surrounding the case, the police investigation went nowhere and her body was never found. Armed with the support of Lauren's parents and never-before-seen evidence that chronicles a cover-up, a botched investigation, conflicting testimony, and new interviews, Cohen leads readers through a gripping narrative before finally shining a light on those often forgotten in true the innocent people left behind. College Girl, Missing will take readers through a minute-by-minute recap of the last hours of Lauren's life, and ask the What happened to Lauren Spierer?

I will start with stating that I didn't learn anything from this book that wasn't already out in the media other than personal facts about the author. This book felt more like memoir of how hard this was on him and his family "investigating" this versus a "gripping" true crime book. I really detested the way he presented the information and this book felt very icky. If this was an attempt to shed new light , get the case reopened, or provide sensitivity toward her family; it failed miserably. on all levels. This review feels harsh but there should be a level of responsibility when writing true crime and it should in no way be about the author and only about the investigation and the victim and their family.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for the Advance Digital Copy.

Thank you NetGalley for my arc.
I was familiar with this case. I hope that this book renews interest in Lauren’s case and eventually provides some answers for her family. What I think I enjoyed most about this book was the fact that the author received the family’s blessing to write it. This isn’t some exploitative cash grab. It is clear that the author is attempting to share Lauren’s story and get eyes on this case.

There is something so chilling about a Cold Case when it happens in the middle of a town and there should be Clues, but the investigators ultimately turn up with no answers. This is a college town disappearance with a look at the original incident, and the author reinterviewing people now to see if opinions had changed or new information comes to light. The author does a good job laying out all of the information and interviews so that the reader can come up with an opinion, although ultimately we are left without any closure just like this poor Girl's family.

This read like a really long tabloid article with an uncomfortable amount of self insert by the author. It really went nowhere and the stated purpose of the book did not seem to match what the book was. The author stated that he always wanted to write a book and this felt more like he was doing just that. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review. The narrator did a good job.

I love a good true crime story and this one did not dissapoint. This one focuses on Lauren Spierer, a student at Indiana University, who goes missing one night and is never to be seen again. I don't remember hearing about this as it happened so everything was new to me. The author goes into all the theories of what happens to her and in the end comes up with no concrete answers or new information- which is hard for me-I like this wrapped up with a bow at the end. I hope some day, someone can find answers and give closure to the family.

I did not know about this story before listening to this audiobook and it absolutely gave me shivers imagining what may have happened to Lauren. Both the author and narrator did a great job in illustrating the case.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC.