Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc

I first heard of Lauren’s case a few years back on a true crime podcast, I was interested to see how this book could help and as the author states he wanted to put pressure on those involved. It was a surprise to learn the author was able to uncover some new information. The book was a mixture of the case and the authors life which didn’t bother me. The narrators voice was clear and of a calming tone so it made it easy to listen to.

On June 3, 2011, Lauren went missing after a night of hard partying with friends. The petite, blue-eyed blonde was enjoying her last few days in Bloomington before she was due to drive home with her boyfriend to New York. Ditching her plans for that evening with him, she instead went out with new friends, including a young man with interest in her, drinking at a popular local bar before continuing the party at his and his friends’ off-campus housing. Heavily intoxicated on both drugs and alcohol, Lauren had already fallen hard a couple times and had to be carried off-and-on, but the young men with her that night swear that she left their place in the early hours of the morning to walk the dark streets alone to her nearby apartment. She never arrived.

It takes no effort to victim-blame, but the truth is Lauren really could be any of us. My daughter and I both graduated from IU, and knowing that in the right set of circumstances or with the wrong group of people, anyone's story could have been hers. Who of us didn’t go through our teens and twenties feeling like we were invulnerable to bad consequences or testing out the new freedoms being away from our parents brought, even if it wasn’t in such extreme ways?

Lauren’s parents believe she’s dead, but as any parents would, they want answers. The most popular theory is that she overdosed, possibly complicated by a serious heart condition, and that her “friends” panicked and disposed of her body. Unfortunately, these young men from wealthy families lawyered up and refuse to talk. Add that to some early missteps in the local police response and the territorial police chief’s refusal to bring in the FBI or state police, and sadly the Spierers may never get the answers they deserve. I hold out hope that they will.

I listened to this on audio, and thought the narration by Kyle Snyder was well done. My biggest complaint about this book is that Cohen, the author, came off as self-important in touting how close HE is to the Spierers, and how HE broke the news first, and how HE doggedly pursued answers all these years, when in the end, he really didn’t bring much new information to the table. For all his self-congratulatory persistence, even when he got the young men to talk after all these years, they offered a bunch of “I dunno”s and “I don’t remember”s which got the Spierers no closer to any answers. It felt a little like a vanity piece at times. Nonetheless, I respect his efforts to help the family, and I hope his continued persistence eventually helps bring them closure.

★★★ ½

Unfortunately, this book just didn't do anything for me.

I read a LOT of true crime books, and I have my favorite authors that I pick up whenever they have something new or to re-read any time I want to dive back into that world. (I'm looking at you, John Douglas!)

I had, however, never heard of this author. And sometimes, with true crime, that's a great thing. Moving away from the more popular names into someone unknown can give you a whole new perspective on old crimes or can introduce you to someone knew to follow.

I don't think Shawn Cohen will be either of those things for me.

I wasn't a huge fan of his writing style, for one thing. He puts WAAAAAY too much of himself in the story. Now, as an investigative journalist, he's, of course, going to be in the story. That's not even in question. But a lot of the places where he inserted himself seemed superfluous and gratuitous. Like he just wanted to make sure we all remembered he was part of the story.

Secondly, I didn't feel like this book really added anything new to the case of Lauren Spierer. To be fair, I didn't really follow the case when it was out. I honestly don't even remember it that well (if at all). But after some obligatory Googling, I found just about everything that was in the book on the web somewhere.

It was less of a revealing, shocking new twist and more of "I've compiled all this research people have done and put my name on it."

I don't know. I just wasn't impressed with it; it wasn't my cup of tea, so to speak. It just seems like maybe this dude was having a crisis of identity and really, really wanted to be important again, so he decided to write a book to get his name out there without contributing anything new to the actual story.

I kind of feel the same way when people release a book of myths or fairy tales without putting their own spin on it. They did nothing, save compile a bunch of stuff in one place. Why should I give anyone credit for that?

I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley giving me access to the ARC of this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

As for the narration aspects, those were fine. I had no complaints with them. Audio was clear, and the reading speed was fine. I think I listened at 1.5x speed, and that was plenty fast enough for me. (I'm usually a 2.0x speed kind of girl.) So this was actually narrated fairly well. I just wasn't a fan of the book itself.

This book was so incredibly boring. The author gave us information that a girl went missing. I am still wondering how he wrote an entire book about what very little he knows about the case. Would not recommend. The book was more an autobiography of the author, not a book about an unsolved murder/disappearance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Really crazy story. But it felt like it jumped around a bit too much.

Every parent’s worse nightmare! This book broke my heart for the missing girls parents. It was interesting to hear all of the different perspectives that the author presented.

3.5 the story was compelling about a family’s search for answers 11 plus years later while also giving facts as presented and methods used to go back to dig deeper so many years later. Thank you Netgalley for the audio ARC

This book was really well done. It was investigative, insightful, and easy to understand. Great information was explained, the timeline was extremely helpful, and the possible persons of interest were well explained. I feel like investigative/true crime stories are harder to read sometimes, but this author did the story justice and was respectfully written. I never felt anything problematic in the way it was written and appreciated him explaining his own story and why he had trouble speaking with others in the case due to his own misfortunes. I think it was important and helped the story.

The narrator did a great job. I definitely felt that it had the right type of sound/feel. It was read with a journalistic tone and enhanced the listen, as it gave the vibe that the style of book was written in. Narrator was easy to understand and pitch was great.

I really hope this book increases the chances of solving the case. It’s always weighed heavy on my heart as we are close in age and I began college in 2011, right after she went missing.

Thank you NetGalley, Shawn Cohen, and HighBridge Audio for the audiobook.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator’s smooth, even voice. The story of Lauren is sad, I liked the first half- learning more about the situation. I did not like the author’s personal details that was most of the second half, it felt unrelated.

I listen to this book and I initially thought this was a fiction story but it’s actually a true story. So sad to hear that Lauren went through this and all of the craziness that happened to her that night.

So I won’t spoil the book. The narrator kept my attention and the chapters were short enough to drag on. I’m just truly sad that this is a non-fiction book and poor Lauren is no longer with us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A journalistic procedural true crime cold case.
That is the only way I could think how to describe the non-fiction true crime audio narrated by Kyle Snyder.

The author of this book is a journalist and he records what he has been able to learn about the disappearance of a college student at the University of Indiana in June of 2011. He was a reporter on the scene at the time this young woman went missing after a night of partying with friends and acquaintances, some she met for the first time that night. She left to walk home from a friend's house at 4 am drunk and barely able to walk and was never seen again. No one has been charged with a crime and theories abound as to what might have happened to this woman and who if any of her friends are responsible.

I had a hard time understanding what this author's purpose was in bringing this case to light without much new to bring for consideration. The strongest part of the book is the 1st section in which we learn what was known of the circumstances of that night and how police were believed to approach the investigation. It is best to remember that this source may only have superficial knowledge of what police knew and how the leads in the investigation were pursed. It seems easy to point fingers since there was no clear resolution. The journalist states he has a strong connection now with the family though I did not get much evidence in the text to support that.

After the 1st section the book was more about how the journalist kept digging for more information. He continues to purse mainly a group of friends who were the last to see this young woman alive. He harps on the inconsistencies of their stories. Indeed. The events of the disappearance took place in the wee hours of the morning after all had been using both drugs and alcohol. I would have been more concerned if all told the exact same story--as if planned and corroborated ahead of time as in a cover up. Then he goes back 12 year later for follow up. This highlighted how the disappearance continues to haunt her friends but added little in new information.

It was a good true crime story and had a propulsive quality to this audio. I listened to it in a 24 hour period. So if you are into true crime and want to form your own theory as to what might have happened to this young woman with what this journalist presents it is a good read. Be aware there are no answers to be found here and it is a tale with no good ending.

I was interested in reading this because I felt involved with the story but I didn't realize I'd feel so many emotions. Lauren Spierer disappeared over a decade ago, seemingly vanishing in plain sight in a busy college town. Bloomington was MY college town, and I still visit. When I would go into restaurants or other venues, Lauren's face was everywhere, as the entire community was looking for her.
I like that the writing is from a personal perspective, because that's how we all felt. Everyone still wants to know what happened to this beautiful young girl. As a parent, I was horrified to read more details about how Lauren's friends interacted with her. I always tell young people, including friends and family, that they need to look after each other, even if they are drinking or using drugs. That didn't happen here, and the people who should have been caring for Lauren may be responsible for terrible things happening to her.
It's sad, but we'll probably never know what really happened. This book acts as a heartwrenching plea for the truth to come out. The narrator provides the right balance of objectivity and compassion. Many thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

"College Girl, Missing" by Shawn Cohen, narrated by Kyle Snyder left me feeling mixed emotions. This non-fiction account focuses on the heartbreaking story of Lauren Spierer, a college student who vanished one fateful night. I approached the book curious to learn more about this unsolved case. Unfortunately, while the premise was intriguing, the execution didn’t resonate with me as much as I had hoped.
As someone who had never heard of Lauren's case before this audiobook, I found the content compelling but also somewhat frustrating. The narrative revolves around the many unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance, which, while reflecting the reality of the investigation, often leads to a sense of repetition. I understand that this is intrinsic to the unsolved nature of Lauren's story, but I felt like certain sections could have been edited down to maintain my engagement.
One of my main issues with the book was the author’s inclusion of his personal experiences and reflections. While I can appreciate that Shawn Cohen, as an investigative journalist, might want to share his perspective, I found that these interjections detracted from the gravity of Lauren's story. I came to learn about her and the events surrounding her disappearance, but instead, I sometimes felt sidetracked by aspects of Cohen’s life that didn’t seem relevant to the case. It was a bit jarring to veer away from the heartbreaking narrative of Lauren to hear about the author’s opinions and experiences.
On the positive side, Kyle Snyder's narration was engaging and well-executed, making it an easy listen even if the content itself didn't quite captivate me. I appreciated the effort to raise awareness about Lauren's case, and I can see how this book may resonate with others who are more accustomed to this blend of journalism and personal commentary.
Overall, "College Girl, Missing" is a valued opportunity to learn about Lauren's story and the ongoing quest for answers, the structure and writing style simply didn’t work for me. Even if it wasn’t the right fit for me, drawing attention to such a heartbreaking case is undoubtedly important.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I think this book did exactly what it set out to do. This book tells the story of Lauren Spierer and her mysterious disappearance one night from Indiana University. I thought the strongest portion of this book was following Lauren moment by moment of that night that we know about.

This book was definitely hard to read and I think a large part of the book’s purpose is to continue to shed light on Lauren in hopes someone comes forward with information, but also it puts into perspective the fact that this happened and no one is truly immune by thinking this could never happen to them or to someone they know.

I appreciated the author’s honesty and goal in telling this story. I greatly hope and wish for answers for Lauren’s family and that this book might shed light on answers or at least let Lauren’s family know that there are people out there that continue to support them.

Overall, a hard read that did exactly what it set out to do and is definitely a quick read if you are interested in the story or in true crime.


Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @highbridgeaudio for this advance audiobook.
.
When it comes to true crime books and podcasts, I think there can be a fine line between exploiting a story for profit and wanting to find justice and closure for a grieving family. In this upcoming release about the 2011 cold case of missing college student Lauren Spierer, an investigative journalist searches for answers with the full support of Lauren’s family. Cohen’s motivation feels genuine and I appreciate how he openly shares the criticisms against him. He is respectful of the grieving family while uncovering new insight into problems with the initial investigation and conducting new interviews with Lauren’s friends. Hopefully this book helps them all find the answers and closure they deserve.

Such an informative audiobook! As someone who has lived near Bloomington for the past decade, this is a case I am quite familiar with. This book delved deep into the details of every person even remotely connected to the case and explored every remote possibility. Of course, it's always frustrating when the ending does not give us answers, but such is life. Hopefully this book will draw more attention to this case so what really happened can come to light.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc, all opinions are my own

A well researched true crime book about Lauren Spierer, a young college girl who vanishes from a night out at Indiana University in 2011, never to be seen again. The author, Shawn Cohen, throughly followed leads, talked to students who were last seen with Lauren and made inroads with her family and friends. Unfortunately, to this day, her body has never been found and her disappearance remains a mystery.

The one critique I have is this…. I wish the author would have weighed in and told the reader after working in this case since the beginning, and interviewing multiple sources,, what he believed happened to Lauren. But otherwise, this is an enthralling true crime novel that captures the hearts and minds of the reader.

This book was such an eye opening text on the details of a real life mystery. It left me curious to know and learn more about the specific case and the details within. The author did well remaining neutral in his goal to share the accounts of the evening that led to Lauren's disappearance. Many of the potential suspects left feelings of anger as the author shared their accounts and responses to the events of that dreadful evening.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this audio book ARC opportunity.

It is of course difficult to rate a book that is about such a tragedy, but the author did a great job of reporting the story and being thorough in his research. I was really intrigued through the whole story and listened to it quickly as I really wanted answers. The narrator did a good job of reporting the story in a way that felt like a report or a podcast- a calm voice that would keep the readers interested.

The author really cares and I was rooting for him and the family to get answers. I would recommend this book and I am wishing peace and strength, as well as answers, for Lauren’s family.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. Lauren Spierer, a college student in Indiana goes missing, after partying on night. Lauren has never been found and nobody has been charged with anything. How does one just disappear?!